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La Salle Pass     Wildcat Canyon     S Park Alpine     Selkirk Gulch     Packer Gulch     Farnum Peak

Wildcat Canyon Project

A view into Wildcat Canyon on a recent hike. PHoto Misi Ballard

There’s good news - a new travel plan

After several years of working on a court ordered revision of the Motorized Vehicle Use plan, Alterntive C was selected in Draft Record of Decision for Motorized Travel (MVUM) was released in early November. Wild Connections is still reviewing the details, but it appears that Alt. C is, for the most part, a reasonable plan.

There is a short example of how the new MVUM will affect Wildcat Canyon in our recent email.

Scroll down for some background on this special place.


 


Wildcat Canyon Call to Action 

Protecting and restoring Wildcat Canyon is Wild Connections’ highest restoration priority.  Wild Connections is advocating for increased funding and manpower for the Forest Service’s South Park and South Platte Ranger Districts to address the growing problem of illegal motorized use in Wildcat Canyon. Wild Connections can help the Forest Service to install permanent secure closures to block access to the illegal tracks, to educate the riding public about legal recreation options, and to restore areas damaged by illegal use.

The South Platte River, between Lake George and Cheesman Reservoirs, cuts a 1,200 foot deep gorge east of Lost Creek Wilderness known as Wildcat Canyon.  This 7.3 mile stretch of the South Platte River was largely spared in the devastating 2002 Hayman Fire and is now one of the few healthy habitats in the Hayman burn area for large game mammals, birds of prey, migrating songbirds, and wild trout.

Rampant illegal OHV activity traveling on long-closed roads on both the east and west sides of the canyon and vehicles riding in the South Platte River and Tarryall Creek continues.  Vehicles of all sizes are causing deep erosion on the closed roads, creating new illegal tracks across the hillsides, and damaging the delicate streambeds of the South Platte River and Tarryall Creek.  The noise and air pollution associated with this illegal travel has tremendous negative impacts on area wildlife.

Wild Connections is working with other stakeholders to devise a permanent solution. It will take several years and concerted action but the future of Wildcat Canyon is at stake.


The S Platte River in Wildcat Canyon. Photo Curt Nimz
ATV in S. Platte River, Oct 2017. Photo Jim Lockhart.
Image: 


Wild Connections' mission is to identify, protect, and restore wildlands, native species, and biological diversity in the Arkansas and South Platte watersheds. They are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho and other indigenous peoples.

2168 Pheasant Place, Colorado Springs CO 80909
(817) 939-4239 (Salida)   info@wildconnections.org