DECISION MEMO OUTFITTER GUIDE SPECIAL USE PRIORITY PERMITS U.S. FOREST SERVICE DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST PINE VALLEY, ESCALANTE, CEDAR CITY, POWELL RANGER DISTRICTS GARFIELD, IRON, KANE, PIUTE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES,

BACKGROUND

The Dixie National Forest manages a diverse Special Recreation Use Program including many outfitter/guide operations and annual recreation events. These operations provide a valuable service to area visitors and assist the local economies of Garfield, Iron, Kane, Piute and Washington Counties in Utah. The program is managed to provide opportunities for outfitters, guides and events while minimizing their impacts to other forest resources. This is accomplished through operating plans that stipulate how and where activities may occur and field inspections to ensure that permit holders are adhering to the permit stipulations. Existing and expired permit holders have applied for a 5-year priority permit status as part of the 2020 Special Use open season. Table 1 lists the Outfitter/Guides that have applied for a Special Use Priority Permit beginning in 2020. The table includes the name of the company, the general activity to be permitted, the District where they will operate and details on the area of operation and season. Some of the permittees would operate across the Dixie National Forest. Table 1 also includes the Categorical Exclusion which would allow for the authorization of these types of special uses activities.

DECISION

I have decided to authorize the special use permit applicants and amendments, listed in Table 1, for a period of up to five years under priority permit status. Each permittee must adhere to permit stipulations and follow the operating plan included their special use permit. Permits will set forth the terms and conditions that must be followed. The Recreation Special Uses Administrator can be contacted for more detailed information concerning the operations of individual permittees. Project design features, as noted in Table 2, would be applied to permits as appropriate. Permit administration, including review and approval of annual operating plans is delegated to District Rangers. Should modifications or additional mitigation measures be required, they can be made through permit administration and applied through the permit term.

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Table 1: DNF Outfitter/Guide Special Use Priority Permits 2020 Company Activity District/Area Details/Areas of Operation Season

Special Use Permits Issued per Categorical Exclusion :36 CFR 220.6 (e)(15) Alpha Outfitting and guiding services for Hunting Forest Wide Jan-Dec Outfitters licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Shane Scott Outfitting and guiding services for Hunting Forest Wide Jan-Dec Outfitting licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Outfitting and guiding services for Timber Mtn Hunting Forest Wide licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Jan- Dec Triple H Outfitting and guiding services for Hunting Forest Wide Jan-Dec Hunting licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Wild West Outfitting and guiding services for Hunting Forest Wide Jan-Dec Outfitters licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Outfitting and guiding services for licensed/permitted wildlife hunters. Horse/Mule rides: Portions of Grand Mecham Hunting & Powell RD, View Trail (066), East Fork road (087), Jan-Dec Outfitting Horseback tours Escalante RD Thunder Mtn trail (098), Coyote Hollow Rd. (113), Cannan Mtn. trail, Water Hollow and Henderson trails & Showalter and Hancock trails. Panguitch Existing roads and trails near Panguitch May- Lake Trail Horseback Cedar City RD Lake for 1.5 hour tours. Sept Riders Routes (Red Canyon, Butch Cassidy Red Rock and Thunder Mtn trails), dates and May- Horseback Powell RD Rides number of riders would remain the same Sept as BCP. Bryce Red Canyon, Butch Cassidy and May- Canyon Horseback Powell RD Thunder Mtn trails), dates/ number of Sept Pines riders would remain the same. Canyoneering, Yankee Doodle Canyon, Sidney Peak Pine Valley, Red Desert repelling, rock Overlook, Thunder Mountain, Red Cedar City RD, Jan-Dec Adventure climbing, hiking Canyon and Bitter Creek Canyon Powell RD, and mtn. biking Yankee Doodle Canyon and Navajo Hiking, Pine Valley Zion Lake Loop (mtn. biking), Bristlecone Backpacking, RD, Cedar City Jan-Dec Adventures Pine Trail, Brian Head Peak and Canyoneering RD, Powell RD Twisted Forest (hiking) Special Use Permit Modifications Issued per Categorical Exclusion: 36 CFR 220.6 (e)(3)

Western Add Hell’s Backbone Road Cycling Escalante RD Apr-May Spirit

— Dixie NF Outfitter/Guide Special Use Priority Permits 2020— Page 2 of 6 Table 2: Project Design Features for DNF Outfitter Guide Special Use Priority Permits 2020 Hydrology/Fisheries H-1 No camping shall occur within 300 feet of springs, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, bogs streamside meadows or livestock watering areas. This provision shall also apply to livestock, horses and pack animals associated with these permitted operations. Forestry F-1 Follow guidelines in the firewood permit for personal firewood collection in conjunction with guide operations. Bristlecone pine (Pinus Longaeva) should not be used for high- lining or for any other permit related activities. Range/Weeds R-1 Any hay or straw used in association with this permit will be certified and tagged as noxious weed seed free as directed by Order Number 04-00-097. R-2 Equipment and materials must be washed and free of noxious weed plant parts and seed prior to entering National Forest System lands. R-3 Salt will be removed at the end of the hunting season.

R-4 Salt or bait must not be placed within 1/4 mile (1,320 feet minimum) of water, campgrounds and roads or ATV/UTV trails.

