Monticello Field Office
| Contacts: | Todd Parker | , 435-587-1505 |
Draft Business Plan for the San Juan River Available for Public Comment
Monticello, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Monticello Field Office is seeking public comment on the Draft Business Plan for the San Juan River. Every year, more than11,000 visitors take river trips in San Juan County, where BLM management of public lands and waters supports jobs and boosts the local economy.
The draft business plan proposes to increase river recreation fees to help cover operational costs, which have risen substantially since the last time fees were raised in 2001. Current fee rates are $6 per person for river trips between Sand Island and Mexican Hat; $12 per person for river trips between Mexican Hat and Clay Hills; and $18 per person for river trips between Sand Island and Clay Hills. The BLM Monticello Field Office is proposing to increase these fee rates to $10, $20, and $30, respectively; and proposing to establish a $6 permit application fee for all private river launches; and proposing to modify the river’s permit lottery season to improve permitting efficiency and customer service.
The Utah Recreation Resource Advisory Council will also review the proposed changes and public input, and provide the BLM with recommendations on the proposal prior to any changes to the river recreation program. All proposed changes would begin in the 2014 river season. The draft business plan also includes information on how collected fees were used in the past and how future revenues would be prioritized to operate, maintain, and upgrade recreational facilities and services along the San Juan River.
Additional information about the proposed changes can be reviewed in the draft plan, which is now available for public comment. An electronic copy of the plan can be found on the Monticello Field Office website at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello.html. Copies can also be reviewed at the BLM-Utah Monticello Field Office, 365 N. Main, Monticello, Utah.
The public is invited to provide written comments on the Draft Business Plan for the San Juan River during the 30-day comment period which is open until Jan. 25, 2013. Please reference the San Juan River when submitting comments. Written comments should be mailed to:
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Monticello Field Office
Attn: Todd Parker, Outdoor Recreation Planner
P.O. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535
Written comments may also be submitted via email. Please include “San Juan Business Plan” in the subject line and send comments to: BLM_UT_MT_Comments@blm.gov.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.
For further information concerning the document, please contact Todd Parker, Outdoor Recreation Planner, at (435)587-1505. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Monticello Field Office 435 North Main Monticello, UT 84535