St. George BLM Travel Management Plan

[jackjoh]

St. George area BLM meetings

Southern Utah BLM Begins Travel Planning and RMP Revision

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 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!

Let us not get caught off guard as we were in Price, input is needed.

Thanks to BRC for the info.


We need 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

Attend meetings:
They will begin at 6:00 pm and last until 8:00 pm.

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

This needs to be sent to all clubs and members immediately.

 

[jackjoh]

I got to thinking, I know I have to watch that, will the BLM accept the many trails and roads that are visible on satellite maps and old geodetic survey maps? I will send them an e-mail.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

These meetings are HUGE. Far more important imo than 'doing your part by staying on the trail', leaps ahead of cleanups and trail projects. This is where actions turn into direct results in sweeping manners. I consider the last 6 RMP's a partial win for the motorized community, and if you read the RMP releases they cited overwhelming public comment as one of the major reasons trails were not only left open, but in some minor case (Factory Butte) re-opened. Don't slack, be ready to attend these meetings and voice your support.

 

[JL Rockies]

Road trip!!!

 

[SAMI]

I've got the SL one on my calender...

I attended several of the previous RMP meetings throughout the years, and it is very important to have our hobby and interests well represented. Plan to attend one of these, and get your comments on the books.

 

[Don B]

It's very important to make sure we have the roads and trail we want on the inventory and make sure they stay there when the BLM puts out the alternatives for public comment.

Now is the time to be involved. Don't wait until your favorite trail is closed and then try to do something about it.

The St. George BLM Field Office has been very good working with the OHV community. Let's not miss the chance to do something positive.

 

[anderson750]

From a BRC email.

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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Scoping comments will be most helpful if they are specific and received by July 19, 2010.

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

 

[scoutabout]

The last great open travel area in the west is about to die. Luckily, we're at mile-marker 0 in the process and can get ALL of our trails designated if we're on the ball.

Paul, where is USA-ALL in their process of working on this?

 

[Don B]

The last great open travel area in the west is about to die. Luckily, we're at mile-marker 0 in the process and can get ALL of our trails designated if we're on the ball.

Paul, where is USA-ALL in their process of working on this?

Hopefully this travel plan will not have any effect on the sand mountain open travel area but we need to be all over it to make sure. The open area is part of the 1999 RMP for the St. George Field Office. The travel plan for this RMP was started years ago but never finished. With the passing of the Washington County land use bill, it gave to BLM the funds needed to complete the travel plan.

The biggest concern right now is to make sure we have everthing we want in the inventory as part of the scoping process. It's easy to add something now. After the EA is complete, not so easy.

 

[scoutabout]

The biggest concern right now is to make sure we have everthing we want in the inventory as part of the scoping process. It's easy to add something now. After the EA is complete, not so easy.

x2! This is so very important!

 

[anderson750]

Paul, where is USA-ALL in their process of working on this?

I will update you after our board meeting on Tuesday. I have put it on our agenda.

This is an opportunity that is going to take a lot of input from users. Who are some key people in the St. George area that know the trails that I can talk to?

 

[Don B]

There have been local people working with the BLM on trails for a few years now. The active clubs in the area are Tri-State ATV club, Utah 4x4 club and Access America.

Some of us will meet with the BLM hopefully next week and try to determine what still needs to be done to have everything we want included for the scoping process. With that, we should know what GPSing projects we need to get on.

One area for sure where we will need help is to call the troops out to attend the meetings and write comments when needed. It wouldn't surprise me at all if SUWA and friends jump all over this and we need all the public support we can get to counter their propoganda

 

[jackjoh]

I got to thinking, I know I have to watch that, will the BLM accept the many trails and roads that are visible on satellite maps and old geodetic survey maps? I will send them an e-mail.

I sent inquiries to St. George and SLC but have not heard from them.
Do any of you have expierience with using satellite or geodetic maps with the BLM? From the other post it sounds like you use gps.

Whats the possibility of combining this and Paul Andersons post together?

 

[Greg]

... Whats the possibility of combining this and Paul Andersons post together?

Done!

 

[Don B]

I sent inquiries to St. George and SLC but have not heard from them.
Do any of you have expierience with using satellite or geodetic maps with the BLM? From the other post it sounds like you use gps.

Whats the possibility of combining this and Paul Andersons post together?

Jack,
The gentleman in the St. George BLM office that we work with is on vacation this week. We will see about meeting with him when he gets back.

 

[anderson750]

After some lenghty discussion at our board meeting tonight, here are some thoughts and direction that USA All is going to take with the travel plan in St. George.

Through my experiences on data submission at the Price field office, I think it is very important for multiple people, clubs and organizations to submit all trail data. It reduces that chances that they can "lose" the data. Just look at what happened with the trails in Price as an example. To accomplish this we will be in contact with individuals and groups we are familiar with in regards to the data files they have collected. If we do not contact you, please contact us (you can call me directly 435-650-1250). We will take this data and submit it with our comments on the RMP. This data will also be available for other groups such as BRC, U4WDA and others to use for their submissions..

I will have directions in the next couple of days on how to submit the data.

SUWA is going to be pushing for as much closure as they possibly can, so we need to work together on this one to keep as much acess open as possible. Single track, ATV and full size need to work individually to get their data toghether, but most importanly need to band together to fight for these trails.

 

[Don B]

Thanks Paul

We wanted to set up a meeting with the BLM this week, but they asked us to wait until the scoping meetings next week when we can see what they have and have a better idea of what we're dealing with.

 

[mbryson]

Don (et all),

Please keep us informed of what WE can do. You guys will gather good info and I hope the community can support your efforts. Show up to meetings, write letters or whatever, I'm in. St. George is an awesome place to wheel (as is Price) and I hope we can make this area work as well as it can for all users.

 

[Don B]

First of all we need everyone to attend the scoping meetings next week.

Even if you can't offer any specific info on any particular trails, we still need the showing of support for motorized recreation in the St. George area. Let the BLM know we're out here.

 

[anderson750]

Who will be attending the scoping meetings in St. George, Mesquite & Hurricane? Mike Swenson will be attending the Salt Lake scoping meeting on behalf of USA All.