BLM Utah News Releases

BLM Posts Proposed Parcel List for August Lease Sale (Issued 05/17/13)

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:05:50 -0600

Salt Lake City—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Field Office today posted the list of parcels proposed for auction at the quarterly competitive oil and gas lease sale scheduled for Aug. 20, 2013, in Salt Lake City. The list includes 35 proposed parcels totaling 65,727.35 acres and posting initiates a 30-day public protest period.

Interior Releases Updated Draft Rule for Hydraulic Fracturing on Public and Indian Lands for Public Comment (Issued 5/16/13)

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:15:30 -0600

Commonsense Measure Will Support Safe and Responsible Production of America’s Domestic Energy Resources

Secretaries Vilsack and Jewell Highlight Federal Preparedness for 2013 Western Wildfire Season (Issued 5/15/13)

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Officials emphasize interagency partnership, public awareness as keys to protecting communities from wildfire

BLM Seeks Public Comment on Potential Tar Sands Lease in Eastern Utah (Issued 5/14/13)

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:05:30 -0600

Salt Lake City—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah is seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing the potential environmental impacts of leasing one, 2,116-acre tar sand parcel in eastern Utah’s Asphalt Ridge area near Vernal. The proposed lease parcel area is adjacent to more than 16,000 acres of State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) leases and directly south of an existing tar sands mine and processing plant on private land.

In January 2009, numerous plaintiffs filed a complaint in the District Court of Colorado to prevent the Record of Decision for the 2008 Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for oil shale and tar sands from going into effect. A settlement agreement reached in February 2011 specifically exempts ongoing consideration of the expression of interest (EOI) for tar sands leasing in Asphalt Ridge, as well as the possible sale or issuance of a lease for parcels identified in the EOI. Additionally, the BLM undertook a new public planning process related to oil shale and tar sands leasing in April 2011 and finalized a new PEIS in November 2012. The 2012 PEIS similarly exempted ongoing BLM-Utah decision-making efforts regarding the lands included in the pending Asphalt Ridge tar sands leasing application.

Additional information about the proposed project is included in the EA, which is now available for public review and comment on the Environmental Notification Bulletin Board (ENBB) at https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php; search for project name “Tar Sands Leasing EA.”

The 30-day public review and comment period for this EA is open until 4:30 p.m., June 13, 2013. Please note that the most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process.

Please reference “Tar Sands Leasing EA” when submitting comments. Written comments may be mailed or emailed, using the following:

Mailing Address

Bureau of Land Management

Vernal Field Office

170 South 500 East

Vernal, Utah 84078

Email Address

BLM_UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov

Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware that your entire comment—including personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. The 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 on this document, please contact Stephanie Howard, Environmental Coordinator, at (435) 781-4469. 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, seven days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

BLM Utah Seeks Nominations for Vacancies on Resource Advisory Council (Issued 5/14/13)

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Public nominations are being accepted for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Resource Advisory Council (RAC). The BLM will be filling four positions for members whose terms expire on Jan. 12, 2014. Utah residents interested in the management and conservation of public lands have an opportunity to become directly involved through participation on the RAC. The BLM will consider nominations until June 28, 2013.

The BLM RACs are composed of citizens who are chosen for their expertise in natural resources issues to help the BLM carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands. The Utah RAC consists of 15 members with a keen interest in public land management, including conservationists, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, state and local government officials, Tribal officials, and academics. The diverse membership of the RAC is aimed at achieving the balanced outlook the BLM needs for its multiple-use mission.

“I value the advice given to the BLM by these citizen-based Resource Advisory Councils,” said Juan Palma, BLM-Utah State Director. “The people who use and enjoy BLM-managed lands deserve a formal voice on public land issues. Their input enhances our agency’s ability to administer and conserve these lands for current and future generations of Americans.”

Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on the advisory council. Nominees, who must be Utah residents, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus-building and collaborative decision making. All nominations must be accompanied by: 1) letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations; 2) a completed RAC application form; and 3) any other information that speaks to the nominee's qualifications.

The four positions open on the Utah RAC are in the following categories:

-Two positions in Category One – Public land ranchers and representatives of organizations associated with energy and mineral development, the timber industry, transportation or rights-of-way, off-highway vehicle use, and commercial recreation.

-One position in Category Two – Representatives of nationally or regionally recognized environmental organizations, archaeological and historical organizations, dispersed recreation activities, and wild horse and burro organizations.

-One position in Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-at-large.

Fillable application forms are available online at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/res/resource_advisory.html.

Nominations should be sent by June 28, 2013, to:

Sherry Foot, Special Programs Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. For more information, please contact Sherry Foot at 801-539-4195; fax: 801-539-4013; email address: sfoot@blm.gov.

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 hours.

The BLM consults with the Governor’s Office before forwarding its recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior for a final decision.

BLM Richfield Prepares the Normal Year Fire Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan for the Next Decade (Issued 05/10/13)

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:15:30 -0600

Richfield, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire Management Division for the Richfield Field Office and Henry Mountain Field Station, announces public scoping for the update of the Normal Year Fire Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan (NYFSRP). The plan summarizes potential post-fire management actions on BLM-managed lands throughout the Field Office area. The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the environmental analysis.

During a “normal fire year” an average of 28 wildfires occurs within the 2.1 million acres of public land managed by the Field Office, resulting in 6,000 to 8,000 acres each year of disturbed and potentially damaged land. Having an NYFSRP in place when fires occur can streamline the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) process and enable timely on-the-ground treatments consistent with the urgent nature of post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation.

