Moab Geographic Area

Photographer: Tim Peterson

GOALS

Conservation Alternative Goals (FW-MOAB-GL): 01-04

1. Forest users understand the physical and ecological limits of the Moab Geographic Area to provide water and remain resilient amid multiple uses and increasing drought and heat.

   
   

2. Work with Castle Valley and Moab municipal watershed stakeholders to evaluate and maintain the sole-source aquifer. 

   
   

3. Educational and interpretive information about the impacts, hazards, and associated mitigations of human and pet waste disposal within municipal water supply areas are provided to forest users. 

   
   

4. Work with existing recreation partners and the communities of Moab and Castle Valley to insure sustainable recreation opportunities.

Proposed Management Plan (Management Plan, Vol. 1) Goals (FW-MOAB-GL): 01-03

1. Provide educational and interpretive information about the impacts, hazards, and associated mitigations of human and pet waste disposal within municipal water supply areas to forest users.

   
   

2. Work with Castle Valley and Moab municipal watershed stakeholders to evaluate and maintain the sole-source aquifer.

   
   

3. Continue to work with existing recreation partners and develop new partners to develop and promote sustainable recreation opportunities.

DESIRED CONDITIONS

Conservation Alternative Desired Conditions (FW-MOAB-DC): 01-07

1. The Moab Geographic Area is providing clean water for the Castle Valley and Moab communities.

   
   

2. Surface occupancy which could potentially cause groundwater pollution is absent.

   
   

3. The geographic area is free of oil and gas extraction and use of synthetic pesticides.

   
   

4. The area is free of all new mining claims.

   
   

5. Springs and other surface water areas are undisturbed and retain potential native vegetation.

   
   

6. Water quantity is protected from depletion.

   
   

7. Local communities understand how the Forest provides drinking water.

Proposed Management Plan (Management Plan, Vol. 1) Desired Conditions (FW-MOAB-DC): 01-06

1. The sole-source aquifers and their recharge are maintained as a healthy-functioning watershed to provide surrounding communities with a clean water source.

   
   

2. A diversity of recreational opportunities, including dispersed camping, is available without impacting the sole-source aquifers.

   
   

3. The scenic integrity of the west-slope La Sal Mountains continues to serve not only as a on-forest value, but also as a strong background scenic element, to complement adjacent federal and state land scenic compositions, as well as support local economies.

   
   

4. Old growth ponderosa pine occurs in suitable habitat as tree groups or single trees in uneven-aged patches or in small even-aged patches. Old growth features include old trees, snags, large logs, structural variability, and native vegetation understory.

   
   

5. Surface-resource impacts resulting from energy and mineral development do not have adverse long-term effects on ecosystem health or watershed conditions.

   
   

6. Human and pet waste does not impact the municipal water quality.

OBJECTIVES

Conservation Alternative Objectives (FW-MOAB-OB): 01-06

1. Within one year of plan approval, map all springs, surface water, and estimated groundwater aquifers within the Moab Geographic Area; and associate these with existing information regarding condition, water quality, and water quantity trends.

   
   

2. Unauthorized roads are closed, when they are found, on an annual basis.

   
   

3. Within one year of plan approval, publish trends of temperature, precipitation, and snowmelt for the past 30 years within the area.

   
   

4. Every two years, update climate change trends within the Moab Geographic Area.

   
   

5. All springs accessible to human or ungulate trampling will be fenced within five years, including their wetted area.

   
   

6. Within two years of plan approval, provide educational materials to the public regarding the value of the Moab Geographic Area and how multiple use and resource conflicts are being managed for protection of water quality and quantity.

Proposed Management Plan (Management Plan, Vol. 1) Objectives (FW-MOAB-OB):  01-05

1. Close all unauthorized motorized routes within the geographic area when they are found, on an annual basis.

   
   

2.  Within ten years, designate and harden dispersed camping sites in the geographic area.

   
   

3. Within five years of official designation of dispersed campsites, the travel plan is updated to remove motorized access 150 feet off authorized roads after.

   
   

4. Within five years of plan approval, develop a visitor education plan for the geographic area.

   
   

5. Within five years of plan approval, assess all existing trail stream crossings within the geographic area to determine if they are contributing sediment to streams. If they are contributing unacceptable amounts of sediment to streams, trails will be rerouted or mitigated within five years of assessment.

