Planning
Comprehensive Conservation Planning and Land Protection Planning
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is working on two exciting planning projects for the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (refuge complex). The first is a landscape-level conservation initiative, called the San Luis Valley Conservation Area (SLVCA), that seeks to protect wetland, riparian, and key upland habitats for a variety of migratory birds and threatened and endangered species throughout the upper headwaters of the Rio Grande River in southern Colorado and far northern New Mexico. The SLVCA will be involve the conservation of habitats through the use of conservation easements with willing sellers, and will comprise a fourth unit of the refuge complex. The SLVCA Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment will detail the Service's authority, conservation priorities, and acquisition strategy for this project. Information on the SLVCA, including planning updates, contact information, dates and times of upcoming meetings, and draft and final documents is available on the FWS Region 6 Refuge Planning LPP website.
Our second project is to develop a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for the refuge complex which includes Alamosa, Monte Vista, and Baca National Wildlife Refuges. We began working on this project in in the fall of 2010. When completed, the CCP will provide guidance and management direction for the refuge complex for the next 15 years. This project is expected to be completed in late 2015.
Click on the link to the planning involvement summary (1.9 MB PDF) to learn more about the CCP process and how you can be involved.
Planning Updates
Planning Update 2 - January 2012 (2 MB PDF)
Land Protection Planning Fact Sheet
Scoping Report - June 2011 (3.6 MB PDF)
Planning Update - March 2011 (5 MB PDF)
Federal Register Notice: San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Alamosa, CO; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
Project Documents
Final Interim Elk Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Draft Environmental Assessment - An Evaluation of Interim Elk Management Options on the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex - December 2012
Press Releases
Send your comments to SLVrefugesplanning@fws.gov
Comments will be accepted in writing at Laurie Shannon, Planning Team Leader, Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 25486, Denver, CO 80225
Mike Blenden
Project Leader
San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex
