[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7820-7822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3826]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-030-1610]


Call for Information on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National 
Monument Management Plan Regarding Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern (ACEC) and Wild & Scenic Rivers (W&SR)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) invites 
the public to nominate potential ACECs and river segments for W&SR 
consideration for inclusion into the GSENM planning process.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the Bureau of Land 
Management is seeking additional public input regarding those potential 
areas considered for either ACEC and/or W&SR study and evaluation, as 
well as to seek additional public input on those areas that have 
already been nominated.

DATES: The comment period for the preliminary ACEC nominations or 
additional nominations will commence with publication of this notice. 
Comments must be submitted on or before March 19, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pete Wilkins, Planning Chief--Grand 
Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 337 S. Main, Suite 010, Cedar 
City, UT 84720 Tel:435-865-5161, Fax:435-865-5170, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Detailed information regarding those areas that have already been 
nominated is available at the above address. Comments on these 
potential designations should be sent to the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of the land use planning process, 
the Federal Land Management Policy Act mandates that the Bureau of Land 
Management ``give priority to the designation and protection of ACECs 
in the developing and revising land use plans.'' As part of the GSENM 
planning effort, the Bureau of Land Management will determine what 
areas, if any, should be designated as Areas of Critical Environmental 
Concern. To be considered as a potential ACEC, and analyzed in a 
management plan alternative, an area must meet the criteria of 
relevance and importance as established and defined in 43 CFR 1610.7-2, 
Designations of areas of critical environmental concern. An area meets 
the ``relevance'' criteria if it contains one of more of the following: 
(1) Significant historic, cultural, or scenic values, (2) a fish and 
wildlife resource (including sensitive species, relative habitat or 
habitat essential for maintaining species diversity), (3) natural 
processes or systems (including rare, endemic, relict plants or 
communities, and riparian areas), and (4) natural hazards such as 
severe avalanche, flooding, seismic activity, etc.
    The ``importance'' criteria are used to insure that a specific 
resource or value, process or hazard has substantial significance and 
value. Importance can be characterized as follows: (1) Being more than 
locally significant, having special worth, (2) has qualities or 
circumstances that make it fragile, sensitive, rare, irreplaceable, 
unique, endangered or threatened, meaningful or distinctive, (3) has 
been recognized as warranting protection in order to satisfy national 
priorities or to carry out the mandates of the Federal Land Management 
Policy Act (FLPMA), and (4) has qualities which warrant concern to 
satisfy public/management concerns regarding public welfare and safety.
    As a result of a previous planning effort for the Kanab/Escalante 
Resource Management Plan, several nominations have already been 
recorded. These nominations have been reviewed and are proposed to be 
brought forth into the draft GSENM Management Plan/Draft EIS. Potential 
``relevance'' and ``importance'' values, and potential issues, 
associated with the nominated areas are as follows:
    (1) No Man's Mesa Research Natural Area--Located in the center of 
Township 3 West, Range 40 South, east of Park Wash; 1,335 acres; relict 
plant communities.
    (2) Paria-Hackberry Unit--Located north of Highway 89 east of 
Kanab, Utah and south of Henrieville on Highway 12; 158,000 acres; 
Grand Staircase geologic formations, Sheep Creek, Hackberry Canyon, 
Cottonwood Creek, relict plant community of pinyon-juniper and 
sagebrush-grass park vegetation on No Man's Mesa, cultural resources, 
Old Pahrea townsite.*
    (3) Bryce Adjacent Units--Located below Bryce Canyon's cliffs, form 
part of the scenic foreground of views from the national park; 25,500 
acres (East of Bryce--900 acres, Square and Willis Creeks--22,300 
acres, Box Canyon--2,300 acres); Navajo Sandstone in Bull Valley Gorge, 
badlands' appearance, views outstanding, plant communities (Kodachrome 
Bladderpod, T&E species and a member of the Evening Primrose family), 
and black bear use for travel between the high plateau of Bryce to the 
warmer Paria River country below.*
    (4) The Blues Unit--Located northeast of Bryce Canyon National Park 
and north of Highway 12; 18,700 acres; Cretaceous shale badlands in a 
``critical'' erosion condition which contrasts with the pink cliff of 
Powell Point above, scenic attraction to travelers of Highway 12, 
significant vista from Bryce Canyon National Park, possible area for 
the rare aster (Xylorhiza confertifolia), diverse habitat conditions, 
known paleontological resources, and panoramic views.*
    (5) Mud Spring Canyon Unit--Located between the Grand Staircase and 
Kaiparowits Plateau from Canaan Peak to the northern section of the 
Cockscomb; 55,100 acres; badlands of blue shale, spectacular cockscomb, 
transitional vegetation with pinyon-juniper forest grading into desert 
shrubs at lower elevations, Dry Valley relict plant community, among 
big game habitat.*
    (6) The Cockscomb Unit--Located north of Highway 89 and southwest 
of the Cottonwood Wash road; 10,300 acres; Upthrust ridge of The 
Cockscomb, the milkvetch (Astragalus ampullarius, candidate for T&E 
list) may occur, varied wildlife habitat, critical antelope fawning 
areas, Hattie Green Mine.*
    (7) Wahweap-Paradise Canyon Unit--Begins 10 miles south of the town 
of Escalante and continues across Paradise Bench to the Wahweap Creek 
drainage northwest of Lake Powell; 228,000 acres; long, winding 
canyons, far-ranging vistas and remote hiking, fossils in the Wahweap 
Formation, Four Mile Bench Old Tree Area (1,400-year-old pinyon and 
juniper trees), diverse wildlife habitat, numerous archaeology sites.*
    (8) Nipple Bench Unit--Abuts Glen Canyon National Recreation Area 
just north and east of Big Water, Nipple Canyon forms the western 
boundary; 31,600 acres; scenic views overlooking Lake Powell, pedestals 
of mud and silt capped by isolated rocks, Evening Primrose (Camissonia 
atwoodii, T&E candidate), archaeology, paleontology.*
    (9) Warm Creek Unit--Located in the heart of the Kaiparowits 
Plateau and surrounded by the Wahweap-Paradise Canyon, Squaw Canyon, 
and Nipple Bench units; 21,000 acres; benches and canyon rims offer 
views across the southern edge of the Plateau into Glen Canyon National 
Recreation area, fossil vertebrates and plants in the Wahweap 
Formation, springs, archaeology, opportunities for solitude.*
    (10) Squaw Canyon Unit--Located west of Burning Hills and east of 
Warm Creek; 11,200 acres; Dramatic vistas of isolated rock pillars, 
barren cliffs, and fluted canyon cliffs, the most scenic

