The U.S. Forest Service has a decision open here and is taking comments on it. Dixie National Forest, Utah.
The agency files it as “Brian Head Resort Expansion project”
Closes todaycloses October 29
Places to check
2
People it would take
12
Said they’ll go
0
Photographs filed
0
Opened
September 4
Window closes
October 29
Evidence
Nothing filed yet.
No photograph has been filed on this mission yet. The first one lands here with its fingerprint, where its location came from, and how far inside the agency’s own boundary it was taken. The places to check are below.
The objective
2 places to check.
Dixie National ForestStream crossings
“two upper sections of the unnamed perennial stream were not culverted and flowed directly over East Snow Mobile Road and South Spring Circle”
The agency wrote that in its own document, under Section 3.7.3, Affected Environment - Existing Drainage Conditions. Nobody has been out to check it.
Walk East Snow Mobile Road and South Spring Circle above Brian Head and find where the small year-round creek meets each road. Photograph whether water runs across the road surface or through a pipe. A photo at each spot showing water running over bare road with no pipe, or showing a culvert carrying it under the road.
The agency has published no document here with a sentence a photograph could settle, only a notice. The line below is read from that notice.
On the Dixie National Forest ground next to Brian Head Resort, photograph how people already use it: parked cars at trailheads, worn paths, campsites and fire rings, ski and snowshoe tracks. Date every shot.
Everything else the document says about the ground.
8 more sentences, in the agency’s own words, with where each one sits in the document. Any of them is fair game for a photograph.
“an existing dirt and gravel road, the Brian Head Peak Road, provides access to the summit, which also supports boot pack access in the winter”
Under Section 3.1.3, Affected Environment - Giant Steps to Brian Head Peak PodWhere: Brian Head Peak Road leading to the summit and the Civilian Conservation Corps Overlook
“does not contain any developed ski trails, resort infrastructure, or facilities”
Under Section 3.1.3, Affected Environment - Navajo Ridge to Dry Lakes PodWhere: Navajo Ridge to Dry Lakes Pod, west of the existing SUP boundary near the Wildflower Lift
“There are no existing ski trails or resort facilities within this Pod”
Under Section 3.1.3, Affected Environment - Sid's Peak to East Ridge PodWhere: Sid's Peak to East Ridge Pod, east of the northeast portion of BHR's existing SUP boundary
“The dry channels at the bottom of Desbah and Kodachrome runs were incised and showed sediment accumulation at their confluences with Parowan Creek”
Under Section 3.7.3, Affected Environment - Existing Drainage ConditionsWhere: the bottom of Desbah and Kodachrome ski runs where they meet Parowan Creek
“Forest Service Routes 30204 and 33472 had areas of rill and gully erosion, and roadside ditches were absent or filled in along many sections”
Under Section 3.7.3, Affected Environment - Existing Drainage ConditionsWhere: Forest Service Route 30204 and Forest Service Route 33472
“Sediment from Forest Service Route 30265 was observed to directly deposit into Brown Creek”
Under Section 3.7.3, Affected Environment - Existing Drainage ConditionsWhere: Forest Service Route 30265 at its crossing or proximity to Brown Creek
“The unnamed perennial stream near the proposed Roulette 2 bottom terminal has experienced minor undercutting”
Under Section 3.7.3, Affected Environment - Existing Drainage ConditionsWhere: the unnamed perennial stream near the proposed Roulette 2 lift bottom terminal
“the available counter data indicate more than 400 mountain bike passes per week from the Brian Head Peak Trailhead four-way junction”
Under Section 3.1.3, Affected Environment - Sid's Peak to East Ridge PodWhere: Brian Head Peak Trailhead four-way junction
Open. Anything filed before October 29 goes into the comment file the agency has to answer. After that it backs the formal objections, goes to the lawyers on the fight, and is the story.