Final Private Land Recommendations
for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Goal: Protect valid existing rights of landowners, adjacent to or within the Monument (i.e., private and tribal), and promote cooperation and communication between BLM and landowners to further the protection of Monument resources.

Issue Categories Affecting Landowners

1. Access (this category is covered under the Committee’s Transportation and Infrastructure recommendations)

2. Rights

• Property
• Water
• Tribal

3. Environmental

• Vegetation
• Weeds
• Wildlife
• Fire control
• Air quality
• Noise
• Light Pollution

4. Hovenweep National Monument

5. Cultural Resources

6. BLM/Community Communication

Objective 1: Improve communication with landowners to resolve issues, concerns and misinformation and educate them about Monument policy and programs.

Management Action 1.1: Work with landowners to identify and list Monument issues, concerns and misinformation. The list of identified issues, concerns and misinformation, developed by the Monument Advisory Committee and through the Monument scoping process, should be used as a starting point for generating this list.

Management Action 1.2: Develop and distribute educational materials (e.g., newsletter, Monument planning website), as needed to landowners that addresses the issues, concerns and misinformation identified and that educates them on Monument policy and programs relevant to them. Also distribute this newsletter to area realtors.

Objective 2: Collaborate with landowners during the planning process to ensure their valid existing rights are honored and clearly articulated in the Monument Plan.

Management Action 2.1: Work with landowners to ensure the Monument transportation plan provides them with "reasonable access" to their property

Management Action 2.2: Articulate in the Plan, the rights of landowners to access public lands on the Monument from their private property.

Management Action 2.3: Identify in the Plan, the circumstances (e.g., without BLM coercion, no split estates) under which the Monument will work with a willing seller to acquire their private land adjacent to or within the Monument. Note, the term "split estate" means that surface and subsurface mineral rights, for a single parcel of land, are owned by different entities (e.g., private individual and federal government).

Management Action 2.4: Identify in the Plan, priority areas, a schedule and budget for completing a cadastral survey of the Monument that clearly identifies ownership boundaries in and around the Monument. Through this survey, current and future ingress/egress issues could be resolved between landowners and the Monument.

Management Action 2.5: Articulate in the Plan, the mandate within the proclamation that "Nothing in this reservation shall be construed as a relinquishment or reduction of any water use or rights reserved or appropriated by the United States on or before the date of this proclamation." Also in the Plan, identify that private water rights are governed and issued through the State of Colorado.

Management Action 2.6: Work with landowners to ensure that the Plan adequately protects the quality of water located in watersheds shared between them and the Monument.

Management Action 2.7: Coordinate with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Colorado Division of Wildlife to determine what rights exist under the Brunot Agreement and then clearly identify these rights in the Plan.

Objective 3: Work with landowners to ensure the Plan addresses potential conflicts and impacts to their private land.

Management Action 3.1: Work with landowners to determine the need for fencing and signage along private/public land boundaries.

3.1.1 Monitor, to determine if increases in Monument visitation are resulting in corresponding increases in trespass and vandalism on private inholdings and edge holdings.

3.1.2 Develop a program, with landowners, to share the costs of installing and maintaining fencing and signage along private/public land boundaries.

Management Action 3.2: Review existing agreements, between the BLM and local fire agencies, to determine if they continue to meet the needs of the growing number of small parcel landowners within and adjacent to the Monument.

3.2.1 Develop and implement policy to reduce the threat of wildland fires on landowners (e.g., reduce fuel loads on public land adjacent to landowners, increase defensible space on public lands adjacent to landowners).

3.2.2 Encourage landowners, within and adjacent to the Monument, to increase defensible space on their property.

Management Action 3.5: Work with landowners to identify firewood cutting areas on the Monument.

Management Action 3.6: Target noxious weed management and hazardous fuels reduction efforts on public lands, where similar efforts are being pursued on private land adjacent to or within the Monument.

Management Action 3.7: Develop and implement a program, in coordination with landowners and local governments, to control noxious weeds on public land adjacent to landowners. Provide incentives, as part of this program, for landowners to control noxious weeds on their property.

3.7.1 Work with local governments in the development of this program.

Management Action 3.8: Work with local law enforcement officials and landowners, within and adjacent to the Monument, to develop a plan to improve enforcement of trespass actions on private property.

Management Action 3.9: Mitigate potential impacts (e.g., light pollution, degrading scenic values) to landowners from the construction of facilities on public lands in the Monument.

3.7.1 Design all BLM facilities on public lands in the Monument to blend in with the natural landscape.

3.7.2 Require all outdoor lighting on public lands in the Monument to use light pollution minimizing technology (e.g., light hoods).

3.7.3 Encourage all private inholders and edge holders to use light pollution minimizing technology in their outdoor lighting.

3.7.4 Site and design parking areas on public lands in the Monument to be unobtrusive to landowners.

3.7.5 Locate facilities on public lands in the Monument to minimize the impacts of vehicle traffic on landowners.

3.7.6 Locate BLM facilities and use appropriate technology (e.g., mufflers) to mitigate noise pollution on landowners.

3.7.7 Development on private property, adjacent to or within the Monument will follow county regulations.

Objective 4: Work with willing landowners to protect and enhance natural resources (e.g., wildlife, vegetation) on public land in the Monument and on their private land.

Management Action 4.1: Collaborate with willing landowners and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to establish and maintain natural populations of native wildlife in the Monument.

4.1.1 Mitigate potential impacts from development (e.g., facilities, roads) on public lands in the Monument on wildlife habitat, migration routes, and riparian areas.

4.1.2 Develop an educational program to increase awareness and appreciation for wildlife within the Monument.

Management Action 4.2: Work cooperatively with willing landowners to maintain a natural balance of native vegetation on the Monument.

4.2.1 Develop an educational program to increase awareness of the types of vegetation within the Monument.

4.2.2 Prioritize and schedule the restoration of disturbed areas on public lands in the Monument, using native seed

4.2.3 Provide technical assistance to landowners, if requested, to restore disturbed areas on their private property.

4.2.4 Identify incentives and options for willing landowners, within or adjacent to the Monument, to protect cultural resources located on their private property.

4.2.4.1 Work with landowners and local governments in crafting these incentives and options.

4.2.5 Pursue research on public land in the Monument, to identify appropriate seed species (i.e., native or non-native) for future restoration and revegetation efforts.

4.2.6 Non-native plants may be only used in limited, emergency situations where they may be necessary in order to protect Monument resources by stabilizing soils and displacing noxious weeds.

Objective 5: Work with Hovenweep National Monument to resolve overlapping planning issues (e.g., transportation, law enforcement, interpretation)

Management Action 5.1: Identify agency personnel, from both Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monument, who are responsible for creating complimentary policy and resolving conflicting policy between the two agencies.

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