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Wilderness, or Core areas, form the cornerstone of any reserve design system. The GMUG is fortunate to have a relatively high percentage of its lands still in roadless condition. In fact, there are more roadless acres left on the GMUG Forest --about 1.1 million acres--than in any other national forest in Colorado!.

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The M2m Plan recommends that 787,000 acres be preserved as Cores, and this still leaves almost 60% of the GMUG open to multiple uses.

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So far, the Forest Service has selected only 64,081 acres to recommend for wilderness designation, or about 5% of total remaining roadless lands. Many critical lands are being left out in the cold. Some names you might drop? Cochetopa Hills, Clear Creek, Kannah Creek, Sawtooth Mountain, Priest Mountain, Raggeds Addition, West Elk Additions, Kelso Point, Matchless Mountain, Whetstone,Tabeguache, Dominguez Canyon, Roubideau, Naturita Canyon, San Miguel... Click the map above for area locations. See below for listing, and a description of each area.

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PROPOSED CORE AREAS
* = All or a portion recommended by Forest Service
Area Name/ Acres
Sawtooth Mountain 28,199
Middle Fork 12,079
*Slate River 3,758
West Elk Addition 8 5,535
Cannibal Plateau 14,906
*Lottis Creek 1,700
Mount Antero North 6,387
West Elk Addition 4 14,004
*Slate River 3,466
Kreutzer-Princeton W 13,448
Dominguez Canyons 15,164
Escalante Forks 14,473
Tabeguache 8,386
Roubideau 18,781
*Unaweep 28,160
Electric Mountain 10,878
Kannah Creek 40,766
Matchless 21,016
Whetstone 15,426
Clear Creek 48,626
*Turret Ridge 5,114
Crystal Peak 11,547
*Tea Kettle Mtn/Beaver Creek 22,901
*Carson Peak 9,419
Cathedral Creek 3,274
*Alpine Plateau 7,728
Romley 11,878
West Elk Addition 7 2,059
Lizard Head Adjacent 1,171
Priest Mountain 1 17,874
Priest Mountain 4 27,464
Priest Mountain 3 35,763
Priest Mountain 2 9,855
Chipeta West 13,123
Mineral Mountain 1,471
Slumgullion 6,146
Steuben Creek South 3,643
Steuben Creek North 10,749
West Elk Addition 5 23,515
Cochetopa Hill/Seven Creek 78,084
West Elk Addition 2 60,240
Naturita Canyon 11,030
Kelso Point 49,189
Raggeds Addition 22,510
Iron Mountain 6,233
San Miguel 10,394

Total 787,528

Given the amount of roadless acreage lost to roads and development during the last planning period, this may be the last plan revision to protect remaining substantial Wilderness quality lands on the GMUG. Both for future habitat needs and future human needs, more Wilderness should be recommended and designated on the GMUG. The GMUG is fortunate to have many hundreds of thousands of acres that are still roadless, mostly wild, lands. Yet loss of roadlessness Forest-wide since the last planning period (1983) is obvious, and has had tremendously detrimental ecological consequences (e.g., the Red Creek, Killdeer, Antero, Matchless and Doubletop areas--Click on map for a closer view of West Elk Wilderness). For this reason, we urge the Forest to use this planning period to systematically identify and recommend capable lands for Wilderness designation.

This plan makes Wilderness recommendations for lands that possess outstanding ecological, geologic, aesthetic or scenic qualities, and remain pristine in character. While some proposed areas show signs of past management activities, this does not disqualify the areas for recommendation. All proposed areas are legally roadless, and possess wild and remote characteristics necessary for recommendation under the Wilderness Act. All proposed areas are at least 1,000 acres in size for additions to existing Wilderness, or 5,000 acres for stand-alone areas.

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The 46 areas selected in the M2m plan fall into four groups based on the ecological functions they perform. These categories are explained below.

Low elevation parcels
The majority of Wilderness in the Rocky Mountain Region is above treeline. On the GMUG, 256,251 acres of existing Wilderness (46%) is above treeline. Areas such as such as Sage-Steppe, Pinon-Juniper Ponderosa Pine and Riparian Canyon systems are underrepresented by existing wilderness. These lower elevation ecotypes, especially those that link with other adjacent roadless lands, are particularly valuable to protect. These lower elevations areas include: Clear Creek, Dominguez Canyons, Electric Mountain, Escalante Forks, Kannah Creek, Kelso Point, Naturita Canyon, Roubideau, Steuben Creek, Unaweep.

