[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39866-39868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14251]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[223 LLUT934000 L12200000.FV0000]


Notice of Intent Tto Establish Recreation Fees on Public Lands in 
the Price, Richfield, and Salt Lake Field Offices, Utah

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to applicable provisions of the Federal Lands

[[Page 39867]]

Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
is posting this Notice of Intent for the Price and Richfield Field 
Offices to begin phasing in the collection of fees at 15 campgrounds, 
and for the Salt Lake Field Office to designate a special area with a 
permit system and to begin collecting fees for recreation uses within 
the special area.

DATES: Comments on the proposed fees must be received or postmarked by 
August 4, 2022 and must include the commenter's legible full name and 
address. Starting January 5, 2023, the BLM will have the option to 
initate the proposed fees, unless the BLM publishes a Federal Register 
notice to the contrary.

ADDRESSES: Copies of relevant supporting documents for this action may 
be found at https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/permits-and-fees/business-plans, or by contacting the BLM Utah State Office, Branch 
Chief for Outdoor and Heritage Resources, 440 West 200 South, Ste. 500, 
Salt Lake City, UT 84101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Orr, Branch Chief for Outdoor 
and Heritage Resources, Utah State Office, email: [email protected]; 
telephone: (801) 539-4225. Individuals in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Utah new fee sites and new special 
area with a new permit system and fee are listed below:
    The Price Field Office will establish new expanded amenity 
recreation fees at New Joes, Cottonwood Canyon, Buckhorn Wash, The 
Wickiup, The Wedge, South Temple Wash, San Rafael Reef, Temple Mountain 
Townsite, Little Wild Horse, Sand Wash, Jurassic, and Millsite 
campgrounds. Fees for overnight use of individual campsites will be $15 
per night and group sites will be $75 per night.
    The Richfield Field Office will establish new expanded amenity 
recreation fees at Saul's Meadow, Beas Lewis Flat, and Summerville 
campgrounds. Fees for overnight use of individual campsites at Saul's 
Meadow will be $10 per night and group sites will be $65 per night. 
Fees for overnight use of campsites at Beas Lewis Flat and Summerville 
campgrounds will be $15 per night.
    The Salt Lake Field Office will designate a new Special Area to be 
known as the Fivemile Pass Recreation Area, with an Individual Special 
Recreation Permit system and fee. The Fivemile Pass Recreation Area and 
surrounding vicinity is a popular off-highway vehicle and dispersed 
camping area. The daily permit fee will be $10 per primary vehicle, 
which includes overnight camping, and an annual pass fee will be $50 
per primary vehicle. The nearby Knolls special area is managed for the 
same uses and already has approved an annual pass fee of $80 per 
primary vehicle. The Knolls pass can be purchased in either location 
and will serve as an annual pass for both locations, whereas the 
Fivemile Pass annual pass will cover only the Fivemile Pass Recreation 
Area.
    The BLM is authorized to charge an ``Expanded Amenity Recreation 
Fee'' at developed campgrounds under 16 U.S.C. 6802 when certain 
amenities and services are provided. Section 6802 also authorizes the 
BLM to collect special recreation permit fees for specialized 
recreation uses of federal recreational lands and waters. Under 43 CFR 
2930, the BLM may establish a Special Recreation Permit (SRP) and fee 
system for the use of special areas and establish special areas where 
the BLM determines that the resources require special management and 
control measures for their protection. SRPs for individual recreation 
use in a special area are referred to as ``Individual Special 
Recreation Permits (ISRP)'' (BLM H-2930-1, Chapt.1, I.D.).
    People holding the America the Beautiful--National Parks and 
Federal Recreational Lands ``Annual Senior Pass,'' ``Senior Lifetime 
Pass,'' or ``Access Pass'' may be provided a 50 percent discount on 
some expanded amenity fees except those associated with group 
reservations. Veterans and ``Annual Interagency Pass,'' ``Fourth Grade 
Pass,'' and ``Gold Star Families Park Pass'' holders are not entitled 
to this discount. This discount also does not apply to the Fivemile 
Pass Recreation Area, per FLREA and BLM policy, as special area fees 
are ISRPs--to which the America the Beautiful Passes do not apply. 
FLREA was signed into law in December 2004 and provides authority for 
the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to establish, modify, 
charge, and collect recreation fees for use of some Federal recreation 
lands and waters. The FLREA contains specific provisions addressing 
public involvement in the establishment of recreation fees, including a 
requirement that a Recreation Resource Advisory Council (RRAC) have the 
opportunity to make recommendations regarding establishment of such 
fees. The FLREA also directs the Secretaries of the Interior and 
Agriculture to publish six months' advance notice in the Federal 
Register whenever new recreation fee areas are established under their 
respective jurisdictions.
    To meet increasing demands for services and increased maintenance 
costs, BLM Utah has developed recreation fee business plans. The Price 
and Richfield Field Office plans establish new Expanded Amenity 
Recreation Fees for the developed campgrounds indicated above. The Salt 
Lake Field Office plan establishes a new ISRP fee for a newly 
designated special area, to be known as the Fivemile Pass Recreation 
Area, with an ISRP system. In response to increasing visitation on BLM-
managed public lands in Utah, the new recreation fees will be used to 
improve and enhance visitor services and recreation facilities at the 
respective fee locations and as allowed for by FLREA and BLM policy. 
While amenities will vary, typical amenities provided at fee sites 
include restroom facilities, delineated campsites, picnic tables, and 
fire rings. Trash collection, shade structures, access to drinking 
water, campground hosts, and other amenities may also be provided.
    The BLM recognizes that creating new fee sites may add an 
additional financial burden to users of public lands, and in 
particular, lower income populations or those experiencing issues of 
equity or environmental justice. Fee sites in this proposal include a 
subset of the most developed or most popular and highly used recreation 
sites managed by these field offices. The remaining developed 
recreation sites and non-developed areas compose the vast majority of 
BLM-managed public lands in each office--areas that will continue to 
provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities for all members of 
the public, including those in underserved populations. Furthermore, by 
carefully developing business plans, conducting market research, and 
receiving the RRAC's support to collect fees at select sites, the BLM 
will have greater flexibility to use appropriated funding. This 
flexibility will help the BLM support non-fee recreation sites, 
partnerships, hiring initiatives, and other programs that focus on the 
Administration's priorities regarding equity and environmental justice. 
Collecting fees also helps the BLM create and maintain accessible 
features at developed recreation sites. These developed recreation 
sites serve members of the public who may have different physical or 
mental abilities, or

