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Show THE CANYON COUNTRY WATCHDOG By Scott Groene, Herb McHarg 6 Liz Thomas of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance lands. As a matter of policy, if nothing else. Federal funds should not be spent to further LOCKHART BASIN OIL WELL CHALLENGE: In the last DecemberJanuary edition of the Zephyr, SUWA was excited to report that its appeal of the Lockhart Basin oil well was successful. Unfortunately, the battle is not over. While on remand for further analysis, instead of seizing the opportunity to exercise creativity in protecting this stunning Basin, the San Juan Resource Area simply reissued the same decision with a few benign changes. In more graphic words, the BLM tried to pass the public the same hot potato with a little cheese melted on top. SUWA, smelling the same spud, wrapped it back up in another appeal to the State Director, Bill Lamb. Lamb's dull pallet, however, was content with the cheese, and he sunk in his teeth. With oil dripping from his chin. Lamb affirmed the San Juan Resource Area's approval of the well on January 16, 1998. Knowing the Lockhart Basin deserves "the Works" SUWA appealed Lamb's decision on February 3, 1998 to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). Hopefully, the IBLA's pallet is as refined as the public's! LOCKHART RIMS FLAN AMENDMENT:' As a side dish, the BLM is undertaking steps to amend both the San Juan and Grand Resource Management Plans (RMPs) that have the potential to increase protection for the Lockhart Basin area. Although the amendments will not directly affect the lease currently held by the oil company, the amendments could prevent future leasing and may squelch the company's desire to pursue exploration in the Basin. The BLM told SUWA that it will not issue any new leases until after the RMPs have been amended. The proposed amendments to RMPs represent the BLM's understanding that the astonishing visual resources of the Basin, and the critical habitat for desert bighorn sheep are in need of full protection. Scoping meetings were held on Fcbruaiy 4 and 5, 1998 to elicit comments on how to better protect the visual resources and wildlife populations, and to determine what changes in the oil and gas categories are necessary. Comments were also requested on ORV use in the Basin. Although the deadline for the scoping comments was February 27, Daryl Trotter, BLM Nloab District, indicated that late comments would be considered. Furthermore, you may also comment on the Draft Plan Amendment and Environmental Assessment scheduled to be released on April 30, 1998. The current RMPs describe the majority of the area as "open" Oil and Gas Category I, and lack adequate protection for either bighorn sheep or the visual resources. Although much of the area is currently designated as a Visual Resource Management Class II (a class that provides specific management objectives) it is impossible to achieve the protection provided by these objectives in an oil and gas category I area. The fragility of the visual and wildlife resources demands that the amendments be designed to prevent the irreparable damage that would result from oil and gas exploration and development, and ORV abuse. This may only be accomplished by closing the area to drilling, restricting ORVs to a few designated roads, and managing the plan area as a visual area of critical environmental concern (ACEC). Of course, oil and ORV interests and the counties will be prodding the BLM to retain the existing RMP oil and gas categories and visual resource classes, or worse yet, to open them even further. Accordingly, it is important for the public to encourage the BLM to hold fast to what they set out to do and strengthen the restrictions to protect the Lockhart Basin's unmatched aesthetic qualities and the sanctuary it provides the bighorn sheep. BASIN-CANYO- N What you can do: 1)-. Call or write Daryl Trotter (address and phone number below) to congratulate the BLM for taking this initiative, tell him that you would like to be involved in the planning process, and request a copy of the Draft Plan and Environmental Assessment; 2)- . Express in your comment letter that the amendments must: a. provide, at a minimum, a "no surface occupancy" stipulation on any leases in the area, as oil and gas exploration and development is not appropriate anywhere in the plan area. b. apply VRM stipulations to all activities within the plan amendment area, and express that the entire area should be designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern to protect the stunning scenic values; c. protect bighorn sheep habitat, including rutting lambing areas, key water sources, and other migration routes, spatial requirements; d. restrict OHV use to designated trails only, and close proposed wilderness areas, especially Davis and Lavender canyons and the Lockhart Basin to any OHV use; e. stipulate that raptor resources, including designated buffer zones, be protected. Address comment letters to: Bureau of Land Management, Atten: Daryl Trotter, 82 East fax (435) Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532, (435) 259-611- 1; 259-21- 06 COMB WASH WATERSHED PLAN: Recently, the BLM lapsed back into its role as the Bureau of Livestock and Mining and released a draft plan that would turn some of the most spectacular lands in southern Utah into a waterpark for cows and a playground for ORVs. The plan covers some of the most spectacular lands in southern Utah. Within its boundaries is Comb Ridge, a 600 foot sandstone monocline where the Anazasi chipped footholds up the near