[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 133 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 37587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18536]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[UT-930-08-1210-00]


Notice of Closure of Public Lands; Utah

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of a temporary closure to off highway vehicle use for 
portions of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study Area including the 
Coral Pink Sand Dunes.

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SUMMARY: This notice closes to off highway vehicle (OHV) use 
approximately 14,140 acres of the Moquith Mountain Wilderness Study 
Area (WSA) including some 800 acres within the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. 
Areas within the WSA that will remain open to vehicle use include 
designated routes within closed areas and approximately 700 acres 
within the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. OHV access to the open portion of the 
dunes will be provided by three designated access routes. Five 
designated routes within the non sand dune portion of the WAS on 
Moquith Mountain will also remain open. Temporary fencing and signing 
will be used as necessary to facilitate this action. The authority for 
this action is 43 CFR 8341.2.

DATES: This closure will begin immediately and remain in effect pending 
amendment of the Vermilion Land Use Plan, which is expected to be 
completed by the end of April 1999.

ADDRESSES: Copies of maps are available at the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), Kanab Area Field Office, 318 North First East, Kanab, 
Utah 84741 and BLM Utah State Office, 324 South State Street, P.O. Box 
45155, Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Verlin Smith, Kanab Area Field Office, 
at (435) 644-2672, ext. 2646 or Ronald Bolander, BLM, Utah State 
Office, at (801) 539-4065.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 14,830-acre Moquith Mountain WSA was 
established in 1980 and includes the northern segment of the Coral Pink 
Sand Dunes (about 1,500 acres). The remaining 2,000 acres of the dunes 
are part of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park which was established 
in 1963. The sand dunes are a historic and popular OHV and other 
recreational use area. Most of the WSA is currently designated as open 
to OHV use as documented in the Vermilion Management Framework Plan, 
completed in 1981.
    In 1994, BLM implemented management actions through the Moquith 
Mountain WSA Management Guidance and Schedule (Guidance) to protect 
wilderness resource values. In 1998, an interdisciplinary team was 
established to review the effectiveness of the Guidance and determine 
if impairment of wilderness values was occurring. BLM policy allows for 
an open OHV category in sand dune areas as long as impairment of 
wilderness suitability does not occur.
    The team determined that no impairment of wilderness values is 
occurring on the majority of the dunes. However, impairment is 
occurring in peripheral areas of the northern portion of the dunes 
where vegetation is more prevalent. Therefore, BLM is temporarily 
closing to OHV use the sand dunes north and west of an existing 
allotment fence with the exception of a portion of a dry lake bed and 
designated OHV access routes which will remain open. The three 
designated OHV access routes are located as follows: (1) Sand Spring; 
(2) the dry lake bed east of the Yellowjacket Road and, (3) the Hancock 
Road near the Ponderosa Grove Campground.
    BLM is also concerned that vehicle routes may be forming in other 
portions of the WSA. Therefore, the non sand dune portion of the WSA 
will also be temporarily closed with the exception of the following 
designated routes that will remain open: the Sand Spring Road, South 
Fork Indian Canyon Petroglyph Road, the Moquith Mountain Loop, Hell 
Drive and Lamb's Point routes.

    Dated: July 7, 1998.
Linda S. Colville,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 98-18536 Filed 7-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-09-M