[[Page 39868]]

those who do not have the means or desire to purchase or rent 
specialized equipment that is often needed for more remote, backcountry 
recreation experiences on public lands.
    As analyzed in the field offices' business plans, the campsite fees 
and special area fees are consistent with other established fee sites 
in the regions including other BLM-administered sites and those managed 
by the United States Department of Agriculture--Forest Service, United 
States Department of the Interior--National Park Service, and Utah 
State Parks and Recreation.
    In accordance with the BLM recreation fee program policy, the 
business plans explain agency management direction, the need for fee 
collection, and how the fees will be used at the sites. The BLM 
notified and involved the public at each stage of the planning process. 
The public was notified of a 30-day comment period on the draft 
campground business plans and the draft special area business plan 
through a BLM news release, letters mailed to local governments and 
major stakeholders, information on the BLM website and posted written 
notices at each fee site. The draft business plans were publicly 
available for review and comment on the BLM Utah business plan website.
    Following FLREA guidelines, the Utah RRAC has reviewed and made 
recommendations for the new fee proposals. Fee amounts will be posted 
on-site and copies of the business plans will be available at the field 
offices, the BLM Utah State Office, and online. Before including your 
address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying 
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire 
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made 
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6802 and 43 CFR 2930.

Gregory Sheehan,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-14251 Filed 7-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P