[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