H.B. 412 Enrolled

             1     

STATE OF UTAH TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE

             2     
DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST

             3     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Michael E. Noel

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies the State of Utah Resource Management Plan for Federal Lands code
             11      by enacting provisions relating to a state transportation plan for Dixie National Forest.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    establishes and designates a State of Utah Transportation Plan for the Dixie
             15      National Forest;
             16          .    describes the purposes and map locations of the State of Utah Transportation Plan
             17      for the Dixie National Forest;
             18          .    recognizes that the State of Utah Transportation Plan for the Dixie National Forest
             19      conflicts with the United States Forest Service's recent motorized travel plan for the
             20      Dixie National Forest;
             21          .    requests that federal agencies:
             22              .    fully cooperate and coordinate with the state of Utah and the respective counties
             23      in which these ranger districts lie, to develop, amend, and implement United
             24      States Forest Service land and resource management plans and transportation
             25      plans;
             26              .    enter into agreements regarding the maintenance, upkeep, and improvement of
             27      roads in these ranger districts;
             28              .    refrain from any planning decisions and management actions that will
             29      undermine, restrict, or diminish the goals, purposes, and policies as stated in this


             30      section; and
             31              .    refrain from implementing a policy that is contrary to the goals and purposes
             32      described within this bill;
             33          .    encourages applicable federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate with each
             34      other and establish applicable intergovernmental standing commissions to
             35      coordinate and achieve consistency in planning decisions and management actions
             36      consistent with the goals and policies of this section for the Cedar City, Powell,
             37      Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.
             38      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             39          None
             40      Other Special Clauses:
             41          None
             42      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             43      ENACTS:
             44           63J-8-105.9 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             45     
             46      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             47          Section 1. Section 63J-8-105.9 is enacted to read:
             48          63J-8-105.9. State of Utah Transportation Plan for the Cedar City, Powell,
             49      Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.
             50          (1) (a) The state of Utah designates this state of Utah transportation plan for the Cedar
             51      City, Powell, Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.
             52          (b) The plan was established pursuant to:
             53          (i) the requirement in the United States Forest Service's Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield
             54      Act of 1960, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 528, that lands within the national forests be managed according to
             55      the principles of multiple use; and
             56          (ii) the right which FLPMA, the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec.
             57      4321 et seq., and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2, give to state and


             58      local governments to participate in all BLM and United States Forest Service efforts to plan for
             59      the responsible use of BLM and United States Forest Service lands and the requirement that
             60      BLM and the United States Forest Service coordinate planning efforts with those of state and
             61      local governments.
             62          (c) This section is a statement of the state of Utah's policy and plan for a desired
             63      transportation system for the Cedar City, Powell, Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the
             64      Dixie National Forest.
             65          (d) This section does not mandate compliance with this policy by the United States
             66      Forest Service nor does it override or usurp the United States Forest Service's authority within
             67      this area.
             68          (e) This section is a statement of state policy for use by the United States Forest
             69      Service and other interested stakeholders as required by federal law in making planning
             70      decisions and project management decisions within the Cedar City, Powell, Escalante, and
             71      Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.
             72          (2) There is established and designated a state of Utah transportation plan for the Cedar
             73      City, Powell, Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest in Garfield,
             74      Iron, Kane, and Wayne counties, Utah for the purpose of:
             75          (a) preserving and protecting against threats to the longstanding transportation
             76      networks that have served the public for decades within these ranger districts;
             77          (b) preserving and protecting against threats to the longstanding traditional recreation
             78      resource values that have served the public for decades within these ranger districts;
             79          (c) preserving and protecting against threats to the longstanding public road access that
             80      is vital to the agricultural livestock and forest products industries within these ranger districts;
             81          (d) preserving and protecting against threats to the significant history, culture, customs,
             82      and economic values in these ranger districts, and in the various communities situated near
             83      these ranger districts;
             84          (e) preserving and protecting against threats to the civil rights of the disabled, the
             85      elderly, and the economically disadvantaged to have access to the great outdoor resource and


