Here is the sixth diary in my Expanding the National Park System series. Last Week I walked among the redwoods in California, this week I'm hiking the Rockies in Colorado. Colorado has 4 national parks 7 monuments, 11 National Forests and 8 Wildlife Refuges. Colorado has 36.6% of its land owned by the feds, which is 10th among the 50 states for federal ownership of property. Colorado takes protecting the environment very seriously, as recent votes banning fracking show.
Here is the sixth diary in my Expanding the National Park System series. Last Week I walked among the redwoods in California, this week I'm hiking the Rockies in Colorado. Colorado has 4 national parks 7 monuments, 11 National Forests and 8 Wildlife Refuges. Colorado has 36.6% of its land owned by the feds, which is 10th among the 50 states for federal ownership of property. Colorado takes protecting the environment very seriously, as recent votes banning fracking show.
Colorado
Total Area 104094 sq miles
Land Area 103718 sq miles
Water area 376 sq miles
coastline 0 sq miles
Additional monuments -5
NATIONAL PARKs-4
* Black Canyon of the Gunnison Established 1999 Covers 30 750 acres
Originally Set aside as a monument in 1933, Black Canyon was upgraded to a National Park in 1999. The Park contains the deepest portions of the canyon, and 12 miles of the 48 mile long canyon. The canyon is called Black because of its depth and narrowness, which limits the amount of sunlight that can reach into the bottom portions of the canyon. A train line through the canyon was built by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the 1880s, and popularized the area. It was set aside in 1933 as one of President Hoovers last acts of office, and the CCC built the North Rim Road to improve the ability for visitors to take in the scenery. the park is popular for rock climbing and whitewater rafting and contains a wide variety of plants(Utah juniper, Ponderosa Pine, and Black Canyon gilia) and animals including Great Horned Owls, Canyon Wren, Mountain Bluebirds, and Peregrine Falcons.
* Great Sand Dunes Established 2004 Covers 84997 acres (44 246 in park)
Originally protected as a monument in 1932, Congress upgraded Great Sand Dunes to a park in 2004. The park contains the largest sand dunes in North America, rising to 750 feet. The dunes were formed about 440000 years ago, from sand and soil deposited from the Rio Grande river and its tributaries. The process is ongoing, and the dunes continue to grow in height. the area is very windy, and causes dunes to change shape daily. part of the reason for creating the park was to protect the water from developers. The park also includes several peaks over 13000 feet, tundra and forests of spruce and pine.
* Mesa Verde Established 1906 Covers 52495 acres
The oldest of Colorado's national parks, Mesa Verde helped spur the creation of the Antiquities Act, as prior to becoming a park, Mesa Verde was damaged and defaced by visitors who broke open walls, burned wood support beams and took souvenirs, most notably Gustaf Nordenskiold, who compiled a large trove of artifacts and shipped them to Finland in the 1890s. The park contains 4000 sites and 600 cliff dwelling of which 230 are damaged and may be repaired in the future. more than 500000 visitors visited Mesa Verde in 2011.
* Rocky Mountain Established 1915 Covers 265 761 acres
The largest of Colorado's national parks, Rocky Mountain spans the continental divide in northern Colorado. The bill to create the park originally had it extend from the Wyoming border to around Mount Evans, which would have resulted in a much larger park, but Congress blocked the plan, ultimately settling on an area close to the current acreage. Rocky Mountain is one of the most visited national parks, with nearly 3.2 million visitors in 2011.
NATIONAL MONUMENTS-7
* Canyons of the Ancients Established 2000 Covers 176 056 acres
created by President Clinton, Canyons is managed by the BLM, which has leased most of the area to gas and oil companies. Canyons surrounds and borders most of Hovenweep NM, and contains 6000 archeological sites, the most in the US. There are 3 wilderness study areas, totaling around 33250 acres,7700 of which extend into Utah. Theft of artifacts and vandalism is a serious problem, as budget cuts have hampered efforts to protect the monument.
