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Show GSENM Monument Official Explains Changes In Final Management Plan BRYCE Seme 55 people representing state and local governments, gov-ernments, state and federal agencies and a variety of other interests met Mar. 9 at Rubys Inn to hear the Bureau Bu-reau of Land Management present its interpretation of its final management man-agement plan for the 1.8-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Na-tional Monument crea-ted by President Presi-dent Bill Clinton in Sept. 18, 1996. Most were mem-bers of the original GSENM Plan-ning Team. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period. Wes Curtis, executive director, Gov. Mike Leavitt's Rural Partnership Partner-ship Office welcomed the large group and introduced Monument Manager Kate Cannon who explained ex-plained that she was substituting for Jerry Meredith, BLM Area Manager Man-ager who had been with the monument monu-ment since its inception but was very ill and unable to be present. Cannon said that the group invited in-vited to the meeting had been important im-portant from the outset in developing de-veloping the management plan for r- . the monument by contributing significant sig-nificant information and ideas. Cannon introduced Chris Killingswoth, a latecomer to the Planning Team, who is now assigned as-signed to the monument's biological biologi-cal sciences program, temporarily in charge of range biology that includes in-cludes botany. Cannon's slide presentation addressed ad-dressed the changes that had been made from the Proposed Management Manage-ment Plan to the final version, officially offi-cially titled National Monument Approved Management Plan and Record of Decision - which establishes estab-lishes the criteria for operating the GSENM. Explaining the Process "We got here," Cannon said, "through scoping, going through the issues, going through the draft plan. Then after the we got the comments on the draft plan, we came out with the proposed plan. And from the proposed plan, there was a ... 60-day protest period where people could write in and state where they thought changes should be made.". Cannon said that, contemporary with the protest period, the Governor's Gover-nor's Consistency Review took place. She said that, as a result of both, several changes were made to the proposed plan that resulted in the final version. The Front Country Zones designated des-ignated in the proposed plan were allocated for visitation focus without with-out limits. Due to comments received, re-ceived, the final plan was changed to include possible limitations in certain areas, Cannon explained. Fuel Wood Gathering Referring to restrictions in the proposed plan that limited access to fuel wood to no more than 50 feet off the road. Cannon said, "...We've changed that so greater latitude can be given to vehicle traffic traf-fic in order to enable people to cut fuel wood, and we'll include those provisions in the permits that we give for fuel wood cutting" She did not specify the changes. Earl Slack, Tropic, asked if fuel wood cutting would take place in designated areas. Cannon said that areas would be designated by permit to achieve monument goals. "And on their permit," she said, "we will write the provisions necessary related re-lated to vehicle use. So they won't be restricted to 50 feet from the road necessarily." Nancy Twitchell asked if any new fuel sites had been added since there were only two or three in the Kanab area in the proposed plan. Cannon replied that no new sites had been added, "but there are provisions provi-sions in the plan to designate some additional sites if we should have that need." Animal Damage and Predator Control Cannon said that the subject of animal damage control had surfaced in the Governor's Consistency Review Re-view resulting in some clarifications clarifica-tions because "in the plan when we are talking about animal damage control, we are not talking about what a private party can do under state law because that hasn't changed." Private citizens "can still do the same type of coyote control or coyote hunting that they could do before the monument was established," estab-lished," said Cannon. "We're not talking about state agencies' ability to carry out their rules that they had before. All we're talking about is animal damage control done by the federal government what's now called Wildlife Services, just that federal agency." Myron Carter, Escalante, pointed poin-ted out to Cannon that while hunting hunt-ing and trapping may not be specifically spe-cifically more restricted, they nevertheless nev-ertheless are because of road restrictions. re-strictions. Cannon responded, "You can't necessarily drive everywhere you (See MONUMENT on Page 5 -A) MONUMENT From Front Page User! to. There are over 900 miles of road open in the plan and those are the roads that people identified that they use. So, I would suspect that most places people wanted to go they still can go." Wild and Scenic Rivers Cannon said that in the comments com-ments received on Wild and Scenic Rivers it was evident that there was there was much misunderstanding. She said the designation for inclusion inclu-sion under Wild and Scenic Rivers does not have any implications for state water rights or for existing water rights or for Federal Reserve water rights. But she added, "The only time there's any possibility of that is if Congress should act to designate those as Wild and Scenic Rivers. . At that point, there's still no effect on state water rights or private. There may or may not be Federal Reserve Water Right that applies and if that should happen, that Federal Reserve Water rRght