North Rim Landscape Strategy Workgroup
The North Rim Landscape Strategy (NRLS) workgroup developed as a result of growing recognition of several significant issues and trends impacting the North Rim landscape. Expanding the scope of the Crawford Gunnison Sage-Grouse Working Group’s work to sustain the Crawford population of Gunnison sage-grouse, the NRLS workgroup focused on the larger area and a broader array of issues. It was apparent from the start that an interagency, interdisciplinary effort would be essential to develop a collaborative strategy. The NRLS workgroup began meeting in November 2007.
Click on the image above to download a copy of our executive summary.
The main concerns identified by the workgroup included perceived changes in the landscape due to population growth increases and its associated effect on agricultural areas and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI); potential changes to the ecosystem due to climate change; recreational impacts to wildlife populations during sensitive times; continued concerns about the survival of local Gunnison sage-grouse populations and management of Rocky Mountain Elk populations. After many meetings and discussions about the area, the group developed this strategy document with the goal of moving forward with concrete landscape-level approaches.
The key stakeholders of the North Rim Landscape Strategy workgroup were identified to be:
- Black Canyon Audubon Society
- Black Canyon Land Trust
- Bureau of Land Management –Uncompahgre Field Office and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area
- Colorado Division of Wildlife
- Colorado State University - Extension Service
- Crawford Gunnison Sage-Grouse Working Group
- Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture –Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, Paonia Ranger District
- Grazing Permittees
- Local Private Landowners
- National Park Service –Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area
- Natural Resources Conservation Service, Delta Conservation District
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Western Area Power Administration
- Interested Members of the Public
- Uncompahgre Plateau Project