By Julie Johansen
Emery County Public Lands Council Chairman Rod Player introduced a new member of the council as their May meeting began on Tuesday. The new member is no stranger to the public land business in Emery County. Ray Petersen worked for years as the Emery County Public Lands Administrator until his recent retirement. He served the county for 33 years, 18 of which were as the public lands administrator, before retiring in June of 2020.
The council welcomed Petersen to the council, where he will continue to serve the county through the volunteer position. He is a long-time resident of Ferron and will bring his vast experience to the council.
The next comment from the chairman involved reading parts of a response to a letter the council sent to the Department of Surface Mining. The department stated they appreciate the county’s concern about heritage and preserving the history of mines being reclaimed in Emery County. They also stated that they are under federal laws to reclaim the mines for the safety of the citizens. In considering the closure of uranium mines, they invite others to discuss the goals and design for closure.
Chris Conrad, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), once again remarked that the number of visitors to the Swell are up dramatically. The council spoke with him about the encroachment of OHV users in Cane Wash, which is part of the wilderness area, and beaver dams in the north end of Salt Wash, which are causing problems for permittees, hikers and horsemen. Conrad reported of the new tactile learning equipment at the new Jurassic Monument. He also said that the road has been graded, improving access to the monument, even on stormy days. There are many volunteer projects happening, Conrad shared, with over 100 OHV users participating. He also reported that Kyle Beagley has joined the BLM staff. When questioned about the signage to the dinosaur quarry, he said that new signs are coming.
Marc Stilson, Utah State Water Engineer, reported only one new application on Muddy Creek. He will bring a presentation on the Colorado River Water Project and Jay Mark Humphrey will assist with this presentation to the public lands council.
Steve Christensen of the Department of Oil, Gas, and Mining reported that Skyline Mine has a boundary change of 24.6 acres west of Boulger Reservoir for development. Sufco is also asking for acreage increases for ventilation. The transfers from the bankrupt Murray Corporation are forthcoming. This concluded his report of coal developments.
In the mineral department, Christensen said that Hard Rock has an expansion of 160 acres. Oil and gas fields have only had one well drilled in Emery County in the last year. He was questioned about the helium well drilling in the Bowknot area that was abandoned. The company is requesting a reclamation bond reduction but has not began reclamation. Conrad, of the Bureau of Land Management, said they would contact the company.
Chris Wood, Division of Wildlife Resources, spoke about the importance of beavers and how they have used them in various places advantageously. He spoke about the fish tag contest that is now underway at Huntington North, Joe’s Valley and Millsite. Next week, the habitat biologist will be in the county. Wood reported that the number of Manit-La Sal mule deer tags have been decreased to 7,500 and sage grouse numbers were also slightly decreased.
Bryan Torgersen, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), joined the group virtually, stating that school funds have been increased this year by 12%. These funds are the only funds that are at the school’s discretion. Additionally, Torgersen said that Johansen and Tuttle Engineering has requested purchasing SITLA land above Orangeville to use for water retention ponds.
Forest Service personnel also stated that as forest campgrounds begin to open, they are booked on the day they open. Tisha Jensen addressed the water fee structure that was addressed in the last PLC meeting by Jay Mark Humphrey. She explained why they have rental fees, the cost to the Forest Service for recovering these fees and that fees can be waived by local government agencies. She asked why they feel the fees should be waived. Humphrey replied that the request is presently at their attorney’s office.
Larry Johansen, Utah State Park Ranger, explained that any reservations at their campgrounds are also filled the day they open. He said that the campground in Goblin Valley State Park is expanding and another one will be built in the surrounding area. This will not happen immediately and is probably a year away.
The Utah Washington Delegation present at the meeting reported that they are working on a grazing bill and adequate funding for PILT (payment in lieu of taxes). They are also stressing that decisions and power should be held locally, not federally, but it is a hard road to follow.
When the council took concerns from citizens, Jack Johnson spoke virtually about road issues, especially with regard to elderly or handicapped rock hunters and UTV use. He was asked for specific locations so that the matter could be further considered.