[[Page 7821]]

vistas on the Kaiparowits Plateau, populations of Kodachrome Bladderpod 
(T&E) and evening primrose (Camissonia exilis, candidate T&E), high 
archaeological site densities.*
    (11) Burning Hills Unit--Located in the core of the Kaiparowits 
Plateau between the Wahweap-Paradise Canyon and Fiftymile Mountain 
units; 68,400 acres; Last Chance Creek (a twenty mile long canyon) 
offers solitude with a few watering places, natural underground coal 
fires, 15-20 foot tall mountain mahogany, the presence of two sensitive 
plant species (Cymopterus higgsii on Smoky Mountain and Penstemon 
atwoodii in the north end of Dry Wash), the sensitive Lewis's 
woodpecker and western and mountain bluebird, archaeology.*
    (12) Fiftymile Mountain Unit--Includes 42 miles of the Straight 
Cliffs; 173,900 acres; spectacular viewpoints, sensitive species 
Atwood's beardtongue (Penstemon atwoodii), diverse wildlife (about 190 
species), archaeology with a tremendous potential to provide 
information on local Fremont and Anasazi cultures, virtually 
unblemished area, solitude.*
    (13) Fiftymile Bench and Cave Point Units--Located at the foot of 
the southern Straight Cliffs and above the lower Escalante Canyons; 
11,100 acres in Fiftymile Bench Unit and 4,800 acres in Cave Point 
Unit; a 1000 foot-high cliff line of the Summerville, Morrison, and 
Dakota formations and the Tropic Shale on the Fiftymile Bench, 
transition zone for wildlife, vistas of the Escalante Canyons.*
    (14) Scorpion Unit--Located 25 miles southeast of Escalante and 
borders the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA); 38,100 acres; 
nearly 60 miles of sinuous canyons carved into the Mesozoic rocks of 
the Glen Canyon Group, concentrations of deep slot canyons, diverse 
wildlife habitat (about 242 species), archaeology.*
    (15) Horse Spring Canyon Unit--Located southwest of Escalante, west 
of Alvey Wash, and east of the Dixie National Forest; 27,900 acres; 
Mitchell, Willow Spring, and Horse Spring Canyons and tributaries 
cutting through alternating strata of the Straight Cliffs Formation, 
Atwood's beardtongue and the Sweetvetch (Hedysarum boreale, candidate 
T&E), Horizon Arch, archeology (rock art, granaries), and petrified 
wood and other fossils.*
    (16) North Escalante Canyons Unit--144,000 acres including Little 
Egypt unit and Little Death Hollow; significant geological formations, 
miles of narrow, winding side Canyons, arches, natural bridges, 
alcoves, slickrock, scenic panoramas, diverse plant and animal life, 
riparian areas, bald eagle and peregrine falcon, golden eagle, Lewis's 
woodpecker, and western and mountain bluebirds, archeology (high 
concentration of rock art sites).*
    (17) Carcass Canyon Unit -Located just south of the town of 
Escalante and west of the Hole-in-the-Rock Road; 72,600 acres; 
northernmost part of the Straight Cliffs featuring the 2000-foot-high 
Escalante Rim, nearly 50 miles of deeply entrenched canyons (some more 
than 700 feet deep), Atwood's beardtongue, eight raptor species, 
archaeology sites, opportunities for solitude and primitive 
recreation.*
    (18) Phipps-Death Hollow Unit--Located north and east of the town 
of Escalante; 43,500 acres; expanses of slickrock and deep canyons in 
the Navajo Sandstone, 40 miles of perennial streams, hanging gardens, 
relict plant community, Atwood's Beardtongue (Penstemon atwoodii), 
winter range for mule deer and elk, also has mountain lions, golden 
eagles, American Kestrels, Lewis's woodpeckers, and western and 
mountain bluebirds, rainbow and brown trout in creeks, archaeology and 
history (Boulder Mail Trail).*
    (19) Steep Creek Unit--Beginning about two miles east of the town 
