Press Release
The Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service released the final Comprehensive Administrative Strategy for the Old Spanish National Historic Trail on Wednesday. The document is available online athttps://parkplanning.nps.gov/F
“This Comprehensive Administrative Strategy is the result of years of dedicated collaboration between BLM and NPS, with significant input from tribes, the Old Spanish Trail Association and its numerous local chapters, and other stakeholders,” said BLM-Utah State Director Ed Roberson. “This strategy serves American communities by identifying opportunities to improve recreational access and collaborative educational efforts at many important historic sites on public lands. We hope this document will initiate conversations on how to best promote heritage tourism associated with the trail across the western United States.”
Congress designated the trail as part of the National Trails System in 2002. The enabling legislation identified four major routes that include more than 2,700 miles of trail extending from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Los Angeles and loops through six western states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The trail commemorates the commercial trading activities between New Mexico and California that began in 1829 and ended around 1848.
The strategy highlights key locations along the historic trade route that constitute an important part of America’s collective cultural fabric and provides the critical baseline inventory data necessary for future trail management and administration efforts. The strategy also establishes the protocols, processes, and management guidelines necessary to fulfill the preservation and public use goals established by Congress in the National Trails System Act. However, the document does not change existing land use planning decisions for the trail corridor.
Maps and other documents about the history and location of the Old Spanish Trail are located at https://www.nps.gov/olsp. For additional information, contact Rob Sweeten, BLM Old Spanish Trail Administrator at rsweeten@blm.gov or Aaron Mahr, National Park Service Superintendent, National Trails Intermountain Region at aaron_mahr@nps.gov.
Get inspired for your own Old Spanish Trail Adventure by watching a short video at: goo.gl/VhkPkX or a photo slideshow at: goo.gl/x7QrfJ.