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National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorRocky Mountain National ParkColoradoBackcountry/Wilderness Management Planand Environmental AssessmentJuly 2001

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental AssessmentExecutive SummaryEXECUTIVE SUMMARYThis document contains the proposed Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan for RockyMountain National Park (RMNP) and the associated Environmental Assessment (EA). Thepurpose of the plan is to serve as:1)2)3)A public document that defines wilderness management policies and actions at RMNP;A means to identify RMNP’s wilderness vision, long range management goals, intermediateobjectives, and actions and options to meet those objectives; andA working guide for staff who manage the wilderness resource.The plan addresses issues and provides guidelines for managing the non-developed areas ofthe park that are defined as backcountry or as designated, recommended, and potentialwilderness. It details a wide array of issues and identifies specific standards for managingadministrative actions and visitor use. The plan formalizes current park backcountrymanagement practices, which have been in effect for the past twenty years; it does not affectdeveloped areas, roads, or frontcountry park uses. This plan supersedes and updates anydirection or guidance set forth in the 1984 Backcountry Management Plan. The plan’s adoptionis not a part of the recommendation before Congress to officially designate 248,464 acres(100,628 hectares) as wilderness.The EA involves analysis of two plan alternatives: the proposed plan (Preferred Alternative) andthe No Action/Current Management Alternative. The proposed plan discussion (Section 2.1)includes a detailed description of all items that comprise the plan elements. These include suchtopics as Management Classes, Resource Conditions, Visitor Experience Conditions, andAdministrative Conditions and Management Activities. Within these major headings, the planformalizes numerous standards and guidelines, many of which are already being implementedon a case-by-case basis. Standards or recommended actions are discussed for such elementsas day use and overnight group size limits, stock use, aircraft use, the Backcountry PermitSystem, campsite standards and management, climbing management, trails management, andfacilities in the backcountry and wilderness. The proposed plan provides for an enhancedwilderness interpretation and education effort and establishment of a Wilderness SteeringCommittee.The No Action/Current Management Alternative continues the current status of backcountry andwilderness management at RMNP. It differs from the proposed plan in several key areas thatare described in detail in Section 2.2 of this document. The primary difference is that therewould be no comprehensive backcountry and wilderness management plan in effect, andproposed activities in backcountry and wilderness would be reviewed and approved on a caseby-case basis, based on policies and guidelines that are not formalized, but generally followed.There could be a lack of continuity with changes in staff and/or administrations, and there wouldbe no documented process that would ensure the most consistent protection of backcountry andwilderness values.This document analyzes the potential effects of both the proposed plan and the No ActionAlternative on the natural, cultural, and social aspects of the backcountry and wildernessresource, described in Chapters 3 and 4. In general, the proposed plan includes manystandards for resource protection that would result in beneficial, long-term impacts to naturaland cultural resources, as well as a consistent review process that would have beneficial effectsRocky Mountain National ParkES-1

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental AssessmentExecutive Summaryon the administration of operations in wilderness areas. There may be some adverse impactson park operations, due to limitations that would be placed on some management options. Theapplication of a Minimum Requirement Analysis for all projects would require additional stafftime and possibly result in some additional costs. Overall, cumulative beneficial impacts wouldbe expected from implementation of the plan, especially considering the potential increaseddevelopment of private lands that border RMNP.All issues and concerns were considered and the most significant of these were analyzed in detail.The potential effects of each alternative on natural and cultural resources, visitor use, local andregional economies and the Park’s environmental integrity are fully explored.ImportantIn order to be considered in the development of the final Plan and EA, comments must be receivedby close of business on March 30, 2001. Public comments will not be available for public reviewuntil after the Plan and EA comment period ends. Names and addresses of people that commenton this Plan and EA would be available to the public upon request. Copies of the Plan and EAhave been sent to public libraries in Boulder, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Grand Lake, Loveland,Longmont and Walden, Colorado. You can submit your comments to us in several ways: By mail: Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado, 80517By e-mail: romo superintendent@nps.govBy fax: (970) 586-1310Hand deliver: Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, 1000 Highway 36, Estes Park,Colorado or to the Kawuneeche Valley Visitor Center, Rocky Mountain National Park, P.O.Box 100, Grand Lake, Colorado 80447Rocky Mountain National ParkES-2

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental AssessmentTABLE OF CONTENTSRocky Mountain National Park

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental AssessmentTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY. ES-11.0INTRODUCTION .1-11.11.21.31-11-11-5Scope of the Plan.Purpose and Need for This Plan .Wilderness at Rocky Mountain National Park .1.3.1 History of Wilderness and Backcountry Management/WildernessRecommendation .1.3.2 NPS Wilderness Management Policies .1.3.3 Pre-existing Conditions in RMNP Wilderness .1.3.4 Relationship of Wilderness Management to other RMNP Plans .Laws, Plans, Policies, and Authorities .1.4.1 Federal and General Provisions .1.4.2 National Park Service Provisions .1.4.3 Rocky Mountain National Park Provisions .Vision, Goals, and Objectives.Plan Review and Update .The Planning Process .1.7.1 Planning Team .1.7.2 Scoping .1.7.3 Resources and Concerns Addressed in this Plan/EA 1-20PLAN ALTERNATIVES .2-11.41.51.61.72.02.1Alternative A, Preferred Alternative (Proposed Action) .2.1.1 Management Classes/Desired Future Conditions .2.1.1.1 Management Class 1 .2.1.1.2 Management Class 2 .2.1.1.3 Management Class 3 .2.1.1.4 Management Class 4 .2.1.2 Resource Conditions .2.1.2.1 Vegetation/Soils .2.1.2.2 Fish and Wildlife .2.1.2.3 Air Quality .2.1.2.4 Aquatic Resources .2.1.2.5 Fire Management .2.1.2.6 Cultural Resources .2.1.3 Visitor Experience Conditions .2.1.3.1 Solitude .2.1.3.2 Risk and Challenge .2.1.3.3 Access/Visitor Activities/Special Uses .2.1.3.4 Impacts from Civilization .2.1.4 Administrative Conditions and Management Activities .2.1.4.1 Minimum Requirement Concept .2.1.4.2 Aircraft Use .2.1.4.3 Emergency Services .Rocky Mountain National 2-152-152-162-232-242-242-262-28i