would be junior to all of the current water rights." She said they had clarified the issue in the final plan "in the hopes of calming people's fears." When Garfield County Commissioner Com-missioner Louise Liston followed with, "But there still can be recommendations from that study before Congress that could do that state law because that hasn't changed." Private citizens "can still do the same type of coyote control or coyote coy-ote hunting that they could do before be-fore the monument was established," estab-lished," said Cannon. "We're not talking about state agencies' ability to carry out their rules that they had before. All we're talking about is animal damage control done by the federal government what's now called Wildlife Services, just that federal agency." Myron Carter, Escalante, pointed poin-ted out to Cannon that while hunting hunt-ing and trapping may not be spe- cifically more restricted, they nevertheless nev-ertheless are because of road restrictions. re-strictions. Cannon responded, "You can't necessarily drive everywhere you used to. There are over 900 miles of road open in the plan and those are the roads that people identified that they use. So, I would suspect that most places people wanted to go they still can go." Wild and Scenic Rivers Cannon said that in the comments com-ments received on Wild and Scenic Rivers it was evident that there was much misunderstanding. She said the designation for inclusion under Wild and Scenic Rivers does not have any implications for state water wa-ter rights or for existing water rights or for Federal Reserve water rights. But she added, "The only time there's any possibility of that is if Congress should act to designate those as Wild and Scenic Rivers. At that point, there's still no effect on state water rights or private. There may or may not be Federal Reserve Water Right that applies and if that should happen, that Federal Fed-eral Reserve Water Right would be junior to all of the current water rights." She said they had clarified the issue in the final plan "in the hopes of calming people's fears." When Garfield County Commissioner Com-missioner Louise Liston followed with, "But there still can be recommendations rec-ommendations from that study before be-fore Congress that could do that right?", Cannon answered, "Yes." "Because," said Liston, "it says until Congress acts ?" "But even if Congress acts to officially designate," said Cannon, "the only possibility there relates to a Federal Reserve Water Right, which would be junior to those that exist now." "But the restrictions if it's Wild and Scenic, are the restrictions restric-tions in place now even before Congress approves it?" asked Liston. Lis-ton. "Even before Congress approves it," said Cannon, "we manage those river segments so as not to impair that designation. But frankly, that doesn't entail any substantial change." "Unless there's a flood, right?" asked Liston "as far as changes to the stream beds?" "I think that's another one of those cases where we manage it so as not to preclude Congress' ability to act should they decide to do so, Cannon replied. Once they act, they still aren't going to effect private pri-vate water rights or the other state water rights that exist there." Henrieville Culinary Water Cannon said that the final plan clarifies the effects of the monument monu-ment on Henrieville's culinary water wa-ter supply adjacent to and actually extending into the monument. She said the plan acknowledges that Henrieville's water supply is there, that it's important to the town and that their continued maintenance and perhaps increase or additional development of it is desirable. It also says that we'll work with Henrieville Hen-rieville and with the state water engineer en-gineer on all things related to that water supply to make sure that we can provide for Henrieville now and into the future." She also said the plan provides similarly for all surrounding communities. com-munities. Transportation Cannon said that after working with communities and special interest in-terest groups, the Planning Team had come up with six changes in the final or approved plan. She said the transportation plan on the document "identifies roads that would remain open to the public, roads that would be open to ATV use and roads which woulti not be open to the public but would be open for certain administrative uses, including access to range improvements improve-ments and so forth." Cannon said that in the final plan they added in roads that the proposed plan had not shown. The Grand Bench route in the southeast part of the monument, which had been designated as an administrative route, has been changed to be open to the general public. Chimney Rocks and Sooner Rocks off Hole in the Rock road which had not been on the plan are also designated open for public use. The Allen Dump Route which accesses the trailhead into Glen Canyon which was shown as closed on the proposed pro-posed plan has been opened under the final plan along with the upper part of the U Horse Canyon Road which has been opened to vehicle access to where the canyon narrows and chokes off and from then on is designated as an administrative route. An ATV route in the southwestern part of the monument on Timber Mountain has been added. add-ed. General Road Issues and Potential Po-tential Violence "We know that there are arguments argu-ments about roads and jurisdiction over roads," Cannon said. "We acknowledge ac-knowledge that, and the plan doesn't do anything to change the legal ability of counties and others to make arguments in court about roads. And of course, whatever the courts decide, we will follow." Garfield County