Linkage parcels
Linkages help provide connection between larger core areas spatially, so that wide-ranging species like elk, bear and lynx can migrate and survive. Right now, the GMUG has some large gaps that have no protected lands within them. Continued incremental road building, development and motorized ROS creep will infiltrate many of these areas that are currently still roadless. Parcels that provide these linkages include: Carson Peak, Chipeta West (Agate), Kreutzer-PrincetonWest, Matchless Mountain, Mount Antero North, Romley, Sawtooth Mountain, Slumgullion, Whetstone.

Additions
Additions to existing Wilderness provide for larger, more ecologically effective cores, and frequently involve the addition of lower elevation lands. For these reasons, additions to existing Wilderness can often be an effective way to leverage existing acreages to enhance ecological and other values. Generally when we add Wilderness to an existing polygon, we are getting good ecological ‘bang for our buck’ because even modest acreage additions can have marked effects on an existing core’s ability to provide wildlife habitat, human solitude and a feeling of remoteness. M2m additions to existing Wilderness are: Alpine Plateau, Cannibal Creek, Cathedral Creek, Lizard Head Adjacent, Lottis Creek, Raggeds Additions, Slate River Additions, Teakettle Mountain, Turret Ridge, West Elks.

Stand-Alone Areas
There are a few areas remaining on the Forest that are large enough to function as stand- alone Wildernesses. Though these parcels are few, these areas are critically important to protect in their current state to preserve larger areas of intact forest habitat. These areas allow wide-ranging species to have secure sanctuaries, and humans to have remote back- country experiences. Generally, these roadless areas should be at least 40,000 acres in size, and be capable of maintaining self-sustaining natural processes within its boundaries over the long term. Stand-alone areas on the GMUG are: Cochetopa Hills, Kannah Creek, and Priest Mountain.
See: Why More Wilderness?

Alpine Plateau
Alpine Plateau is a narrow, 22,000-acre addition to the Uncompahgre Wilderness, located on the northeast corner of the existing wilderness boundary. Jutting out into the basin, Alpine Plateau is an important area for maintaining lynx habitat. Steep forested hills of mostly Douglas fir tower above the flats of Alpine Plateau itself, affording good denning and foraging sites for lynx, and other wildlife. This area has been designated as Available for Wilderness by the Forest Service.

Carson Peak
The 26,870-acre Carson Peak area contains the 13,000-foot summits of Half Peak and Carson Peak, as well as Cataract Lake, a stunning high mountain gem. This area, located just south of the Handies Peak Wilderness Study Area, possesses very high wilderness qualities owing to its striking scenery and accessibility. Despite its relatively short distance from the Sherman townsite, the high bowl with Cataract Lake at its center affords remoteness and solitude for the hiker or horsepacker. In addition, Carson Peak is also the site of the Wager Gulch Iron Fen, currently proposed as a Botanical Special Area. The water chemistry, flora and fauna at this site are unique to iron fens in Colorado.

Cathedral Creek
This addition to existing wilderness a narrow tongue of a steeply sloping ridge on the north side of the La Garita wilderness. Elevations are moderate, encompassing some areas below 10,000 feet. Dense forests give way to open grasslands, providing critical habitat for both Lynx, and Big Horn sheep. The area’s relatively remote location and undeveloped tributaries of Cathedral and Sheep creeks provide outstanding opportunities for solitude as well.

Cannibal Plateau
This 20,020-acre area contains the highest continuous alpine tundra in the lower 48 states (and is contiguous with Powderhorn and La Garita Wildernesses). The sweeping views from the top of the plateau into the high peaks of the La Garitas to the south are magnificent. In addition, the National Landmark Slumgullion Earthflow lies to the southeast, a world-class geologic formation. The lower conifer-forested slopes below the high tundra have a high percentage of late successional habitats. This area is important as lynx connection habitat, and serves as a gathering and dispersion point for reintroduced moose.

Clear Creek
The Clear Creek proposed wilderness straddles the Gunnsion Delta County border near the northern boundary of the GMUG, and includes many feeder streams that provide vital habitat to genetically pure strains of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. The area is also important for elk winter range, fawning habitat for mule deer, and winter forage for Canada lynx. Northern goshawks also occur in the area’s expansive mature aspen forest.

