Zion National Park
General Management Plan

Zion National Park 
Utah

Produced by the Denver Service Center 
National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior 
Washington, DC 

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"There is an eloquence to 
their forms which stirs the 
imagination with a singular 
power and kindles in the 
mind. Nothing can exceed 
the wondrous beauty of 
Zion . . . in the nobility and 
beauty of the sculptures 
there is no comparison."

- Clarence Dutton 1880 

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Summary

The purpose of this plan is to describe the 
general path the National Park Service intends to 
follow in managing Zion National Park over the 
next 20 years. 
The plan will provide a framework for proactive 
decision making on such issues as visitor use, 
natural and cultural resource management, and 
park development, which will allow park man­ 
agers to effectively address future problems and 
opportunities. In most cases, new development 
outside the park will take place to meet visitor 
needs. 
Park managers will make several changes to 
proactively address impacts resulting from 
increased levels of visitor use. The park will be 
zoned to ensure that resources are protected and 
opportunities are provided for a range of quality 
visitor experiences. Most of the park (90%) will 
continue to be recommended for wilderness des­ 
ignation and will be managed according to the 
provisions of the Wilderness Act. In the front­ 
country no new major visitor facilities will be 
provided; however, small visitor facilities, such as 
picnic sites and restrooms, may be built in sev­ 
eral areas, including the Kolob Canyons and the 
east entrance. Voluntary visitor shuttles may run 
along the Zion­Mt. Carmel Highway to the east 
entrance. The Zion Canyon Lodge will continue 
to operate as it has in the past. Part of the North 
Fork of the Virgin River in the main Zion 
Canyon will be restored to a more natural condi­ 
tion. 
In the backcountry several management actions 
will be taken. Three existing research natural 
areas (21% of the park) will be deauthorized, 
while new research natural areas covering 6% of 
the park will be designated. Interim group size 
limits and new interim group encounter rates 
will be instituted pending the completion of the 
wilderness management plan. Park managers 
may need to limit or reduce visitor numbers on 
12 trails and routes in the recommended wilder­ 
ness, including part of the Narrows, Middle Fork 
of Taylor Creek, and La Verkin Creek. Only 
authorized research and NPS­guided educa­ 
tional groups will be allowed in 9,031 acres in 
remote backcountry areas (including 
Parunuweap Canyon) due to their designation as 
research natural areas. 
The National Park Service will propose five 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas, total­ 
ing approximately 950 acres, for transfer to the 
park. Nine access easements, totaling about 15 
miles, and three conservation easements, totaling 
2,220 acres, will be proposed on private lands 
outside the park. Congressional authorization 
will be required for all these actions. 
Five drainages and their tributaries in the park 
and six tributaries on BLM lands adjacent to the 
park will be included in the national wild and 
scenic rivers system. The five drainages in the 
park are: the North Fork of the Virgin River 
above and below the Temple of Sinawava, the 
East Fork of the Virgin River, North Creek, La 
Verkin Creek, and Taylor Creek. The drainages 
partly on BLM lands are: Kolob Creek, Goose 
Creek, Shunes Creek, Willis Creek, Beartrap 
Canyon, and the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. 
Congressional authorization will be required for 
inclusion of these drainages in the national wild 
and scenic rivers system. 

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<full-page image>

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Contents 

Foundation for the Plan 
Purpose of and Need for a Plan 1 
Purposes, Significance, and Missions Goals 5 
Park Policies and Practices 6 
Primary Planning Issues and Concerns 21 
Issues to be Addressed in Future Plans 25
 
The Plan 
Introduction 28 
Summary of the Management Zones 32 
General Management Strategies 35 
Zoning and Related Actions 40 
Boundary Adjustments and Easements 50 
Proposals for wild, Scenic, and Recreational 
River Designation 54 
Implementation 58
 
Appendixes/Bibliography 
Appendixes 
A: Record of Decision 61 
B: Statement of Findings for Floodplains 67 
C: Definitions of the Management Zones 69 
D: Summary of Research Natural Areas 77 
E: Wild and Scenic River Evaluation 80 
F: Legislative Historic for Zion National Park 83 
G: Summary of Key Legal Mandates 84 
Bibliography 86 

Maps 
Location 4 
Areas of Relative Inaccessibility 29 
Zoning 41 
Recommended Wilderness and Land Status 47 
Park Boundary Adjustment and Adjacent 
Landownership 51 
Wild and Scenic Rivers 55 

Tables 
1. Proposed Classification of Rivers 57 
2. River Mileage and Landownership of Suitable 
Rivers 82 

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Purpose of and Need for a Plan
 
