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SALT LAKE CITY — Roped activities, rock climbing, rappelling and zip lining at Corona Arch and Gemini Bridges near Moab would be permanently banned under a new proposal released by the Bureau of Land Management.
The federal agency said the prohibited activities come after public concerns over resource damage and dangers associated with the extreme sports activities.
Corona Arch was the site of a fatal rope swinging accident in 2013 in which a Utah man died. In 2015, the BLM instituted a ban on roped activities while it analyzed the impact of permanent restrictions.
It is now seeking public comment for a 60-day period on the proposal, which would not impact horseback riding, hiking or photography.
“The BLM carefully weighed the impacts to these iconic resources from roped activities and listened to feedback from various user groups,” said BLM's Moab assistant field manager Jennifer Jones. “Public support was overwhelmingly in favor of making permanent the temporary restrictions in order to improve the visitor experience by protecting the resources and ensuring public safety.”
Both Corona Arch and Gemini Bridges are located at the end of popular hiking trails, with each receiving more than 40,000 visitors each year.
The BLM said the permanent prohibitions would help produce a quieter experience for visitors, as well as minimize resource damage caused by bolts, hardware and friction from ropes and cables.
Related:
Feds ban rope-swinging from Utah arches for 2 years
Federal officials are temporarily banning daredevil rope-swinging, rappelling and other rope activities from several iconic Utah arches.An Internet video posted several years ago propelled a frenzy of thrill seekers to test their nerves at Corona Arch, dubbed the world's largest rope swing.
The BLM was soon peppered with complaints from hikers who were bothered by the carnival-like atmosphere invoked by shrieks of excitement from thrill seekers.
Over the years, there have been multiple severe injuries and at least one death associated with rope swinging at Corona Arch.
In 2010, an 18-year-old Boy Scout from Wisconsin died after trying to jump the span of one bridge to the other span at Gemini Bridges — a distance of about 6 feet. He fell 100 feet to his death.
The BLM said roped activities are still allowed on more than 1.5 million acres in other areas covered by the Moab field office.
The public can comment on the proposal through Dec. 30 by writing to the Bureau of Land Management, specifying it is in response to proposed supplementary rules, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532.
