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INDIAN
CREEK RECREATION PLAN UPDATE
Winter
2005/06
Last
fall the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized its Indian
Creek Recreation Plan (http://www.blm.gov/utah/monticello/ICEA.pdf).
This progressive plan outlines a new era of BLM management for
camping and climbing at Indian Creek, and provides an unprecedented
opportunity for climber self-management and a no-fee trial period.
The Indian Creek Plan seeks to protect the area’s fragile resources
and prevent unnecessary developments that would forever change
its primitive character. Plan
implementation will begin over the winter in time for the 2006
spring climbing season.
What
The Plan Will Do
Climbing
Actual
climbing restrictions in the plan are few. As always, no climbing
where it conflicts with cultural resources (like Pink Flamingo
and other routes near rock art and ruins), and the BLM may also
seasonally close climbing routes which adversely impact nesting
raptors/owls. The establishment of new routes and the placing
of anchor bolts remain permitted.
Camping
Some
areas will be closed to camping (notably, the Newspaper Rock Campground
and about 10 campsites along the Bridger Jack Road), although
less than 4% of the management area’s approximately 100,000 acres
will be closed. Campers can continue to use nearly all of their
favorite campsites so long as no new sites are established. The
“Bridger Jack” and “Creek Pasture” camping areas (the latter informally
designated for group camping) will be open to designated sites
only, and dispersed camping throughout the remainder of the corridor
remains available in established sites. The BLM will implement
no facilities or services for camping (except for one toilet at
the Beef Basin turn-off from Hwy 211), and therefore will charge
no use fees.
Human
Waste
A
two-year trial pack-in/pack-out policy will be enforced for human
waste and garbage in all portions of the management area. If at
the end of the trial period, this policy were found not to be
effective the BLM may close some areas to dispersed camping, and
toilets may be installed. At that point, various options for covering
the cost of installation and maintenance of any necessary restrooms
will be explored, including user fees. With the financial help
from the American Alpine Club and Friends of Indian Creek, new
kiosks will be installed at a few key locations outlining management
changes, in particular the new human waste policy, and “Wag Bag”
dispensers will provide campers with free human waste disposal
bags for at least the initial climbing season.
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