Warning - Meadows Camping

[RichB]

This is a recap of a thread that got lost during the server crash:

I spoke with BLM Utah about a rumor that they were thinking about closing down the meadows/corral camping area. The bottom line is it's still open as of now but they're having a real problem with folks not following the rules while using the camp area. Specifically, people are burying trash, dumping grey water, and disposing of fire pit coals within the area......these are all no-no's. THEY WILL CLOSE THIS AREA OFF if folks don't start packing-in and packing-out, taking their fire coals with them, and waiting to dump grey water at a dump site.

Please be proactive and help out if you see someone breaking the rules or better yet ask your neighbor if they know the rules for camping there. A lot of folks love this area and if it gets shut down we'll lose 50% or more of the space to camp overall and we'll lose all rights to camp on that side of the dunes.

[doznfire]

I sure hope this doesn't happen.I am going there in may and my trailer is 39'.The meadow seems to be the best place I have heard of to camp.

[Crowdog]

I was just there last week. BLM recently closed part of the Dry Lake to camping:



I had a long talk with the BLM guy. Here are the top problems:
- You must use a fire pan. No open fires.
- Do not dump gray water
- Do not ride in the WSA closed areas.
- There is no trash collection. Pack it out and do not burn it.

And BLM and Kane County are fighting about roads in the WSA:


This is going to escalate to the courts soon.....

More detail & pictures

The BLM guy talked about the need for moving the camping area from the meadow/dry lake to somewhere else. And transferring more land to Utah State Parks (good thing). The BLM is in the process of doing a RMP for the area, and we need to send in comments regarding this during the comment period. I will try to get more details and post in this forum.[/url]

[RichB]

Oh that sucks. There's no reason for them to move the fence out like in that picture. That corner was the most popular spot (near that tree), it's lake bed, and it's "disturbed" anyway i.e. people have been driving and camping on that spot for decades.

Thanks for the update but this is absolutley ridiculas. They're just trying to get everybody out of there altogether that's all.

[Crowdog]

Found this:

St. George-Cedar City, Utah (March 31, 2005) - BLM announced today that a decision has been made by agency officials to reallocate funding supporting the St. George OHV Plan Amendment to higher priority land use planning efforts (RMPs) well underway in other parts of the state. This action would defer some of the work on the St. George OHV Plan for off-highway vehicle designations on public lands in Washington County.

St. George BLM Manager Jim Crisp said: "BLM deeply regrets this change and understands the ramifications of deferring work on the St. George amendment, but has no alternative given funding shortfalls being experienced this year and anticipated in FY 2006. BLM will extend the scoping period for the plan amendment indefinitely until it can be determined when funding can be restored to the project. During this time, the St. George Field Office will continue to consult with agencies, local governments, tribes, and interested parties to improve its roads and trails data in anticipation of resuming the plan amendment in the future."

"Comments on planning issues can still be sent to BLM through the mail or by email to stgeorge_ohvplan@blm.gov. We will keep interested parties posted on further developments through planning bulletins, mailings, and/or media releases," said Crisp.

By mid-April, BLM will post an interim report on its Plan website (http://www.stgeorgeohvplan.com) and at information stations throughout Washington County summarizing information gathered during the scoping period that began on January 1 of this year. Crisp also said BLM will follow up on issues raised during scoping by working with cooperating agencies, tribes, and interested groups in assessing travel routes and refining planning criteria to be used when funds are available to resume the OHV designations.

Reallocation of funds will also delay the start of BLM’s Cedar City Field Office RMP affecting public lands in Beaver and Iron Counties. BLM anticipates funding will be restored to allow start up to resume in Fiscal Year 2007. The delay will give the Cedar City Field Office time to further expand important resource data and to continue to work with local governments on understanding social and economic trends in the affected counties. It will also give the field office further opportunities to coordinate travel management plans with the Dixie National Forest and the St. George Field Office.

Cedar City Manager Todd Christensen said, "This delay provides a great opportunity to coordinate and work closely with Beaver and Iron counties, local government, Tribes, groups and interested parties to find common ground and work on the desired future use of the public lands."

"BLM’s management of the public lands affects the ability of the public to be gainfully employed, enjoy recreational pursuits and find solitude. We understand that people will want opportunities to interact with, and present ideas and concerns to the BLM. The Cedar City Field Office will encourage those contacts as we link our planning effort with those already underway in preparation for the start of the Cedar City RMP," said Christensen.

The funds currently supporting new land use planning efforts in St. George and Cedar City will be shifted to planning projects already underway in Price, Richfield, Moab and Monticello. The funds are needed to cover additional costs associated with bringing the four higher priority plans to completion. Other land use plans underway in Vernal and Kanab are not affected by the proposal.

This could affect sand Hollow as the dunes are shifting from BLM to Utah State Parks.