[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 218 (Thursday, November 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63327-63329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30162]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT-030-99-1610-00]
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Draft Management Plan
and Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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ADDRESSES: Copies of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Draft Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DMP/
DEIS) may be obtained from the following Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) locations: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Planning
Office, 337 South Main Street, Suite 010, Cedar City, Utah 84720,
telephone (435) 865-5100; BLM, Utah State Office, 324 South State,
Public Room (4th Floor), Salt Lake City, Utah, telephone (801) 539-
4001; Kanab Resource Area Office, 318 North First East, Kanab, Utah
84741, telephone (435) 644-2672; Escalante Interagency Office, P.O. Box
225, Escalante, Utah 84726, telephone (435) 826-4291. Comments must be
received by the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Planning
Office, 337 South Main Street, Suite 010, Cedar City, Utah 84720 by
Friday, February 12, 1999.
SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102 of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1970, section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 and 43 CFR part 1610, a draft management plan/
draft environmental impact statement for Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument, Utah, has been prepared and is available for review
and comment. The DMP/DEIS describes and analyzes future options for
managing 1,684,899 acres of public land in Garfield and Kane Counties,
Utah. The DMP/DEIS also examines recommendations on suitability for
additions to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Decisions generated
during this planning process will supersede land use planning guidance
presented in the Management Framework Plans and subsequent amendments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pete Wilkins, Planning Team Leader, or
A. J. Meredith, Monument Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument Planning Office, 337 South Main
Street, Suite 010, Cedar City, Utah 84720, telephone (435) 865-5100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DMP/DEIS analyzes five alternatives to
resolve the following seven major issues: (1) How will Monument
resources be protected? (2) How will research associated with the
Monument be managed? (3) How will Monument management be integrated
with community plans? (4) How will people's activities and uses be
managed? (5) What facilities are needed and where? (6) How will
transportation and access be managed? (7) To what extent is water
necessary for the proper care and management of the objects of the
Monument, and what further action is necessary to assure the
availability of water. Each alternative represents a complete
management plan for the area. The alternatives can be summarized as (A)
the no action or change from management as directed by the Proclamation
and the Interim Management Guidance, (B) the preferred alternative
which emphasizes the preservation of the monument, while recognizing
its value as a scientific resource, (C) emphasizes the exemplary
opportunities for scientific research, (D) emphasizes the preservation
of the primitive, undeveloped nature of the Monument through the
stewardship of intact natural systems, and (E) emphasizes and
facilitates a full range of developed and undeveloped recreational
opportunities, while relying upon public education and use management
to protect Monument resources.
Wild and Scenic Rivers
In Alternative A (No Action Alternative), a suitability
determination would not be made on the 25 eligible river segments (330
miles). In Alternative B (Preferred Alternative) and E, 17 eligible
river segments, totaling 225 river miles would be recommended as
suitable for Congressional designation into the National Wild and
Scenic River System (NWSRS). In Alternative C, all 25 eligible river
segments (330 miles) would be determined to be unsuitable. In
Alternative D, all 25 eligible river segments, totaling 330 river
miles, would be determined suitable and would be recommended for
Congressional designation. The table outlines the river segments that
were determined eligible for Congressional designation. The table also
identifies, by alternative, which eligible river segments would be
determined suitable and recommended to Congress for designation into
the NWSRS.
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Determined suitable by alternative
River segment Segment Miles Tentative ---------------------------------------
description classification A B C D E
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Escalante River Basin
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Harris Wash................. Tenmile 2.9 Scenic......... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Crossing to
confluence
with Bighorn
Wash.
Bighorn Wash to 8.7 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X
unnamed road.
Road to west 2.8 Recreational... ...... ...... ...... X ......
side of State
section.
State section 1.2 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
to Monument
boundary.
Lower Boulder Creek......... Downstream side 13.6 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
of State
section to
Escalante
River.
Dry Hollow Creek............ Monument 4.3 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
boundary to
Lower Boulder
Creek.
[[Page 63328]]
Slickrock Canyon............ Monument 2.8 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
boundary to
private land.
Cottonwood Canyon........... Monument 4.4 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
boundary to
Lower Deer
Creek.
Lower Deer Creek............ Private land to 3.8 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
Burr Trail
Road.
Burr Trail Road 7 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
to Lower
Boulder Creek.
The Gulch, Blackwater Monument 11 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Canyon, Lamanite Arch boundary to
Canyon, and Water Canyon. Burr Trail
Road.
