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Show Powell District Ranger Lists Activities Update PANGUITCH Powell District Ranger Carl Guilletle has provided Garfield County commissioners commis-sioners with an update on recent and planned activities for his jurisdiction juris-diction of the Dixie National Forest. Guillette met with commissioners on March 13. With only one-half hour to present, pre-sent, Guillette provided the commission com-mission with a list of 20 items but did not have time to give a detailed report on each. He asked the commission to set up a regular meeting time, allowing from half a day to a full day each quarter to meet with federal agency representatives so that those agencies agen-cies can keep commissioners informed in-formed on changes and plans. At the request ot permittees on the Hillsdale C&H allotment, the allotment has been closed to grazing, graz-ing, Guillette said. The allotment contains about 5,000 acres, in July, only about 300. The permittee has only 22 head of cattle, Guillette said, and the area is quite important wild game range. Guillette said that AMP's are being be-ing revised on the Blue and Pines allotment under one NEPA document. docu-ment. Unless additional information informa-tion is provided to the Forest Service, Guillette said, there does not appear to be any need for reductions re-ductions if certain problems, especially espe-cially riparian area management, can be worked out. Guillette said the Forest Service has completed the NEPA for the proposed Red Canyon Bike Trail and will now need to determine who may be interested in the project pro-ject and if it will proceed. He said that South Central Utah Telephone Association has made application to (See Powell District Ranger Lists Activities Update on Page 4A) Powell District Ranger Lists Activities Update From Page 1 install fiber optic lines through Red Canyon which may or may not impact the bike trail proposal. The Forest Service is proposing to manage the Red Canyon, King Creek ad Pine Lake Campgrounds, under a Special Use Permit to a concessionaire. Proposals have been submitted by two parties and their bids are being reviewed. Plans are, Guillette said, to install in-stall a new water system, sewage system, two flush restrooms and realign re-align parking facilities at Kings Creek Campground. Water, sewer and road work are expected to be completed by June 15 and the new restroom by Sept. 15. At Red Canyon, a new restroom will be installed, along with a trailer dump station, with electric power extended to the restrooms. The work will progress throughout the summer while the campground remains re-mains open. Guillette said that the Arizona Willow has been proposed to be included on the list of Threatened Species in the southwest. He said the willow is found in the East Fork of the Sevier River as well as other places. He said mitigation measures mea-sures are being proposed that would not list the species as T&E. An agreed-to mitigation in the East Fork area, Guillette, would be to discontinue Off-Highway Vehicle use and dispersed camper-use in the bottom of the East Fork drainage except on approved roads and trails. He defined that as basically including includ-ing the areas between the creek and the main roads. Gilbert Western will continue to use the East Fork Road as the main road to access the Bryce Canyon National Park road project in 1995. Plans are for GW to add surfacing and dust abatement to the road this year. In addition, the Forest Service plans to add surface rock replacement as appropriate above Tropic Reservoir and as funds allow. al-low. Site plans and NEPA documents have been approved for Wilson Peak and Mt. Dutton and the regional re-gional forester has officially designated desig-nated them as electronic sites. Work is continuing on the nine-mile-long Thunder Mountain Trail, south of Red Canyon. The trail was started in 1994 and plans are to make applications for grant funds in 1995 to the Slate of Utah to assist in its completion. Guillette asked for support from the county. He said the completed trail will be a significant signifi-cant addition to the Red Canyon trail system for recreation use. Signing on the 60-mile-long Fremont All Terrain Vehicle Trail connecting Circlecille to Tropic Reservoir will be completed this spring, Guillette said. It connects with the Piute ATV at Circleville. Signing of the alternate ATV section of the Great Western Trail from Tropic Reservoir to Pine Lake via Tom Best Road will be completed com-pleted this spring Guillette reported. The Gateway Trailhead along U-63 between Rubys Inn and Bryce Canyon National Park was started in 1994 and will be completed in June. Guillette said that the Powell Ranger District is aware that Commissioner Louise Liston serves on the committee which will determine deter-mine the location of the American Discovery Trail. He said the Powell District will cooperate if the location continues as originally proposed through the district (Rocky Ford - Table Mountain -Antimony). Plans include signing on the Johnson Bench Watchable Wildlife Road where emphasis is on prairie dogs, antelope, elk and deer. In 1994, Guillette reports, on the Jones Corral C&H Allotment, permittees and the Forest Service started to construct the needed fences and water developments to manage livestock. Although a permanent per-manent reduction of 19 percent will be taken, an additional 30 percent in permitted use is being held in non-use, dependent upon the construction con-struction of the needed facilities. "We want you to know that with the two new permittees and the remaining remain-ing previous permit-holders, there has been a change in attitudes and the permittees are very positive in constructing fences and water development de-velopment and repairing older fences in need of repairs," Guillette's report related. "It appears that if this working relationship continues, the 30 percent non-use can be restored." Guillette said that, while he doesn't agree with the county's rates for garbage disposal, in his numerous numer-ous contacts with the county through its engineer Brian Bremner on a variety of issues, he has appreciated appre-ciated Bremner's cooperative attitude. |