ST. GEORGE — Two online public meetings are being held regarding the recently released environmental impact statement for the proposed Northern Corridor and related draft amended the Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan. The meetings will be Thursday and the following Tuesday.
The meetings are being held by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the two agencies analyze a proposal from the Utah Department of Transportation to construct a four-lane highway north of St. George that may cross portions of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, including habitat for the federally threatened Mojave desert tortoise.
The current roadway route that is preferred by federal agencies in the impact statement would run from behind the Green Springs communities in Washington City on its eastern side through the tortoise reserve where it would connect to Red Hills Parkway on the western end.
While the environmental impact statement focuses on the proposed roadway, the amended Habitat Conservation Plan would add the proposed “Zone 6” to the Red Cliff Desert Reserve for desert tortoise habitat if the roadway crossing the reserve is approved.
The proposed zone covers nearly 6,900 acres in an area west of Bloomington in the Bear Claw Poppy Trail area. This area would be established in order to help mitigate the disturbance the Northern Corridor will cause to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and National Conservation Area.
The draft environmental impact statement and draft amendment Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan were released for public review in mid-June with a public input period that concludes Sept. 10.
Both drafts can be found on the Bureau of Land Management’s website.
Proponents of the Northern Corridor have long said it is necessary transportation infrastructure for Washington County’s future, especially with the population estimated to keep rising over the next 40 years. Opponents say other measures should be taken that do not involve cutting into the reserve and potentially threatening the desert tortoise.
The upcoming public meetings are meant to expand public access to information on the project and are being held virtually to prioritize the health and safety of federal employees and the public due to ongoing pandemic concerns.
“This is an excellent opportunity to share information about the draft analysis with our local communities and people from around the country,” Acting BLM Color Country District Manager Randy Peterson said in a press release. “We are working hard to ensure we provide safe and informative meetings.”
The Thursday meeting will be held from 3:30-5 p.m., and the following meeting on Tuesday will be from 5-6:30 p.m. Participants must register online ahead of time for each meeting.
The meetings will be conducted over the Zoom meeting telecommunications application.
Those who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
Questions related to the virtual public meetings can also be directed to Gloria Tibbetts, BLM Color Country District Planning and Environmental Coordinator, at 435-865-3063 or email [email protected].
The public comment period for the Northern Corridor project environmental impact statement and related items began Friday and will run through Sept. 10. Comments can be submitted through the methods featured below:
- Standard mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Northern Corridor, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790. Include your name and street address. Your entire comment – including your personally identifiable information – may be made publicly available at any time. You can request your personally identifiable information be withheld from public review, but the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
- Email: [email protected].
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