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Resident, planner warn Castle Valley may be over‑classified under new state wildfire maps
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Summary
A Castle Valley resident and City of Moab planner told the town planning commission that Grand County and the State of Utah have likely overestimated local wildfire exposure on newly required Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) maps, arguing the valley’s long‑used ranchland reduces fire risk.
Cory Shurtleff, who identified himself as a Castle Valley resident and as Community Development Director for the City of Moab, told the Planning and Land Use Commission on Feb. 5 that Grand County’s current WUI designation and the State of Utah’s mapping requirements likely overstate the town’s wildfire exposure.
Shurtleff said Grand County had "over‑designated the fire risk within Castle Valley" and that the State had "overestimated the exposure level," and he noted that Castle Valley was represented in early state‑level discussions about the WUI maps. His comments came during the meeting’s public comment period.
The concern was echoed by attendee Greg Halliday, who argued the valley should not be treated as wildlands because it was developed from historic ranch land: "the TCV was built on ranch land, not undeveloped land," Halliday said, noting settlement activity going back to 1883 and longstanding uses such as hay and alfalfa production.
Why this matters: WUI maps determine where additional ignition‑mitigation rules and building standards may apply and can affect homeowners’ insurance, permitting and vegetation‑management requirements. Local officials and residents told the commission that a misclassification could impose unnecessary restrictions or costs on longstanding properties.
What the commission did: The meeting record shows these concerns were raised during public comment; the transcript does not record a commission decision, staff direction or any motion in response to the WUI comments. The commission did not take formal action on the mapping item during the portion of the transcript provided.
What remains unclear: The transcript records no technical rebuttal or staff presentation addressing Shurtleff’s specific technical claims, nor does it record additional data (fuel loads, ignition history, or mapping methodology) presented to support or refute the assertions. The commission meeting continues to be the appropriate venue for raising mapping concerns; follow‑up from county or state mapping officials may be required to resolve the question.
Next steps noted in the meeting: None recorded in the provided transcript. The commission may place WUI mapping or a staff briefing on a future agenda for more detailed discussion or to request clarification from Grand County or the State of Utah.