R-5 Permittee shall notify the District Ranger where salt was placed in association with their permitted operation. R-6 Your assistance in locating noxious weed sites and reporting them to the District Ranger is greatly appreciated. If you are able and willing to assist in treating noxious weeds, please work with your District Ranger to determine how best to help. Recreation/Trails Rec-1 Permit holders will notify permit administrator regarding trial maintenance needs. Trail work will be coordinated with the DNF to ensure compliance with Forest Service trail management objectives and standards. Rec-2 Human waste will be managed according to permit requirements. Canyoneering operations are required to pack out human waste using approved container as noted in permit. Rec-3 Equestrian operations will include the use of high lines in the backcountry to minimize impacts from horses on soil and water quality. Rec-4 Panguitch Lake Trail Riders are responsible for the maintenance of the trails associated with their permit. Trails shall meet Forest Service trails standards and with Equestrian Design Guidebook for Trail, Trailheads and Campgrounds. All trail maintenance shall be approved in writing and/or in the annual operating plan.

— Dixie NF Outfitter/Guide Special Use Priority Permits 2020— Page 3 of 6

RATIONALE This action is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement (EIS) or an environmental assessment (EA). The applicable categories of actions is identified in agency procedures; 36 CFR 220.6 (e)(15) “Issuance of a new special use authorization for a new term to replace an existing or expired special use authorization when the only changes are administrative, there are not changes to the authorized facilities or increase in the scope or intensity of authorized activities, and the applicant or holder is in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the special use authorization”; and 36 220.6 (e)(3) “approval, modification, or continuation of minor special uses on NFS lands that require less than five contiguous acres of land.” I find that there are no extraordinary circumstances that would warrant further analysis and documentation in an EA or EIS. I took into account resource conditions identified in agency procedures that should be considered in determining whether extraordinary circumstances may exist: • Federally listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species There are no known issues associated with the existing uses and there is no new ground disturbance associated with this action. These guides are operating on existing roads and trails. Cross country travel is on foot or by horse. The impacts are similar to that of the general recreating public, “de-minimus use.” The potential effects to threatened, endangered or sensitive plants, animals, aquatic species or their habitats is negligible. Should new concerns arise during the permit term, permits and operation plans could be modified to include updated terms, conditions, and clauses to protect areas of critical habitat and threatened or endangered species. • Flood plains, wetlands, or municipal watersheds Flood plains, wetlands or municipal watersheds will not be impacted by this decision since this is an administrative renewal of existing permits and no new ground disturbance is associated with the action. Permit terms and conditions as well as the PDFs listed above are included in each permit to protect these areas. • Congressionally designated areas such as , wilderness study areas, or national recreation areas The project area does include designated wilderness, including Pine Valley Wilderness, Cottonwood Forest Wilderness, Ashdown Gorge Wilderness and Box-Death Hollow Wilderness. Hunting outfitter/guides would be permitted to operate in DNF designated wilderness. The degree of effect would be negligible as they would be required to follow the same regulations as the general public. No wilderness study areas or national recreation areas would be affected.

The Whipple Trial, Red Canyon Trail and Cascade Falls Trail are National Recreation Trails within the project area. These trails would not be affected by this project. Should use of these trails be requested, it would be considered by the District Ranger and guides

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would be required to follow the guidance in their permits. • Inventoried roadless areas (IRA) or potential wilderness areas – Several IRA are situated throughout the DNF. Many of the outfitter guides will operate within IRAs. They would remain on existing roads and trails with motorized vehicles (such as cars, motorbikes OHVs and ATVs) and any cross-country travel would be done on foot or on horseback. These are the same rules that apply to the general public, so no extraordinary circumstances are present. • Research natural areas The Dixie National Forest includes the Cinder Cone, Table Cliff, Sand Creek, Browse and Red Canyon Research Natural Areas. All mechanized use would be confined to existing roads and trails. Cross country travel would only be allowable on foot or by horse. Therefore, there would be negligible effect to these locations as they would receive comparable use as that from the general public. • American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites Because this proposal is for the reauthorization of existing special uses of National Forest lands for new terms to replace expired special use authorizations and the only changes are administrative, there will be no negative effects to cultural sites. No changes will be made to the use authorized or increases in scope or intensity of authorized activities. No ground disturbing activities will take place as part of this reauthorization process. • Archaeological sites, or historic properties or areas Because this proposal is for the reauthorization of existing special uses of National Forest lands for new terms to replace expired special use authorizations and the only changes are administrative, there will be no negative effects. No changes will be made to the use authorized or increases in scope or intensity of authorized activities. No ground disturbing activities will take place as part of this reauthorization process.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY REVIEW This action was originally listed as a proposal on the Dixie National Forest Schedule of Proposed Actions and updated periodically during the analysis. Field inspections for all locations have been conducted previously. These special use Outfitter/Guides have had term or temporary permits and been in operation for several years. No issues or concerns have been raised by the public during that time. Internal review of these special use permits and action to reissue was initiated in January 2020 by agency resource specialists. They determined that this decision would have a negligible effect on the resources analyzed and therefore not present any extraordinary circumstances. This decision will not have significant effects on the environment.

— Dixie NF Outfitter/Guide Special Use Priority Permits 2020— Page 5 of 6 FINDINGS REQUIRED BY OTHER LAWS AND REGULATIONS This decision is consistent with the Dixie National Forest Land Management Plan. The project was designed in conformance with the Standards and Guidelines in the Dixie National Forest Land and Management Plan.

ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW Decisions that are categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment are not subject to an administrative review (pre- decisional objection process) (Agricultural Act of 2014, Subtitle A, Section 8006).

IMPLEMENTATION DATE This project may be implemented immediately upon signing of the decision.

CONTACT For additional information concerning this decision, contact: Kyle Grambley, IDT Leader/Recreation Program Manager at (435) 865-3707, during normal office hours (weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

ANGELITA S. BULLETTS Date Forest Supervisor

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