BLM: Skull Valley Land Exchange Environmental Assessment Available for Public Commen

[ret32]

Anybody local to Tooele County have any insightful information on this?

Public Comment ends 7/17/2012http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/june/skull_valley_land.html

Skull Valley Land Exchange Environmental Assessment Available for Public Comment

Salt Lake City, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Field Office announces that the Skull Valley Land Exchange Environmental Assessment (EA) is available for public comment. The EA evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of Skull Valley Company et al.’s proposed land exchange with the BLM. Under the proposed land exchange BLM would acquire up to 14,357.91 acres on 40 parcels of non-Federal land and the proponents would acquire up to 13,959.91 acres on 35 parcels of Federal land.

The public comment period begins on June 18, 2012 and ends on July 17, 2012. To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments by close of business July 17.

Copies of the Skull Valley Land Exchange EA are available in the Salt Lake Field Office at the address below or at the following link:

http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_lake.html

Comments may be submitted through any of the following methods:

· Email: blm_ut_sl_comments@blm.gov
· Fax: (801) 977-4397
· Mail: Dave Watson, Realty Specialist,
BLM Salt Lake Field Office
2370 South 2300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119

Please include your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information with your submission. The BLM will not consider anonymous submissions. Please be aware that your entire submission, including personal identifying information, may be made available to the public at any time. Requests may be made to withhold personal identifying information from the public review; however, such requests cannot be guaranteed. All submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

For further information, please contact Cindy Ledbetter, Environmental Coordinator or Dave Watson, Realty Specialist at (801) 977-4300.

 

[Tacoma]

No wheeling or access impact likely, almost the entire valley is privately or DOD owned, the rest is vertical or WSA. I'm trying to take a look at exactly what is proposed though, just to be sure.


EDIT: Looks like most of these parcels are kind of scattered, and that those that do have trails/roads are not up for closure... reading the 101p PDF.

 

[jackjoh]

Thanks Tacoma, keep us posted.

 

[ret32]

One day to go on this.

Discussion has yeilded the following comments:

-Tooele County Trails Commission has stated that none of the trails that they manage would be affected and does not see anything that would be a problem for motorized recreation. They feel the swap is a win-win overall for the public and simply consolidates the private land into one area and the public land into one area. They stated to me that the public nets more lands than it loses.
-Tacoma White, President of U4WDA and Tooele Resident has stated on RME4x4.com that:

No wheeling or access impact likely, almost the entire valley is privately or DOD owned, the rest is vertical or WSA...Looks like most of these parcels are kind of scattered, and that those that do have trails/roads are not up for closure

-Flyjester of ExpeditionUtah.com has extracted from the EA that

-The Pony Express station, monument and dog cemetery on offered parcel 28 would come under BLM management.

-Selected parcels 19, 20, and 22 would come under private ownership, and the public would no longer have access for viewing the historic trail traces of the Hastings Cutoff of the California National Historic Trail within these parcels.

-BLM acquisition of offered parcels 30, 32, 38 and 39 within or adjacent to the Cedar Mountains WA would make it possible for BLM to ensure public access and use. BLM would be able to manage them specifically to preserve their outstanding opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation including hiking, backpacking, sightseeing, photography and hobby rock collecting.

AND

The trail crosses selected parcels 19 through 22 (1.25 miles total), and offered parcels 33 through 37 (1.33 miles total). The segment on selected parcel 22 is considered eligible for listing on the NRHP. Oregon-California Trail Association (OCTA) has placed white fiberglass trail signs and trail markers along the historic trace of the trail in Skull Valley. Wagon ruts may still be visible on selected parcel 19, 20, and 22.

-The EA indicates that many of the current public parcels (that would become private) receive "unregulated OHV activity." The BLM feels that the swap will help them reign in such use. The BLM suggests on page 3.3.6 and 4.3.7 that OHV users "would have to shift their use to other public lands. Generally, they would have to travel only an additional 1-2 miles to access public lands."

My personal comments will include:
-The BLM should acquire any rights of way necessary to ensure public access to all historic trails that cross private land
-The BLM should acquire any rights of way necessary to ensure public access to all BLM lands
-The BLM should conduct a full inventory of the new parcels for existing roads and motorized routes, apply the same motorized access status (open, limited, closed) to the new parcels as the nearby old parcels.
-The BLM should ensure that any open motorized play areas lost in the swap are replaced with an equal sized play area of the same size and ease of access on new or previously existing parcels.

 

[Kevin B.]

-Selected parcels 19, 20, and 22 would come under private ownership, and the public would no longer have access for viewing the historic trail traces of the Hastings Cutoff of the California National Historic Trail within these parcels.

Is this the Hastings Pass at the north end of the Cedar Mountains, or is this the trail in the valley? Anybody know?

My personal comments will include:
-The BLM should acquire any rights of way necessary to ensure public access to all historic trails that cross private land
-The BLM should acquire any rights of way necessary to ensure public access to all BLM lands
-The BLM should conduct a full inventory of the new parcels for existing roads and motorized routes, apply the same motorized access status (open, limited, closed) to the new parcels as the nearby old parcels.
-The BLM should ensure that any open motorized play areas lost in the swap are replaced with an equal sized play area of the same size and ease of access on new or previously existing parcels.

I agree with this a lot. I'll email a comment.

 

[ret32]

Is this the Hastings Pass at the north end of the Cedar Mountains, or is this the trail in the valley? Anybody know?

I agree with this a lot. I'll email a comment.

In the valley. All three of those parcels (the selected parcels 19, 20, and 22) either touch, or are very close to, Utah State Highway 196 running down the center of Skull Valley. See Map 1 (page 97 of 101) of the pdf linked at http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ut/salt_lake_fo/spotlight.Par.12543.File.dat/Skull%20Valley%20Exchange%20EA_Prelim.pdf.

 

[Kevin B.]

Interesting. All the routes I was aware of that cross the valley are already signed private land. Now I'll hafta go exploring again before the land swap happens.

 

[jackjoh]

Thanks Ron, we appreciate you and U4WDA keeping us posted on land use issues.