*Chimney Rock Established 2012 Covers 4726 acres
Set Aside by President Obama, Chimney Rock is a 500 million year old formation, that provides wide views of the surrounding areas. the monument also includes a Pueblo ruin that was built in the 900s AD and housed as many as 2000 people. The monument lies within San Juan National Forest and is managed by the Forest Service.
* Colorado Established 1911 covers 20533 acres
created through the efforts of John Otto, a local hermit who became the monuments first ranger, Colorado became noteworthy as part of the Coors Classic Bicycle race in the 1980s. Many of the earliest facilities in the monument were created by the CCC and Public Works Administration. the monument includes Monument Canyon and Independence Monument. much of the area is slated to become wilderness.
* Dinosaur Established 1915 covers 210 844 acres
The largest monument in the state, the dinosaur fossil beds were first discovered in 1909 by Earl Douglass, a paleontologist working for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Douglass sent back thousands of fossils for study and the interest generated by the find convinced President Wilson to set the beds aside as a national monument in 1915. originally only covering 80 acres the monument was greatly expanded by FDR in 1938, to its current area of 210000 acres. The bureau of Reclamation planned to dam Echo Valley as part of a 10 dam project to create reservoirs and create stable supplies of water throughout Colorado. after a storm of protest by conservationists, Congress ended up eliminating the dam inside the monument, and went ahead with the other 9 dams. 360000 people visited the monument in 2005.
* Florissant Fossil beds Established 1969 Covers 5998 acres
This monument preserves insect and plant fossils that were created when nearby volcanoes erupted and covered the area, which was a lake environment, with flowers and redwood trees. Florissant is French for "flowering". the redwood stumps in the monuments Petrified Forest are among the largest in the world. The number of stumps in the forest has been estimated at 30, but the number used to be much greater, as scientists and collectors removed much of the petrified wood before the monument was established. today roughly 60000 vistors visit the monument each year.
* Hovenweep Established 1923 Covers 784 acres
Divided into four sections, three of which are surrounded By Canyons of the Ancients NM, this monuments protects six village sites of the Anasazi people, who were predecessors of the modern Pueblo peoples. artifacts dating back to 8000 BC have been found within the monument, and most of ruins date between 900-1300 AD.Hovenweep, which means "Deserted Valley" in the Ute language, was first discovered in 1854, and the area was vandalized as was common with ruins in the area, before the area was set aside as a monument in 1923. Nearly 26000 people visited in 2011.
* Yucca House Established 1919 Covers 34 acres
The smallest national monument in the state. Yucca Mountain is an unexcavated Pueblo site. A number of studies were made of the site, but no large scale excavation has taken place inside the monument since the 1910s, when Upper House was partly excavated. the monument is managed by Mesa Verde NP, and due to its remote location, parking space is limited and access can be difficult at times due to rain or snowmelt.
NATIONAL FORESTS- 11
* Arapaho Established 1908 Covers 723744 acres
Located west of Denver, Arapaho straddles the Continental Divide and is named after the Arapaho tribe that lived in the area before settlement by white settlers. It was set aside by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. it managed as a single unit along with Roosevelt NF and Pawnee Grassland. The Forest contains 6 wilderness areas, and was featured as the setting for the 1984 film "Red Dawn'.
* Grand Mesa Established 1892 Covers 346555 acres
One of the oldest forest reserves in the US, Grand Mesa was originally set aside by Benjamin Harrison as the Battlement Mesa Forest Reserve. It borders White River NF to the north and Gunnison NF to the east. it is managed, along with Gunnison and Uncompahgre NF, as a single unit.
* Gunnison Established 1905 Covers 1,672,136 acres
The 5th largest NF in acreage in Colorado, Gunnison was established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 as the Cochetopa Forest reserve and it was later renamed after Explorer John W Gunnison. It contains 7 wilderness areas and borders five other forests: White River to the North, Grand Mesa and Uncompahgre to the West, San Isabel to the East and Rio Grande to the South.
