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Show mm mmmft fa OKiisss gflgfa 0.3 million oeroo recommended Of the 4,476,776 acres of BLM controlled lands in the Cedar City District, 1,398,-098 1,398,-098 or 31 percent of the total have been recommended for more intensive inventory. Of that acreage recommended for more intensive study, 56,027 acres is in Beaver County, 14,469 acres in Iron County, 887,354 acres in Kane County, 179,510 acres in Washington County and 0 260,738 acres in Garfield County. Of greatest concern locally lo-cally are the three units in Western Beaver County. 204 -B, generally known as the Central Wan Wah unit, is the largest, and possibly would have the worst impact if finally designated wilderness. wilder-ness. It extends from U -21 south to Pine Grove. Designation Desig-nation as Wilderness could have impact upon development develop-ment of the molybdenum and alunite deposits, which border bor-der the unit. There is no immediate threat to either project, since exploration is already underway, and a wilderness designation, if made in the final analysis, could not stop further development at least from a regulatory standpoint under current regulations. However, the question of air -quality standards could hamper, or at the very least create additional problems if either project gets to the production stage. Environmental Environ-mental equipment to meet pristine air quality standards stan-dards is very costly, and could have a bearing on the .final development. Air quality standards in Western Beaver County are presently Class II. However, some interpretations, indicate in-dicate that Wilderness Classification Clas-sification will carry with it designated as wilderness by congressional action. The Beaver County Commission Com-mission has requested that any persons having mining claims, property, fee land, or knowledge of roads, mine workings, homesteads, or other man made activity in those study areas, to contact con-tact them in person or by letter, so that they can correlate cor-relate all known information and present it to the state and BLM. If all the areas proposed for further study were designated desig-nated wilderness, they could severely curtail the economic econo-mic development ofSouthern Utah. A map, and information on the areas proposed for further study are available for reference at the COUNTY NEWS or copies and information in-formation may be obtained from BLM in Cedar City or any district office. EXISTING. CCESSpV'- ft'Ov . J ''--r I 4ft5i?yft JsKz-jS (existing) 'i - existing-! jj j k & Y ., - ; EXPLORATION S33iv J-' T ' Jj-V .: , .1 X v'iU &TEiiSITEH fffr'J?... Approximately 68 percent per-cent of the land in Utah administered ad-ministered by BLM are proposed pro-posed for more intensive inventory to determine whether they meet the roadless road-less and wilderness characteristics char-acteristics criteria required for wilderness study area i-dentification. i-dentification. Since December, BLM employees have looked at BLM administered tracts at least 5,000 acres in size, which are roadless, and have placed them in two categories cate-gories based on guidelines in the bureau's wilderness handbook of 1978 (referred to as the "blue book"): (1) clearly lacking wilderness characteristics or (2) possibly pos-sibly meeting the criteria and therefore requiring more intensive inventory. Some areas less than 5,000 acres in size also were put In one of those categorls if they are islands or if they are adjacent to lands other federal agencies have designated desig-nated as wilderness or do-tential do-tential wilderness. Mr. Howard emphasized that the tentative proposal may. change as a result of information from the public state or county officials and federal agencies during the April 4 to July 2 comment period. After that comment period, the bureau will analyze the comments and announce a decision as to which lands need to receive more intensive Inventory. At that time, all areas which are not to be more Intensively In-tensively inventoried will be released from constraints of Interim management defined by Congress In section 603 (c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Mr. Howard pointed out that a summary booklet, guidelines for ' making com -ment and a generalized state wide map showing locations lo-cations of the Inventoried units are being mailed to persons who have expressed an Interest in the bureau's wilderness program. The materials will be available to others at all BLM offices In Utah. Detailed maps and evaluations evalu-ations of each inventoried tract are on file in the res -pective BLM district offices responsible for administration adminis-tration of the areas. To give the public an opportunity op-portunity to obtain more information in-formation about the wilderness wilder-ness inventory, 20 open houses are scheduled by BLM in Utah. The open house for the Cedar City District will be May 1, 1979, BLM District Office, 1579 Main Street, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Class I air quality. The Governor has the per -ogative of changing the air quality classification. Governor Matheson has indicated in-dicated that he might consider con-sider placing the West Desert in Class III. . This would, of course, eliminate most of the problems of meeting air quality standards, stan-dards, because the only problems would occur when an Inversion holds particulates particu-lates down for short periods. The final draft of the alunite alu-nite project has been held up by the secretary of Interior In-terior since September 9, 1977, because EPA objects to the possibility that Class II air standards might be exceeded approximately six days out of the year. The cost for additional precipitators precipi-tators and scrubbers to meet Class II standards for those six days a year would exceed ex-ceed a million dollars. It should be noted that if Wilderness areas are designated Class I, even if the Governor does change them to Class II or III, the Secretary of Interior has the perogative o reclassifying reclas-sifying them according to his whim. Class I air standards allow al-low for no deterioration of air quality. Class II allows al-lows only minimal deterioration. deterior-ation. Other areas recom -mended for further study is the Northern Wah Wah Unit, separated from the Central Unit only by Highway High-way U-21, and extending into in-to Millard County. A small unit on the Nevada border also is recommended for intensive study. Sevier Dry Lake in Millard Mil-lard County was recommended recom-mended for further study, along with a couple of small areas in Iron County. However, How-ever, large areas in Washington, Wash-ington, Kane and Garfield Counties have been recom -mended by the state director. direct-or. A ninety day period will be allowed for public imput, at which time BLM willmake their final evaluation and recommend those areas to be |
