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Canyonlands seeks input on river management plan

Deadline is March 28 for ‘ground-floor’ comment period.

(David Marston | Writers on the Range) The Green River seen from White Rim Trail, Canyonlands National Park, near Moab, October, 2022

Canyonlands National Park is seeking public input on a comprehensive new river management plan for the Green and Colorado rivers.

The public comment period ends March 28. To comment, visit parkplanning.nps.gov.

The plan will be the park’s first river-specific roadmap since 1981.

“So much has changed in the last 40 years,” said park spokesperson Karen Garthwait. “Including whole new ways of recreating on the river.”

According to a Feb. 28 press release, the plan will identify strategies and solutions to address changing visitation patterns and increasing demand for commercial services. It will also address impacts on cultural and natural resources and the implications of drought on both visitor use and resource management.

The plan will be the park’s first river-specific roadmap since 1981.

“So much has changed in the last 40 years,” said park spokesperson Karen Garthwait. “Including whole new ways of recreating on the river.”

According to a Feb. 28 press release, the plan will identify strategies and solutions to address changing visitation patterns and increasing demand for commercial services. It will also address impacts on cultural and natural resources and the implications of drought on both visitor use and resource management.

“It’s an opportunity for people to share their thoughts and suggestions right at the ground floor so we can incorporate those into the first draft of a new plan,” she said.

To learn more, visit the plan’s StoryMap at storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/15cec19a68d247ba9c56dd9f6f7434c4. A link to the comment form is also provided at the end of the StoryMap.

This story was first published by The Times-Independent.