Commissioner Malor Dodds asked Cannon, "In the meantime, what's your policy going go-ing to be in keeping them open or closed? I mean, it looks to me like we have some potential for some real bad conflict if a road you claim is going to be closed, we claim is open." Cannon responded, "What I'd hope that we can do ... is to remain civil. We understand and acknowledge acknowl-edge that we have a disagreement. We know that it ultimately has to be settled in the courts. So, let's keep talking and avoid a war." Garfield County Commissioner Clare Ramsay said he had received a copy of the plan only two days previous pre-vious to the meeting. He said, "... just looking at the map very briefly, I noticed there was a bunch of roads left off, that the people use all the time ... cattlemen and what have you, to salt their animals and get to ponds. There's a number of roads that have been left off, not even classified as administrative roads. Now that has potential there for a real serious conflict. I already talked to some people from Kanab who said that they had been stopped." "No," denied Cannon, "That's not true. We haven't stopped anybody." any-body." "They claimed that- they had been stopped and asked what they were doing there," Ramsay said. "They said they'd been hauling water wa-ter to their cattle." Again Cannon denied the charge saying, "We have not stopped a soul.". "If they have, there's some potential po-tential there for some violence, I'll guarantee it" Ramsay said. "Let's get this out on the table, said Cannon. "I don't want violence vio-lence and nobody else does either. If they do, that's where our difference differ-ence lies. This doesn't warrant violence. vio-lence. I've got people out there who are just doing their jobs. So violence against them is utterly unwarranted. But I want to avoid that and I don't want to put my employees in that position. And I would think that no one else here would be eager for violent confrontation. con-frontation. That's why I say let's be civil, let's talk to each other on this and not get violent. The courts will decide. No clash among us is going to effect the outcome." "Well, what is going to happen then," asked Ramsay. "Myron Carter just brought up a question about using roads, where he has been hunting coyotes or whatever. What is going to happen there then, if they are found on those roads that are not included on the map?" "The range of things that could happen," replied Cannon, "are anything any-thing from that person being simply sim-ply informed that they are on a road that we don't consider open, to them being asked to turn around and go back, to their being given a citation. cita-tion. Now I would not think that we would start with the citation." When asked by Jim Matson, Kanab, if any roads had been deleted since the proposed plan, Cannon said none had, but they had received comments suggesting that there be no roads. Grazing Permittee Access Cannon explained that there are 77 grazing allotments on the monument and several permittees on many of them. Each permittee gets a permit that describes what the provisions are for carrying out their business on the allotment. "When we work up those permits per-mits with the individuals, we will ask them about their access needs in order to do their business," Cannon said "And if they have needs that aren't reflected in the plan, we can give them additional access in their permit. They'll have to identify it and say what it is. They can't just say they want to go anywhere any time, but we can give additional access ac-cess in grazing permits." Myron Carter, Escalante, asked, "So you are saying a permittee, instead in-stead of going out and scattering salt, he'll have to come and get permission from you, and you'll have to lay out what routes he can take and what day Tie can do this and that type of thing?" "What I'm saying," said Cannon," Can-non," is that permittees have always al-ways had permits. The permits state what they can do to carry out their grazing business on the monument. mon-ument. And those permits, yes, would state what routes they could use that aren't open to other people and what the conditions are in which they can use them." Kanab Mayor Karen Alvey asked, "When can the permittees expect that to happen?" "Not terribly soon," Cannon replied, re-plied, "The BLM nationwide is embroiled em-broiled in an effort to get all get all grazing permits renewed and the necessary NEPA analysis done on them. It's hard to do on the monument. monu-ment. We have well over half of our permits that need to have NEPA analysis done. Until we actually ac-tually go to a permittee sometime in the next three, three and a half years, and work with them on their individual permit, their old permit stands." Commissioner Louise Liston asked if the cattlemen would be involved in-volved in the re-evaluation and NEPA processes. She said, "there's a lot of different management practices prac-tices that are successful in other places, that instead of being cut, maybe the management could change in the NEPA to try to work with the permittees and can do something that would be a showcase show-case instead of just confrontation all the time. When you re-evaluate those permits are you going to take this into consideration?" "Yes," said Cannon. "We can't be successful if we don't work with the permittees because ve have to know what their needs are and what their experience is. In fact, by regulation we're supposed to work with permittees. So yes, we will. Currently we're working with the permittees on the first group of allotments al-lotments which is all down on the southwest part of the monument. "And as we work through renewal re-newal of