On June 4, the Emery County Public Lands Committee held their monthly meeting at the Emery County Courthouse.
It was discussed that, typically, every July the committee will take a “field trip” of sorts. It was mentioned that it may be a good idea to take a drive out to the recreational roads near I-70 that are planned to be closed out.
Members agreed to meet at the courthouse at 9 a.m. on July 2 or at Exit 131 at 9:40 a.m., whichever they preferred.
Kyle Beagley from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) discussed the upcoming changes to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. Beagley stated that with recent funding they will be able to put in a new building. He said that in the past, anytime the quarry got rain or snow, drainage was always an issue. Beagley stated that for years they’ve attempted to fix the issues but have never been able to find a permanent fix.
Once construction has started, visitors won’t be able to get up to the visitor center, but the bathrooms will still be available to the public. Beagley stated that it has taken some time to get the project started due to the area needing to be scoped out regarding some paleontology concerns.
Beagley also stated that the San Rafael river has been cleared of debris and is floatable, and a few people have already started to take advantage of that.
Josey Muse, Acting Forest Planner for Manti-La-Sal National Forest, discussed the completed draft for the revised forest plan. Open comment for the forest plan is now closed. However, the plan was drafted with all of the public comments and concerns that were made in consideration.
Muse stated that they are working with many different agencies as they push forward and will continue working with those agencies. For more information on the forest plan for the Manti-La-Sal forest you can visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mantilasal/landmanagement/planning
There will not be a public meeting next month on July 2, however the public is invited to join the community on their “field trip”.