McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
Encyclopedia
The McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (MCNCA) is a 123400 acres (499.4 km²) National Conservation Area
located in Mesa County
, west of Grand Junction
, Colorado
. The MCNCA has rugged sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires, and alcoves carved into the Colorado Plateau
, through which runs a 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of the Colorado River
. Included in the MCNCA is the 75500 acres (305.5 km²) Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
(BRCW) with 5200 acres (21 km²) extending into eastern Grand County, Utah
at the MCNCA's western boundary.
The MCNCA was officially designated on October 24, 2000, when the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000 became Public Law 106-353. The NCA was renamed after Congressman Scott McInnis
on January 1, 2005.
McInnis Canyons NCA has a variety of resources and recreation opportunities resulting in users with diverse interests, including hiking, biking, float boating, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, horseback riding, hunting, wildlife watching, backpacking, camping, and grazing resources; as well as geological, paleontological and scientific sites.
McInnis Canyons NCA is also home to the Rattlesnake Arches. This area houses the highest concentration of naturally occurring arches in Colorado, and even the second most in the world, behind Arches National Park
. It is located in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness and comprises sandstone formations, and is not able to be reached by vehicle.
's Grand Junction
Field Office. A Resource Management Plan (RMP) was written and approved for the NCA in 2004. Four alternatives were proposed and open to public review. The BLM's preferred alternative, adaptive management
, was approved and enacted under the RMP. The plan states:
National Conservation Area
National Conservation Area is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States. National Conservation Areas are managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management under the National Landscape Conservation System...
located in Mesa County
Mesa County, Colorado
Mesa County is the fourth most extensive and the eleventh most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county was named for the many large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The...
, west of Grand Junction
Grand Junction
Grand Junction is the name of several places:United States*Grand Junction, Colorado*Grand Junction, Iowa*Grand Junction, Michigan*Grand Junction, Tennessee*The Grand Junction Railroad in the Boston, Massachusetts areaUnited Kingdom...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The MCNCA has rugged sandstone canyons, natural arches, spires, and alcoves carved into the Colorado Plateau
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
, through which runs a 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. Included in the MCNCA is the 75500 acres (305.5 km²) Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness
The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness is located in western Colorado and eastern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region approximately west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The wilderness lies on the northwest flank of the Uncompahgre Plateau...
(BRCW) with 5200 acres (21 km²) extending into eastern Grand County, Utah
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
at the MCNCA's western boundary.
The MCNCA was officially designated on October 24, 2000, when the Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act of 2000 became Public Law 106-353. The NCA was renamed after Congressman Scott McInnis
Scott McInnis
Stephen Scott Emory McInnis is a lawyer and former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado. In August, 2010, McInnis lost his bid to be gubernatorial nominee after a plagiarism accusation and apology hurt his standing.-Education and professional history:Born in...
on January 1, 2005.
McInnis Canyons NCA has a variety of resources and recreation opportunities resulting in users with diverse interests, including hiking, biking, float boating, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, horseback riding, hunting, wildlife watching, backpacking, camping, and grazing resources; as well as geological, paleontological and scientific sites.
McInnis Canyons NCA is also home to the Rattlesnake Arches. This area houses the highest concentration of naturally occurring arches in Colorado, and even the second most in the world, behind Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations....
. It is located in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness and comprises sandstone formations, and is not able to be reached by vehicle.
Management
McInnis Canyons is located within the Bureau of Land ManagementBureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
's Grand Junction
Grand Junction
Grand Junction is the name of several places:United States*Grand Junction, Colorado*Grand Junction, Iowa*Grand Junction, Michigan*Grand Junction, Tennessee*The Grand Junction Railroad in the Boston, Massachusetts areaUnited Kingdom...
Field Office. A Resource Management Plan (RMP) was written and approved for the NCA in 2004. Four alternatives were proposed and open to public review. The BLM's preferred alternative, adaptive management
Adaptive management
-What is Adaptive Management ?:Adaptive management , also known as adaptive resource management , is a structured, iterative process of optimal decision making in the face of uncertainty, with an aim to reducing uncertainty over time via system monitoring...
, was approved and enacted under the RMP. The plan states:
this alternative’s emphasis is on maintaining the current level of experience and enjoyment of the area’s recreational opportunities and unique characteristics while recognizing that increased future use would trigger the need for increased levels of management.
Monitoring for land health and visitors’ experiences would determine when adjustments to management would be required. Objectives for this alternative include preserving the character of the area and enhancing traditional recreation, while maintaining land health and improving priority
areas of concern.