The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released three new management plans covering two national monuments and millions of acres in a remote area of northern Arizona. The proposal, compiled in a single environmental impact statement, covers 2.8 million acres of federal land from north of the Grand Canyon to the Utah border.
Specifically, the plans allow for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use on more than 1,700 miles of existing trails and dirt roads in the monuments and across other portions of the management area. This is significant to SEMA members whose products or services are used by enthusiasts as these roads and trails will be remain accessible for OHV use.
All three plans will outline how the areas will be managed for development, mineral recovery and off-highway vehicle recreation for the next 20 years. The 3,000-page document is based on public input and ongoing collaboration with 10 different agencies and tribes in the area. For the most part, the plans emphasize minimal "human influence and use" in more remote areas and greater use near local communities or in areas that are already seeing significant use.
Copies of the management plans can be accessed online at www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/planning/strip/reports/asfo_ROD.html.
For further details, contact Jason Tolleson at jasont@sema.org.