As one of 384 units in the national park system, 
Zion National Park is under the management of 
the National Park Service (NPS). The Park 
Service manages all park units in accordance 
with the mandate in its 1916 Organic Act and 
other legislation to conserve resources unim­ 
paired for the enjoyment of future generations. 
To help achieve this mandate, the National Parks 
and Recreation Act of 1978 and NPS 
Management Policies (NPS 2001) require each 
national park unit to have a broad­scale general 
management plan (GMP). 
The purpose of this General Management Plan is 
to describe the general path the National Park 
Service intends to follow in managing Zion 
National Park over the next 20 years. The plan 
does not provide specific and detailed answers 
to every issue or question facing Zion. However, 
the plan does provide a framework for proactive 
decision making on such issues as visitor use, 
natural and cultural resource management, and 
park development, which will allow park man­ 
agers to effectively address future problems and 
opportunities. 
Many changes have occurred in Zion National 
Park, in the surrounding area, and in park man­ 
agement since Zion's last master plan was 
approved in 1977. In particular, park visitation 
has grown dramatically, with visitor use levels 
doubling between 1982 and 1997. This increase in 
use has affected park resources and the diversity 
of visitor experiences offered in Zion. The Zion 
Canyon shuttle system also has changed the 
visitor experience in the park. A new plan is 
essential for providing guidance to manage 
Zion's visitors in the 21st century, and thus 
ensure the preservation of park resources and 
provision of opportunities for visitors to have 
quality park experiences. 
Both the National Parks and Recreation Act and 
NPS policies require general management plans 
to address visitor carrying capacity. One of the 
primary purposes of this plan is to meet this 
requirement. Carrying capacity is defined under 
the visitor experience and resource protection 
(VERP) framework as the type and level of 
visitor use a park can accommodate while sus­ 
taining resource and social conditions that 
complement the purposes of the park and its 
management objectives. In other words, carrying 
capacity is a prescription for the levels of visitor 
use in relation to various natural resource and 
visitor experience conditions. To set up a frame­ 
work for addressing carrying capacity, the park 
was divided into zones that describe differing 
desired resource conditions and visitor experi­ 
ences. (Note that to fully implement the VERP 
framework, a follow­up implementation plan is 
needed to identify key social and natural 
resource indicators to be monitored in each of 
the park's zones, set standards [minimum 
acceptable conditions] for each indicator, and 
develop a monitoring program.) 
In addition to meeting the requirements for 
addressing visitor use management, park man­ 
agers needed this new plan to address other 
issues and concerns that have arisen in the past 
two decades. These issues include those related 
to research natural areas (RNAs) (i.e., areas 
administratively designated by federal land man­ 
agement agencies for research and educational 
purposes or to maintain biological diversity), 
noise, and land uses adjacent to the park. With 
most of Zion recommended for wilderness 
designation, the Park Service also needs this new 
plan to address how this designation will affect 
park management (e.g., changes in park zoning). 
Finally, a new plan presents an opportunity for 
park managers to explore and recommend other 
changes related to managing Zion, such as pro­ 
posing boundary adjustments and wild and 
scenic river designations. 

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Planning Assumptions 

Several fundamental assumptions underpin the General Management Plan. These assumptions are con­ 
sidered "givens" for how the park is managed in the future. 
. Existing major developments in the park will remain, although their functions may change. Park staff 
will continue to maintain the Zion­Mt. Carmel Highway, between the south and east entrances of the 
park, which will remain opened to through (i.e., nonrecreational commuter) traffic. 
. The National Park Service will not build new facilities, such as campgrounds, lodges, roads, and full­ 
service visitor centers, within the park, aside from those associated with the transportation system. It 
is assumed that the private sector will provide lodging and camping facilities outside the park. 
. The National Park Service will continue to operate the Zion Canyon shuttle system, as described in the 
1997 Canyon Transportation System Environmental Assessment. 
. Park managers will adjust staffing levels to reflect the increase in workloads. 

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Brief Description of the Park 

Located in Washington, Iron, and Kane Counties in southwestern Utah, Zion National Park encompasses 
some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States (see the Location map). The park is charac­ 
terized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep, sand­stone canyons, and striking rock towers and 
mesas. Zion Canyon is the largest and most visited canyon in the park. The North Fork of the Virgin 
River has carved a spectacular gorge here, with canyon walls in most places rising 2,000 to 3,000 feet 
above the canyon floor. The southern part of the park is a lower desert area, with colorful mesas bor­ 
dered by rocky canyons and washes. The northern sections of the park are higher plateaus covered by 
forests. 
Zion is one of the earliest additions to the national park system. On July 31, 1909, President Taft issued 
a proclamation setting aside 15,200 acres as the Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918 another 
presidential proclamation enlarged the monument to 76,800 acres and changed its name to Zion 
National Monument. Congress established the area as a national park in 1919. A second Zion National 
Monument (now called the Kolob Canyons) was established by presidential proclamation in 1937. 
Congress added the Kolob Canyons to Zion National Park in 1956. The park currently encompasses 
148,016 acres. An additional 3,490 acres of private inholdings are present in the Kolob Terrace area, on 
the west side of the park. (The inholding acreage and all of the other park acreage figures included in 
this document are based on geographic information system (GIS) calculations. These figures may not 
correspond with legal description acreages.) 
Zion is part of the Southwest's "Grand Circle" of national parks, monuments, historical areas, and recre­ 
ational areas. Visitors reach the park via Interstate 15, which provides access to the Kolob Canyons area, 
and Utah Route 9. Zion is 158 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 320 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. 
The town of Springdale is less than a mile from the park's south entrance. Other nearby towns include 
Kanab (41 miles from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center), St. George (43 miles), and Cedar City (60 miles). 

