US Forest Service seeking comments on plan for Manti La-Sal (including Joe’s Valley)

The U.S. Forest Service is in the process of gathering public comments on a draft revised forest plan for the Manti-La Sal area, which includes portions of the Joe’s Valley bouldering area. The plan can be found here and public comments can be left here (see our proposed comment below).

The Joe’s Valley Coalition (JVC), your local climbing organization, has reviewed the plan and noted that the plans for inventorying and designating dispersed camping could have future impact on the climbing community (see the Objectives section on page 2-59 of the Draft Forest Plan Vol 1 Chp 1-8 (August 2023).pdf).

The U.S. Forest Service is hosting a virtual open house on the draft plan on November 8, 2023, 11:00-1:00 p.m. MDT, which can be joined here.

The comment period is open until November 16, 2023 and the JVC strongly encourages all to submit comments at US Forest Service NEPA Projects Home (usda.gov) to show the climbing community’s continued desire to partner with the U.S. Forest Service on future activity in the Joe’s Valley area.

Proposed Comment:

Joe’s Valley area rock climbing has been a low impact recreation activity in the Price Ranger District for decades and the climbing community agrees with the continued use for this activity laid out in the proposed plan. We look forward to the U.S. Forest Service continuing to collaborate with the local climbing organization, the Joe’s Valley Coalition, on all aspects relating to this use in the Manti-La Sal Forest, including Straight Canyon (Left Fork), Cottonwood Canyon (Right Fork), and Grime’s Wash (New Joe’s), as well as the access and camping that support these areas.

Specific to the Objectives section on page 2-59 of the plan, the proposed inventory and designation of dispersed camping sites along Cottonwood Creek Road #040 should be managed as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Joe’s Valley Coalition. Any changes to the location or number of these sites, as well as sites along Highway 57 north of the BLM New Joes Campground or any other areas within the Joe’s Valley rock climbing area, should align with the user group experience and the associated ability to access the resources. 

By maintaining both dispersed and paid camping options in the region, the USFS will provide opportunities for users of different socioeconomic backgrounds to fully experience and enjoy the use of their public lands. The continued collaboration with the Joe’s Valley Coalition on the overall rock climbing recreational use in the area will help ensure users have a continued voice in the overall planning and implementation processes as priorities and needs change over time. 

If you have any questions or feedback, please email Coalition@JoesValleyFest.org.