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Show M lists 78 oeilwtfiQS sources, developing habitat for wildlife and stream im -provements for fish. Thousands of Utahns cut Christmas trees, firewood and fence posts from the public lands. Commercial operators obtained permits for such activities as movie making and river running. The bureau also issued a variety of rights of way for roads, pipelines, and power lines across public lands. Mr. Wicks pointed out that the bureau's 1979 activities in Utah reflected multiple use philosophy of accommodating accom-modating all uses someplace on the public lands but not necessarily providing for every use on each. Treasurer as the state's share of funds received from public lands managed by BLM. The local governments govern-ments in the state also received re-ceived more than $8 million 'in lieu' payments from the BLM. These are made annually an-nually in lieu of property taxes which the federal government gov-ernment does not pay on its lands. Mr. Wicks noted that BLM's wild horse management man-agement program included roundups and trapping efforts ef-forts that resulted in placing plac-ing Utah wild horses in foster fos-ter homes during the year. Nominations were received re-ceived for multiple use advisory ad-visory councils in each of the five BLM districts. They will be established early in 1980. During the year final environmental en-vironmental - statements were issued on three range management areas: Three Corners, Raldolph and Parker Par-ker Mt. covering 544,000 . acres in Utah. Final statements state-ments were also completed complet-ed on the proposed Utah :' Power & Light Company's - Hunter (Emery) power plant units 3 and 4, and the IPP. Work is continuing on the Allen Warner Valley energy system and in addition to starting ' four new state -ments BLM personnel participated par-ticipated in completing two coal statements in the state. A total of 2,150 acres was cleared by chaining and re -seeded to produce more and better feed for livestock and wildlife in southwestern - Utah. BLM spent more than $800,000 on range improve - : ments and maintenance dur-' dur-' lng the year. Approximately Approximate-ly 150,000 cattle and 450,-000 450,-000 sheep grazes on BLM administered land In Utah during the year. It was a busy year for the BLM in Utah which sawpub-lic sawpub-lic interest and Involvement in bureau programs such as energy development, wilderness, wilder-ness, and grazing reach a new high. The bureau manages more than 22 million acres or approximately ap-proximately 42 percent of the state's land area, according to Gary Wicks, BLM state director in Utah. Approval for the IPP plant ' to be built near Lynndyl in Millard County was given in December by Secretary of Interior Cecil D. Andrus. The energy project was expedited ex-pedited through cooperation among the utility industry, local, state and federal agencies agen-cies involved. A new federal coal management program was implemented by the Secretary Secre-tary of Interior during the-year the-year with the publication' of -a final environmental statement. state-ment. This involved the public pub-lic in several meetings and hearings. Public comment is being sought on the po- . tential coal leasing tracts in the Utah portion of the : Uinta - Southwestern Utah federal coal production region. re-gion. A study of issues raised by potential mining and ; transportation of coal from Kaiparowits Plateau in southern Utah was started by BLM in cooperation with other federal agencies. The study is scheduled . to be completed July 1980. One competitive oil and gas bid opening was held by the BLM during each year. High bids ;.on this.; offering totaled more than $925,000 on approximately 6,400 acres. The wilderness review program was In full swing throughout the year with the Initial Inventory being com -pleted on more than 22 million mil-lion acres. BLM received 7,000 comments from 1,600 people on this phase of the wilderness program. There has been more public Involvement and Interest In this program than any other BLM program In the state. To date, approximately 16 million acres in Utah have been dropped from the wilderness program with six million still being reviewed. More man 130,000 mining claims were recorded with BLM In Utah daring the year as required by the Federal Land Policy andManagement Act. This brought the total to-tal mining claims recorded by BLM in the state to more than 200,000 since passage of the Act in 1976. During 1979, checks totaling to-taling more than $12.3 million mil-lion were sent to the Utah The bureau was active in the management and development de-velopment of recreation sites across the state. A visitors center was com -pleted at the Little Sahara recreation area In Juab County. Many people enjoyed river running on BLM -administered waters and the process of designating public lands for off road vehicle use was started by BLM. During the year BLM provided pro-vided employment for nearly near-ly 300 young men and women In the Youth Conservation Corps and Young Adult Conservation Con-servation Corps. Workpro-. Jects across the state included in-cluded recreational facility construction and maintenance, mainten-ance, building trails, range conservation and improving wildlife habitat. There were 187 fires on ! BLM managed lands In the, state that burned approximately approxi-mately 21,000 acres. This was an increase from the .171 from 1978 that burned .about 7,800 acres. -Programs continued in the Protection of cultural j-e - |