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Assessment2.1.4.4 Backcountry Permit and Reservation System .2.1.4.5 Camp Area and Site Management .2.1.4.6 Climbing Management .2.1.4.7 Trails Management .2.1.4.8 Facilities .2.1.4.9 Research and Resource Monitoring .2.1.4.10 Wilderness Interpretation and Education .2.1.4.11 Wilderness Management Coordination .2.1.4.12 Establish Wilderness Steering Committee .Alternative B – No Action Alternative/Current Management .2.2.1 Management Classes/Desired Future Conditions .2.2.2 Resource Conditions .2.2.2.1 Vegetation/Soils .2.2.2.2 Fish and Wildlife .2.2.2.3 Aquatic Resources .2.2.2.4 Fire .2.2.2.5 Cultural .2.2.3 Visitor Experience Conditions .2.2.3.1 Solitude .2.2.3.2 Risk and Challenge .2.2.3.3 Access/Visitor Activities/Special Uses .2.2.3.4 Impacts from Civilization .2.2.4 Administrative Conditions and Management Activities .2.2.4.1 Minimum Requirement Concept .2.2.4.2 Aircraft Use .2.2.4.3 Backcountry Permit and Reservation System .2.2.4.4 Camp Area and Site Management .2.2.4.5 Climbing Management .2.2.4.6 Trails Management .2.2.4.7 Facilities Management .2.2.4.8 Research and Resource Monitoring .2.2.4.9 Interpretation and Education .2.2.4.10 Establish Wilderness Steering Committee 92-692-692-692-692-702-702-702-71DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKCOUNTRY/WILDERNESSRESOURCE (Affected Environment) .3-12.23.0Table of Contents3.13.2Regional Context and General Description .Natural, Cultural and Social Aspects of the Wilderness Resource .3.2.1 Geology, Soils, and Vegetation .3.2.2 Wetlands, Floodplains, and Aquatic Resources .3.2.3 Wildlife and Threatened, Endangered, and Special StatusSpecies .3.2.4 Natural Quiet, Sounds, and Lights .3.2.5 Air Quality .3.2.6 Cultural Resources .3.2.7 Local Socioeconomics .3.2.8 Visitor Use and Experience .3.2.9 Park Operations .Rocky Mountain National Park3-13-13-13-23-33-43-43-53-73-73-8ii

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Assessment4.0Table of ContentsENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .4-14.14.24-1Impact Assessment Methodology .Impacts on the Natural, Cultural, and Social Aspects of the WildernessResource .4.2.1 Geology, Soils, and Vegetation .4.2.2 Wetlands, Floodplains, and Aquatic Resources .4.2.3 Wildlife and Threatened, Endangered, or Special Status Species .4.2.4 Natural Quiet, Sounds, and Lights .4.2.5 Air Quality .4.2.6 Cultural Resources .4.2.7 Local Socioeconomics .4.2.8 Visitor Use and Experience (including Natural Quiet, Sounds, andLights) .4.2.9 Park Operations .Cumulative Impacts–All Resource Areas .4-104-114-135.0CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION .5-16.0LIST OF PREPARERS AND PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTORS .6-17.0REFERENCES .7-14.34-14-24-34-54-64-84-84-9FIGURESFigure 1-1 Map of Park/Regional Context.Figure 1-2 RMNP Wilderness Recommendation .Figure 1-3 Adjoining Wilderness.Figure 1-4 Backcountry Overnight Use (1960-1999).1-21-31-41-7Figure 2-1 Management Classes.Figure 2-2 Summer Backcountry Camp Areas .Designated SitesStock SitesCrosscountry AreasBivouac AreasFigure 2-3 Winter Backcountry Camp Areas.Figure 2-4 Trail System .2-52-312-332-42TABLESTable 2-1 Comparison of Standards between Alternatives .Rocky Mountain National Park2-72iii

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental AssessmentTable of ContentsAPPENDICESAppendix A Endangered, Threatened and Rare Species.A-1Appendix B Backcountry/Wilderness Cultural Resources Protection Protocols .B-1Appendix C Current Inventories.C-1Table 1 Camp Area Summary.Table 2 Designated Camp Area/Sites .Table 3 Crosscountry Areas .Table 4 Bivouac Areas.Table 5 Winter Areas .Table 6a Trail Mileage Summary by Planning Unit and Standard .Table 6b Existing Trail System.Table 7 Hitchrails .Table 8 Corrals .Table 9 Bridge and Footlog Summary by Planning Unit .Table 10 Structures .Table 11 Privies ix D Minimum Requirement Analysis Worksheet and Instructions .D-1Appendix E Backcountry Permit .E-1Appendix F Trail Standards .F-1Table 1 Trail Standards Summary.Table 2 Trail Standards Detail.F-1F-2Appendix G Leave No Trace Principles .G-1Rocky Mountain National Parkiv

Backcountry/Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Assessment1.0 INTRODUCTIONRocky Mountain National Park