Cochetopa Hills
The largest remaining roadless area on the Gunnison National Forest is the 98,563-acre Cochetopa Hills. This area is clad in rolling mixed-conifer and spruce-fir forests, and is an important regional wildlife corridor between the Rio Grande/San Juan Basin to the south, and the Gunnison Basin to the north. One of the lowest points on the Continental Divide in Colorado, Cochetopa Hills is a natural crossing point of many wildlife species in and out of the Gunnison Basin, and forms an important ecological link from the La Garitas to the west, and towards Fossil Ridge to the north. The area has been especially noted as a well-used trans-basin lynx crossing point in the USFS Region Two 2004 Lynx assessment.

Crystal Peak
This 14,833-acre area is an addition to the northern edge of the Uncompahgre Wilderness,
Steep terrain with dramatic rock outcrops lends a sense of remoteness to the area, and limits forest management activities. The granite spires of Sugarloaf Rock loom above a rich mixture of spruce, open meadow and aspen, making this area rank high in wildlife values. Dense, old growth conifer forests offer excellent habitat for lynx denning in Larson and Crystal Creeks.

East Elk Creek
East Elk Creek is an addition to the West Elk Wilderness. Most of its 9,330 acres are lower elevation Douglas fir, aspen, shrub, and some mixed conifer and spruce-fir in the higher reaches. These lower elevation habitats are underrepresented among wilderness lands on the GMUG, and provide a connection between the southern-most reaches of the West Elk Wilderness and the Curecanti National Recreation Area boundary. Beaver and West Elk Creek have native cutthroat trout populations in these drainages.

Electric Mountain
This roadless area is dominated by aspen, with conifer at higher elevations. This area is important for lynx habitat, and is adjacent to other core wildlife areas amidst intensifying motorized travel on the Grand Mesa.


Killdeer Creek
Although the perimeter of this area has seen substantial human activity, primarily from logging and grazing, the interior of this 7,995-acre roadless area still retains a remote character. Elevations range from 9,800’ to 11,400’, and thus provide a good transition zone for wildlife. The combination of forested mountains, meadows, and riparian areas offers a level of ecosystem diversity non-existent in most of the adjacent La Garita Wilderness. The area offers excellent opportunities for hunting, fishing and solitude. This is an area of diverse ecological habitats increasing the Wilderness value of the larger La Garita area.

Kreutzer-Princeton West
Kreutzer-Princeton West is a small sliver on the GMUG side of the Continental Divide, due east of Taylor Park. This area joins with the much larger Kreutzer-Princeton area on the east side of the Divide on the Pike-San Isabel Forest. This area, including Cottonwood Pass area and Sanford Basin, provide good lynx habitat. Because of its location along the Continental Divide, this area provides general ecological connectivity and migration pathways for many species, including lynx, bear and elk.

Lottis Creek
This is a small addition (1,692 acres) to the northeast corner of the Fossil Ridge Wilderness area. This is primarily a boundary adjustment for more effective management, bringing the boundary down closer to the Lottis Creek trail.

Matchless Mountain
The south side of the Matchless Mountain area contains the steep north canyon wall of Taylor Canyon, an important Big Horn Sheep production area. These rocky spires give way to conifered upper slopes, providing good lynx denning habitat, and mid-elevational forest habitat for goshawk, pine marten and elk. The area offers hiking and peak climbing opportunities to 12,000-plus foot Matchless, South Matchless, and Baldy Mountains, which all afford grand views across Taylor Park to the Collegiate Range, and the Three Apostles. This is valuable, mid-elevation interior forest habitat. The current ROS for most of the area is SPNM.

Middle Fork
This 12,676-acre addition of the La Garita Wilderness includes a pristine stretch of Cochetopa Creek. Vegetative communities unique to the Gunnison area are found here, including bristlecone, limber and lodgepole pine. Rare and sensitive plant species including moonwort and Colorado tansy aster are also present. This landscape is important for a variety of wildlife species. A lynx migration corridor traverses this landscape, and Bighorn sheep utilize the summer range around Cochetopa Canyon. Elk, antelope, and deer use the winter range provided in the northeastern portion of Cochetopa Park. Conservation populations of the Colorado River Cutthroat Trout occur in several streams.