* Pike Established 1892 Covers 1,106,604 acres
Named after Explorer Zebulon Pike, the Forest includes Pikes Peak one of the state's tallest mountains, at over 14000 feet. there are 3 wilderness areas, covering roughly 150000 acres, within the forest.Pike is managed as a single unit with Comanche Grassland and San Isabel NF.
* Rio Grande Established 1908 Covers 1,860,000 acres
Located in southwestern Colorado, Rio Grande spans the Continental Divide, contains one of the worlds large high deserts that border mountains. The forest contains 4 wilderness sites and is the 4th largest forest in the state.
* Roosevelt Established 1897 Covers 813799 acres
First set aside as part of the Medicine Bow Reserve, the forest was renamed as the Colorado in 1910 then renamed to honor Theodore Roosevelt in 1932. the forest contains 6 wilderness areas and borders Rocky Mountain NP as well as Arapaho NF.
* Medicine Bow-Routt Established 1902 Covers 2,222,313 acres
The second largest NF in the state, this forest was originally two forests- Medicine Bow and Routt, which were combined in 1995. Routt is named after Colorado's first Governor, John Routt. Routt is the bigger of the two covering 1.126 million to Medicine Bow's 1.096 million acres. Routt contains 7 wildernesses, Medicine Bow 4 wildernesses. Medicine Bow is named after Medicine Bow Peak which is over 12000 feet tall. Routt lies entirely within Colorado, Medicine Bow extends into Wyoming.
* San Isabel Established 1902 Covers 1,120,233 acres
Located in Central Colorado, this forest contains 19 out of Colorado's 54 mountains which reach 14000 feet, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado at 14,440 feet. The Forest contains 7 wilderness areas some of which are shared with other national forests.
* San Juan Established 1905 Covers 1.878,846 acres
this forest is the third largest in the state and borders Uncompahgre NF to the north and Rio Grande NF to the East. The Forest is bisected by the Durango and Silverton Railroad, which was built in 1881 and was bought out in the 1980s and turned into a scenic railroad similar to the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad that run from Colorado to New Mexico. The forest contains 3 wilderness areas as well as Chimney Rock NM.
* Uncompahgre Established 1905 Covers 955229 acres
This forest is split into three sections with the eastern section bordering the San Juan NF. 3 wilderness areas lie within the forest, which is managed with Grand Mesa and Gunnison as a single Unit.
* White River Established 1902 Covers 2,285,970 acres
The Largest NF in the state, it is named after the river that flows through the forest. The Forest is divided into two sections, and contains 8 wilderness areas, covering roughly 650000 acres.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-8
* Alamosa Established 1962 covers 11169 acres
Set aside as a refuge for migratory birds, the refuge lies on the Rio Grande floodplain and is managed with the Monte Vista and Baca refuges as a single unit. beaver , Coyotes and mule deer are among the resident animals here.
* Arapaho Established 1967 Covers 24804 acres
Located in the northern part of the state, this refuge lies in the Illinois River valley and produces 9000 ducklings and 200 goslings each year. nearly 200 bird species have been located in the refuge, including blue herons,mallards and sand pipers.
* Baca Established 2003 Covers 78697 acres
Originally part of the Baca Ranch,which was part of the Luis Barca Land grant in 1860, the Baca WR is the largest refuge in Colorado at nearly 80000 acres, Arapaho is the next largest at 24000 acres. much of the refuge is rangeland, from the areas time as an active ranch.
* Browns Park Established 1965 Covers 13450 acres
located at the northwestern edge of the State, the refuge lies south of the Flaming gorges dam, and was created to provide habitat for migratory birds. The first portions of the refuge were purchased with proceeds from the Migratory Bord Hunting Stamp act. 200 species of birds, including mallards, canvasbacks, geese and ducks, are found in the refuge.
