Because of budget concerns, the U.S. Forest Service has decided not to implement mandatory registration for entry into the Weminuche Wilderness this summer.

The program’s status beyond 2014 is uncertain, but the Forest Service is using the term “postponed” at this point, said Brian White, recreation wilderness program manager with San Juan National Forest.

“We thought the best thing to do was postpone it until we’re more capable of taking care of it, and then doing it justice,” White said.

The plan was to place boxes with registration forms at the 40-plus trailheads that access the Weminuche Wilderness. One person in each group would be required to fill out a form and keep it with them. There would be no fee.

The Forest Service held several meetings last spring in towns surrounding the Weminuche to inform the public about the program. The Weminuche is two-thirds in the San Juan and one-third in the Rio Grande National Forest.

Several spots in the Weminuche are being degraded by overuse, and the Forest Service hoped to use the program for two main reasons, White said. One is to increase compliance of regulations already in place; those regulations are on the registration form. Another is to get a clearer picture of where people are accessing the wilderness, where they’re staying and how many are in each group.

The spot of most concern is the Chicago Basin area, the gateway to three Fourteeners. The Needle Creek Trail, which leads from the Animas River to the area, is easily accessible via a stop on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

The Forest Service said studies during the last 15 years show that many heavily used areas are suffering from degraded campsite and trail conditions, degraded water quality and less opportunity for solitude.

Other high-use entry points that Forest Service studies have shown are “well outside standards” for the amount of public use are the Cave Basin Trail, accessed via Middle Mountain Road above the reservoir; and the Tenmile and Elk creek drainages, both north of Needle Creek and also accessed via the train.

The San Juan forest’s recreation budget is set to be slashed by 36 percent. That cut will be phased in during the next four years, said Anthony Madrid, acting district ranger for the Columbine Ranger District.

The registration program was ready to roll this year and funded. Future funding, however, was uncertain.

“We were more concerned about next year and the year after that as our budget continues to decline way more dramatically than it used to,” White said.

He said that the $7,000 to $10,000 the Forest Service has budgeted this year for the program will be used to get rangers and volunteers out in the woods – “more boots on the ground.” The hope is to educate wilderness users.

The program’s postponement was not universally sad news.

Sandy Young, a rancher and outfitter in the area, acknowledged the problem with Chicago Basin but said she doesn’t see overuse in the areas where she goes.

“It just seemed a little overreaching at this point,” Young said. “I don’t like to see regulations and rules put in place that are not enforceable. I’m kind of happy we’ve backed off a little bit.”

She fully endorsed the use of the funding for educational purposes. Following and teaching the “leave no trace” ethic is important, she said.

“We need to step up our game and make sure we’re following the rules,” she said.

Jimbo Buickerood, public lands coordinator for San Juan Citizens Alliance, said before the Forest Service can implement changes – such as a permit system or whatever might stifle the degradation of Chicago Basin and the Needle Creek drainage – it has to have solid numbers.

White said the Forest Service decided not to implement a use limit there, in lieu of the registration requirement. There are a limited number of campsites along Needle Creek, and several are too close to the creek.

Regulations in place already for the Needle Creek drainage include a ban on fires; only cook stoves are allowed.

Buickerood said he’s not as concerned about the short-term implications of not funding the program this year as he is for the future of the Forest Service in general.

“In the bigger picture, it’s unfortunate that Congress is making decisions to shortchange what’s needed in our corner of the world,” Buickerood said.

Budget constraints have led the Columbine district to shut down restrooms atop Molas and Coal Bank passes this summer, said Jed Botsford, recreation staff officer for the district. The Forest Service is seeking partners to help run those popular restrooms in the future, he added.

Restrooms at Andrews and Little Molas lakes will remain open but will require a short side trip.

johnp@durangoherald.com