Take Part in Shaping the Future of Utah's Manti-La Sal National Forest
Photo credit: Emerson Takahashi, via Adventure Project
The Manti-La Sal National Forest is located in the central and southeastern portions of Utah and covers more than 1.4 million acres. The Manti-La Sal affords exceptional and diverse recreation opportunities, including climbing in Joes Valley and Maple Canyon, as well as mountain biking the popular “Whole Enchilada” trail, and backcountry skiing in the Abajo and La Sal Mountains.
The Manti-La Sal is currently in the midst of forest planning. Forest planning creates the blueprint for how each National Forest is managed. It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to impact your outdoor experiences on National Forests, including issues like recreation, access, and the development of new protective designations like Wilderness, Wild & Scenic Rivers, and potentially National Recreation Areas.
Right now, the Manti-La Sal is in the proposed plan development phase of the forest planning process. This means the Forest Service has gathered information on existing ecological, economic, recreational, and social conditions and trends across the broader forest landscape and will use this information to craft a draft revised forest plan. The Forest Service recently published a Draft Revised Forest Plan for the Manti-La Sal, and is accepting feedback on the draft plan until the end of the year.
Outdoor Alliance is currently engaged in eight National Forests that are undergoing the forest planning process. In the Manti-La Sal, we are working closely with Friends of Indian Creek, Public Land Solutions, Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, Access Fund, American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association, and Winter Wildlands Alliance. We recognize that every forest is different, and oftentimes the approaches used at each forest is different as well. As has been the case in other forests, Outdoor Alliance is in the process of developing a vision for what sustainable recreation and land and water conservation looks like on the Manti-La Sal. During the visioning process, we work with other stakeholder groups to resolve potential conflicts, find alignment, and reach consensus on conservation designations, management areas, and policy language.
Our approach includes bringing on a Native Lands Coordinator as well as a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) specialist. We are committed to applying JEDI principles to forest planning. This means addressing issues of environmental justice, such as the disproportionate impact of extractive industries on marginalized communities, as well as ensuring that a diverse set of voices – from tribes, to rural residents, to urban recreationists – contribute to the public process. We must also analyze visitation patterns on the Manti-La Sal to understand who is coming and who is staying away, and devise strategies to ensure that all people feel welcome on their public lands.
While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is felt across the country, its devastating effects are especially pronounced in tribal communities because of historically underfunded health care, the great travel distances required to access this care, and multigenerational households that are predominant in tribal communities. This presents a serious threat to health, and on a lesser level, it also affects access to communication channels, including for the forest planning process. To safely engage tribal communities for input, the Forest Service will need to utilize dynamic tactics that respect and prioritize safety, as well as current COVID-19 conditions. These tactics will entail contactless telecommunication and internet conferencing.
The Forest Service is hosting five virtual workshops throughout October and November for public engagement. Each workshop will include a 30-minute brief on topics, with a question and answer portion following the presentation. More information can be found here. The Forest Service is also accepting feedback on the draft plan until the end of the year.