Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado
(GOCO) are working closely on several exciting projects statewide including
the planning and eventual development of Lone Mesa into a southwestern Colorado
"crown jewel."
During acquisition of the property, an initial vision of park development was
created which provides a starting point for discussion.
In late 2006, Colorado State Parks received an allocation of planning dollars
from GOCO to initiate Lone Mesa's contracted development planning effort.
Associated with this process will be a series of "open houses" and public forums
designed to solicit the community's vision for the park.
That effort will follow currently ongoing projects designed to consolidate
Lone Mesa's boundaries, facilitate access, and to better interface the park with
surrounding public lands.
Once complete, the next phase of Lone Mesa's planning will provide a
launching point for park development.
In the interim, several other vital
planning and assessment efforts will continue at Lone Mesa. Those include
stewardship assessments and planning (forest health, noxious weeds, fire fuels,
wildlife), archeological and cultural resource assessment, mapping and
surveying...all of which will be used to help shape the future face of Lone Mesa
State Park "to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a
quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor
recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations
to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources" in accordance with
the Colorado Parks and Wildlife mission.