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<map - Location, Zion National Park, Utah>

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Purposes, Significance, and Mission Goals of Zion National Park 

The purposes, significance, and mission goals of 
Zion National Park are three of the key elements 
that shaped the development of the General 
Management Plan. These elements underlie how 
the park is managed. The purposes tell why the 
park was aside as a unit in the national park 
system. The significance of the park addresses 
what makes the area unique --- why it is impor­ 
tant enough to our natural and/or cultural her­ 
itage to warrant national park designation and 
how it differs from other parts of the country. 
Zion's mission goals articulate the ideal future 
conditions the National Park Service is striving 
to attain. All of the management prescriptions in 
this management plan are consistent with and 
support the park's purposes, significance, and 
mission goals. 
Based on Zion's enabling legislation, legislative 
history, agency management policies, and the 
knowledge and insights of park staff, the follow­ 
ing are the purposes, significance statements, 
and mission goals for Zion National Park. The 
purposes of Zion National Park are to 
. preserve the dynamic natural process of 
canyon formation as an extraordinary 
example of canyon erosion 
. preserve and protect the scenic beauty and 
unique geologic features: the labyrinth of 
remarkable canyons, volcanic phenomena, 
fossiliferous deposits, brilliantly colored 
strata, and rare sedimentation 
. preserve the archeological features that 
pertain to the prehistoric races of America 
and the ancestral Indian tribes 
. preserve the entire area intact for the purpose 
of scientific research and the enjoyment and 
enlightenment of the public 
. provide a variety of opportunities and a range 
of experiences, from solitude to high use, to 
assist visitors in learning about and enjoying 
park resources without degrading those 
resources 
Zion National Park is significant for the follow­ 
ing reasons: 
. Zion's stunning scenery features towering, 
brilliantly colored cliffs and associated vegeta­ 
tion highlighted by a backdrop of contrasting 
bright, southwestern skies. 
. Zion is a geologic showcase with sheer sand­ 
stone cliffs among the highest in the world. 
. The Virgin River --- one of the last mostly 
free­flowing river systems on the Colorado 
Plateau --- is responsible for the ongoing 
carving of this deeply incised landscape. 
. Because of its unique geographic location and 
variety of life zones, Zion is home to a large 
assemblage of plant and animal communities. 
. Zion preserves evidence of human occupa­ 
tion from prehistoric to modern times, 
including American Indian sites, remnants of 
Mormon homesteading, and engineering and 
architecture related to park establishment and 
early tourism. 
The mission goals of Zion National Park are to 
. provide park visitors educational and recre­ 
ational opportunities that foster an apprecia­ 
tion of Zion and its resources 
. ensure that visitor impacts do not impair 
resources 
. maintain the resources, including plant and 
animal communities, at healthy and viable 
levels consistent with natural processes 
. manage cultural and physical resources to 
ensure long­term integrity 
. ensure that the built environment provides 
for safe visitor and staff uses in a sustainable 
and cost­effective manner 
. ensure that the organization is responsive to 
employee needs, recognizing the contribu­ 
tions of each individual 
. foster mutually supportive partnerships with 
private and public organizations and individu­ 
als to achieve visitor use and resource protec­ 
tion goals 

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Park Policies and Practices 

A number of federal laws and NPS policies and 
practices guide the management of Zion 
National Park. Appendix G describes some of 
these key federal laws, such as the NPS Organic 
Act, which underpins much of what can and 
cannot be permitted in national parks and which 
distinguishes national parks from other public 
lands. This section focuses on park policies and 
standard park practices that affect the manage­ 
ment of Zion. These policies and practices guide 
the actions taken by park staff on such topics as 
natural and cultural resource management, use 
of recommended wilderness areas, development 
of park facilities, and visitor use management. 
These policies and practices will continue to 
guide park managers. Park staff will continue to 
implement NPS policies and goals, as identified 
in NPS Management Policies (2001); several exist­ 
ing formal agreements; and many standard park 
practices, as described in the "Zion National 
Park Compendium" (NPS n.d.). 
The ongoing management policies and practices 
of Zion National Park are described below. For 
each topic discussed, there is a general statement 
that describes the National Park Service's 
desired future condition or goal for Zion. The 
general strategies or actions taken (or that will 
be taken) by park staff to achieve the desired 
conditions are also discussed. Some of the 
strategies described below are not currently 
being implemented, but the strategies are consis­ 
tent with NPS policy, are not believed to be con­ 
troversial and require no additional analysis and 
documentation under the National Environ­ 
mental Policy Act.
 
