[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 133 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 37587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18536]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT-930-08-1210-00]
Notice of Closure of Public Lands; Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of a temporary closure to off highway vehicle use for
portions of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area including the
Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
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SUMMARY: This notice closes to off highway vehicle (OHV) use
approximately 14,140 acres of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study
Area (WSA) including some 800 acres within the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
Areas within the WSA that will remain open to vehicle use include
designated routes within closed areas and approximately 700 acres
within the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. OHV access to the open portion of the
dunes will be provided by three designated access routes. Five
designated routes within the non sand dune portion of the WAS on
Moquith Mountain will also remain open. Temporary fencing and signing
will be used as necessary to facilitate this action. The authority for
this action is 43 CFR 8341.2.
DATES: This closure will begin immediately and remain in effect pending
amendment of the Vermilion Land Use Plan, which is expected to be
completed by the end of April 1999.
ADDRESSES: Copies of maps are available at the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), Kanab Area Field Office, 318 North First East, Kanab,
Utah 84741 and BLM Utah State Office, 324 South State Street, P.O. Box
45155, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Verlin Smith, Kanab Area Field Office,
at (435) 644-2672, ext. 2646 or Ronald Bolander, BLM, Utah State
Office, at (801) 539-4065.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 14,830-acre Moquith Mountain WSA was
established in 1980 and includes the northern segment of the Coral Pink
Sand Dunes (about 1,500 acres). The remaining 2,000 acres of the dunes
are part of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park which was established
in 1963. The sand dunes are a historic and popular OHV and other
recreational use area. Most of the WSA is currently designated as open
to OHV use as documented in the Vermilion Management Framework Plan,
completed in 1981.
In 1994, BLM implemented management actions through the Moquith
Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule (Guidance) to protect
wilderness resource values. In 1998, an interdisciplinary team was
established to review the effectiveness of the Guidance and determine
if impairment of wilderness values was occurring. BLM policy allows for
an open OHV category in sand dune areas as long as impairment of
wilderness suitability does not occur.
The team determined that no impairment of wilderness values is
occurring on the majority of the dunes. However, impairment is
occurring in peripheral areas of the northern portion of the dunes
where vegetation is more prevalent. Therefore, BLM is temporarily
closing to OHV use the sand dunes north and west of an existing
allotment fence with the exception of a portion of a dry lake bed and
designated OHV access routes which will remain open. The three
designated OHV access routes are located as follows: (1) Sand Spring;
(2) the dry lake bed east of the Yellowjacket Road and, (3) the Hancock
Road near the Ponderosa Grove Campground.
BLM is also concerned that vehicle routes may be forming in other
portions of the WSA. Therefore, the non sand dune portion of the WSA
will also be temporarily closed with the exception of the following
designated routes that will remain open: the Sand Spring Road, South
Fork Indian Canyon Petroglyph Road, the Moquith Mountain Loop, Hell
Drive and Lamb's Point routes.
Dated: July 7, 1998.
Linda S. Colville,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 98-18536 Filed 7-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-09-M
