Staff Report

REPORT ON MANAGEMENT OF THE MOQUITH MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE CORAL PINK SAND DUNES

V. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

Three alternative actions were identified by the team and are listed below. They are as follows.

A. No Temporary Action to Limit or Close the Coral Pink Sand Dunes to OHV Use. Implementation of this alternative would include continued implementation of the 1994 Moquith Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule until work on the land use plan amendment and management plan is completed. No temporary limitations or closures would be implemented.

B. Temporary Closure of the Sand Dunes North and West of the Allotment Fence With the Exception of Designated Access Routes. Implementation of this alternative would place in effect a temporary OHV closure on the sand dunes north and west of the allotment fence across the north end of the dunes. Moquith Mountain would also be closed to OHV use with the exception of designated routes. The total amount of the closure would be about 14,140 acres. Approximately 800 acres of the dunes would be closed while some 700 acres would remain open. The closure would be implemented by Federal Register Notice, education, signing, fencing and increased surveillance.

Specific Recommendations.

1. Continue implementation of the Guidance. The management actions identified in the Guidance, if properly implemented, would help maintain the wilderness values of the area.
2. Increase signing, especially "WSA Boundary" signs.
3. Place physical barriers where signing is not effective.
4. Sign the vegetated portions in the interior of the dunes where trails are evident. The signs should state that the trail is closed for re-vegetation purposes.
5. Use signing and physical along the Sand Spring road to limit access to the dunes to one or two places.
6. Define a "party" to mean one vehicle and one trailer and limit the number of parties to 50 can use the dry lake bed at any one time.
7. Restrict access to the dunes from the dry lake bed to the one gate east of the area and up the saddle into the dunes. Use of the saddle is not visible from the either the Yellowjacket or Hancock roads. The face of these dunes should be closed to OHV use even though many of the routes are pre-FLPMA. The recommendation is made to improve the visual and naturalness qualities of the area.
8. Construct physical barriers along Hancock Road where compliance has not been good and necessary along the Sand Spring Road and at the dry lake bed.
9. Construction an "A frame" wood fence at the entrance of the primary access off of Hancock Road to the allotment fence where the OHV closure ends and where necessary at the dry lake bed to ensure a single access into the dunes.
10. Provide public information regarding the closure and other restrictions.

C. Temporary OHV Closure of the Entire WSA Including the BLM Portion of the Sand Dunes. Closure would be accomplished by Federal Register Notice, education, signing , fencing and increased surveillance.

VI. RECOMMENDATION/RATIONAL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The team recommends that Alternative B be implemented. The team recognizes that more control of OHV use is necessary to assure that impairment of wilderness suitability does not occur. A temporary closure of a portion of the dunes will assist the Kanab Field Office in fully implementing the 1994 Moquith Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule. The additional measures will clarify the Guidance and aid in protection of wilderness and other resource values.

Alternative A is not recommended because the team believes that emergency closure and the additional actions listed in Alternative 2 would be a more effective approach to OHV control and protection of resource values.

Alternative C is not recommended because 1) emergency closure of the entire dunes to OHV use is not necessary in order to maintain the wilderness suitability of the WSA; and 2) closure of the dunes could have significant effects on other resources and uses that would best be considered in the land use planning process.

VII. POSSIBLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE PLAN AMENDMENT

Several management options were discussed that the team thought could be considered in the development of alternatives for the land use plan amendment. These include the following:

Amend off-road vehicle designations for the entire WSA. Among possible alternatives, consider a) closing the entire WSA including the Coral Pink Sand Dunes; b) closing the entire WSA except for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes which would stay open; and c) limiting OHV use to designated roads and trails in the entire WSA except for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes which would stay open.

Continue implementing the 1994 Moquith Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule plus the additional measures recommended in this report.