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT 
Zion National Park lies within an extensive 
landscape of human, biological, and physical 
dimensions. Park resources and their manage­ 
ment are affected by natural processes and 
social circumstances, which often extend 
beyond park boundaries. Park visitors, local 
culture and traditions, adjacent land manage­ 
ment, and economic considerations all affect 
park recreational and wilderness values, as well 
as the conservation of cultural and natural 
resources. For example, although the park staff 
manages a small portion of the upper Virgin 
River watershed, water quality in the park may 
depend upon actions taken upstream of the park 
on over 700,000 acres. 
The park also is in a rapidly developing region of 
the United States. With the predicted population 
growth for Washington, Iron, and Kane 
Counties, lands adjacent to the park will be 
subject to increased development --- a trend 
already apparent. Increased use of recreational 
lands and facilities, greater consumption of 
water and other resources, and fragmenting of 
sensitive species habitat will likely result. 
Because the park is part of this greater eco­ 
system, should this development impact 
resources and alter ecological processes, the 
ability of the park to sustain natural and cultural 
resources may be compromised. 
In the past many park units were managed in a 
way that did not adapt to natural or social 
change, or consider influences beyond park 
boundaries. Managing for a static environment 
in the human or natural dimension will not 
provide the means to meet the needs of future 
generations nor accommodate the change inher­ 
ent to, and resulting from, natural processes. 
In terms of biological, geological, and hydro­ 
logic resources, the management of Zion 
National Park's natural resources has begun to 
change from custodial management to that of 
allowing natural processes to shape the land­ 
scape, while also taking restoration actions to 
conserve native biological communities and 
species. For example, the condition of vegeta­ 
tion communities has declined on park and 
adjacent lands since the settlement period from 
overuse, weed infestations, and exclusion of 
natural fires. To reinstitute the natural fire 
process, both management­ignited and naturally 
ignited fire are occurring under closely managed 
conditions. In concert with fire management, 
weed control and revegetation, using native 
plants as active restoration tools, are being used 
to restore natural vegetation. To be most effec­ 
tive, application of these restoration activities 
must be conducted in concert with adjacent 
land managers because vegetation communities 
do not conform to political boundaries. 

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. Desired Conditions: The Park Service 
demonstrates leadership in resource steward­ 
ship and conservation of ecosystem values 
within and outside the park. Zion National 
Park is managed from an ecosystem per­ 
spective, where internal and external factors 
affecting visitor use, environmental quality, and 
resource stewardship goals are considered at a 
scale appropriate to their impact on affected 
resources. Park resources and visitors are 
managed considering the ecological and social 
conditions of the park and surrounding area. 
Park managers adapt to changing ecological 
and social conditions within and external to 
the park and continue as partners in regional 
planning and land management. 
. Strategies: Park staff will continue to partici­ 
pate in and encourage ongoing partnerships 
with local, state, and federal agencies and 
organizations in programs that have impor­ 
tance within and beyond park boundaries. 
Partnerships important to the long­term via­ 
bility of critical natural and cultural resources 
include: 
(1) Interagency Conservation Agreement for 
the Virgin Spinedace: provides for habitat 
improvement and population protection 
for the spinedace 
(2) Virgin River Resource Management and 
Recovery Program: provides for conser­ 
vation of riverine resources (specifically 
seven species of concern) throughout the 
Virgin River drainage, through habitat 
management, improved water quality and 
quantity, in­stream flow, floodplain protec­ 
tion, and other means 
(3) Zion National Park Water Rights 
Settlement Agreement: protects stream 
and groundwater resources within and 
adjacent to the park and provides for 
federal reserved water rights (pending final 
adjudication) for the park 
(4) Grafton Heritage Partnership Project: 
restores/ stabilizes the extant structures 
and interpretation of the historic pioneer­ 
era settlement of Grafton, as well as river 
channel restoration 
(5) River channel and floodplain restoration 
of the North Fork of the Virgin River: 
restoration of natural floodplain and river­ 
ine processes in stretches of the river 
within and below the park. 
Central to ecosystem management is long­term 
monitoring of the change in condition of cul­ 
tural and natural resources and related human 
influences. Without a planned monitoring pro­ 
gram, improvement or degradation of resources 
and visitor experience cannot be determined 
with any certainty. To protect, restore, and 
enhance park resources and to sustain visitor 
use and enjoyment within the park and the 
related landscape, park managers will 
. initiate long­term monitoring of resources 
and visitor use, including use of the VERP 
process as appropriate 
. promote park­sponsored research to increase 
the understanding of park resources, natural 
processes, and human interactions with the 
environment 
. institute science­based decision­making, 
incorporating the results of resource monitor­ 
ing and research into all aspects of park oper­ 
ations 
. identify lands external to the park where eco­ 
logical processes, natural and cultural 
resources, and human use affect park 
resources or are closely related to park 
resource management considerations; initiate 
joint management actions, agreements, or 
partnerships to promote resource conserva­ 
tion 
. provide vigorous education and outreach 
programs to highlight conservation and man­ 
agement issues facing the park and related 
lands, and develop constituencies to assist in 
their resolution 

