An overlook near Moab looking into Canyonlands National Park. Undated. | Stock image, St. George News

MOAB — The Bureau of Land Management Moab field office is seeking comments on an environmental assessment analyzing a proposal for road and safety improvements in the Canyon Rims Special Recreation Management Area in northern San Juan County.

This is a joint project with BLM and the Federal Highway Administration Central Federal Lands Highway Division that proposes improvements to rehabilitate, restore and resurface approximately 38 miles of the Needles and Anticline Overlook access roads.  Both of these roads are Utah Scenic Backways.

The area receives about 85,000 visitors each year with projected increases of an additional three percent per year into the future, according to the BLM news release. The proposed road improvements will provide better public access and safety. The overlooks provide magnificent views of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River. They do not provide motorized access to the canyon below, as they are located 1,000 feet above, separated by incredibly steep cliffs and rugged terrain.

The environmental assessment analyzes potential impacts of improving these roads to a variety of resources including grazing, wildlife, archaeology, and recreation.

Read more: EA DOI-BLM-UT-Y010-2015-0149-EA – Environmental Assessment for Needles and Anticline Overlook Road Improvement – 20170214 Canyon Rims – Final Draft EA(1)

More information about the project, including the detailed proposal, analysis, and maps can be found on the BLM’s project webpages, linked here, DOI-BLM-UT-Y010-2015-0149.

Comments will be accepted through March 13 and may be submitted online through the above link or via mail to the following address:

Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office
Attn: Canyon Rims Road Improvement Project
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532

BLM notes: The most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information.  Comments that contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any comments, please be aware that the entire comment — including personal identifying information — may be made publicly available at any time.  Requests to withhold personal identifying information from public review can be submitted, but the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

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