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BLM outlines travel-management steps, new Price field manager and Jurassic Monument planning
Summary
At an Emery County Public Lands Council meeting, BLM representatives said a new Price field manager will start Jan. 13, described efforts to control an abandoned-mine fire, and previewed travel-management and resource-plan amendments for the San Rafael area and Jurassic Monument that may be appealed after a decision is signed.
Kyle of the Bureau of Land Management told the Emery County Public Lands Council that the Price Field Office will welcome a new field manager, Nick Lafavio, on Jan. 13 and that BLM is continuing long-term planning work across the San Rafael area.
The report noted active responses to an abandoned-mine fire near Kenilworth. Kyle said monitoring has been ongoing since early 2021 and described a remediation plan that uses vent-hole foam fills and helicopter support. "They've been monitoring it since 02/2021," Kyle said, adding that reclamation programs are leading much of the site work.
Kyle also summarized multiple, connected plan amendments the office is pursuing under the Dingle Act. He said the sequence begins with a recreation-area amendment (Center Fell/Swell), followed by separate amendments for wilderness areas, Wild and Scenic river segments and the Jurassic Monument itself. "We're looking in what it takes to do that, and so we'll probably have to do some kind of a NEPA process where we let the public know what the plan is and so we can receive comments," Kyle said, explaining public involvement will follow the planning steps.
Officials said the travel-management decision for the area is expected to be signed in the coming weeks; once signed the decision generally carries a 30-day appeal window. Kyle anticipated that organizations may file appeals and that any granted stays would be subject to judicial review. He encouraged local participation during cooperating-agency meetings tied to resource-plan amendments.
Why it matters: amendments to resource management and travel decisions will shape where motorized access, visitor services and conservation protections apply across parts of Emery County. The BLM emphasized this is a high-level plan phase with more detailed management plans to follow, and that public comment and possible appeals are routine next steps.
Next steps: A cooperating-agency meeting on the Center Fell Swell recreation-area amendment was scheduled the day after the council meeting; the BLM expects to proceed through public review and NEPA steps prior to implementing detailed management plans.
