[Federal Register: April 24, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 20167]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap03-77]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[UT-020-03-1220-MA]
Notice of Limitations of Off Road Vehicles (ORV) Use on Public
Lands
AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
ACTION: Notice of Limitations of ORV Use on Public Lands.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that effective immediately, the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), Salt Lake Field Office, revokes the seasonal
Notice of Closure of Public Lands published on April 27, 1999 (64 FR
22639 (1999)) and the Notice of Closure of Public Lands published on
March 28, 2000 (65 FR 16410 (2000)). Notice is hereby given that
effective immediately, ORV use in the following five areas of Box Elder
County is limited to designated routes: Devils Playground (9838 acres),
Grouse Creek Mountains (52493 acres), Hogup Mountains (51698 acres),
Pilot Mountains (62654 acres), and Wildcat Hills (12640 acres). The
remaining public lands in Box Elder County will be managed according to
the Box Elder Resource Management Plan. This limitation will remain in
effect until the considerable adverse effects giving rise to this
limitation are eliminated and measures are implemented to prevent
recurrence of these adverse effects.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Palmer, Assistant Field Office
Manager, Salt Lake Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2370 South
2300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84119; (801) 977-4300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BLM is implementing this action on 189,323
acres of public land in Northwest Utah. BLM is limiting ORV use in five
areas of Box Elder County to designated routes. BLM's Salt Lake Field
Office has observed considerable adverse effects from ORV use in these
areas, including proliferation of new ORV routes, damage and
destruction of vegetation, increased soil erosion, and a likelihood of
damage to cultural resources. Based on this information, the authorized
officer determined that ORV use in these five areas is causing, or will
cause, considerable adverse effects upon soil, vegetation, wildlife,
wildlife habitat, cultural resources, historical resources, and other
authorized uses. Consequently, in these five areas ORV use is now
limited to designated routes. This does not apply to:
1. Any federal, state or local government law enforcement officer
engaged in enforcing this closure notice or member of an organized
rescue or fire fighting force while in the performance of an official
duty.
2. Any BLM employee, agent, contractor, or cooperator while in the
performance of an official duty.
This order shall not be construed as a limitation on BLM's future
planning efforts or ORV designations. BLM will periodically monitor
resource conditions and trends in each of these five areas and may
modify this order or implement additional limitations as necessary. A
map showing the areas and designated routes is available at the above
address.
The authority for this order is 43 CFR 8341.2.
Dated: April 3, 2003.
Glenn A. Carpenter,
Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-10221 Filed 4-23-03; 8:45 am]