1. Limit camping to designated camping areas to be defined in the plan.
2. Limit all camping and OHV staging to areas within the State Park.
3. Require permits and/or other means to limit OHV use to pre-FLPMA levels.
4. Impose a vehicle size restriction for dune riding. Keep to ATVs, rails and bikes.
5. Post a minimum speed for vehicles off the dunes.
6. Implement quiet hours for campers and riders - no riding on the dunes after sundown.
7. Require fire pans and self-contained sanitation for camping in designated but non-developed sites.
8. Continue a pack-in/pack-out policy.
9. Consider various means to educate people about protecting resource values.

References:

Knisley, C. Barry, 1998a. Personal Conservation with Ronald Bolander, June, 1998.

Knisley, C.B. and J.M. Hill, 1998b. Biology and Conservation of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle, Cicindela Limbata Albissima, 1997 Studies and A Review of Previous Research. Final Report, March 15, 1998 (Revised April 22, 1998). Report to BLM. 48 pp.

Palmer, Brent C. 1989. A Study of Welch’s Milkweed (Asclepias welshii) on the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Biology Department, Southern Utah State College. 16 pp.

Palmer, Brent C. 1992. Studies on Asclepias welshii, 1991. Report to the Cedar City District, Bureau of Land Management. Brent Palmer Consulting, March, 1992. 28 pp.

Palmer, Brent C. 1998. Studies on Asclepias welshii - 1997. Report to the Bureau of Land Management. Brent Palmer Consulting, February 1998. 40 pp.

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. 1994. Memorandum to Mr. Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, RE: Petition to List Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle As Endangered With Critical Habitat. April 19, 1994. 43 pp.

State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. 1997a. 20 Year Visitor Use Figures. 1 page.

State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. 1997b. Conservation Agreement and Strategy for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle (Cicindela limbata albissima). Prepared by Members of the Conservation Committee for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle, March 31, 1997. 62 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1980a. Wilderness Study Area Proposal, Final District Manager Recommendation for Moquith Mountain. Includes Wilderness Intensive Inventory Report. February 27, 1980. 10 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1980b. Off-Road Vehicle Implementation Plan, Paria, Zion, and Vermilion Planning Units. September 30, 1980. 7 pp. plus attachments.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, Federal Register Notice, 1980c. Notice of Off-Road Vehicle Designations for the Paria, Vermilion, Zion Planning Units, BLM. September 25, 1980.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1980d. BLM Intensive Wilderness Inventory, Final Decision of Wilderness Study Areas. Utah. November 1980. 404 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1986. Coral Pink Sands Cooperative Management Agreement and Inventory Amendment. October 14, 1986. 9 pp. plus attachments

USDI, Bureau of Land Management. 1990. Utah BLM Statewide Wilderness Final Environmental Impact Statement. Volume III, Part B. South-west Region. November, 1990. Moquith Mountain WSA. 27 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1991. Issues and Recommended Actions for Management of the Moquith Mt. and Parunuweap Study Area. Steering Committee Edition. August 1991. 21 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management. 1994. Moquith Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule. February 28, 1994. 10 pp.

USDI, Bureau of Land Management, 1995. Interim Management Policy ;and Guidelines for Lands Under Wilderness Review. July 5, 1995. 49 pp. plus appendices and glossary.

USDI, IBLA 94-391, 1998. Appeal from an interim decision of the Kanab, Utah, Resource Area Manager, BLM, Implementing the Moquith Mountain Management Action Guidance and Schedule. January 15, 1998. 12 pp.

USDI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. Federal Register. Department of the Interior. Fish and Wildlife Service. 50 CFR Part 17. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule Determining Asclepias welshii (Welsh’s Milkweed) To Be a Threatened Species With Critical Habitat. Vol. 52, No. 208 / Wednesday, October 28, 1987 / Rules and Regulations / 41435-41441.

USDI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1992. Welsh’s Milkweed (Asclepias welshii) Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver Colorado. 19 pages.

USDI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened, Annual Notice of Findings on Recycled Petitions, and Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions. Federal Register / Volume 62, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 1997 / Proposed Rules. 49398 - 49411.