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MOAB, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management is initiating a 30-day scoping period, seeking public comments for the programmatic analysis of potential impacts of issuing and renewing special use permits.  Recreation activities to be analyzed include commercial and organized group guided hikes, backpack trips, and sightseeing on designated routes and developed recreation sites in the Moab Field Office area.  Public input will be used to help identify potential issues and develop alternatives to be considered in the analysis.

The BLM Moab Field Office is a popular destination, and these types of commercial and group activities provide local jobs and help connect visitors to public lands.  The Moab Field Office administers more than 100 special recreation permits for guided hiking, backpacking, and sightseeing opportunities.  This analysis will help shape how the permit program is managed, including appropriate resource protection measures.

The complete project proposal and maps can be found on BLM’s ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xnsup.  The scoping period is scheduled to begin Feb. 9, 2018.   Comments will be accepted through March 12, 2018, via the ePlanning website or by letter to the following address:

Following scoping, a draft environmental assessment will be prepared and may be offered for public comment and review, depending on public interest. 

For more information about the proposal, please contact Misti Haines at 435-259-2100.  Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Replies are provided during normal business hours.