             86      values existing in these ranger districts;
             87          (f) preserving and protecting against threats to road networks vital to restoring,
             88      reclaiming, preserving, protecting, enhancing, and developing the state's water resources on the
             89      watersheds existing within these ranger districts;
             90          (g) protecting, preserving, and enhancing affected natural, historical, and cultural
             91      activities within these ranger districts from ongoing threats; and
             92          (h) preserving and protecting the longstanding network of publicly accessible roads
             93      within these ranger districts, in order to protect:
             94          (i) the health, safety, and welfare of citizens who live near these ranger districts, and
             95      persons who visit and recreate therein, from the threat of catastrophic fire and its resulting
             96      problems of watershed and habitat destruction, erosion, silt load, and flooding, which can only
             97      be managed, prevented, combatted, and mitigated through a proper transportation network
             98      throughout these ranger districts;
             99          (ii) hunter access to manage wildlife populations; and
             100          (iii) forage conditions for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat.
             101          (3) The state of Utah transportation plan for the Cedar City, Powell, Escalante, and
             102      Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest consists of all roads shown in the map
             103      jointly prepared by the Garfield, Iron, Kane, and Wayne County GIS departments in February
             104      2014, entitled "State of Utah Transportation Plan for Dixie National Forest," printed copies of
             105      which will be maintained by the Utah Association of Counties and made available to the public
             106      upon request.
             107          (4) (a) (i) The map described in Subsection (3) also documents the move by Dixie
             108      National Forest to close and otherwise deny the public's longstanding access to many of the
             109      roads shown on the map in the Cedar City, Powell, Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts, by
             110      reason of the United States Forest Service's implementing a recent motorized travel plan for the
             111      Dixie National Forest.
             112          (ii) These closures and other denials of public road access through the motorized travel
             113      plan of the Dixie National Forest constitute an ongoing direct threat to the resources and values


             114      referenced in Subsection (2).
             115          (b) The state of Utah's transportation plan for these ranger districts conflicts with the
             116      United States Forest Service's recent motorized travel plan for the Dixie National Forest.
             117          (c) The state of Utah's transportation plan for these ranger districts recognizes that all
             118      roads shown on the map referenced in Subsection (3) should be kept open to the public.
             119          (5) The state finds that keeping open to the public all roads shown on the map
             120      referenced in Subsection (3) is necessary and vital to preserve and protect the values cited in
             121      Subsection (2).
             122          (6) The state requests that the federal agencies that administer lands within the Cedar
             123      City, Powell, Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest:
             124          (a) fully cooperate and coordinate with the state of Utah and the respective counties in
             125      which these ranger districts lie, to develop, amend, and implement United States Forest Service
             126      land and resource management plans and transportation plans, and implement management
             127      decisions pursuant to those plans, that are consistent with the purposes, goals, and policies
             128      described in this section to the maximum extent allowed under federal law;
             129          (b) enter into agreements regarding the maintenance, upkeep, and improvement of
             130      roads in these ranger districts;
             131          (c) refrain from any planning decisions and management actions that will undermine,
             132      restrict, or diminish the goals, purposes, and policies as stated in this section; and
             133          (d) refrain from implementing a policy that is contrary to the goals and purposes
             134      described within this section.
             135          (7) (a) The state recognizes the importance of longstanding road networks in all
             136      national forests in the state but establishes this transportation plan to provide special protection
             137      and preservation against the identified threats found to exist in the Cedar City, Powell,
             138      Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.
             139          (b) It is the intent of the state to designate additional forest transportation plans in
             140      future years as circumstances warrant their special protection and preservation.
             141          (8) The state calls upon applicable federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate with


             142      each other and establish applicable intergovernmental standing commissions, with membership
             143      consisting of representatives from the United States government, the state of Utah, and local
             144      governments, to coordinate and achieve consistency in planning decisions and management
             145      actions consistent with the goals and policies of this section for the Cedar City, Powell,
             146      Escalante, and Fremont ranger districts of the Dixie National Forest.


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