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Show Land Interchange Waits On Congressional Okay Referring to the proposed in-terchnage of lands and jurisdiction of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service public lands, Powell District Forest and Ranger Clair Baldwin stated, "We do want to underplay the fact that the implementation of the BLMFS interchange will occur only and if the congress passes the bill." "A lot of work has been done on it," he emphasized," and a lot of work remains to be done on it. But, I want to stress and cannot stress too strongly, that if this interchange takes place at all, it will be by the will of congress," Baldwin continued. "We do not want the work force disturbed, and feel that premature judgements could cause unrest," paldwin said. From the time of the original Announcements, May 1 has been targeted as the date that the implementation guide is to be finished. Baldwin said, "The verification of conceptual boundaries has been done, the defining of unit boundaries Is finished, office locations have been worked out and organization and cost savings factors are to be completed by May 1." He said, "June 1 is the deadline for ; BLM direcotrs concurrence." He h said the preparatory work will be completed by October when the administrative concept of Implementation will be complete. Baldwin pointed out the possible boundaries of the section that now contains three districts of the Dixie National Forest and areas of the BLM that would become all National Forest land under the proposal. The boundary line would run roughly from Sciplo on M5, south down M5 to Cedar City then eastward in a curved line at the southern end of the Forest and BLM land, around the perimeter of Bryce Canyon National Park, roughly northeast through Escalante and northward through Boulder and then going almost due north along the border between Fishlake National Forest and Capitol Reef National Park to intersect with Highway 70 and northwest back to Scipio. Baldwin said that Fishlake National Forest and the Manti-Lasal will become a single unit, while the Fishlake district near Oak City will be ceded to the BLM. He also said that all Forest Service lands west of 1-15 in Utah and all FS land in Nevada will go to the BLM under the proposed change. "The FS office in Cedar City will be eliminated and the BLM office in Richfield will follow suit." Baldwin said. Baldwin said some of the primary concerns are employee placement, the savings of taxpayers' dollars by consolidation, elimination of duplicate services and unit offices being accessible to areas served. "One possibility of a problem," said Baldwin, "is that the BLM land within the proposed area of change affecting Dixie, Fishlake and Manti-Lasal forests, may become Utah State Park lands under the project BOLD concept." He added that he felt sure that congress would look at both options before making a decision. Once again Baldwin said, "I want to re-emphasize that nothing can or will happen without Congressional action." |