those permits across the whole monument, one of the first things we'll do is get with the permittees per-mittees and try to get them to work with us in the whole business of issuing the new permits." Louise Liston - I think one of their frustrations their major frustration is that since they've been using the land, they've seen it respond to drought, they've seen it respond to good times, they've moved their cattle when they've had to to make it work. And I think that the problem that they see, is that they know the land and then these young guys come out and they read the books and the rules and they try to say oh, you don't really know, this is what it says in the books and what should be done. And I think that's where their frustration frus-tration lies mostly." "Well, it's also where the great value of working with permittees comes for us," Cannon acknowledged, acknowl-edged, "because permittees generally have been doing this for a long time. They do know the ground. They have seen it in a variety of conditions. And we have to get that knowledge brought to bear in this process." "I think so," said Liston, "because "be-cause ofttimes in the past, this has (See MONUMENT on Page 6-A) MONUMENT From Page 5-A not been a successful effort. And from that comes their frustration." "I hope we can make it succeed here," Cannon' said. "We'll do our level best to make it work. We'll ask for participation, we'll encourage encour-age it, we'll do what we can to make it easy. And we'll hope that quite a few people will join with us and try to work things out." Gun Shots? Boudicca Joseph, Big Water, told Cannon that a resident of Big Water who works for the Park Service Serv-ice at Glen Canyon National Recreation Rec-reation Area, said they received a memo not to wear their uniforms out into the monument unless they were with another person in uniform. uni-form. " Oh really?" responded Cannon. "News to me." "There's actually been some gun shots." said Joseph. "So that's nothing you've heard about? she asked. "No," said Cannon. "You know, I think there's a lot of wild stuff going around. Did you see it?" "No I didn't," Joseph replied. Avoiding Confrontation Commissioner Dodds told Cannon, Can-non, "I think Garfield County would be very upset if any of our roads that we claim on our B or D system, were just arbitrarily closed by somebody on the monument. I think we would react to that, I don't know quite how. So it would be my suggestion that if you intend to close a road, even whether it precipitates pre-cipitates a lawsuit or whatever happens, hap-pens, that maybe advanced notice could avoid confrontation." "That strikes me as a very civil way to act," said Cannon. "I think that would be proper." said Dodds. "We've said some pretty threatening things and we're not really threatening that's a promise. We're not saying that just to be cocky. So I think if you are planning on closing any of our roads that we claim then we better precipitate a lawsuit that would be the logical thing to do rather than have physical contact and confrontation out on the ground." "Since we all know they are going go-ing to be settled in the courts anyway," any-way," said Cannon, "why have a war on the ground? Let's talk to each other and move through it step by step. I agree with you." "It seems to me there would have been a lot more advantage if you guys would have settled in court before you made your transportation trans-portation plan," Myron Carter said to Cannon. "Unfortunately we're only one side of the argument. We don't have the ability to settle it by ourselves," our-selves," Cannon replied. "I'd like to know," asked Reed LeFevre, Tropic businessman, "how many ... government employees em-ployees will be packing guns?" "Well, probably not very many," responded Cannon. "I've only got a couple of law enforcement en-forcement folks who pack guns as a provision of their employment." "Well, I've seen a lot of it in the Forest Service and everywhere now," LeFevre said, "and it looks like to me it's getting to be a Gestapo-type thing." "Oh, it's not.," said Cannon. "You know, there are two million acres out there and I've got two guys. That's hardly Gestapo." "What is it then?" asked Myron Carter. "It's the Federal government being be-ing responsible for it's role in enforcing en-forcing resource regulations on the public lands," Cannon answered. Attending the meeting were: Scott Truman, executive director, Utah Rural Development Council; Jean Cahoy, Kane County Office of Tourism; Carol Sullivan, Kanab City Council; Joe Judd, Kane County Commission; Michael Gentle, Kane County Roads; Bruce Richeson,' Southern Utah Director, Senator Bob Bennnett's office; Kevin Heaton, Extension Agent, Utah State University GarfieldKane Gar-fieldKane Counties; Steve Gessig, Escalante businessman; Matthew Creamer, Garkane Power Association; Associa-tion; Peggy Mason, Rep. Chris Cannon's office; Keith Gailey, mayor, Boulder; Lee Chamberlain, mayor, Glendale; David Terry, director, dir-ector, Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration; Kenneth Ken-neth Sizemore, Five County Association Asso-ciation of Governments; Brant Barton, Bar-ton, South Central Utah Telephone Association; Marjie Lee Spencer, mayor, Escalante; Wayne Thomas, Department of Environmental Quality; Qual-ity; Garry King, Town of Church Wells; Thome Chambers, Environmental Environ-mental Protection Agency, Denver; Brad Barber, Governor's Office of ; Brooke Williams, Confluence Associates As-sociates Environmental Group, Mo-ab; Mo-ab; Kevin Carter, SITLA, Gordon Topham, regional manager, Utah Division of Parks and Recreation; and Nancy Twitchell, editor, Garfield Gar-field County News. |