BLM withdraws assessment of site near pictographs

The Bureau of Land Management has withdrawn a controversial environmental assessment about a gas project near a wealth of ancient Indian pictographs, with an agency official announcing it will be rewritten.

Preservationists who had waged a fierce battle against the project were delighted. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance called the decision a rare move and added that besides threatening pictographs, the project raised concerns about impacts on wildlife, watershed and sensitive species.

Nine Mile Canyon, actually much longer than nine miles, is located northeast of Wellington, Carbon County, and southwest of Myton, Duchesne County. The BLM noted on its Price Field Office Web site that Nine Mile Canyon holds "the greatest concentration of rock art sites in the U.S.A."

Earliest rock art in the canyon may be 2,000 years old, while Fremont and Ute designs also are found in the area.

BLM officials earlier released an assessment for a project in which the Bill Barrett Corp., Denver, would drill seven exploration gas wells in the canyon. The public comment period was to end last Friday.

A preliminary finding by the agency was that no significant impacts would occur as a result of the project, and that an environmental statement was not required.

But preservationists complained that serious impacts could result to Nine Mile Canyon's ancient treasures. Pam Miller, assistant director of the College of Eastern Utah Museum in Price, told the Deseret Morning News that three of the wells probably should not be drilled because of potential damage.

On Sunday, Ray T. Mathney, a professor in the department of anthropology at Brigham Young University, wrote an opinion piece in the paper in which he said drilling would "irrevocably change the natural and cultural setting."

On Monday, the BLM quietly withdrew its assessment.

"We appreciate the people who provided input. We will incorporate their information and suggestions into our environmental analysis to improve the EA document," wrote Patrick Gubbins, manager of the agency's Price field office.

"In addition, we will provide another 30 days for public review and comment. I expect the (assessment) to be ready for public comment in about a month."

SUWA lawyer Stephen Bloch quoted concerns by the Hopi Tribe that Indian concerns had not been adequately considered by the BLM as required by law.

"This is what happens when the Interior Department makes oil and gas drilling exploration their No. 1 priority," said Bloch in a press release.

In the BLM statement, Gubbins said the area has been enjoyed and used by Indians, ranchers, recreationists and tourists. Many people live there today, he added.

"Nine Mile Canyon encompasses a myriad of resources, including petroglyphs and a wealth of other resources, including wildlife and oil and gas."

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