The Bureau of Land Management has released its final Eastern Colorado Resource Management Plan, which will guide the use and management of over 658,000 acres of public lands for decades to come. Conservation geographer Alison Gallensky with Rocky Mountain Wild said the plan does a good job of increasing protections for some 300,000 currently undeveloped acres, mostly along the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City. "By setting aside several hundred thousand acres," said Gallensky, "to stay the way they are now, for wildlife, for the headwaters for the different tributaries into the Arkansas River." In addition to protecting areas for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting - which bring over $54 million into local economies - Gallensky said these lands support healthy ecosystems that can help species survive in a changing climate. " ...