United States Department of the Interior

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Arizona Strip District
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, Utah 84790
http://www.blm.gov/az/
Phone (435) 688-3200 • Fax (435) 688-3258

In Reply Refer To: 6340/6360

(LLAZA02000)
May 8, 2019

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING

PROPOSED CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT OF THE PARIA CANYON-VERMILION
CLIFFS WILDERNESS AND OTHER RELATED ACTIONS

Dear Interested Party,

Please be advised that an Environmental Assessment (EA) will be prepared to disclose the potential
environmental impacts for a proposed change in management of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs
Wilderness. The purpose of this letter is to help the BLM identify issues that should be considered in the
EA and to invite comments on this proposed project in terms of any issues, reso~rces, or uses that should
be considered in preparing this EA. This letter will also assist the BLM in learning who is interested in
this proposed project and wishes to be informed when the EA may be available for public review and
comment.

The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Management Plan (WMP) was originally developed in
1987, and was amended in 1998 in order to establish daily visitor use limits for Coyote Buttes North,
Coyote Buttes South, and Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch to preserve wilderness character, including
naturalness, outstanding opportunities for solitude, and outstanding opportunities for primitive and
unconfined recreation. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in public demand to visit these
areas, in particular to Coyote Buttes North (where the feature known as "The Wave" is located). This
demand has caused the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reconsider visitor use allocations for the
area. The purpose of the proposed action is to increase recreational opportunities and visitor access, as
outlined in Secretarial Orders 3347 and 3366, while preserving wilderness values. The BLM is considering
increasing daily visitor limits from 20 people to a maximum of 96 people per day (based on limits
established in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Resource Management Plan) in Coyote Buttes
North. No changes to permit numbers for Coyote Buttes South or Buckskin/Paria Canyon are proposed.

Since the 1998 WMP amendment, additional issues related to management of the wilderness have arisen
that could affect use of the wilderness and have effects on resources. These issues are outlined below:

Resource Damage
• Proliferation of human waste;
• Horse manure accumulating in Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch;
• Dog waste;

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 • Interactions with dogs;
• Impacts to wilderness character (naturalness);
• Physical damage to fins and other geologic features from hikers.

Safety
• People getting lost;
• Heat related illness;
• Need for search and rescue;
• Limited communications.

Administrative Facilities
• Parking and restroom facilities at trailheads are reaching capacity;
• Potential need for administrated facilities for storing materials and supplies

The BLM is seeking your input on how to address these issues as well as any other issues you may be
aware of related to management of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.

Increasing the number of permits available would increase the likelihood of getting a permit, increase the
number of encounters with other visitors on the trail, potentially decrease opportunities for solitude, and
potentially increase impacts to other resources. In other words, permits would be easier to obtain, but
visitors would have to share their experience with many others. The BLM is seeking your input on
whether or not to increase visitor numbers in Coyote Buttes North. Your comments on the following items
will be most useful in assisting decision makers in determining the visitor use allocation for this area, as
well as other actions that may be included in the EA:

Resource Damage - we are looking for ideas to reduce resource damage and maintain solitude,
particularly if daily visitor limits in Coyote Buttes North are increased. Some examples include:
• Determining a number of visitors (between 20 and 96, based upon limits established in the
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Resource Management Plan) appropriate for Coyote Buttes
North, considering the large demand for access, while protecting the area's wilderness character;
• Increase visitor numbers on some days, and remain at current levels on other days;
• Stagger times when groups are hiking to provide separation between groups;
• Implement a point system for unsuccessful permit applicants;
• Not allowing dogs in Coyote Buttes North, South, and/or Paria Canyon/Buckskin Gulch;
• Allowing the permit system to serve U.S. military veterans by providing a percentage or set
number of permits only to U.S. veterans (including spouse and dependents);
• Requiring human waste to be packed out in Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon, Coyote Buttes North
and South, and White Pocket;
• Requiring visitors to pack out manure from all types of pack animals;
) I

Safety - examples of ideas to improve safety

• Options for trail signing;
• Installing communications infrastructure;
• Regulating the time of day visitors can start their hike (to prevent exposure during the hottest part
of the day).

Administrative Facilities
• Additional restroom and parking facilities outside of the wilderness;

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 • Administrative storage facilities outside of the wilderness;

How You Can Participate: The BLM cordially invites you to participate in the public scoping process for
the proposed change in management of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. The public scoping
process is designed to introduce the proposed project to the public and solicit comments on what the BLM
should consider in the analysis. This letter is also to notify you of three public meetings that will be held
during the scoping process. These meetings are scheduled for (all meetings are local time):

 June 4, 2019: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Kanab Middle School, 690 S. Cowboy Way, Kanab,
Utah.

 June 5, 2019: 5:00 p.m. to 8!00 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Page at Lake Powell, 600
Clubhouse Drive, Page, Arizona.

 J1111e 6, 2019: 5:00 p.111. to 8:00 p.m. at the Dixie Convention Center, 1835 South Convention
Center Drive, St. George, Utah.

By law, the names and addresses of those commenting are available for public review during regular
business hours. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying
infom1ation 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 infom1ation from public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. All comments from organizations or businesses will be available for public
inspection in their entirety. Interested persons, organizations, and agencies are encouraged to comment on
the scope of the analysis of the proposed action, on specific issues the EA should address, and alternatives
to the proposed action. Please submit any scoping comments and/or express interest in receiving notice
when the EA is available for public review by June 21, 2019 to:

Brandon Boshell
BLM, Vernlilion Cliffs National Monument
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
blm az vcnm pcvc comrnents@blm. gov

Documents relevant to this project will also be posted on the BLM's ePlanning website at:
https://go.usa.gov/xmnHg

Based upon the issues identified, the BLM will assess the appropriate level of enviromnental
analysis and documentation. Thank you for your time and continued;involvement in public land
management in Coconino County, Arizona and Kane County, Utah.

If you have questions about this project you may contact Brandon Boshell at 435-688-3241 or
blm az vcnm pcvc comments@blm.gov

Sincerely,

U~½(. ~MI,
Lorraine M. Christian
Field Manager