of Boulder, extending north from the Burr Trail to the forested slopes 
of Boulder Mountain and east to the cliffs of Capital Reef National 
Park; 43,400 acres including 31,500 acres in Steep Creek and 2,900 
acres around The Lampstand; spectacular Circle Cliffs, petrified wood, 
perennial streams flowing down from Boulder Mountain into entrenched 
canyons in the Navajo and Windgate sandstone, year-round flows of clear 
cold water, five springs, riparian habitat, critical deer and elk 
winter range, rainbow and brown trout, variety of waterfowl, 
archaeology.*
    (20) Studhorse Peaks Unit--Located in the center of the scenic 
Circle Cliffs, just south of the Burr Trail; 19,500 acres; primarily 
red Moenkopi Formation, Studhorse Peaks (a series of flat-topped 
buttes) are capped by light-colored Shinarump Conglomerate, White 
Canyon cuts through the Kiabab Limestone to the Coconino Sandstone 
(Permian), top of the peaks have pockets of Gamble oak in protected 
sand hollows, critical elk calving habitat.*
    (21) Colt Mesa Unit--Located west of Capitol Reef National Park and 
north of Glen Canyon NRA with Moody Canyon Road on the west side; 
23,500 acres; outstanding vistas, spectacular monocline of the 
Waterpocket Fold tops out at Deer point in the southeast corner of the 
unit, northwest four-fifths of the unit is mostly red-brown ledges and 
slopes of the Moenkopi Formation, inner gorge of Moody Canyon is Kaibab 
Limestone and Coconino Sandstone, plant species Jones cycladenia 
(Cycladenia humilis jonesii) may be found in southern half, raptors 
including peregrine use area, bighorn sheep habitat.*
    (22) Several Access Routes were nominated for ``Scenic ACEC's'':
    US-89, U-12, U-9, U-143, Cottonwood Wash Road from U-12 to US-89, 
the road to Old Pahreah Townsite from US-89, the Burr Trail from 
Boulder to Capitol Reef National Park, and the Hole in the Rock Trail 
from U-12 to the Glen Canyon NRA boundary.**

* Submitted by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, January 14, 1994.
** Submitted by Owen Severance, December 22, 1993.

    In addition to the above nominations, the BLM is requesting 
additional public input for other nominations that the public may see 
as being worthy as an ACEC. All such nominations will receive a 
preliminary evaluation by an interdisciplinary team to determine if the 
area meets the ``relevance'' and ``importance'' criteria. Nominations 
should include descriptive materials, detailed maps and evidence 
supporting the ``relevance'' and ``importance'' of the resource.

Wild and Scenic Rivers

    Additionally, public nominations are also being sought for those 
rivers which may be eligible for inclusion into the National Wild & 
Scenic River System. In order to be considered, the body of water must 
be free flowing and contain outstandingly remarkable values. A river 
segment can be determined free flowing if it is a flowing body of 
water, estuary, or section, portion, or tributary thereof including, 
rivers, streams, creeks, runs, kills, rills, and small lakes. The river 
can be any size and must be existing or flowing in natural conditions 
without major modification. All nominations should be accompanied by 
detailed maps, descriptions of the river segment, and river related 
values.
    Those values determined to be oustandingly remarkable are: scenic, 
recreational, geologic, fish, wildlife, cultural, historic, hydrologic, 
ecologic/biologic diversity, paleontologic, botanic, or scientific 
study opportunities. Rivers are also tentatively classified as wild, 
scenic or recreational.
    The following are nominations that we have received from the public 
to date:
    Escalante River Basin: Escalante River, 18 miles from Escalante to 
Hwy

