St. George BLM Travel Management Plan

 

Comment deadline for scoping process July 19, 2010


The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) St. George Field Office has formally kicked off the planning process that will result in a Comprehensive Travel and Transportation Management Plan.  This plan will include specific route designations for motorized and mountain bike use. Meaning - if its not on the map - its closed!

The BLM will also finalize the designation of the High Desert Trail System and identify a Northern Transportation Route bringing OHV users from BLM lands to the OHV trail systems on the Dixie and Fish Lake National Forests.

This planning process is being conducted on a parallel track with the development of Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the newly designated 63,500-acre Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area (NCA) and the 45,000-acre Red Cliffs NCA, as well as Amendment of the St. George Field Office 1999 Resource Management Plan. In addition, the BLM is planning to designate additional Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) for the conservation of biological resources and natural communities.

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to analyze the impacts related to all of the above. Public input is essential and the public is invited to:

  • Provide route inventory data (e.g., maps, digital files, GPS data)
  • Identify routes important for facilities access, recreation, commercial activities, etc.
  • Identify areas where existing routes create impacts to sensitive natural and heritage resources,
  • Identify routes that could be included in the High Desert Trail System
  • Identify alternatives for the Northern Transportation Route
The public scoping period started on May 10, 2010, when the Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register. Scoping comments will be accepted through July 19, 2010

Comments can be mailed or delivered to:

Attention: Planning Project Manager

c/o Bureau of Land Management

St. George Field Office

345 East Riverside Drive

St. George UT 84770

 

Or emailed to: utsgrmp@blm.gov

 

 

Comment Suggestions

This Travel Management Planning and RMP revision is now in the Scoping Process, which means that the BLM is gathering information to use to develop the Alternate Proposals which will then be presented for public comment. If you have any specific information on roads and trails within the St. George BLM Field Office area it is important that BLM is given this information at this time. If you are not familiar with the area, you may submit a comment supporting motorized recreation in the area using the information given below.

The importance of public input cannot be overemphasized. Land managers are

mandated to use public input to shape management decisions. The anti-OHV

community is well-funded, well-organized, and capable of submitting thousands of

unique public comments for each proposed management plan. The OHV community

must work to counterbalance this "manufactured" input by submitting substantive,

informed, and personal comments. The days of "form comments" and "generated email comments" are over. Formulated comments generated by online "letter writers" are not valid forms of public comment. Therefore, comments from concerned users should be unique and personal. Comments should be as specific as possible. Include information regarding your own experiences and favorite trails/areas affected by the proposed Travel Management Plan. Relate how changes will affect you and your family's recreation habits in the area.

 

1. Sand Mountain Open OHV Area

    Our understating is that this area will remain designated open. We strongly support this. We believe the best way to manage this area, including the Hurricane sand dunes, is to leave it under BLM administration and not Sand Hollow State Park. We do not want to have to pay a fee to enter the area . We would also suggest that the open OHV area be extended around Warner Valley to the state line. The BLM should complete and administer staging areas in the open OHV area in Warner Valley.

 

2. Gunlock Open OHV Area

     It was not stated that this area was to remain with an Open OHV designation so we need to assume that this is in question. We strongly support keeping this area as open. There are very few areas left on BLM lands that have the open designation and we do not want to lose any of what we still have. Under any circumstances we want to see all of the existing roads in this area left open. There are trails in this area known locally as "The Squeeze" along with connector routes. We support Utah 4x4 Club's position on this trail with the data they have submitted. These trails need to remain open for motorized use.

  

 

3. High Desert ATV Trail

    All routes shown on the BLM's inventory map should remain open. Roads that are used by full size vehicles that are designated as ATV routes for the High Desert Trail system should remain open to all OHV's. We oppose closing off any roads to full size vehicles except under special circumstances i.e. too narrow or not previously used by full sized.

 

4. Ash Creek

   This is the old washed out road. It is popular with users of highly modified 4x4's "buggies" as a technical challenge trail. Having these types of difficult trails in suitable locations where they do not damage recourses give users of these type vehicles a suitable place to recreate and not have to use more sensitive areas.

