Roan Plateau management plan may not come until summer

GRAND JUNCTION - A final management plan for the 73,600-acre Roan Plateau likely will not be completed until mid- to late summer, Bureau of Land Management officials said.

BLM officials had hoped to complete the 20-year management plan in May, said David Boyd, public affairs specialist for the BLM office in Glenwood Springs.

"Right now we're continuing to get the last analyses done, and we're working with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to finish the document," Boyd said.

The plan would detail how the species-rich, 9,000-foot plateau between Rifle and Parachute should be managed, including how much drilling for natural gas should be allowed.

The public will be given 30 days to comment on the plan.

More than 75,000 comments were submitted in the public process influencing the final version of the plan.

The plateau is home to huge deer and elk herds, mountain lions, bear, peregrine falcons and what biologists say is a genetically pure strain of cutthroat trout. It also is valued for drawing out-of-state hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts who contribute to the area economy.