[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 231 (Friday, November 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60724-60725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30464]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-060-07-1220-00]
Moab Area Recreation Use Restrictions and Authorization of New
Special Recreation Permits
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Moab area special recreation restrictions and rules
addressing camping, off-highway vehicle use, motorized boating and
policy for authorization of new Special Recreation Permits.
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SUMMARY: This notice places restrictions on recreation and vehicle use
of the Sand Flats Recreation Area, Ken's Lake, Mill Creek, Little
Canyon, and Seven Mile Canyon areas and on motorized boating use on the
Colorado River from the Westwater Ranger Station and Cisco Landing. It
also establishes supplemental policy for issuance of new special
recreation permits authorized by the Moab Field Office. Actions are
implemented under the authority of 43 CFR 8341, 8364, 8365 and 8372.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Russell von Koch, Moab District
Office,
[[Page 60725]]
82 E. Dogwood Ave., Moab, Utah 84532 at (801) 259-6111.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Recreation Restrictions
Increased recreation use of certain public lands near Moab has
adversely impacted wildlife, vegetation, soil, visual, and cultural
resources and poses a threat to public safety and enjoyment of the
lands. Maps of the areas where these special rules and restrictions
apply are available at the Moab District Office.
To reduce damage to natural and cultural resource values and
provide for public safety in the Ken's Lake and Seven Mile Canyon
areas: (1) Motor vehicle and mountain bike travel is restricted to
designated routes; (2) campfires may only be built in constructed fire
rings, designated fire rings, or fire pans; (3) wood collection for
campfire use is prohibited; (4) camping is restricted to improved
recreation sites with facilities for overnight use and designated
undeveloped campsites; (5) campsite occupancy may be limited to posted
numbers of vehicles and persons, (6) campers at designated undeveloped
campsites, where public toilets are not available, are required to
carry out solid human body waste and must possess and utilize toilets
systems, such as porta-potties or recreational vehicles with holding
tanks, that allow for the disposal of solid human body waste through
authorized sewage systems.
In the Mill Creek Canyon area, camping is prohibited in the ``power
dam'' area within \1/4\ mile of the stream (both forks) for a distance
of one mile up canyon from the public/private land boundary on the west
and in the Flat Pass area from Flat Pass northeastward to the South
Fork of Mill Creek Canyon and within \1/4\ mile of the stream up and
down stream to the private land boundaries.
In the Little Canyon area, camping, motor vehicle and mountain bike
use is restricted to designated sites and routes in the following
locations to protect wildlife habitat use areas: NW\1/4\ of Section 24
and the SW\1/4\ of Section 13, T. 25 S., R. 20 E. S.L.M.
In the Sand Flats Recreation Area, to reduce damage to natural
resource values and provide for public safety: (1) Campfires may only
be built in developed metal fire rings, (2) campsite occupancy may be
limited to posted numbers of vehicles and persons, and (3) campers at
designated undeveloped campsites, where public toilets are not
available, are required to carry out solid human body waste and must
possess and utilize toilets systems, such as porta-potties or
recreational vehicles with holding tanks, that allow for the disposal
of solid human body waste through authorized sewage systems. These
restrictions supplement previously published rules governing camping
and vehicle use in the Sand Flats area.
In the Colorado Riverway, to reduce damage to natural resource
values and provide for public safety, campsite occupancy may be limited
to posted numbers of vehicles and persons. This restriction supplements
previously rules governing camping and vehicle use in the Colorado
Riverway.
II. Motorized Boat Use
In order to protect wildlife values as mandated by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) no boats may be launched for upstream
motorized travel at the Westwater Ranger Station, on the Colorado River
from February 1 through October 15. At Cisco Landing no boats may be
launched for motorized travel either upstream or downstream, except in
emergency situations or for administrative uses as determined by the
authorized officer from February 1 through October 15. Shoreline
camping along the banks of the Colorado River is not allowed on public
land for a distance of two miles below Cisco Landing.
Personnel exempt from the requirements of this notice include any
Federal or State employee or local officer, and members of any
organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of their
official duty, or any person authorized by the Bureau. These orders
shall remain in effect until rescinded or modified by the authorized
officer.
III. Authorization of New Special Recreation Permits
Due to increases in recreation use in the Moab area that exceed
monitoring capability and available space, priority for authorization
of new special recreation permits for land-based commercial and
competitive events (issued by the Moab Office) will be given to
applicants proposing uses that (1) do not duplicate existing uses, (2)
that take place outside of the months of March, April, May and October,
(3) that make use of less crowded weekdays, (4) that utilize lands and
facilities off public lands for overnight accommodation of guests, (5)
that display and communicate the Canyon Country Minimum Impact
Practices, and (6) that focus visitation on sites and areas capable of
withstanding repeated use. Other factors, including public demand for
the proposed use, the capability of the applicant to carry out the
proposed use, projected government revenues, and past performance may
be considered when deciding whether or not to issue permits for new
events.
Applications for new recreation events must be submitted by the
first business day of September of the year prior to the proposed use.
The renewal or modification of existing use permits will follow
standard Bureau procedures and not be counted as a new use.
Applications for renewal of previously issued permits will be treated
as new uses not qualifying for renewal privileges whenever the use
authorization has lapsed for 1 or more years.
Effective Dates
These restrictions shall remain in effect pending revision of the
resource management plan prepared for the Grand Resource Area or until
updated by the authorized officer.
Dated: November 15, 1996.
Kate Kitchell,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-30464 Filed 11-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P
