Ironhorse Analysis Area

The Ironhorse Analysis Area (IAA) is a 65,000 acre landscape of ponderosa pine, pine-oak, aspen, pinyon-juniper woodland, and sagebrush rangeland located at the southern tip of the Uncompahgre Plateau approximately six miles east of Norwood, Colorado.  The IAA was extensively modified during the settlement and homesteading era of the late 19th century and received heavy commercial use well into the middle of the 20th century before being acquired by the National Forest System.

In 2006, the UP Project sponsored several collaborative inter-agency workshops to determine the current and desired conditions for the IAA.  A Vegetation Management Strategy was then published, detailing possible management strategies with the goal of fostering a more resilient and sustainable forest. 

In December 2007, the US Forest Service – Norwood Ranger District assembled an Inter-Disciplinary Team to begin the NEPA process for the IAA.  It was determined that, with limited resources, the USFS would divide the IAA into three phases.  The first phase will focus on the Wildland-Urban Interface areas within the 65,000-acre landscape.  The main objective of the current project will be the protection of private structures and the WAPA and Tri-State power transmission lines within the IAA while moving current single-storied, even aged stands of trees to a more heterogeneous, diverse and sustainable forest. 

In 2007, the UP Project was successful in receiving a 3-year $150,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Uncompahgre Restoration and Outreach Project for planning and project implementation on the southern Uncompahgre Plateau.  This funding will assist in meeting our project goals for the IAA. 

Tour of ponderosa pine stands near the community of Sanborn Park in the Ironhorse Analysis Area

Big Dominguez Vegetation Management Analysis Area

The Big Dominguez Vegetation Management Analysis Area is a 195,000-acre landscape located on the northern-eastern portion of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The Big D Area encompasses both US Forest Service and BLM lands and includes a portion of the Dominguez-Escalante Management Area currently proposed for National Conservation Area (NCA) designation. The area lies within the Grand Valley Ranger District of the GMUG National Forest and the Grand Junction and Uncompahgre Field Offices of the BLM.

The BLM completed a Land Health Assessment for the area in Summer 2007. This assessment provided up-to-date information on the current conditions and general health of the BLM lands. This data has been integrated with the current USFS GIS data of the area including vegetation conditions, roads, past treatment efforts, and past fires. With this sizable task now complete (and a lot of colorful maps in-hand) the USFS, BLM, Colorado DOW and UP Project will work together to determine desired future conditions for the area.  The team will then draft a report detailing possible treatment strategies with the goal of restoring the land to a state that is more resilient to catastrophic wildfire, drought, and major insect and disease infestations.  

Big D Boundary Map

To download a larger version of the Big D map, click here.

To learn more about our Landscape Analysis Programs, click here.

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