Habitat Conservation Plan renewal process must involve citizens
The Habitat Conservation Plan, or HCP, renewal process has been underway since late 2014 by the county. Back then, they were looking forward to 2016, when the 20-year HCP would expire.
For those who are new to our area, the HCP is the document that has provided management direction for the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve (now mostly the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area). The area that occupies 62,000 acres in Washington County was established for protection of a variety of threatened and endangered species, including the threatened Mojave desert tortoise. Now, if the county has its way, a proposed Northern Corridor highway might run through the heart of the conservation area, where the greatest population of tortoises currently resides.
After four years of planning, the renewal process picked up steam in 2018 when SWCA environmental consultants were hired to draft the HCP renewal document and address the Northern Corridor issue. But the renewal process has seen delay after delay. Eventually, citizens will have an opportunity to weigh in when the scoping process — part of the National Environmental Protection Act — begins, which will occur when the federal government’s Notice of Intent is issued in late November or early December.
Unfortunately, it appears the county and agencies are dragging their feet in getting information — which would be important for the public comment period under NEPA — out to the public. The Notice of Intent planned for late November or early December would trigger a 30-day public comment period. If the public doesn’t even see the draft HCP renewal document until well into the 30-day comment period, that puts the public at a disadvantage in what is supposed to be a public process and seems very disingenuous on the part of the county and agencies.
Aug. 23 was the original date the Notice of Intent was supposed to be published. So it’s clear that the county’s effort has slipped significantly since that date. About a year after that date, September 2020, there could have been a final decision on the renewal and the Northern Corridor issue. Now, with a planned late November or early December Notice of Intent issuance, a final decision may be delayed until January 2021.
It is expected that the HCP renewal will keep to the original intent of the HCP, but it remains to be seen if that will be the result. Writers are dealing with two challenging new issues: adding Zone 6 (on the western side of Washington County) to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and the Northern Corridor.
A concern of Northern Corridor opponents is whether real transportation options outside the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area are being fairly considered. Transportation planners should act as if that area were not available to them. Then what would they do?
What about expansion of the existing Red Hills Parkway, which is already in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and probably should have been made bigger in the first place?
Another idea that was suggested to but rejected by planners who favor the idea of the Northern Corridor is the idea of an I-15 flyover to get traffic from Red Hills Parkway to I-15.
Planners have actually designed some options for handling traffic without the Northern Corridor. But have those been evaluated fairly?
The proposed Northern Corridor, including associated road tie-ins, would cost approximately $150 million, according to the 2019–2050 Regional Transportation Plan, while the I-15 Exit 10 Red Hills Parkway Flyover has a cost estimate of $17 million. Planners assert that the project shows no significant improvement to the system and is not worth pursuing within a 2025 time frame. However, they acknowledge that by 2040 the project does help the system overall, especially without the Northern Corridor.
Planners acknowledge that there are many challenges facing our community when it comes to moving traffic efficiently. It will take many ideas to deal with those challenges.
When the federal Notice of Intent is published, citizens will have opportunity to weigh in on the revised HCP and Northern Corridor. I encourage citizens to stay engaged in this process. Those who sign up with Conserve Southwest Utah will receive notices about the comment period and how to be involved.
Citizen concerns about the Northern Corridor have been expressed through informal polls. As recently as the 2019 Transportation Expo, 67 percent of those who commented were against the Northern Corridor while only 33 percent expressed support.
The Northern Corridor will not solve our transportation problems, but it will create others in an area set aside for preservation. It’s important to remember how much benefit Washington County has realized from the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Its presence has supported economic development since 1995. The area draws people from across the nation and world for our events and the spectacular views. It infuses millions into our economy. Events use images from the conservation area to attract participants and visitors. Let’s remain cognizant of its value and plan to continue its protection.
Originally from New Mexico, Lisa Rutherford taught elementary school for several years in Texas after graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso before moving to Anchorage, Alaska, where she worked in the oil industry for 20 years. She has lived in Ivins for 17 years. Lisa serves on the board of Conserve Southwest Utah and the Ivins Sensitive Lands Committee and maintains a Southern Utah Issues Facebook page.
The viewpoints expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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First off Lisa Rutherford, I thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤ for your duo diligence and efforts on behalf of our little yet significant and threatened Red Cliff Desert Reserve. Much gratitude. 1) not easy to find and relocate the tortoises. I spend a lot of time in the reserve, (have adopted a canyon which I clear out all trash once a year) and rarely do I see a tortoise. Maybe once every two years. 2) the northern corridor is a boondoggle $$$$ project that will have little or no impact on REAL traffic issues – I use Dixie Dr to access the freeway almost nonstop all the way. (Planning folks would lose their job if they were to not validate the project, I get that, but expect political donations to go up for those involved – or perhaps good jobs for family, friends, and associates to say the least) 3) A few weeks back some individual assaulted me with a drone off of city scenic trail. Sounded like a bunch of wasps or bees were coming after me. Almost had a heart attack (over 55+) and dropped off a report at the SG police station. Now I know the sound, and hope others will read this and not get surprised. My friend gave me a wrist rocket which I now carry, as I often like to meditate in a few cool sacred placesaI have discovered in the desert. I have faith that if that god damned drone comes back I will hit it on the first try. Kind of have a David vs. Goliath vibe about that, and in fact this entire story is of the same allegorical vein. Good luck, and keep the faith, you will get your info , although the holiday season is a perfect time to insure less public involvement. DO YOU THINK THAT IS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE DELAY? Let’s hope not, but big $$$$$ has no moral ethical constructs (you learn that in business school) as corporate interests are not human interests, (investors and shareholders yes) and in fact by definition corporations are sociopathic. Enough said.