The NYFSRP is developed for landscape level treatments and authorizes ESR actions that may be implemented after a wildland fire. The current Richfield Field Office NYFSRP has been invaluable and used to implement several individual ESR treatments following wildland fires. However, it has been determined that an update to the NYFSRP is needed to address recent changes in national, state, and local guidelines and policy.

The BLM in collaboration with other Federal and State agencies is putting together the ten-year plan, with an accompanying Environmental Assessment (EA).

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment – including 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. Written comments can be mailed to the Richfield Field Office, 150 East 900 North, Richfield, UT 84701 or submitted to: mmadariaga@blm.gov. The scoping period will end June 9, 2013.

For more information please contact Matt Madariaga, Fuels Specialist at, 435-896-1593. 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 BLM during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Coal Lease by Application (Issued 5/6/13)

Mon, 6 May 2013 16:15:40 -0600

Price, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Price Field Office is seeking public comment for an applicant-initiated mineral lease located 30 miles southeast of Price, Utah. The Williams Draw lease parcel is approximately 4,191 acres, has recoverable coal reserves in excess of 30 million tons, and has been previously leased.

Coal would be mined underground using longwall mining methods with the exception of areas underlying protected surface water resources. Varying levels of surface subsidence can be expected with full extraction mining, and for which mitigation measures have been added. The proposal, in its entirety, can be found on the BLM Utah Environmental Notification Bulletin Board at: https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/; type “Williams Draw” in the Project Name place holder.

Written comments will be accepted by letter or email until June 15, 2013. Please note that the most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Please reference “Williams Draw” when submitting comments.

Written comments may be mailed or emailed using the following:

Mailing Address

Bureau of Land Management

Price Field Office

Attn: Steve Rigby

125 South 600 West

Price, Utah 84501

Email Address

blm_ut_pr_comments@blm.gov

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware that your comment is public information.

For further information, please contact Steve Rigby at (435) 636-3604. 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, seven days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

BLM Partners with Local Businesses and Organizations to Celebrate Migratory Birds! (Issued 05/02/13)

Thu, 2 May 2013 16:00:00 -0600

Cedar City, Utah--- Celebrate migratory birds with family and friends at the International Migratory Bird Day Festival on May 11 from 9 am to 1 pm, at the West Canyon Park in Cedar City. Hosted by the BLM Cedar City Office, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Zion National Park, Southern Utah University, The Grind and Home Depot; this annual event marks the return of migratory birds to Southern Utah with informational booths, activities and exhibits.

Special this year, organizers are preparing an interactive bird banding demonstration to begin promptly at 9 am. Bird banding illustrates the process of tagging birds for identification. This provides great information for biologist on specific bird species. In addition to the bird banding demonstration, there will be a bird hike and identification activity, along with a Merit Badge Counselor to assist boy scouts with their Bird Study Merit Badge.

Leading up to the event, individuals are invited to participate in a Poster and Photo Contest. Winners of the contest will be announced at the Festival.

Know Before You Go - BLM Three Peaks Recreation Area Access Limited on May 11 and 12 (Issued 05/02/13)

Thu, 2 May 2013 14:55:20 -0600

Cedar City, Utah – On May 11-12, 2013, race promoter W.E. Rock Live will operate under a special recreation permit to host the Dirt Riot Endurance Race at the Three Peaks Recreation Area, located seven miles northwest of Cedar City. The permit allows W.E. Rock Live use of the large group campground and five miles of the southeast section of the Three Peaks Recreation Area at the end of Midvalley Road. Starting at 5:00 p.m. on May 11 through 7:00 p.m. on May 12, access will be restricted to times that do not interfere with the race, in order to provide for public safety.

BLM Hosts Public Open Houses for Travel Management Planning in Vernal (Issued 05/12/13)

Thu, 2 May 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Vernal, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vernal Field Office (VFO) announces that the public scoping period for the North Travel Management and Transportation Plan Environmental Assessment (EA) will run from June 5, 2013, to July 6, 2013. Two public open houses will be held during this period to give interested members of the public an opportunity to get involved in the planning process by providing written comments.

The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide the planning process. The BLM will host open houses where the public can provide input on route designation criteria and travel routes in the planning area that are important to their use of public lands. These meetings will also help inform the public about the BLM’s multi-step travel management planning process. Written comments will be accepted during the public scoping meetings and throughout the scoping period, which ends July 6, 2013.

The two public open houses for the North Travel Management Area will be held on:

June 5, 2013

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Manila Old Timers Center

165 E Hwy 43

Manila, Utah 84046

June 6, 2013

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Uintah County Library

204 E 100 N

Vernal, Utah 84078

The 2008 Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for the VFO directs the field office to complete a Travel and Transportation Management Plan (TMP) for all BLM lands managed by the VFO. Comprehensive travel and transportation management planning addresses access needs for a wide array of public land uses including agricultural, commercial, and recreational activities. Access needs are evaluated within the context of the BLM’s legal mandates to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources on public lands. Based on this comprehensive evaluation, every route on BLM-managed VFO lands will receive one of the following designations as a result of the planning process: open, closed, or limited. The Vernal TMP will be subdivided into five Travel Management Areas, and a separate EA with a 30-day public scoping period will be completed for each of the five areas.

The first area to be analyzed is the North Travel and Transportation Management Area. This area includes all of Daggett County and northeast Uintah County. In advance of the open houses, the public is encouraged to view a map of the planning area and the current route inventory map on the BLM VFO webpage at: (http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal.html). An online comment form is also available on the webpage for those wishing to submit comments electronically.

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment – including 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. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. Written comments can be mailed to the Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078 or submitted to: BLM_UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov

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 additional information, contact Marta Call at (435) 781-4423. 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 BLM during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.