Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018
This bill establishes the San Rafael Swell Western Heritage and Historic Mining National Conservation Area, consisting of 336,467 acres in Utah. The bill also amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a 54-mile segment of Green River, which is located in the area, as a component of the national wild and scenic rivers system.
Over 500,000 acres in Utah are designated as national wilderness areas, including Candland Mountain, Crack Canyon, Desolation Canyon, Devil's Canyon, Horseshoe Canyon (North), Mexican Mountain, Muddy Creek, Nelson Mountain, San Rafael Reef, and Sid's Mountain.
With respect to the newly established conservation area and wilderness areas, the bill:
- allows for commercial services to the extent necessary to fulfill the areas' recreational or other purposes;
- allows the grazing of livestock, if already established, to continue;
- allows for the "casual collection" (for noncommercial use) of plants, rocks, and minerals; and
- otherwise provides for management by the Department of the Interior.
In addition, with respect to other land in Utah, the bill provides for:
- the cooperative (state and federal) management of the Temple Mountain Cooperative Management Area (7,792 acres);
- the management of the Goblin Valley State Park Expansion as a state park;
- the establishment and management of the Jurassic National Monument (2,534 acres); and
- public purpose conveyances, by Interior to the applicable local government entity, of the Huntington Airport (1,400 acres), the Emery City Recreation Area (640 acres), the State Road 6 Emery Sheriff's Office substation site (640 acres), and the Buckhorn Information Center (65 acres).