United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Determination of NEPA Adequacy DOI-BLM-UT-YO10-2018-0013 DNA Special Recreation Permit for Montana Academy November 2017 Location: Designated mountain bike trails within the Moab Field 9//ice: Amnsa Back! Pothole! Rockstacker! Ahab, Bar M and Klondike Mountain Bike Focus Areas, Bartlett Slickrock Gemini Bridges! Magnificent Seven trails! Gold Bar Rim, Hunter Canyon Rim, Jackson trail. Jedi slickrock, Klonzo trails, Kokopelli, Long Canyon, Monitor & Merimac, Pipedrearn, Poison Spider, Porcupine Rim, Lazy mans, Lower Porcupine Singletrack (LPS), Seven Up, Shafer Trail (lower). Slickrock, Sovereign (BLM portion) Roads and paved paths: Blue Hills Road, BLM portion of Moab Canyon bike path, State Route 128, State Route 279, Mineral Bottom, Kane Creek! Hurrah Pass, Onion Creek Road, Sand Flats Road Hiking: Granstaff Canyon, Fisher Towers, Poison Spider, Moab Rim. Moonflower Canyon, Mill Canyon Dinosaur bone trail, Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite Trail Climbing: Kane Sprinus Road: (including Abraxis Wall, Tombstones, Space Tower, Predator Tower, Bakery, Pritchett Canyon Loop, and Ice Cream Parlor); State Road 279: Wall Street, The Scar, King’s Hand, Culvert Canyon, Day Canyon, Long Canyon (Shipyard, Off Width City and Reptilian Wall ONLY from August 16- March 31 only); State Route 128: Fisher Towers group, Parriott Mesa, Castleton Group, River Road Crags (Dihedrals. Drinks. Takeout, Lighthouse, Dolomite Tower), Big Bend Butte and Boulders; State Route 313: Hunchback, Echo Tower, Determination Towers, Monitor and Methmac. Finish Line Tower, Sunset Tower, Sweet Jane, Pillbox: Sand Flats: Elvis Hammer, and Rhino Horn; South of Moab: Looking Glass Rock Applicant/Address: David Charito, 9705 Lost Prairie Road, Marion, Montana 59925 Moab Field Office 82 East Dogwood Moab, Utah 84532 Phone: 435-259-2100 Fax:435-259-2158 Worksheet Determination of NEPA Adequacy U.S. Department of the Interior Utah Bureau of Land Management The signed CONCLUSION at the end of this worksheet is part of an interim step in the BLM’s internal analysis process and does not constitute an appealable decision; however, it constitutes an administrative record to be provided as evidence in protest, appeals and legal procedures. OFFICE: Moab Field Office PROJECT NUMBER: MFO-Y0l0-18-002R PROPOSED ACTION TITLE: Special Recreation Permit for Montana Academy LOCATION: Designated mountain bike trails within the Moab Field QI/ice: Amasa Back! Pothole! Rockstacker! Ahab, Bar M and Klondike Mountain Bike Focus Areas, Bartlett Slickrock Gemini Bridges! Magnificent Seven trails.’ Gold Bar Rim, Hunter Canyon Rim, Jackson trail, Jedi slickrock. Klonzo trails. Kokopelli, Long Canyon, Monitor & Merrimac, Pipedream, Poison Spider, Porcupine Rim, Lazy mans, Lower Porcupine Singletrack (LPS), Seven Up, Shafer Trail (lower), Slickrock, Sovereign (BLM portion) Roads andpaved paths: Blue Hills Road. BLM portion of Moab Canyon bike path, State Route 128, State Route 279, Mineral Bottom, Kane Creek! Hurrah Pass, Onion Creek Road, Sand Flats Road Hiking: Granstaff Canyon, Fisher Towers, Poison Spider. Moab Rim, Moonflower Canyon, Mill Canyon Dinosaur bone trail, Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite Trail Climbing: Kane Sprinus Road: (including Abraxis Wall, Tombstones, Space Tower, Predator Tower, Bakery, Pritcheti Canyon Loop, and Ice Cream Parlor); State Route 279: Wall Street, The Scar, King’s Hand, Culvert Canyon, Day Canyon, Long Canyon (Shipyard, Off Width City and Reptilian Wall ONLY from August 16- March31 only); State Route 128: Fisher Towers group, Parriott Mesa, Castleton Group, River Road Crags (Dihedrals. Drinks. Takeout, Lighthouse, Dolomite Tower), Big Bend Butte and Boulders; State Route 313: Hunchback, Echo Tower, Determination Towers, Monitor and Methmac, Finish Line Tower, Sunset Tower, Sweet Jane, Pillbox: Sand Flats: Elvis’ Hammer, and Rhino Horn; South of Moab: Looking Glass Rock APLICANT!ADDRESS: David Chat-ito, 9705 Lost Prairie Road, Marion, Montana 59925 A. Description of the Proposed Action and Any Applicable Mitigation Measures David Charito, on behalf of Montana Academy, has requested authorization under a Special Recreation Permit (SRP) to offer guided mountain bike, climbing, and hiking tours within the Moab Field Office of the BLM. All use would be day use only with any overnight use occurring in desitznated campgrounds or private facilities. Montana Academy has not previously held an SRI’ with the BLM Moab Field Office. Standard stipulations as well as stipulations specific to mountain biking, canyoneering, and climbing would apply to the SRP for Montana Academy. This permit will be issued for a one-year term, with possibility of a ten-year renewal based on compliance with all permit terms and conditions. B. Land Use Plan (LUP) Conformance LUP Namet Moab Resource Management Plan Date Approved October, 2008 tList applicable LUPs (for example, resource management plans; activity, project, management or program plans; or applicable amendments thereto). The proposed action is in conformance with the applicable LUPs because it is specifically provided for in the following LUP decisions: Page 97 of the Moab RMP reads as follows: ‘Special Recreation Permits are issued as a discretionary action as a means to: help meet management objectives, provide opportunities for economic activity, facilitate recreational use of public lands, control visitor use, protect recreational and natural resources, and provide for the heallh and safety of visitors.” In addition, page 98 states: “All SRPs will contain standard stipulations appropriate for the type of activity and may include stipulations necessary to protect lands or resources, reduce user conflicts, or minimize health and safety concerns... Issue and manage recreation pernits for a wide variety of uses to enhance outdoor recreational opportunities, provide opportunities for private enterprise, manage user-group interaction, and limit the impacts to such uses upon natural and cultural resources.” C. Identify the applicable National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents and other related documents that cover the proposed action. Environmental Assessment DO1—BLM-UT-Y0 10-2010-0082 Special Recreation Permit for Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, signed February 201 0. This covers the following climbing locations: Kane Creek Road (Ice Cream Parlor, Bakery, Space Towcr, Predator, Abraxis, Tombstone), Stale Route 279 (The Sear, Kings Hand, Wall Street, Day Canyon. Culvert Canyon/Cameltoe, Jug Flandle, Off Width City), State Route 313 (Hunchback), State Route 128 (River Road Dihedrals, Drinks Canyon, Take Out Beach Crags, Lighthouse Tower, Dolomite Tower, Big Bend Butte, Big Bend Boulders, canyoneering Negro Bill Canyon), Mill Creek (Entrajo Canyon), North Tusher (I louse of Putterman, Determination Towers, Echo Tower, Monitor Butte and Menimac Butte), Sand Flats Road (Elvis’s 1-lammer, the Rhino’s I lorn, Castle Valley (Castleton Tower, the Rectory, the Priest, Sister Superior, Parriott Mesa/Crooked Arrows Spire, Fisher Towers (the Lizard, Ancient Art, Kingfisher). Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-UT-Y0l 0-201 1-0075, Special Recreation Pet-nil! Augmentation for Moab Cliff. and Omyons, signed May 3,2011 covers the following locations: Bounce Test area off of Kane Crk. on King’s Bench, Dewey Bridge climbs (Fear More Beer, Loathing Less Clothing, Spite Wider, Peasant Pucker, Albino Groove, Greed Dirty Deed) and Looking Glass Rock. Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-UT-Y0 10-2016-0048, Special Recreation Permit Amenthnentjbr Pumpkin Patch, signed on August 13, 2017, covers the following climbing locations: Utopia, Red Rocket Tower, Pillbox, Sweet Jane, Sunset Tower, Finish Line Tower, Lost World Butte, Dorsal Fin Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-UT-Y0 10-2013-0224 Special Recreation Permit A,nenthnent For IVesten, River Expeditions), signed January 2,2014. This covers the hiking locations considered under this Proposed Action. Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-UT-Y01 0-201 7-0047, Special Recreation Pet-mit Reneiialfor Western Spirit cycling, signed January 01, 2017 covers the biking activities considered in the Proposed Action. NEPA Adequacy Criteria 1. Is the new proposed action a feature of, or essentially similar to, an alternative analyzed in the existing NEPA document(s)? Is the project within the same analysis area, or if the project location is different, are the geographic and resource conditions sufficiently similar to those analyzed in the existing NEPA document(s)? If there are differences, can you explain why they are not substantial? V Yes No Documentation of answer and explanation: Yes; the existing NEPA documents address the impacts of permitted mountain biking, climbing, and hiking tours within the Moab Field Office. 2. Is the range of alternatives analyzed in the existing NEPA document(s) appropriate with respect to the new proposed action (or existing proposed action), given current environmental concerns, interests, and resource values? Yes No Documentation of answer and explanation: Yes; Environmental Assessments DO1—BLM-UT-Y010-2010- 0082, DOI-BLM-UT-YOlO-2016-0048, DOI-BLM-UT-Y010-201 1-0075, DO1-BLM-UT-Y0l0-2013- 0224, DOI-BLM-UT-Y010-2017-0047, and DOl-BLM-UT-Y0l0-2012-02l2, each contain analysis of the proposed action and a no action alternative. The environmental concerns, interests, resource values, and circumstances have not changed to a degree that warrants broader consideration. 3. Is existing analysis adequate in light of any new information