Paria Canyon Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Management Plan
01\16• ,.J ~ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR -- BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ~Lf 1.,.J/ t'CI/C w~P 0 ARIZONA STRIP FIELD OFFICE/KANAB RESOURCE AREA PARIA CANYONNERMILION CLIFFS WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT EA-AZ-01 0-97-16 I. INTRODUCTION The Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area contains 112,500 acres (92,500 acres in Coconino County, Arizona and 20,000 acres in Kane County, Utah) 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 (Map 1). 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 (Map 2). Existing management plan guidance is to protect primitive, natural conditions and the many outstanding opportunities for hiking, backpacking, photographing, or viewing in the seven different highly scenic geologic formations from which the canyons and buttes are carved. Visitor use in Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, and Coyote Buttes 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 important issues.
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