vertical west facing wall, carved petroglyphs, and built dwellings in the alcoves. The plan also overlaps with Arch, Mule, Fish, Owl and Road Canyons, sinuous stairs tepped sandstone chasms, and some of the highest concentrations of archeological sites on the Colorado Plateau. In an area such as this, protection of the visual and archeological resources should be the paramount management objective. However, in reading the draft plan, the public was left with the unmistakable impression that the management objective was to improve the rangeland resource for the few grazing permittees in the area, and provide ORV users with more terrain to conquer. As a direct subsidy to grazing, the plan proposed 6 miles of fence to create two new woodland pastures; 24 water projects; and the conversion of 1000 acres of pinyon-junipto mixed grassXshrubland. The cost of these projects would exceed 219,000 Of taxpayer dollars. That's a high admission price to chaige the public to watch the desecration of their er subsidize grazing permittees. Furthermore, the plan would violate a court ordered stay and ORVs into Arch Canyon and parts of Mule BLM regulations by unleashing riparian-rippin- g Canyon. Thankfully, an amazing number of concerned citizens commented on the draft plan, possibly forcing the BLM back to the drawing board. Contact Kent Walter, San Juan Resource Area Manager ), to request a copy of the Environmental Assessment, and to let him know that you'll be watching his Ps&Qs. (435-587-21- 41 FILMING: The BLM received an application on Februaiy 17, 1998 for a permit to film the movie "Ghost Riders in the Sky" at various locations for 42 filming days between mid-Juand late November, 1998. The production company, GRITS, is proposing to construct an enormous pueblo style set and to ride 425 horses, some pulling cannons and stage coaches, through an area near Determination Towers. Over 600 people and 90 vehicles would be k at that site for a period. Other proposed filming sites include Onion Creels Shafer Basin, Mill Creek, and Little Canyon all within HR1500, the citizens' wilderness proposal. Filming a movie is acceptable, but beating up on public land is intolerable especially in areas proposed for wilderness. Call Mary Van Koch at the Moab District BLM to express concerns and to request a copy of the environmental assessment. ne two-wee- - - (435-259-212- 8) HERB McHARG IS SMILING BECAUSE: A. Herb 6 SUWA have just won yet another great environmental battle against the forces of evil and greed. B. He is so excited to be living in the heart of the canyon country. C He is unfamiliar with the old Ed Abbey quote: Moab. Utah: a mean, ugly little town, run by little, ugly mean people. D. Herb is afflicted with Goofy Grinning Disease. E. All of the above. SUWA OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO RURAL COUNTIES: In January, SUWA held a press conference to announce we would contribute $2,477 to the favorite charity of rural counties able to drive a passenger car down selected routes the counties claim are "roads." The Counties base these claims on the 132 year-ol- d statute known as RS 2477 which for the "construction" of "highways" across federal public lands. granted Some of Utah's rural counties assert that wash bottoms and cow trails are "constructed highways" in an effort to prevent wilderness designation. However, in the political debate over RS 2477, wilderness opponents say these claims arc in fact established roads needed for access to homes, work, and school. To demonstrate that many of the asserted ROWs are not roads, SUWA selected for the challenge a route in each of San Juan, Garfield, Grand, Emery and Kane Counties which those entities claimed are class D roads on the Utah Department of Transportation maps. No one took us up on the offer. right-of-wa- ys CONOCO UPDATE: Conoco completed drilling its oil well on State land within the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and the results were inconclusive: the corporation hit some gas, but no oil Geologists have told us this confirms there is no vast sea of oil under the Monument waiting to be exploited. As a consequence, Conoco says it will not drill on its first proposed federal site in the monument, which SUWA contested. Conoco now faces three choices. The company could 1) drill another exploratory well, 2) try to dump its leases on a smaller company willing to battle against public opposition, or 3) pack it up and head home. We're wishing Conoco a safe journey back to Houston. If Conoco does call it quits, it will be due to a combination of oil field economics and and we'll public pressure, probably never know the exact percentage of each. Public involvement was certainly critical, since the monument manager, BLM, made itself irrelevant in this debate by approving the first federal well in violation of its own management guidelines, and then making editorial board visits seeking support for oil exploration in the Monument OPEN YOUR WALLET: Cal Black would have loved this Idea The BLM, like other public land agencies, are preparing to charge the public for every conceivable recreational use, while maintaining subsidies for livestock grazing and hard rock mining. This raises concern that BLM will become increasingly dependent on recreation fees for its budget, creating a perverse incentive for the agency to construct roads and recreation areas and promote tourism beyond the capacity of the land. San Juan County has even suggested it be allowed to charge every citizen that enters use our public lands, an idea that would be laughable if the BLM wasn't JheountyJo |