 

5. ACEC's (Areas of Critical Environmental Concern)

   Oppose the creation of any new ACEC's. This is a back door approach to creating new areas managed as wilderness and with the designated wilderness areas, along with the conservation areas there is already enough land in Washington County being closed off to motorized use.

 

 

Note;

These comment suggestions are meant to help out those that are not familiar with the area. If you live in the area or have visited, please include information about what trails you use, what trails you intend to use, your personal experiences and why you want to see these roads and trails stay open.

 

 
 ********************************************************************************  In the past USA-ALL has witnessed BLM "losing" critical comments and data from our members or just claiming they have never received it. As such we have created a tool to help prevent this from happening. We will be using our new FTP server to allow you to log on and copy your comments and GPS route data to us. We will then take your submissions, package them, and submit them along with USA-ALL's own comments to BLM. We will also review all comments so that we might better represent the views of all of you in our own comments.
 This tool SHOULD NOT replace your effort to submit comments and data on your own. It is a back-up so that your comment and data will get submitted a second time from a second source. Below we will attach instructions on how to take advantage of this. This is a new venture for us so please bare with us if you encounter any bugs. Help us refine this tool so that we can use it for future actions. 
   

FTP Instructions  Submissions should be sent to:
ftp.usaall.org Enter this into any web browser such as Internet Explorer, or download the free FTP client Filezilla at http://filezilla-project.org/. When connecting to our server you will be prompted for the following:
Username: Public
Password: stgeorgetravelplan
If using Microsoft Internet Explorer It will be MUCH easier to navigate the folders on the server by doing the following: after logging in using Internet Explorer you can view the FTP site in Windows Explorer, click Page, and then click Open FTP Site in Windows Explorer. You may have to log in again when you do this.
Then follow our instructions below
Or
You can email the files to stgeorgetravelplan@usaall.org  We are not replying to email sent to this address. It is to receive submissions only.
Questions should be directed to:
(801)-850-9315 x 109 or paul@usaall.org
Submission Folder and File Preparation
Thank you for using our FTP service to upload your GPS data. It is our goal to protect your access to the places that you love. We will be submitting both the raw GPS data and your written comments to the BLM. We will also produce our own map based on the data you give to us. To help us do this we have a few instructions to help us manage what you will give to us. Please follow these instructions as closely as you can. If for some reason you have any trouble with anything or questions about your submission please call Paul Anderson at 801-850-9315 x 109.  If you are unable to use our FTP service you may submit the data with the requested info below by attaching the data in an email. Send submissions to stgeorgetravelplan@usaall.org.
1-      On your own computer create a folder and label it with your first and last name. Take all the files you want us to have and place them in the folder you just created on your own computer. You have to do this on your own computer because once you upload the folder to our server you will not be able to rename or change anything. We have done this to prevent anyone from messing with your files. You also won't be able to read them, again for everyone's security. You can call us if you want us to delete something or verify what you have given us.
2-      Make sure your folder contains the files and that as much of the following info is included:
a.      Your name and contact info, preferably email and phone. We may need to contact you regarding your submission.
b.      If you wish to have your data submitted anonymously please tell us and we will not include your info with our submission to the government.
c.       Also if applicable tell us what type of GPS unit you used to collect the data
d.      If possible when the GPS data was collected.
e.      Any written public comments you want submitted to the government.
f.        GPS Data should be in a Google Earth files such as KML or KMZ or universal transfer type file such as a GPX file, Shape Files, and most Garmin files. If you can't convert your data into any of these formats give us what you have we will do our best to make it work.
g.      Public comments can be received in most any format but MS Word, PDF, or Rich Text (RTF) is preferred.
3-      After you have the folder created and placed your files in it. You can drag and drop your prepared folder into the FTP folder St_George_Travel_Plan on our ftp site. You could also use the copy and paste feature. Just as you would if you were saving this folder to another location on your local computer. The difference is you are transferring it to us on our FTP site.
Contact Information phone: 801-850-9315
June 30, 2010 – BLM has published a Notice of Intent to prepare an amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP) and an associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which will affect public lands in the St. George region of Utah.  The RMP amendment will evaluate and revise the area designations for OHV travel. OHV designations are classified as “open” to OHV cross-country travel, “limited” to designated routes or “closed” to OHV travel.  Public input is needed to identify the diverse OHV uses that are currently taking place on public lands.
Comments on the scope of the analysis will be accepted until July 19, 2010.  It is important that OHV enthusiasts get involved in the designation process by contacting BLM staff.  Comments may be submitted by email to: utsgrmp@blm.gov; by fax to 435-688-3252; or by mail to:
Bureau of Land Management
Attn: Project Manager
345 E. Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84770

