9. BLM must pause the environmental review for the Northern Corridor Highway to issue a supplemental study of the impacts of recent devastating wildfires in Red Cliffs. What the DEIS does or doesn’t say: Within Red Cliffs, tortoise surveys between 1999 and 2020 show an overall decline of 41 percent due to drought and…
Contact elected officials and candidates to let them know you are concerned about the need, cost, and damage associate with the Northern Corridor Highway. Remember, it is the election season! See CSU’s Position on the Northern Corridor Highway to familiarize yourself with the issues surrounding the Northern Corridor Highway. Here is a link to: Message your…
Timeline for the Northern Corridor Highway Draft EIS June 12, 2020 – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northern Corridor Highway and a 90-day public comment period opened. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service released the draft Habitat Conservation Plan for public comment during the same…
4. A proposed addition to Red Cliffs (Zone 6) does not mitigate NCH damage What the Draft EIS does or doesn’t say: The Draft EIS claims that Zone 6 can mitigate for damage caused by the NCH to the threatened Mojave desert tortoise and its critical habitat[1]. The Draft EIS doesn’t address the impacts…
Background on the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and the Northern Corridor Highway
8. State your preference for alternatives outside of Red Cliffs Background For the first time in the decades-long history of the Northern Corridor Highway, transportation alternatives located outside Red Cliffs are being considered. This is a critical time to show support for solutions that protect Red Cliffs and quality of life in southwest Utah.…
7. The highway would require damaging changes to the Red Cliffs’ management plans What the Draft EIS does or doesn’t say: Changes to management plans necessary to accommodate the NCH include the following[1]: Allow the highway to travel through an “avoidance area” Downgrade the visual rating and allow damage of scenery Downgrade the…
6. Impacts to homeowners are not adequately addressed What the Draft EIS does or doesn’t say: Noise, light, litter, scenic, recreational, health, and property value impacts to homeowners near the NCH were not adequately addressed. The Draft EIS states that noise modeling (estimating increases in noise levels due to the NCH) and consideration of…
5. The cumulative effects are not adequately addressed What the Draft EIS does or doesn’t say: The Draft EIS states that it’s important to analyze the compounding impact the NCH will have on the environment when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions. However, the Draft EIS only considers impacts from…