(CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo.) — The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Royal Gorge Field Office issued a decision on a camping and travel management plan for Chaffee County. The decision is the result of a preliminary environmental assessment that was presented to the public in October 2022.

According to BLM, the decision addressed routes in areas without a travel management plan by establishing designated routes to reduce impacts on resources and continue to provide public access.

The decision also includes improved management to provide camping in designated sites in a 38,000-acre area along with monitoring. BLM hopes the installation of fire rings and site delineators, as well as increased education and outreach on camping ethics and regulations, will help accommodate increased demand while also reducing the environmental impact of that demand.

“Balancing public input with the long-term health and sustainability of public lands requires consideration of impacts to resources and frank discussions with the public,” said Royal Gorge Field Office Manager Keith Berger. “Through that process, we think we’ve put together a plan that manages to do both.”