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RELATIONS WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS,
ADJACENT LANDOWNERS, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES 
As noted above, Zion National Park is not an 
island --- the park is part of a greater area, 
socially, politically, ecologically, and historically. 
The National Park Service must consider how 
its actions in Zion affect the surrounding envi­ 
ronment and society. For instance, management 
of the park influences local economies through 
tourism expenditures, as well as the goods and 
services purchased by the Park Service to 
support park operations. 
. Desired Conditions: The National Park 
Service manages Zion National Park holisti­ 
cally as part of a greater ecological, social, eco­ 
nomic, and cultural system. Good relations are 
maintained with adjacent landowners, sur­ 
rounding communities, and private and public 
groups that affect, and are affected by, the 
park. Zion is managed proactively to resolve 
external issues and concerns and ensure park 
values are not compromised. 
. Strategies: Park staff will continue to establish 
and foster partnerships with public and private 
organizations to achieve the purposes and 
mission of the park. Partnerships will be 
sought for resource protection, research, edu­ 
cation, and visitor enjoyment purposes. 
To foster a spirit of cooperation with neigh­ 
bors and encourage compatible adjacent land 
uses, park staff will keep landowners, land 
managers, local governments, and the public 
informed about park management activities. 
Periodic consultations will occur with 
landowners and communities who are affected 
by, or potentially affected by park visitors and 
management actions. Park staff will respond 
promptly to conflicts that arise over their 
activities, visitor access, and proposed activi­ 
ties and developments on adjacent lands that 
may affect Zion. Park managers will seek 
agreements with landowners to encourage 
their lands to be managed in a manner com­ 
patible with park purposes. Park staff also will 
seek ways to provide landowners with techni­ 
cal and management assistance to address 
issues of mutual interest. 
The National Park Service will work closely 
with local, state, federal agencies, and tribal 
governments whose programs affect, or are 
affected by, activities in Zion. The Park 
Service will continue to be an active member 
of the Southwest Utah Planning Authorities 
Council (SUPAC). It also will continue to 
coordinate with the Five County Associations 
of Governments, and with other local, state, 
and federal agencies. In particular, park man­ 
agers will maintain a close working relation­ 
ship with the Bureau of Land Management, 
whose lands abut much of the park, to meet 
mutual management needs. Park managers 
also will pursue cooperative regional planning 
whenever possible to integrate the park into 
issues of regional concern.

GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT RELATIONS BETWEEN AMERICAN
INDIAN TRIBES AND ZION NATIONAL PARK 
Several Southern Paiute tribes and bands view 
Zion National Park as part of their traditional 
homeland. These tribes and bands include the 
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (which includes the 
Kanosh, Shivwits, Koosharem, Indian Peaks and 
Cedar Bands), the Kaibab Band of Paiute 
Indians, the Moapa Paiute Indian Tribe, and the 
San Juan Paiute Indian Tribe. The Hopi Tribe 
and other Puebloan groups also have expressed 
their close affiliation with Zion. 
The National Park Service has developed several 
park policies based on legal mandates, such as 
the National Historic Preservation Act, 
Archaeological Resources Protection Act, Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation 
Act, and the American Indian Religious 
Freedom Act. The Park Service has written a 
formal park policy that exempts Southern Paiute 
tribal members from paying fees if they enter the 
park for nonrecreational activities (i.e., tradi­ 
tional religious, ceremonial, medicinal, or other 
customary activities). The Park Service and 
tribal governments of the Southern Paiute have 
also jointly developed a memorandum of under­ 
standing that allows, under prescribed condi­ 
tions, tribal members to gather plants found 
within the park that are used for traditional and 
customary purposes. 
. Desired Conditions: The National Park 
Service and tribes culturally affiliated with 
Zion maintain positive, productive, govern­ 
ment­to­government relationships. Park man­ 
agers and staff respect the viewpoints and 
needs of the tribes, continue to promptly 
address conflicts that occur, and consider 
American Indian values in park management 
and operation. 
. Strategies: The National Park Service will con­ 
tinue to cooperate with tribes in conducting 
ethnographic studies to better understand 
which tribes are culturally affiliated with the 
park and identify culturally significant 
resources. 

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Regular consultations will occur with affiliated 
tribes to continue to improve communications 
and resolve any problems or misunderstand­ 
ings. 
Park managers will continue to encourage the 
employment of American Indians on park staff 
to improve communications and working rela­ 
tionships, and encourage cultural diversity in 
the workplace. 
Culturally affiliated tribal values will be con­ 
sidered in efforts to improve overall manage­ 
ment and park interpretation. 
A joint monitoring program will be imple­ 
mented to monitor plant­gathering sites for 
potential impacts, as called for in the memo­ 
randum of understanding with the Southern 
Paiute.

