The Kanab field office has just released its Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for review.  This plan addresses a wide variety of land management issues including wild and scenic rivers.  The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires BLM to consider the potential for national wild, scenic and recreational river areas in all planning efforts.  BLM conducts reviews and evaluation, but Congress generally makes the designation.

The first phase in the review process is to determine which river segments are eligible to be considered as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  Eligible rivers are free-flowing and have at least one “outstandingly remarkable” value, evaluated in the context of regional and national significance.  Eligible segments are given a tentative classification of wild, scenic or recreational based on the level of human development associated with that segment. 

The final step in the evaluation process is determining suitability--whether eligible river segments would be appropriate additions to the national system.  This stage of evaluation considers tradeoffs between corridor development and river protection.  Suitability considerations include the environmental and economic consequences of designation and the manageability of a river if it were designated by Congress.

Once suitability determinations are made, the BLM coordinates with the State of Utah, local and tribal governments, and other federal agencies, in a state-wide study, to reach consensus regarding what segments are recommended to Congress. 

As part of the wild and scenic river review process, Kanab field office staff reviewed all 50 drainages crossing public lands within the Kanab field office, resulting in 34 river segments being identified as “potentially eligible.”  After reviewing the 34 segments, 15 segments were determined to be “eligible” with six segments (totaling 30 miles,) being judged “suitable for designation” into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  Of the 30 “suitable” miles, 25 miles are classified as “wild” and five miles are classified as “scenic.”  These six river segments include North Fork Virgin River, East Fork Virgin River (two segments), Orderville Gulch, Meadow Creek/Mineral Gulch, and Paria River.

The proposed “suitable for designation” segments included in Kanab’s PRMP were selected for their scenic, cultural, recreational, fish, wildlife, historic, geologic and ecologic values.  Segments that were identified as “not eligible” failed to meet the “outstandingly remarkable values” criteria. 

Designation of river segments only occurs through congressional action, or as a result of Secretarial decision at the request of the Governor.  Currently, no wild or scenic rivers have been designated in Utah.

Harry Barber
Kanab Field Office Manager