* Monte Vista Established 1953 Covers 14800 acres
Located in Southern Colorado, this refuge is a major stopover for sandhill cranes headed to the northern US and Canada. nearly 20000 stop in the refuge yearly. apart from birds the refuge is home to a growing herd of elk, which now numbners in the hundreds.
* Rocky Flats Established 2007 Covers 3953 acres
Located on land formerly used by the Rocky Flats Plant, which was a nuclear weapons facility that produced weapons and stored them for more than 40 years. the site was declared a Superfund site due to leakage of radioactive material into the soil and groundwater. while the refuge was established in 2007 and is expected to expand to nearly 6000 acres once cleanup is completed, it is currently closed to the public due to the ongoing cleanup and lack of funding for the refuge.
* Rocky Mountain Arsenal Established 1992 Covers 12500 acres
Located on land formerly used by the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Chemical weapon facility, the area was set aside as a refuge after 330 species of wildlife including bald eagles was discovered on the site, and gradually the refuge was expanded to cover nearly 17000 acres. bison transferred from the National Bison Range were introduced in 2007, and now number nearly 70.
* Two Ponds Established 1992 Covers 72 acres
The Smallest refuge in the state, Two ponds is an urban refuge, located in the city of Arvada. It consists mostly of uplands and wetlands, and preserves recreations opportunities for visitors including hiking and viewing wildlife.
NATIONAL PRESERVES- 1
* Great Sand Dunes Established 2004 Covers 41686 acres
Covering nearly half of the area of the park,the preserve portion of the Great Sand Dunes permits hunting, within regulations and permitted times of the years. mountain lions and ptarmigans are often hunted during those times.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER UNITS-4
* Bent's Old Fort Historic Site Established 1960 Covers 799 acres
Built as a trading post along the Santa Fe trial, the fort was destroyed in 1852 after a cholera epidemic by its owner William Bent.the current building on the site is a reconstruction built in 1976 and is based on the original.
* Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site Established 2007 Covers 12583 acres
Commemorates the attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians by forces of the Colorado militia in 1864. up to 163 indians were killed, and many of their bodies were mutilated and desecrated. While a special committee found the commanding officer Chivington at fault for actions, no sanctions were ever handed down to any of the men responsible. reparations were offered to the survivors then reneged on in later treaties. the site was set aside as a Historic site in 2007.
* Comanche Grasslands Established 1960 Covers 463373 acres
The larger of the two national grasslands in Colorado, Comanche is split into two units:Timpas and Carrizo. The Carrizo extends to near the Oklahoma border. the area is made up of land by from far,ers to abandoned the area during the Dust Bowl years.Comanche is managed with the San Isabel and Pike NFs as a single Unit.
* Pawnee Grasslands Established 1960 Covers 193060 acres
Established alongside Comanche, Pawnee is split into two sections, the western,smaller part lies in the northeastern part of the state, while the eastern, larger portion borders both Nebraska and Wyoming.Pawnee is named after the Pawnee Buttes a geologic formation in the area.Birdwatching and camping are popular pastimes for visitors to the grasslands.
PROPOSED MONUMENTS-5.
* Arapaho- Upgrades the existing recreational area to monument status. Estimated area 33000 acres
* Browns Canyon - sets aside the area as a monument to protect wildlife as well as conserve the river for whitewater rafting. Estimated area 30000 acres
* Curecanti- Upgrades existing recreational area to monument status. Estimated area 45000 acres
* Dolores River Basin- Preserves portions of the basin and the San Juan mountains as a monument. Estimated area 60000 acres
* Vermillion Basin- protects an area in the western part of the state known for its scenery, pristine status and wildlife. estimated area 77000 acres
And thats it folks. another diary complete. starting with this diary i will be accepting readers suggestions to to what areas could be added. they need not be the 5 areas i have picked, they could be 5 completely different areas. The readers picks i like the best will be added after all the comments are in under "Readers Picks. Next week I'll be in Connecticut visiting our first Eastern state in this series. As always, comments, concerns, feedback, snide remarks and input are welcome.