NATURAL RESOURCES (GENERAL) 
Protection, study, and management of the park's 
natural resources and processes is essential for 
achieving the park's purposes and mission. The 
"Resource Management Plan" (NPS 1994a) pro­ 
vides details on the strategies and actions to 
address the park's most important resource 
management problems and research needs. 
. Desired Conditions: Zion retains its ecologi­ 
cal integrity, including its natural resources and 
processes. The natural features of the park, 
including the natural sound environment 
remain unimpaired. The park continues to be a 
dynamic, bio­diverse environment. Park visi­ 
tors and staff recognize and understand the 
value of the park's natural resources. Park staff 
uses the best available scientific information 
and technology to manage the park's natural 
resources. Park managers ensure that labora­ 
tory facilities are available to meet the needs of 
park staff and independent scientists engaged 
in fundamental physical, biological, and cul­ 
tural studies and analyses. Zion is recognized 
and valued as an outstanding example of 
resource stewardship, conservation, education, 
and public use. 
. General Strategies: Park staff and other scien­ 
tists will continue to inventory park resources 
to quantify, locate, and document biotic and 
abiotic resources in the park and to assess their 
status and trends. 
Park managers will encourage and support 
basic and applied research directly through 
various partnerships and agreements to 
enhance the understanding of park resources 
and processes, or to answer specific manage­ 
ment questions. 
Park staff and other scientists will continue the 
long­term systematic monitoring of resources 
and processes to discern natural and anthro­ 
pogenically induced trends, document 
changes in species or communities, evaluate 
the effectiveness of management actions taken 
to protect and restore resources, and to miti­ 
gate impacts on resources. 
The park staff will continue to expand the data 
management system, including a geographic 
information system (GIS), a research data 
base, and a literature data base, for analyzing, 
modeling, predicting, and testing trends in 
resource conditions. 
Park staff will apply ecological principles to 
ensure that natural resources are maintained 
and not impaired. They will manage fire to 
maintain and/or restore ecosystem integrity 
and use integrated pest management pro­ 
cedures when necessary to control nonnative 
organisms or other pests. Habitats for threat­ 
ened and endangered species will also be con­ 
served and restored. 
Park staff will apply mitigation techniques to 
minimize the impacts of construction and 
other activities on park resources (see the text 
box on page 11). Facilities will be built in previ­ 
ously disturbed areas or in carefully selected 
sites with as small a construction footprint as 
possible. 
Park managers will restore disturbed lands as 
much as possible and determine on a site­by­ 
site basis whether passive or active restoration 
was necessary. Park staff will carry out active 
restoration of previously or newly disturbed 
areas using native genetic materials to regain 
maximum habitat value. Should facilities be 
removed, the disturbed lands will be rehabili­ 
tated to restore natural topography and soils, 
and revegetate the areas with native species. 
Under some circumstances, primarily in front­ 
country developed areas, it may be appropri­ 
ate and within policy to use nonnative plants 
in restoration efforts. Additionally, certain 
exotic plant species may be used to control 
other, more noxious and invasive exotic plant 
species. These practices are intended for 
short­term use only, to achieve a long­term 
overall goal of native plant community 
integrity. 

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Park managers will continue to regularly 
update the park's resource management plan 
and prioritize actions needed to protect, 
manage, and study park resources.

AIR QUALITY 
Zion National Park is designated a class I area 
under the Clean Air Act. This designation allows 
air quality characteristics, including visibility, to 
be degraded the least, compared to other Clean 
Air Act designations. 
. Desired Conditions: Zion's class I air quality 
is maintained or enhanced with no significant 
degradation. Nearly unimpaired views of the 
landscape both within and outside the park are 
present. Scenic views, which are integral to the 
visitor experience and have been identified in 
the park as per the Clean Air Act, are substan­ 
tially unimpaired. For example, Mt. Trumbull 
and the Kaibab Plateau, both over 50 miles 
away in northern Arizona, can usually be seen 
from Lava Point. Park staff carry out pre­ 
scribed fires to replicate ecological conditions 
and/or reduce dangerous fuel loading, in a 
manner that minimizes local effects to visibility 
from smoke production. 
. Strategies: The National Park Service will con­ 
tinue to work with appropriate state and 
federal government agencies, industries, 
nearby communities, land managers, the 
Southwest Utah Planning Authorities Council 
(SUPAC), the Utah Division of Air Quality, and 
the Western Regional Air Partnership to main­ 
tain park and regional air quality. 
Park staff and other scientists will inventory 
and monitor air quality in the park to gain 
baseline data and to measure any significant 
changes (improvement or deterioration) to 
Zion's airshed. This will include a complete 
inventory of in­park emission sources, as well 
as those in the immediate vicinity of the park. 
The Park Service will review, comment on, 
and recommend actions to minimize or reduce 
emissions from sources being proposed within 
64 miles (100 kilometers) of Zion. 
Park managers also will attempt to minimize 
the effects of in­park pollution sources on air 
quality. For example, emissions from burning 
wood in campgrounds and residences may be 
reduced by establishing nonburn days or by 
banning wood­burning stoves.

NIGHT SKY 
NPS policy recognizes that Zion's night sky is a 
feature that significantly contributes to the 
visitor experience. The policy further states that 
the Park Service will seek to minimize the intru­ 
sion of artificial light into the night scene. In 
natural areas, artificial outdoor lighting will be 
limited to meeting basic safety requirements and 
will be shielded when possible. 
. Desired Conditions: Excellent opportunities 
to view the night sky are available. Artificial 
light sources both within and outside the park 
do not impair night sky viewing opportunities. 
. Strategies: Park staff will continue to work 
with local communities to encourage protec­ 
tion of the night sky and will evaluate impacts 
on the night sky caused by facilities within 
Zion National Park. To the extent possible, the 
staff will work within a regional context to 
protect night sky quality. 
If park staff determine that light sources 
within the park affect views of the night sky, 
they will study alternatives to existing lighting 
sources, such as shielding lights, changing 
lamp types, or eliminating unnecessary 
sources.

WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY 
Water is a key resource in Zion National Park, 
shaping the landscape and affecting plants, 
animals, and visitor use. Nearby communities 
and landowners also rely on the water that flows 
into and out of the park. River flow in Zion is 
currently substantially natural and free flowing. 
It is protected by federal reserved water rights 
recognized under the 1996 Zion National Park 
Water Rights Settlement Agreement between the 
United States, the State of Utah, the Washington 
County Water Conservancy District, and Kane 
County Water Conservancy District. The agree­ 
ment identified state appropriative rights and 
federal reserved water rights to help ensure that 
the National Park Service maintains groundwa­ 
ter, stream flows, and spring discharges within 
the park. While the agreement allows for some 
potential future development of water above the 
park, the agreement recognizes the United 
States' reserved rights to "all water underlying, 
originating within or flowing through Zion 
National Park ... that was unappropriated as of 
the dates of reservation of the lands now within 
the boundaries of the park, which waters are to 
remain in a free flowing condition." [emphasis 
added] The rights comprise "those waters in the 
Virgin River Basin," and include all sources of 
surface and groundwater. 
. Desired Conditions: The National Park 
Service fully complies with the Zion National 
Park Water Rights Settlement Agreement to 

---- page 10 end ----

== insert begin ==
Natural Resource Mitigation Measures

Park staff will continue to apply the following measures to avoid or minimize the impacts on sensitive 
natural resources: 
. Enforce trail closures during the Mexican spotted owl breeding/nesting period (March 1 -- August 31) 
for side canyons off the main Zion Canyon where the owls typically are found. 
. Prohibit the climbing of cliff faces that support peregrine falcon aeries during breeding and nesting 
periods (approximately February through July); direct air traffic away from these nesting areas. 
. Limit damage or loss of vegetation and associated species (including Zion snails) in hanging gardens 
through visitor education and the use of delineated trails, barriers, and signs. 
. Employ erosion control measures or place barriers to control potential impacts on rare plants from 
trail erosion or social trailing. 
. Employ a variety of techniques, including visitor education programs, restrictions on visitor activities, 
and ranger patrols, to reduce impacts on wildlife during sensitive times. 
. Use designated river access/crossing points, barriers, and closures to prevent trampling and loss of 
riparian vegetation. 
. Use interpretive displays and programs, ranger patrols, and regulations on use levels to minimize 
water pollution. 
. Where possible, new developments will be built in previously disturbed sites. New developments also 
will be built away from microbiotic soil crusts. 
. Prior to any construction in areas where spotted owls are known or suspected to occur, park man­ 
agers will evaluate the specific locations for new developments, such as picnic areas and trails, in con­ 
sultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No new facilities will be built during the owl breed­ 
ing/nesting season (March 1 -- August 31). 
. No new designated camping sites will be located in Mexican spotted owl territories. If survey results 
indicate that visitors are camping near nest or roost sites, restrictions will be placed on camping in 
those areas. 
. Park staff will survey proposed development sites for rare plants and will relocate new developments 
if rare plant populations are present. Similarly, trails and routes will be located to avoid impacts on 
rare plants. 
. Site­specific measures, such as the placement of silt fencing, retention and replacement of topsoil, 
revegetation of sites, and selective scheduling of construction activities, will be taken to reduce 
runoff from construction sites. Workers also will be required to control dust, and all construction 
machinery will be required to meet air emission standards. Restoration efforts will be scheduled to 
minimize impacts on downstream water users and to avoid the Virgin spinedace spawning periods. 
. Wading and hiking in streams with Virgin spinedace will be managed to minimize impacts on the 
fish. 
. To minimize impacts of trail erosion and social trailing on microbiotic crusts in developed areas, park 
staff will place barriers, erect signs, and rehabilitate damaged areas. 
. To help minimize the spread of nonnative plants, park managers will allow only the use of weed­free 
materials and equipment for park operations and visitor use activities. 
== insert end ==

---- page 11 end ----

support park resource, visitor, and administra­ 
tive uses, and the rights of other water users. 
Flows in the springs, rivers, and tributaries, 
including floods, are substantially natural. All 
water withdrawals and appropriations are 
limited to authorized amounts. Zion's water 
quality continues to reflect natural conditions 
and supports administrative and recreational 
uses, and adjacent communities. 
. Strategies: With regard to water flows, the 
National Park Service will work cooperatively 
with the Utah Department of Natural 
Resources, Washington County Water 
Conservancy District, and Kane County Water 
Conservancy District to implement the Zion 
National Park Water Rights Settlement 
Agreement. 
Park staff will strive to conserve water in all 
park operations. Examples of actions that can 
be taken include replacing irrigation ditches 
with pipes, reducing irrigated landscapes, and 
installing low flow fixtures such as toilets and 
showers. 
Park personnel will document and monitor 
current water consumption in the park and 
monitor stream flows. Park managers will 
review all future projects for compliance with 
the provisions of the water rights agreement. 
Visitor interpretive and education efforts will 
emphasize the hazards from flash flooding that 
exist in the park and appropriate responses 
when flooding occurs. Park staff will educate 
visitors in techniques to prevent water pollu­ 
tion and safely collect and treat drinking water 
from natural sources. 
Park personnel will develop a program to 
manage human waste in all areas, particularly 
in riparian or riverine situations. This program 
may involve visitors carrying their own wastes 
out from certain areas. 
Park managers also will work with adjacent 
landowners and the Utah Department of 
Natural Resources to prevent water pollution 
and minimize the risk of water­borne diseases 
stemming from livestock and other sources. 
Park managers will also participate in state or 
national water quality remediation and water­ 
shed planning programs. 
A monitoring program will be established to 
regularly measure water quality and quantity, 
including physical, chemical, and biological 
properties.