Along Burr 0.6 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
Trail Road.
Below Burr 13 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Trail Road to
Escalante
River.
Black Water, 6.5 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Lamanite and
Water Canyons.
Steep Creek................. Monument 8.9 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
boundary to
The Gulch.
Lower Horse Canyon.......... Outstanding 3 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Natural Area
boundary to
Escalante
River.
Wolverine Creek............. Entire......... 9.7 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Little Death Hollow......... Entire......... 14.8 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Escalante River............. Confluence with 13.8 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Pine Creek to
Highway 12.
Highway 12 to 1.1 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
east side of
private land.
Private land to 19.2 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Monument
boundary.
Lower Sand Creek and Willow Sweetwater 13.2 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Patch Creek. Creek to
Escalante
River.
Mamie Creek and west Monument 9.2 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
tributary. boundary to
Escalante
River.
Death Hollow Creek.......... Monument 9.9 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
boundary to
Mamie Creek.
Calf Creek.................. Headwaters to 3.5 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Lower falls.
Lower falls to 3 Scenic......... ...... X ...... X X
recreation
site.
Recreation site 1.5 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
to Escalante
River.
Phipps Wash and tributaries. Headwaters to 6 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Escalante
River.
Unnamed Tributary (West of Headwaters to 2.6 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Calf Creek). Escalante
River.
Twentyfive Mile Wash........ Rat Seep Hollow 9.1 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
to Monument
boundary--incl
uding unnamed
wash on north
side.
T37S, R6E, S29 6.8 Wild........... ...... X ...... ...... X
to Monument
boundary--not
including
unnamed wash
on north side.
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Paria River Basin
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Paria River including Deer Paria River-- 22 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Creek Canyon, Snake Creek, T38S, R2W, S21
Hogeye Creek, part of to T41S, R1W,
Kitchen Canyon, Starlight S7.
Canyon, and part of
Cottonwood Creek.
Paria River-- 16.9 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
T41S, R1W, S7
to downstream
of private
land south of
Highway 89.
Deer Creek-- 5.1 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Headwaters to
Paria River.
Snake Creek-- 4.7 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
entire.
Hogeye Creek-- 6.3 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
entire.
Kitchen Canyon-- 1.2 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
T40S, R2W, S28
to Starlight
Canyon.
Starlight 4.9 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Canyon--entire.
[[Page 63329]]
Lower 2.9 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
Cottonwood
Creek--conflue
nce with
Hackberry
Creek to Paria
River.
Bull Valley Gorge........... Little Bull 5.9 Wild........... ...... ...... ...... X ......
Valley to
Sheep Creek.
Lower Sheep Creek........... Bull Valley 1.5 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Gorge to Paria
River.
Hackberry Creek............. Headwaters to 20 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Cottonwood
Creek.
Buckskin Gulch (outside Wilderness 18 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
Monument). boundary to
Paria River.
Lower Paria River (outside Downstream side 3.3 Recreational... ...... X ...... X X
Monument). of private
land to
wilderness
boundary.
Segment in 4.8 Wild........... ...... X ...... X X
wilderness.
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Open houses will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM on the following
dates at the following locations, except as noted:
Kanab, UT, Kanab Middle School, December 1, 1998 (6:30 PM to 9:00
PM)
Albuquerque, NM, Winrock Inn, 18 Winrock Center, N.E., December 1,
1998
Escalante, UT, Escalante High School, December 3, 1998
Denver, CO, Hyatt Regency Tech Ctr., 7800 Tufts Avenue, December 3,
1998
Salt Lake City, UT, Salt Lake Hilton, 150 W. 500 S., December 8,
1998
Tropic, UT, Bryce Valley High, December 8, 1998
San Francisco, CA, San Francisco Marriott, 55 Fourth Street,
December 10, 1998
Big Water, UT, Big Water Town Hall, December 10, 1998
Orderville, UT, Valley High School, January 5, 1999
Panguitch, UT, Panguitch High School, January 5, 1999
Flagstaff, AZ, Flagstaff Radisson, Woodlands Plaza, 1175 West Route
66, January 7, 1999
Cedar City, UT, Southern Utah University--Charles Hunter, January 7,
1999
Washington, DC, The Capital Hilton, 16th and K Streets NW, January
12, 1999
Dated: November 5, 1998.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 98-30162 Filed 11-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P
