BLM Moving to Authorize First County Road

BLM Moving to Authorize First County Road


Save Story
Leer en espaƱol

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- For the first time under a new policy, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is moving to recognize a local claim on a motor route across federal lands, in southern Utah.

Bald Knoll Road is a rough dirt track running for nine miles along an edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Vehicles need high clearance to travel the route, which is on BLM land near a national forest.

The BLM has tentatively ruled Kane County has a historic claim on this route, meaning it could be opened for regular use.

BLM officials say it's the first authorization of its kind, but it's only a 'preliminary determination.'

The BLM is taking public comment -- and conservation groups are blasting the decision, saying the road is nothing but faint tracks in the desert carved long ago by a coal company. They say Kane County offered no proof it was ever in regular use.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
KSL.com Beyond Series

KSL Weather Forecast

KSL Weather Forecast
Play button