COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY | Treasured heritage at risk: The Old Spanish Trail

Chandra Rosenthal

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Originally published in and reprinted with permission of The Daily Sentinel.

The Old Spanish National Historic Trail, an enduring symbol of America’s pioneering spirit and cultural confluence, traces a historical corridor of travel from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, vitally important to Mexico’s remote settlements from 1829 to 1848.

This trail traverses the rugged landscapes of the American Southwest and is more than a mere route; it is a living museum of the interactions between Native American tribes, Spanish and American traders and settlers. One particularly poignant stretch of this trail meanders through Grand Junction offering breathtaking views and a palpable connection to our nation’s past. Yet this month, despite its historical significance, the Bureau of Land Management has made a controversial decision that threatens to mar this cherished landscape with the blight of oil and gas development.

BLM gave the green light to oil and gas drilling a mere 146 feet from the Old Spanish Trail to the south and west of Grand Junction. In the Grand Junction Field Office’s newest Resource Management Plan for the area, the selected management decision jeopardizes the pristine vistas and recreational opportunities on BLM public lands that define the trail’s unique experience and compromises the integrity of the historic route. The trail’s designation as a National Historic Trail under the National Trails System Act was intended to protect and preserve its scenic, cultural and historic values, and recreational opportunities.

We filed a protest with BLM challenging this decision because allowing industrial activities so close to the trail starkly contradicts these protective measures.

The threat to the Old Spanish Trail is not an isolated incident. In fact, over the past 10 years we commented on 39 separate projects with similar detrimental impacts on the trail. The Gemini Solar Project in Nevada stands as a glaring example of how unchecked energy development can lead to the complete destruction of segments of the trail. Each project chips away at the trail’s integrity, cumulatively eroding the historical and cultural tapestry that it represents.

Grand Junction, a gateway to some of the most picturesque sections of the Old Spanish Trail, finds itself at the heart of this debate. The city and its surrounding areas offer unparalleled vistas that transport visitors back to a time when the trail was a challenging yet pristine wilderness corridor of trade and cultural exchange. The encroachment of oil and gas drilling threatens to transform these vistas into a patchwork of industrial scars, irreversibly altering the landscape and diminishing the trail’s historical ambiance. Such encroachment also threatens the addition of suburban recreational opportunities along the trail like the Whitewater retracement trail, dedicated in 2016 and so important to hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers.

It is worth noting that despite the Old Spanish Trail’s designation as a National Historic Trail in 2002, federal administrators have yet to complete the trail inventory and prepare an associated legally required Comprehensive Management Plan. This oversight is a glaring deficiency in the stewardship of this historical asset. The National Park Service has recommended a prudent approach during this interim period, advocating for a five-mile buffer zone on either side of the trail to protect its scenic and historical integrity. This recommendation was clearly articulated in their comments to the BLM. However, the BLM has disregarded this expert advice, opting without explanation for an insubstantial 146-foot buffer. This decision not only undermines the National Park Service’s guidance but also exposes the trail to significant risks from industrial activities.

We urge BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Colorado State Director Doug Vilsack to reconsider this ill-conceived decision. This means implementing stricter protections against industrial encroachments that threaten to obliterate these values. BLM must revise its plan to include a five-mile buffer zones as advocated by its co-administrator National Park Service to keep activities at a safe distance from the trail. BLM and the NPS should complete the Comprehensive Management Plan to ensure that piecemeal development approvals do not collectively destroy this irreplaceable heritage.

The Old Spanish Trail is more than a relic of the past; it is a bridge to our shared history and a source of inspiration for future generations. Protecting it from the encroachment of energy projects is not just a local concern but a national imperative. The integrity of the trail must be upheld, and its scenic vistas preserved to honor the legacy of those who traversed it centuries ago.

 


 

Chandra Rosenthal / Staff PhotoChandra Rosenthal is the Director of PEER’s Rocky Mountain Office located in Denver, Colorado.


John Hiscock is a former National Park Service Superintendent. He served as Association Manager of the Old Spanish Trail Association from 2015 – 2018, and is a life member.

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