Raggeds Addition
This 22,510-acre proposed addition along the Kebler Pass corridor north to McClure Pass would enlarge the Raggeds Wilderness area to approximately 70,000 acres. The addition includes the Erickson Springs, Tomahawk, Williams Lake and Raggeds areas. This long, narrow area, with its mosaic of aspen and mixed conifer to the south, and oakbrush and ponderosa to the north, is rich in habitat for big game. Its recommendation as Wilderness would help to provide protection for transitional habitat for big game and much needed lower elevation habitat for a variety of wildlife species. It would also aid in preventing potential motorized incursion into the Williams Lake.

Romley
The 11,948-acre Romley joins with its 8,700-acre counterpart on the Pike San Isabel Forest to form an important connective link across the Continental Divide. In turn, both these areas are adjacent to the corresponding Kreutzer-Princeton areas. These four areas combined form a potential protected zone of more than 70,000 acres.

Sawtooth Mountain
Sawtooth Mountain, at 28,299 acres, is an important cross-basin connector within the eastern portion of the Gunnison Basin. Well-known for its excellent elk hunting and pristine quality habitat, Sawtooth Mountain, if protected, would initiate a north-south network of protected lands west of Gunnison, north to Curecanti National Recreation Area, and the West Elk Wilderness. The area is important transitional range for both the Gunnison sage grouse and Canada lynx.

Slate River
These two small additions bring the eastern boundary of the Raggeds Wilderness down steep hill slopes. The proposed additions, which total 7,563 acres, include Mount Schuykill, a popular backcountry ski destination, and Daisy Pass, a wonderful switchbacking climb up an alpine bowl filled with wildflowers and views of the West Elks, Sawatch Range, and Maroon Bells. These areas help fulfill the need for accessible Wilderness close to the Town of Crested Butte, and also offer a more defensible boundary for the east side of the Wilderness.

Steuben Creek
This 32,142-acre area is a merger of Steuben Creek, Sun Park, Little Mill Creek, and Castle Creek roadless areas, and is contiguous to the southeast corner of the West Elk Wilderness. The area is north of highway 50, and 20 miles west of Gunnison. This is important low elevation habitat largely untouched by signs of development. It is readily accessible from Highway 50, but narrow dissected drainages promote solitude and a sense of naturalness. A series of southeast trending drainages and sage/shrub habitat make this some of the best critical winter range for large ungulates in the region, and sage grouse habitat extends into the eastern portion of area. There may be opportunities to enlarge the area by linking adjoining roadless BLM lands.

Slumgullion
The Slumgullion roadless area is south of Lake City, and is bordered by the Rio Grande National Forest to the south and the BLM Slumgullion ACEC to the west. The Colorado Trail and Continental Divide National Scenic Trail pass along the southern boundary of the area. This 10,793-acre area, particularly surrounding Rambouillet Park, possesses high habitat value for lynx, and Boreal owl. While Slumgullion has seen some timber harvest in the eastern section, this area still possesses the essential character of remoteness, especially in its central reaches. Current winter snowmobile use in this area potentially threatens lynx and other values.

West Elk Additions
These areas are lower-elevation additions to the west side of the West Elk Wilderness Area. Covering more than 70,000 acres, the West Elk Additions provide critical big game winter and summer range for a wide variety of wildlife species. Bighorn production areas occur in the south near Cow Creek, cottonwood riparian forests support several populations of Northern leopard frog, and montane forests support northern goshawk, lynx, and cutthroat. The area contains two critical elk migration corridors: one north around local landmarks Mount Lamborn and Landsend Peak, the other through Ferrier Ridge and Black Mesa to the south.

Mineral Mountain
This 4,847-acre addition to the La Garita Wilderness includes the gentle slopes below Mineral Mountain and the steeply sloping canyonsides above Sheep Creek. This roadless area extension includes good lynx and goshawk habitat. Bringing the boundary down closer to Sheep Creek makes the boundary more defensible.

Mount Antero North
This area is bounded by the Continental Divide on the east, Hancock Pass on the North and is high alpine country, to the north of Monarch Pass. This 6,233-acre area has dense conifer forests in the south near No Name Creek, and a broad expanse of alpine tundra on Bald Mountain. It offers good lynx connectivity at Hancock and near Monarch summit.

Dominguez Canyons
This area forms the upper watershed of Dominguez Creek, the largest perennial creek on the Uncompahgre Plateau. It is contiguous with the BLM Dominguez Wilderness Study Area, and therefore offers important continuity with a large, wild roadless area. The majority of the vegetation is shrub with conifer and aspen at higher elevations, all providing excellent wildlife habitat.

Escalante Forks
This roadless area is characterized by high-quality riparian habitat and a diversity of forest types, with a wide range of corresponding wildlife. Most importantly, if provides a wild linkage between vast roadless areas, the Kelso Mesa area and the greater Dominguez watershed.

Kannah Creek
This large area occupies the western slopes of the Grand Mesa, exhibiting a vast diversity of habitat from piñon-juniper and riparian to aspen and spruce-fir. Kannah Creek is important not only for the wildlife habitat and quiet recreation it provides, but also because it serves as the municipal watershed for the City of Grand Junction. The proposed wilderness area just touches the edge of the BLM’s Adobe Badlands WSA.

Kelso Point
The largest area of roadless landscape on National Forest land on the Uncompahgre Plateau, Kelso is characterized by high quality riparian habitat and stunning old-growth Ponderosa pine forests. The Kelso landscape is adjacent to the upper stretches of Dominguez Canyons and offers unique opportunities for solitude, quiet-use recreation, and horse pack-in hunting.

Naturita Canyon
This inventoried roadless area is a refuge among a network of roads and associated human impacts. The rugged core of the canyon provides important wildlife habitat in a drier, lower-elevation section of the Uncompahgre National Forest. Naturita Canyon includes ponderosa pine and piñon-juniper forest, habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, such as chickadees, marmots, mountain lion and bear. It contains wilderness qualities that are threatened by encroaching gas drilling and the potential for future motorized and mechanized recreation.


Priest Mountain
Forming graceful flat-topped rises, Priest Mountain is at the heart of the Grand Mesa National Forest. The area is made up of four distinct roadless core areas with established motorized corridors in between. The area is dominated by conifers and aspen, with interspersed open meadows. Protection of this central wildland area and its water resources is crucial as the impacts of increased motorized traffic accrue on the Grand Mesa.


Roubideau
Roubideau is designated by Congress as a non-motorized area to protect its wilderness character. It is withdrawn from mineral entry and closed to logging and other activities. Contiguous with the BLM’s Camel Back WSA, this area is part of the longest wilderness canyon in Colorado. Flowing out of subalpine spruce and aspen forests high on the Uncompahgre Plateau, Roubideau Creek and its surrounding environs provide big game wintering habitat.

Tabeguache
Tabeguache is designated by Congress as a non-motorized area to protect its wilderness character. It is withdrawn from mineral entry and closed to logging and other activities. The area is characterized by a diversity of vegetative types, and provides excellent elk habitat and wildlife corridors.

Unaweep
With expansive views of the La Sal Mountains, Dolores River valley, and Divide Creek area, Unaweep and the Calamity Basin encompass an inspiring corner of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The area is important as year-round wildlife habitat, including elk calving grounds.

Lizard Head Adjacent
This area is roadless and a natural extension of the Lizard Head Wilderness area. It contains intact conifer, fir and spruce stands, plus open meadows on south-facing slopes, which are habitats suitable for elk, snowshoe hares, weasels, chipmunks, voles, etc. The area recommended should be protected from future motorized recreational vehicle use in winter.

Iron Mountain
This 6,233-acre area contains all of the wilderness qualities of the Sneffels Wilderness. The area is characterized by diverse vegetative types and provides excellent elk habitat and wildlife linkages.

San Miguel
As part of a large roadless complex that includes land on the adjacent San Juan National Forest, the San Miguel area exhibits a pristine alpine environment. Open meadows, brilliant wildflowers, steep slopes, jagged peaks, clear lakes and streams, and diverse wildlife, including Canada lynx, are all represented. The area offers excellent opportunities for solitude and quiet-use recreational activities.

Teakettle Mountain/Beaver Creek
This region is adjacent to the existing Mt. Sneffels Wilderness. It spans high rocky peaks of 13- to 14-thousand feet with alpine tundra that supports bighorn sheep, elk and deer in the summer. This region’s forested slopes may provide habitat for lynx (sporadic unconfirmed sightings), black bear, possibly wolverine (unconfirmed sightings), mountain lion, bobcat, fox, martin, an occasional moose, and the usual alpine wildlife. It may have been habitat for the last of the grizzly bears documented in this area circa the 1930's.

