Decision:

It is the decision of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve an amendment to the Vermilion Management Framework Plan (MFP). The decision is to approve the Proposed Plan Amendment, Alternative Three (the Preferred Alternative) of Environmental Analysis (EA) # UT-046-99-011.

As part of this decision, motorized use will be restricted in or through islands of vegetation located within the area that will remain open to OHV use. Signs, barriers, and education efforts will accompany this action designed to maintain the naturalness of these areas.

The EA was completed in April 2000. The Proposed Plan will provide for improved management for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes/Moquith Mountain area including the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

On April 11, 2000, a letter was sent to the State of Utah initiating a Governor’s consistency review which is required for proposed land use plan amendments. On June 9, 2000, the BLM State Director received a letter from Governor of Utah, Michael Leavitt. The letter concluded that a review of the land use plan amendment was not found to be inconsistent with any state programs or policies.

Decision Summary:

Details of the Proposed Plan Amendment, Alternative Three (the Preferred Alternative) is found in the EA. However, a summary of the most important actions are presented here:

Applicable portions of the Welsh’s Milkweed (Asclepias welshii) Recovery Plan will continue to be implemented.

The five conservation actions identified in the Conservation Agreement and Strategy for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle (Cicindela limbata albissima) will be implemented.

Management of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) will continue as directed by the Interim Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands Under Wilderness Review. Approximately 95 percent of the WSA will be restricted to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use.

Motorized use will be prohibited in or through islands of vegetation located in the area remaining open to OHV use.

The five percent of the WSA remaining open to OHV use will continue to be monitored to insure that no new routes develop and the character of existing routes do not change.

Camping rules will be standardized and enforced for both State Park and BLM designated campgrounds and day use facilities and the dispersed camping sites at Sand Spring and the dry lake bed.

Rules and regulations regarding OHV riding will be standardized for those areas of the sand dunes remaining open to motorized use.

A contact station will be constructed at the junction of the Hancock and Yellowjacket Roads. Payment of a fee will be implemented to access any portion of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.

The Ponderosa Grove Campground will be expanded to include additional camping units and a day use area.

BLM and the State of Utah will continue to implement necessary safety measures to protect visitors to the area. Public information and education will continue to be a management priority. BLM and State Park personnel will continue to cooperate with local authorities on law enforcement matters.

BLM will continue to implement applicable portions of the Welsh’s Milkweed (Asclepias welshii) Recovery Plan which was completed in 1992. New scientific information obtained since that time will also be considered. This information and management guidance will be included in a joint management plan to be prepared by BLM and the State of Utah. A permanent off-highway vehicle (OHV) closure will include approximately 790 acres of designated critical milkweed habitat that occurs on the BLM administered portion of the sand dunes. Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been an integral part of this process. By a memorandum to the State Director, FWS concurred with BLM’s preferred alternative (Alternative Three) and found this alternative to be consistent with the stated goals of the milkweed recovery plan. Consultation with FWS will continue as necessary.

The five conservation actions identified in the Conservation Agreement and Strategy for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle (Cicindela limbata albissima) will be fully implemented on both BLM and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (State Park) administered lands. This will result in the permanent establishment of a 370-acre tiger beetle conservation area on BLM administered lands in the northeast corner of the sand dunes.

Management of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) will continue as directed by the Interim Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands Under Wilderness Review. A temporary OHV closure implemented in 1998 will be made permanent. In addition, the existing Hancock Road OHV access route will be closed to motorized use. In approximately 14,100 acres (95 percent) of the WSA, motorized access has either been closed or limited to designated routes. About 10 miles of routes on Moquith Mountain and 730 acres of sand dunes adjacent to the State Park will remain open to motorized use. BLM has determined that motorized use on this five percent of the WSA will not impair wilderness values or constrain Congress’s prerogative regarding the WSA’s suitability for preservation as wilderness.

Motorized use will be restricted in or through islands of vegetation located within the area that will remain open to OHV use. Signs, barriers, and education efforts will accompany this action designed to maintain the naturalness of these areas.

The portion of the WSA remaining open to motorized use will be monitored to insure that no new routes will develop and the character of existing routes will not change. The entire WSA will be monitored on a regular basis for potential impairment of wilderness values. If monitoring indicates that impairment may be occurring, then additional management actions will be implemented to protect wilderness values. Potential actions could include restricting the number of visitors or expanding the OHV closure.

