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Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

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Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ARIZONA STRIP FIELD OFFICE/KANAB RESOURCE AREA DECISION RECORD DR-AZ-010-98-03 MANAGEMENT OF RECREATION IN THE PARIA CANYON - VERMILION CLIFFS WILDERNESS The Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area contains 112,500 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The area is approximately 10 to 30 miles west of Page, Arizona. Included are 35 miles of the Paria River Canyon, 15 miles of the Buckskin Gulch, Coyote Buttes, and the Vermilion Cliffs from Lee's Ferry to House Rock Valley. The Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Wire Pass, and the Coyote Buttes Special Management Area are part of the larger Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, designated in August 1984. Visitor use has increased from 2,400 visits in Fiscal Year (FY) 1986 to nearly 10,000 visits in FY96-a 375% increase in use over 10 years. This increased use, combined with the narrow nature of the canyons, small camping terraces, and changing visitor use patterns, is impacting the wilderness character of these areas. Human waste, overcrowding, and public safety have become significant issues. The purpose of this action is to establish guidelines and implement management actions related to recreational use of the Paria CanyonNermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area. An increase in recreational use in the wilderness has caused degradation of sensitive resources. On pag~ 8, the plan states that BLM will "initiate a system to regulate recreation use if monitoring demonstrates a need to limit user numbers. A study of alternative a/location techniques, including fees, will be prepared and analyzed in an environmental assessment involving public participation. Until there is a determination that a permit system is needed, BLM will continue to utilize the present registration system.· 0 DECISION The decision is to implement, pursuant to 43 CFR 8372.6 and commencing December 24, 1997, the Proposed Action from EA-AZ-010-97-16, with some refinements. BLM will continue management in accordance with the PCVC WMP, with the exception that Visitor Use Limits will be established, fees will be collected, and reservations will be mandatory, with a limited number of permits issued. BLM could change those Visitor Use Limits where necessary to meet the goals of the WMP, without further NEPA compliance, by joint decision of the Arizona Strip Field Manager and the Kanab Resource Area Manager. Temporary closures could be imposed to protect sensitive resources. O Fees will be collected for all visitor use in Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Wire Pass and Coyote Buttes. Visitors to these areas will deposit fees at self serve fee stations located at White House Campground for campground use and Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass Trailheads tor day use in those areas. The trailheads are located about 40 miles east of Kanab, Utah, south of Highway 89. Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass overnight use and Coyote Buttes day use will be paid at the time reservations are made with BLM's fee project partner, Northern Arizona University, via e-mail, fax, or mail. The fee schedule is as follows: O White House Trailhead Campground - $5.00 per site/per night O Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass Day Use -$5.00 per person O Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass Overnight Use - $5.00 per person/per day. (reservation and permit required) 0 0 Coyote Buttes -$5.00 per person (day use only, reservation and permit required). o Visitor Use Limits will be established. \\ DR-AZ-010-98-03 Page 2 SLM could change those Visitor Use Limits or make other visitor management changes where necessary to meet the goals of the WMP, without further NEPA compliance. Prior to any surface disturbing activities or installation of structures within the wilderness SLM would analyze impacts and alternatives in an environmental assessment. Changes (increases or decreases in visitor use) will only be made based on monitoring, in accordance with the PCVC WMP. The Proposed Action Alternative will continue a year-round fee/permit and reservation system for the Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch and Coyote Buttes portions of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. CJ Reservations will be mandatory for overnight visitor use in Paria Canyon and for use in Coyote Buttes with a limited number of permits issued in each area. CJ Any new visitor use limits will be based on resource conditions supported by monitoring information. CJ Initially restrict visitor use in the Southern Coyote Buttes SMA to ten or fewer visitors per day, day use only. The maximum group size limit in Coyote Buttes will be six. CJ Initially restrict visitor use in the Northern Coyote Buttes SMA to ten or fewer visitors per day, day use only. The maximum group size limit in Coyote Buttes will be six. CJ Initially restrict overnight use in