This area offers challenging climbing and hiking opportunities, sweeping vistas, mixed geology, untrammeled areas, and an opportunity for remote escape while still reasonably accessible from roads, trails and communities such as Ouray, Telluride, Ridgway, etc. With permanent snowfields on the north face of Mt. Sneffels, rock glaciers and perennial streams, this area is the headwaters of major streams (the Dallas drainages) and tributaries to the Uncompahgre River.

Turret Ridge
The 5113-acre Turret Ridge area is proposed as an extension of the Uncompahgre Wilderness, just south of Silver Jack Reservoir. The area is bounded by the Middle and West Forks of the Cimarron River, and by Forest Development Roads 858 and 860. At 12,260 feet, Turret Ridge itself is one of the most challenging technical peak climbs in Colorado. It is also listed by the State of Colorado as one of the outstanding scenic features of the state and offers commanding views to the north, and of Silver Jack Reservoir. This area offers solitude, and challenging hiking and climbing in a remote setting.

Successful development of ecosystem management depends on availability and use of ecological baseline information on natural composition, structure, functioning and on effective monitoring. RNA’s provide excellent reference areas for monitoring, and the Forest should make better use of this designation to help protect these high-quality plant communities.

Fens are a type of peatland, the wettest category of wetland. In general, peatlands have organic soils greater than 40 centimeters thick, stay saturated for long periods of time, and contain large carbon deposits. Fens accumulate peat at a very slow rate—about 8-10” of peat every 1,000 years. Some fens on the Grand Mesa have been undisturbed for more than 10,000 years. Fens were rated in 1998 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a Resource Category 1, meaning they are irreplaceable and every possible measure needs to be taken to avoid impacting fens . The Forest should change its current policy of allowing commercial peat mining from these resources. Water rights in fens should be protected or obtained for sustainable protection of fen hydrology.

M2m proposes the GMUG designate and manage the following special element areas as Research Natural Areas:

· Mt. Emmons Iron Fen
· Wager Gulch
· Willow Mesa
· Taylor Peak
· Ward Lakes
· Leon Peak


Mt. Emmons Iron Fen
Dr. David Cooper has called the Mt. Emmons Iron Fen a “world-class resource.” This site is in pristine condition and contains the roundleaf sundew, abundant rare lichens and is relatively inaccessible although it is not far from Kebler Pass road. This area is currently a Botanical Special Interest Area and state of Colorado Natural Area. This site is certainly worthy and defensible as a regional RNA.

Wager Gulch
This 600-acre area is located southwest of Lake City on the eastern edge of the Carson/Cataract proposed wilderness area in the southern portion of the Gunnison Basin. This site is comprised of a wetland and fen community in excellent condition. The water chemistry, flora and fauna at this site are unique to iron fens in Colorado. The CNHP report states that “Wager Gulch is an outstanding example of an iron fen community, and has experienced fewer disturbances than other know iron fens of comparable size. Wager Gulch is a wetland of statewide importance.”

Willow Mesa
Willow Mesa is an excellent example of very extensive planeleaf willow carr and alpine biological soil crust plant communities. It is located inside the La Garita Wilderness on it northern edge, and encompasses Baldy Chato, Baldy Alto, and Stewart Peak. The area contains a high diversity of lichens and alpine plant species. There is little evidence of disturbance in the alpine plant communities at this site.

Taylor Peak
The site of a rare alpine plant community, Taylor Peak RNA contains over 1200 acres of alpine tundra communities, and is home to over 20 plant species of local concern. While there are some impacts from roads and past mining activities, site values continue to be very high. Without some form of protection, its proximity to roads and impacts from recreational use of Taylor Park and Taylor Pass pose a threat to its long-term survival.

Ward Lakes and Leon Peak
These sites are in need of protection. Past management practices on the Grand Mesa have degraded surrounding fens, damming and draining them. Ward Lakes and Leon Peak are both sites that contain relatively undisturbed 10,000-year-old rich fens of high quality. These sites have element occurrences of the rare lesser bladderwort and other plant species of local concern. These two RNA’s would serve as a control for comparing results of management activities on the Grand Mesa, and elsewhere.