from On the Move, Summer (June) Quarter 1999, Volume 12, Number 2
Nearly two thirds of the counties in Utah are currently scurrying to further document road
ownership and/or right-of-way (ROW) access over public lands. These roads and grants of ROW
are critical to the economic well-being of many of these counties and their local communities.
The Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the auspices of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), has recently re-inventoried public lands claiming 2.0
million acres of these lands fit the definition for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation
System. According to BLM, those public lands that possess the following mandatory
characteristics have the potential of being designated Wilderness Area:
The public lands so classified by BLM in the re-inventory process are being designated as
Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). Table 1., below shows the acreage by county that BLM
proposes as wilderness areas. Under FLPMA, BLM is required to protect the wilderness
character of each WSA until Congress makes its decision whether or not to designate the cited
areas as wilderness.
Table 1. BLM Proposed Wilderness Acreages by Counties
County |
Acreage |
% of County |
| Beaver | 7,321 | 0.50 |
| Carbon | 73,069 | 7.30 |
| Emery | 400,709 | 14.30 |
| Garfield | 310,517 | 9.30 |
| Grand | 201,946 | 8.60 |
| Iron | 1,585 | 0.10 |
| Juab | 66,082 | 3.00 |
| Kane | 219,949 | 8.40 |
| Millard | 102,482 | 2.40 |
| San Juan | 376,834 | 7.40 |
| Tooele | 42,176 | 0.90 |
| Uintah | 541 | 0.01 |
| Washington | 63,443 | 4.10 |
| Wayne | 176,072 | 11.00 |
Total Acreage |
2,042,726 |
A special study entitled, " Wilderness Designation in Utah: Issues and Potential Economic Impacts," conducted by Donald Snyder, Christopher Fawson, E. Bruce Godfrey, John Keith, of the Department of Economics, and Robert Lilieholm, of the Department of Forest Resources, Utah State University, concluded:
"The economic gains from recreation, which is one of the major uses consistent with wilderness,
appear to be inconsequential, and probably would not offset the economic losses associated with
wilderness designation. The major beneficiaries of wilderness designation appear to be relatively
young and wealthy recreationalists. In effect, wilderness designation represents a transfer of
income from rural areas, where economic opportunities are already limited. The withdrawal of
resources through wilderness designation seems inconsistent with efforts to foster the social and
economic revitalization of rural areas of Utah, an objective that has long been the stated goal of
many federal programs."
This recent action by BLM and the resulting potential economic impact on local Utah
communities and counties has prompted these local entities to use the latest technologies
associated with global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) to
accurately map and document the physical existence of roads, man-made features, and dedicated
right-of-way on public lands. This information along with earlier maps, legal documents, and
historical records will assist decision makers in making objective and wise decisions with regard to
the highly controversial issue of designated wilderness areas.
At the time this article was written, local entities had until June 21, 1999, to complete their
mapping and fact gathering in response to the BLM proposed wilderness study areas. Although
most Utah counties were somewhat aware of BLM's actions due to previous issues involving RS-2477 roads, formal notification of the newly inventoried areas was not published in the Federal
Register until March 19, 1999.
Direct actual notice was not received in many of the counties until April 12, 1999, at which time
they were advised they had until May 19, 1999, to make comment. The May deadline was
subsequently extended until June 21, 1999. This is a very limited time in which to collect
appropriate information and make comment.
Since this late notice, a variety of creative approaches have been initiated to expedite a timely
response to BLM's notice. San Juan County, under the leadership of Commissioner William B.
Redd took the first steps by forming a public lands management team.
This team was comprised of: County Engineer Doug Pehrson, County Surveyor Dave Bronson,
County Planner Ed Scherick, and County Computer Specialist John Fellneth. They organized
three, 3-person survey teams, trained and equipped them with Trimble TDC-1 Mapping Grade
GPS units and commenced inventorying and mapping all road and trails in September 1998.
To date, San Juan County has effectively mapped (with sub-meter level accuracy) and inventoried
approximately 4,000 miles of roads and trails covering those designated as state highways, Class
"B" and "D" roads. In addition, information on road construction type, any existing man-made
features (cattle guards, water tanks, signs, etc.), along with pertinent digital photographs of these
features were collected.
Emery and Milliard Counties took a novel approach utilizing volunteers from a local ATV Club to
assist in the GPS of the roads and trails and data collection. With the able assistance of Ms. Cindy
Lou McDonald, GSI Coordinator for Carbon County, and Ms. Carma Ingram of Monsen
Engineering, these volunteers were given 20 hours of training in the use of the Trimble GPS
equipment and data collection procedures. Mr. Lee Rasmussen, County GIS Coordinator,
recently reported that nearly two thirds of the affected roads and trails in Emery County have
been GPS surveyed and inventoried.
Grand County is quite fortunate in having a local public-minded citizen, Mr. Berwin Knight, who--on his own initiative--has used GPS (Garmin Surveyor 1 & 2 units) to map close to 10,000 miles
of jeep trails and local roads in Grand County. He has graciously shared this data and information
with both Grand County and the local BLM office. Although this data is not to sub-meter level
accuracy as in San Juan County, Mr. Knight estimates that the information he has collected is in
the 25 to 100 meter range. According to Mr. Dave Warner, Grand County Road Supervisor, this
information has been very valuable to them in updating portions of their road system.
The Utah T² Center has gained substantial experience in the use of GPS and GIS technology in
the cooperative development with INGEO of a sign management program for the Utah
Department of Transportation. The T² Center is currently assisting Uintah County in the
inventory and mapping of their roads and trails and grants of ROW over public lands. This effort
is being headed by Garyn Perrett, Field Project Manager of the Utah T² Center, using the same
Trimble Mapping Grade GPS equipment as San Juan County and two teams of USU students on
staff at the T² Center. Within a one week period of time approximately 500 miles of roads and
trails have been mapped and inventoried. In Uintah County, early findings indicate there are
considerably greater miles of existing roads/trails than previously digitized maps have shown.
We take this opportunity to commend the counties of San Juan, Emery, Uintah, and the others
that are using GPS and GIS technology to aid in resolving problematic resource and infrastructure
management issues. The public-minded help of Mr. Knight and the Emery County ATV Club
along with the special technical assistance of Ms. Cindy Lou McDonald and Ms. Carma Ingram
are also highly commendable.
The Utah T² Center is prepared to provide training and field technical assistance to local highway agencies in this special endeavor and on other transportation related infrastructure management efforts. Please contact the Utah T² Center at 1-800-822-8878 for such technical assistance.