Additional Information found online:
St. George BLM Website
For further information, please contact Keith Rigtrup, Project Manager, at 435-586-2401or at utsgrmp@blm.gov.
BLUERIBBON COALITION LANDUSE UPDATE!

St. George BLM Revising Travel Management Plan - Public Input Needed

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) St. George Field Office has formally kicked off the planning process that will result in a Comprehensive Travel and Transportation Management Plan. This plan will include specific route designations for motorized and mountain bike use. Meaning - if its not on the map - its closed!

The BLM will also finalize the designation of the High Desert Trail System and identify a Northern Transportation Route bringing OHV users from BLM lands to the OHV trail systems on the Dixie and Fishlake National Forests.

This planning process is being conducted on a parallel track with the development of Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for the newly designated 63,500-acre Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area (NCA) and the 45,000-acre Red Cliffs NCA, as well as Amendment of the St. George Field Office 1999 Resource Management Plan. In addition, the BLM is planning to designate additional Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) for the conservation of biological resources and natural communities.

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to analyze the impacts related to all of the above. Public input is essential and the public is invited to:

Provide route inventory data (e.g., maps, digital files, GPS data)
Identify routes important for facilities access, recreation, commercial activities, etc.
Identify areas where existing routes create impacts to sensitive natural and heritage resources,
Identify routes that could be included in the High Desert Trail System
Identify alternatives for the Northern Transportation Route
The public scoping period started on May 10, 2010, when the Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register. Scoping comments will be accepted through July 19, 2010.

The public is encouraged to come to one of the scoping meetings to ask questions and provide input. Open house meetings will be held June 14-17 at the locations listed below. They will begin at 6:00 pm and last until 8:00 pm. Representatives from BLM's St. George Field Office will be available at the meetings to answer questions. The open houses will have several information stations to present information on key issues and on the planning process.

Scoping Meeting Schedule

Monday, June 14, 2010
Dixie Center
1835 Convention Center Dr.
St. George, UT

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Mesquite Community and Senior Center
102 West Old Mill Road
Mesquite, NV

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
City of Hurricane Office
147 North 870 West
Hurricane, UT

Thursday, June 17, 2010
SLC Public Library, Conf. Room - Level 4
210 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT

There are many ways to provide comments during the scoping period. In addition to the scoping meetings, the BLM will receive comments through the following methods:
Scoping comments may be mailed or delivered to Bureau of Land Management, Attention: Planning Project Manager, St. George Field Office, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84770 or e-mailed to utsgrmp@blm.gov . Scoping comments will be most helpful if they are specific and received by July 19, 2010.
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Please include "Planning Process for St. George Field Office" in your correspondence. Following the close of the scoping period, a scoping report will be available at the BLM's St. George Field Office website. The report will summarize public comments collected during the scoping period.

To learn more, visit the new St. George Field Office website at: www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george.html

BRC will be looking the planning documents over in detail and should have an Action Alert out in the next week or two. Be sure to tell your friends and family to subscribe to our Action Alert list: www.sharetrails.org/secure/lists/?p=subscribe&id=2

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact BRC.

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107