the canyons to no more than 20 entries per day. CJ Initially restrict group size to ten persons per group. Groups larger than ten must split up and begin hiking on different days. CJ Initially no restrictions on the number of entries per day for day use of the canyons. CJ Livestock grazing permittees working in the area, hunters (during hunting season, in possession of a valid C state license and permit/tag for the areas), employees, contractors, and volunteers working for a state or federal agency would not count against the total daily visitor limits. These individuals will be required to comply with group size limitations (ten in the canyons, six in the Buttes). These individuals will not be required to pay any fees. These individuals will be subject to any closure or other restriction implemented to protect sensitive resources. CJ BLM could temporarily or permanently close areas of Coyote Buttes or the canyons in order to protect sensitive resources such as cultural resources, threatened or endangered plants or wildlife species, or other sensitive wilderness resources. Closures will apply to only the minimum area for the minimum duration to accomplish resource preservation goals. Closures could be made by joint decision of the Arizona Strip Field Manager and the Kanab Resource Area Manager. Permanent closures would be analyzed through the NEPA process prior to implementation. CJ No developments currently proposed. BLM could take actions such as installing waste disposal structures, signs, fencing/barriers, or other similar structure if monitoring indicated a need. Prior to any surface disturbing activities or installation of structures within the wilderness BLM would analyze impacts and alternatives in an environmental assessment. CJ Charge a $5.00 per day fee for each dog. Require that owners be informed of rules and restrictions and agree to the following: dogs must be kept under control at all times (to prevent harassment of wildlife and visitors) and dog waste be disposed of in a manner similar to human waste. Should dogs continue to be a problem they could be restricted further or prohibited from the area. Commercial Gulde Services: Organizations and individuals who intend to operate guided hikes within the wilderness must obtain a Special Recreation Use Permit (43 CFR 8372) prior to operating on or utilizing public lands. Organized groups or individuals who use the public lands for business or financial gain or benefit from salaries, or support other programs ( ie; professional guides, Sierra Club, schools, college clubs, Museum or Elder Hostel Sponsored trips, etc.) are considered commercial users. DR-AZ-010-98-03 Page 3 0 There will be two options for commercial guides: 1) Authorized commercial guides will depend on visitors who successfully acquire an individual/group permit to contact them for their services. All authorized guides will be listed with the information sent to successful permit holders. Commercial guides will be able to market their availability as guides. Additionally, as guides are retained for their services, they will not count against the group size limit or the total visitor limit for the given day. BLM would limit parties to one guide each under this option. 2) Guides could compete with non-commercial visitors for permits on a first-come, first-served basis. Commercial guides would be allowed to reserve one entry day per week under this option. Fees for reserved dates will be paid at the time of reservation. For permits reserved under this option, the guides will count against both the group size and the total visitor limit for the given day. BLM would not limit the number of guides per permit under this option. RA TIO NALE FOR DECISION In addition to the Proposed Action, BLM considered Alternative A and Alternative B and a No Action Alternative. Alternative A contains prescriptions similar to the Proposed Action, but does not allow for future adaptive management to occur without BLM completing another environmental assessment for any management actions not specifically stated in this EA. The final decision incorporated that part of Alternative A that does not allow for future adaptive management to occur without BLM completing another environmental assessment for any surface disturbing activity. Alternative B contains management actions that include more strict Visitor Use Limits and structure C development. The No Action Alternative would continue management under existing decisions and perpetuate deteriorating resource conditions. Visitor use needs to be managed to prevent further damage to wilderness resources and visitor experience. The Proposed Action is anticipated to meet resource management goals while imposing minimum impacts on visitors. It is necessary to adopt an adaptive management approach where BLM establishes initial management and restrictions, then is allowed to modify that initial prescription based on monitoring, without further NEPA review. Locking in visitor use levels, fee structures, and other management prescriptions does not allow BLM to respond to rapidly changing impacts in a timely fashion.
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