FOR RELEASE
CONTACT IMMEDIATE
Don Baxa (801) 524-4070
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DEPARTmenr
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lnTERIOR
July 29, 1975
A portion of the Colorado River in eastern Utah and western Colorado has been withdrawn from various types of mineral, mining and other activities, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
Paul L. Howard, state director for BLM in Utah, sai.d the withdrawal
became effective earlier this year when Congress passed Public Law 93-621, and will continue until October 1979 while a study is being completed to see if the area qualifies to become a part of the Wild and Scenic River System.
The segment of the Colorado River withdrawn is from its confluence with the Dolores River in Utah, upstream to a point 19 and a half miles into Colorado. This is a total distance of almost 55 miles and includes 19,215 acres.
Mr. Howard emphasized that all federal lands within one quarter of a mile of the river and the river bed in the withdrawal area have been withdrawn from entry, sale or other disposition under the public land law and all forms of appropriation under the mining laws. The mineral leasing programs are not affected by this withdrawal but are subject to stringent protective stipulations as the Secretary of Interior may find necessary to safeguard the area.
The BLM state director suggested that anyone considering or involved in such activities in the study area contact the BLM offices in Monticello or Moab for information on the withdrawal.
