(KUTV) –
The future of motorized vehicle use on more than 800,000 acres of land in two Utah counties is at stake as the Bureau of Land Management solicits public contributions.
The plan is intended to address “motorized travel, including recreation, cultural resources, wildlife habitats and fishing, soil and water quality, and wilderness features”.
The BLM plans to find out where motorized transportation is allowed on public land in Eastern Utah, starting with a 30-day period and online open days to collect public input. The plan focuses on individual routes to decide whether to open them to public motorized use on a route by route. The 30-day period starts on June 8th and lasts until July 8th.
“We look forward to hearing from the public during the scoping period of the Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan,” said Roger Bankert, Vernal Field Manager. “The information submitted at this stage will help support the initial draft travel management plan and environmental assessment. The most helpful comments are specific and provide new information. “
According to the BLM, this plan will contain specific information about the use of the route, resource impact of an existing route and / or routes, or new information about the area. There are 813,000 acres in Uintah County, 5,518 in Grand County, and 1,906 miles of drifts.
OPEN HOUSES
- Wednesday 23 June from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Thursday, June 24th from 6pm to 7pm
For more information on meetings, see eplanning.blm.gov. It contains maps and materials, including a route inventory map from an earlier, more comprehensive map. “Please refer to ‘Book Cliffs TMP’ when submitting comments,” said BLM. It also said:
Comments help the BLM formulate problems and alternatives that are included in the travel management plan. Specific information about the use of the route, resource impacts of an existing route, and / or new information about the area are particularly useful at this stage of the planning process.
BLM said in a press release:
“Before providing an address, telephone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in a comment, you should be aware that the entire comment – including personal data – can be made publicly available at any time However, BLM cannot guarantee this.
For more information, please visit BLM Utah’s travel management website at www.blm.gov/travel-and-transportation/utah or contact Planning and Environmental Coordinator Nate Packer at (435) 781-3405. Individuals who have telecommunications equipment for the deaf can call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above person. The FRS can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Answers will be provided during normal business hours. “
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