Camping rules will be standardized for both the State Park and BLM designated campgrounds and day use facilities and the dispersed camping sites at Sand Spring and the dry lake bed. The dry lake bed and Sand Spring will continue to be available for dispersed motorized camping as described in the Vermilion MFP and Moquith Mt. WSA Management Guidance and Schedule (Guidance). Limits on numbers of recreation units camping in the dry lake bed will be based on continuing monitoring (but will not exceed 50 units). The area available for camping will not exceed four acres in size. Historically busy weekends such as the Memorial Day, Labor Day, Easter, and Fourth of July holidays will be monitored and limits enforced on the number of units, not to exceed the area that the dry lake bed can safely accommodate without harm to visitors or resources.

Rules and regulations regarding OHV riding will be standardized for those areas of the sand dunes remaining open to motorized use. These rules and regulations will apply to both BLM State Park administered sand dunes.

A contact station and parking area (up to five acres) will be constructed at the junction of the Yellowjacket and Hancock Roads. The purpose of the contact station will be to provide information regarding management of the sand dunes and to act as the access point prior to entry to both the BLM administered portion of the dunes and the State Park. The facility will accommodate visitors who are interested in obtaining both a motorized and non-motorized type of recreation experience and direct visitors to the area where they could obtain an optimum experience for the type of recreation they are seeking. A standard use fee will be implemented for use of both the BLM administered portion of the sand dunes and the State Park.

The Ponderosa Grove Campground will be expanded up to five acres to include additional camping units and a day use area. A day use facility (up to two acres) will be developed and maintained near the junction of the Hancock and Sand Spring Roads. Facilities in the State Park will be improved and expanded to accommodate additional camping as well as a day use area either at the cattle guard on the Yellowjacket Road or at the south end of the Park. Once these facilities are in place, no camping or OHV riding will be allowed for one-quarter mile north of Hancock Road.

BLM and the State of Utah will continue to implement necessary safety measures to protect visitors to the area. Emphasis will be placed on minimizing interaction between motorized and non-motorized use on the sand dunes and enforcement of existing State and Federal laws and policies. The existing OHV trails adjacent to Hancock Road will be closed. Visitation at the dry lake bed will be regularly monitored as previously described. Public information and education efforts will continue to be a management priority. BLM and State Park personnel will continue to cooperate with local authorities on law enforcement matters.

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI):

Based on the analysis of potential impacts identified in the EA, I have determined that implementation of the Proposed Plan Amendment, Alternative Three (the Preferred Alternative) for management of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes/Moquith Mountain area will not create a significant adverse impact to the human environment. The Proposed Plan Amendment will result in a substantial reduction of area available to motorized recreation use, conserve and recover special status species, improve recreation facilities, increase visitor safety, and coordinate management efforts between BLM and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not necessary. The FONSI was signed on April 7, 2000.

Rationale for the Decision:

The need for the proposed action (plan) is to protect wilderness values, special status species and their habitats, and human health and safety while providing motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes/Moquith Mountain area in southern Utah. BLM completed the Vermilion MFP land use plan in 1981 to guide land use decisions on Federal lands in the area . Since that time, changes in land use and visitor expectations have necessitated the update and amendment to the MFP. A comprehensive management plan for the entire sand dune ecosystem and surrounding area will resolve important management concerns by providing necessary direction. This land use plan amendment/proposed management plan resolves the issues of management of special status species, management of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA), safety concerns, recreation use (including potential revisions of off highway vehicle designations), and development of recreation facilities. The plan will also coordinate management of the BLM administered portion of the sand dunes with the State Park.

This decision also was made to improve management consistency between BLM and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. This area is currently the subject of intense interest and management concern for both BLM and the State Park. The plan is a joint effort between the two agencies. Implementation of the plan will enable both agencies to protect the significant resources they manage and provide for responsible recreation opportunities. Because of the ownership pattern and jurisdictional boundaries being spread across a single ecosystem, the management objectives of both agencies and the issues identified in the plan will only be achieved through the joint management identified in the plan.

This decision is consistent with Federal law and regulations and protects the resource values described above. There will not be any adverse economic impacts to Kane County or the surrounding area.

The planning effort involved the public and interested entities in identifying management issues and developing the plan. Through public scoping meetings held in October and November 1998 and and public meetings in August 1999 to discuss the draft plan, valuable input was received. Two formal sixty day comment periods and a plan protest were additional opportunities for input. BLM did accept written comments during the entire planning effort. This plan decision includes consideration of all the public input received and incorporates substantive comments that improved the proposed action.

In summary, BLM believes that implementation of this planning amendment as described above will improve management of sensitive resources, protect valuable resources, and coordinate management of the area to meet changing needs and better meet the needs of both motorized and non-motorized users.

Project Contact: Ron Bolander

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