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12--Wild; 64 miles from Highway 12 to Lake Powell--Wild; Boulder Creek, 
8 miles of East Boulder Creek from Elbow Lake to T32S, R4E, Sec. 3--
Wild; 5 miles to confluence with West Fork--Scenic; 2 miles of West 
Fork Boulder Creek from T31S, R4E, Sec. 31 to T32S, R4E, Sec. 8--Wild; 
1 mile to T32S, R4E, Sec. 17--Scenic; 2 miles to confluence with East 
Fork--Wild; 3 miles of Boulder Creek from confluence of East and West 
Forks to T33S, R4E, Sec. 3--Scenic; 4 miles to T33S, R4E, Sec.23--Wild; 
5 miles to T34S, R4E, Sec. 12--Recreational; 12 miles to confluence 
with Escalante--Wild; East Fork Deer Creek, 9 miles from Hwy 12 to 
T33S, R5E, Sec.29--Wild; 5 miles to Burr Trail--Scenic; 6 miles to 
confluence with Boulder Creek--Wild; Sand Creek, 24 miles from T33S, 
R4E, Sec. 31 to confluence with Escalante River--Wild; Twenty-five Mile 
Wash, 6 miles from Hole-in-the-Rock-Road to T37S, R5E, Sec. 25--Wild; 
14 miles to Escalante River confluence--Wild; Calf Creek, 7 miles from 
T34S, R4E, Sec. 9 to Calf Creek campground--Wild; 1 mile to Escalante 
River confluence--Recreational; The Gulch, 13 miles of The Gulch from 
confluence of Stair Canyon and the Gulch to Burr Trail--Wild; 12 miles 
to confluence with Escalante River--Wild; Steep Creek, 11 miles of 
Steep Creek from T32S, R5E, Sec. 26 to confluence with The Gulch--Wild; 
Coyote Gulch, 19 miles from springs at T39S, R7E, Sec 16 to Escalante 
River confluence--Wild; Moody Creek, 3 miles from T36S, R8E, Sec. 5 to 
Glen Canyon NRA boundary--Wild; 4 miles to T36S, R8E, Sec. 31--Scenic; 
6 miles to confluence with Escalante River--Wild; Harris Wash, 11 miles 
from T36S, R4E, Sec 15 to T36S, R5E, Sec. 34--Wild; 12 miles to 
confluence Escalante River--Scenic; Death Hollow, 19 miles of Death 
Hollow from T33S, R3E, Sec. 6 to Mamie Creek confluence--Wild; Mamie 
Creek, 12 miles Mamie Creek from T34S, R3E, Sec 17 to Escalante River 
confluence--Wild;
    Lower Colorado River Basin Last Chance Creek, 17 miles from T40S, 
R3E, Sec. 24 to road crossing at T42S, R5E, Sec. 4--Wild; 2 miles to 
Last Chance Bay--Wild; Warm Creek, 4 miles of Wesses Canyon from T40S, 
R3E, Sec. 19 to T41S, R3E, Sec. 5--Wild; 10 miles to confluence with 
John Henry Canyon--Wild; 12 miles to Warm Creek Bay--Recreational; 6 
miles of Tibbet Canyon from T41S, R3E, Sec. 32 to Warm Creek--
Recreational; 6 miles of Smokey Hollow from T41S, R4E, Sec. 7 to Warm 
Creek--Recreational; Wahweap Creek, 28 miles from T39S, R1E, Sec. 28 to 
T42S, R2E, Sec.33--Wild; Paria River, 21 miles from T38S, R2W, Sec 6 to 
Old Paria Townsite--Wild; 2 miles to confluence with Cottonwood Creek--
Wild; 12 miles to Paria Campground--Recreational; 6 miles to Arizona 
border--Wild; Hackberry Creek, 17 miles from T38S, R1W, Sec. 29 to 
Cottonwood Creek--Wild; Bull Valley Gorge, 4 miles from T38S, R4W, Sec. 
25 to T38S, R3W, Sec. 27--Wild; 6 miles to Sheep Creek--Wild; 
Cottonwood Creek, 18 miles from T39S, R1W, Sec. 12 to Paria River--
Scenic.
    The information provided with additional nominations will be 
carefully considered. Preliminary findings of river eligibility and 
tentative classification will be made available for public review and 
comment. Only then will the determination be made as to which rivers 
will be considered further in the GSENM plan.
G. William Lamb,
Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 98-3826 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P