STANDARDS

Conservation Alternative Standards (FW-MOAB-ST): 01-08

1. Drilling for oil and gas, including horizontal drilling or fracking, is prohibited. 

   
   

2. The transfer of water from one hydrologic unit to another is prohibited. 

   
   

3. No new mining claims are permitted.

   
   

4. All authorized motorized routes, including the Loop Road are limited to their 2018 footprint and width. 

   
   

5. Commercial logging is prohibited and vegetation removal is limited to what is essential to preventing catastrophic fires.

   
   

6. Chaining and harrowing are not allowed.

   
   

7. When conflicts with economic or recreational activities occur, the watershed and water supply are given priority.

   
   

8. Designated campsites within 150 feet of open water are prohibited unless the site can be hardened.

Proposed Management Plan (Management Plan, Vol. 1) Standards (FW-MOAB-GD): 01-10

1. To maintain in-basin water balances, no new trans-basin diversions of water from one watershed to another in headwaters of single-source aquifer recharge areas shall be allowed.

   
   

2. Commercial timber production shall not occur, but timber harvest may occur to benefit watershed health, aspen recruitment, emergency services, valid existing rights, administrative uses, or to build resistance  and resilience to disturbance.

   
   

3. Dispersed camping shall be authorized only at officially-designated sites within roaded natural and semi-primitive motorized recreation opportunity spectrum classes.

   
   

4. Camping sites shall not be officially-designated within 100 feet of open water, unless the site can be hardened or otherwise mitigated.

   
   

5. Vegetation management actions shall not include chaining.

   
   

6. Applications for special-use permits associated with the development of a newly-issued water right, within the sole-source aquifer, shall not be authorized unless specifically for purposes of enhancing or improving characteristics that provide for water quality or quantity.

   
   

7. No new livestock water developments shall be permitted, unless to benefit the values of the geographic area. Existing livestock water infrastructure may be maintained or improved.

   
   

8. Only one recreation event special use permit shall be issued per year on the Whole Enchilada Trail Corridor.

   
   

9. Surface uses in extractive mineral and energy operations must be controlled through plans of operation and permits that provide for the long-term protection and sustainability of all affected resources. 

   
   

10.  A stipulation requiring human waste removal shall be included in all special use permits.

GUIDELINES

Conservation Alternative Guidelines (FW-MOAB-GD): 01-05

1. Utilize and prioritize opportunities to reduce livestock grazing through voluntarily relinquishment or retirement of all or portions of allotments within the watersheds of Moab and Castle Valley. 

   
   

2. Dispersed camping is limited to designated low-impact areas to prevent erosion, soil compaction, and fecal contamination and to prevent human caused wildfires.

   
   

3. Development of new motorized and non-motorized trails is subject to NEPA processes with public input.

   
   

4. Vegetation is managed to limit erosion and retain/restore native species.

   
   

5. Respond to public reports of grazing resource concerns with discussion of the conditions and potential resolution.

Proposed Management Plan (Management Plan, Vol. 1) Guidelines (FW-MOAB-GD): 01-02

1. To maintain the highly-visible scenic character of the west face of the La Sal Mountains, analysis of meeting or exceeding scenic integrity objectives should include key observation points and viewscapes from adjacent National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and state of Utah lands.

   
   

2. To maintain a healthy watershed, all new trails should be designed to avoid stream crossings or to include mitigation if crossing cannot be avoided.

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ABOUT THIS COMPARISON

All text in this chart is copied and pasted from the Conservation Alternative, the MLNF proposed Management Plan, and the MLNF DEIS except for any text in brackets and in italics font.

YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED TEXT

Provisions for management of the Moab Geographic Area that were submitted in the  Conservation Alternative. 

Yellow-masked text: Conservation Alternative provisions that are particularly important, but since the Conservation Alternative was not included in the DEIS, they have not been offered to the public as options for their comment. 

BLUE HIGHLIGHTED TEXT

Provisions for  management of the Moab Geographic Area in the Forest’s proposed Management Plan (which is Alternative B in the DEIS)

Blue-masked text: Forest Plan provisions that differ in important ways with the Conservation Alternative.

 GREEN HIGHLIGHTED TEXT

Alternatives to the Management Plan in the DEIS

Green-masked text: Anything noteworthy re: “All Alternatives” and/or Alternatives B, C, or D.

The DEIS presents no alternatives for management of the Moab Geographic Area.