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Forest Service and BLM outline campground fee proposals, staffing gaps, and regional projects
Summary
Manti-La Sal National Forest staff described proposed campground fee increases and a public-comment window; Forest Service law-enforcement staffing shortages and multiple forest management projects were discussed. BLM updated the council on the Goblin Valley power-line decision, Millsite sale timeline, and fee and planning matters affecting local users.
Regional agency representatives provided a series of operational updates during the councils June 2 meeting.
Manti-La Sal National Forest staff outlined proposed recreation fee adjustments: a standardized single-campsite fee proposed at $15 per night with Joes Valley set at $20 due to recent improvements, double campsites proposed at $20, and a proposed guard-station rate of $75 per night. The Forest Service said a public-comment period on fee updates will run from June 15 through August 15, 2026, and that outreach will include letters, newspaper notices, campground signage, and an online Story Map. Proposed new fee sites include Chicken Creek and Ferron Canyon campgrounds.
Forest Service law-enforcement staff reported significant staffing shortages: about 1,000 authorized law-enforcement officers nationwide but approximately 300 positions currently filled; Utah is authorized about 18 officers and has several vacancies. As a result, patrols in the Manti-La Sal National Forest are largely complaint-driven. The Forest Service emphasized cooperation with the Emery County Sheriffs Office and invited the public to use a QR-code reporting system for law-enforcement concerns.
Separately, Forest Service management updates covered trail and cleanup work (Little Creek bridge, Ferron Canyon projects), livestock turnout guidance with an approximate 10% voluntary reduction request for permittees because of drought, gravel-pit authorizations to support road maintenance, fuels-reduction projects with stream-restoration components, and a road-relocation project in the Muddy Creek drainage for an area affected by a slide.
BLM staff reported a signed decision authorizing a power-line extension to Goblin Valley State Park, noted a proposed Hunter Power Plant property sale for reclamation activities, and restated the Millsite sale public-comment deadline (June 15) and the Governor's Consistency Review (June 30). BLM also reported substantial increases in rights-of-way and permit fees reported by some irrigation companies and said it is investigating the causes while advising affected parties to use the appeals process included in billing notices. The agency summarized ongoing planning actions, including Travel Management Plan reassessments and the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area plan amendment public-review process.
Agency representatives encouraged public participation in open comment periods and attendees asked for clear signage where campgrounds intersect grazing allotments and for technical experts to attend future meetings on mining and groundwater questions.
The council recorded no formal votes on agency proposals at the meeting but took note of public-comment timelines and invited continued interagency coordination.