NATURAL SOUNDS 
NPS Management Policies require park managers 
to strive to preserve the natural soundscape 
(natural quiet) associated with the physical and 
biological resources (for example, the sounds of 
the wind in the trees). The concept of natural 
quiet was further defined in the Report on Effects 
of Aircraft Overflights on the National Park 
System (NPS 1995): 
What is natural quiet?: Parks and wildernesses 
offer a variety of unique, pristine sounds not 
found in most urban or suburban environ­ 
ments. They also offer a complete absence of 
sounds that are found in such environments. 
Together, these two conditions provide a very 
special dimension to a park experience --- 
quiet itself. In the absence of any discernible 
source of sound (especially manmade), quiet is 
an important element of the feeling of soli­ 
tude. Quiet also affords visitors an opportunity 
to hear faint or very distant sounds, such as 
animal activity and waterfalls. Such an experi­ 
ence provides an important perspective on the 
vastness of the environment in which the 
visitor is located, often beyond the visual 
boundaries determined by trees, terrain, and 
the like. In considering natural quiet as a 
resource, the ability to clearly hear the delicate 
and quieter intermittent sounds of nature, the 
ability to experience interludes of extreme 
quiet for their own sake, and the opportunity 
to do so for extended periods of time is what 
natural quiet is all about. 
Aircraft flights over the park for sightseeing, 
photography, or filming purposes can adversely 
affect the natural soundscape. The potential 
exists for increases in air tours and associated 
noise impacts in the park. Land­based sources, 
such as motor vehicles, can also affect natural 
sounds. 
. Desired Conditions: Natural sounds predom­ 
inate in Zion. Visitors have opportunities 
throughout most of the park to experience 
natural sounds in an unimpaired condition. 
The sounds of civilization are generally con­ 
fined to developed areas. 
. Strategies: Park managers will continue to 
follow several policies and practices to mini­ 
mize noise both from land and air sources. 
With the passage of Public Law 106­181 
(National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 
2000), the park staff will develop an air tour 
management plan to provide guidance in man­ 
aging this activity. The plan will conform to the 
above legislation. 

---- page 12 end ----

As provided in the legislation, the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) will grant 
interim operating authority for air tour opera­ 
tors to continue to operate as they have in the 
past, pending completion of an air tour man­ 
agement plan. If all parties, including the park 
superintendent, agree, an interim operating 
authority may be modified to further protect 
park resources, values, and/or visitor experi­ 
ences. 
Park managers will work with the FAA, tour 
operators, and all other interested parties in 
developing the air tour management plan. This 
plan will determine if commercial air tours 
will be appropriate for the park, and if so, 
under what conditions (e.g., if air tours are 
appropriate in some or all of the park, the plan 
may establish conditions such as routes, alti­ 
tudes, times of day, maximum number of 
flights per unit of time, etc.). 
The National Park Service will continue to 
work with the Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA), tour operators, commercial businesses, 
and general aviation interests to minimize 
noise and visual impacts of aviation to the 
park. Aircraft will be encouraged to fly outside 
the park, especially for those flights where the 
presence of the park is incidental to the 
purpose of the flight (i.e., transit between two 
points). Actions that may be considered for 
encouraging pilots to fly outside park bound­ 
aries include identifying the park on route 
maps as a noise­sensitive area, educating pilots 
about the reasons for keeping a distance from 
the park, and encouraging pilots to fly in com­ 
pliance with FAA regulations and advisory 
guidance, in a manner that minimizes noise 
and other impacts. 
The National Park Service will work with the 
Department of Defense to develop a process 
to address the occasional problems that arise 
from military flights over Zion. 
Park managers will follow several strategies to 
control existing and potential land­based 
noise sources: 
. continue operating the shuttle system and 
eventually prohibit tour buses in Zion 
Canyon, which will reduce noise levels and 
eliminate the greatest source of noise in Zion 
Canyon 
. continue to require bus tour companies in 
Zion to comply with regulations that reduce 
noise levels (e.g., turning off engines when 
buses are parked) 
. encourage visitors to avoid the use of genera­ 
tors, thus reducing related noise (Electric 
hookups in the Watchman campground 
should eliminate most of the need for genera­ 
tors.) 
. maintain the existing quiet hours in camp­ 
grounds 
. continue to enforce existing noise policies in 
the backcountry 
Park managers will minimize noise generated by 
park management activities by strictly regulating 
NPS and concession administrative use of 
noise­producing machinery such as aircraft and 
motorized equipment. Noise will be a consider­ 
ation when procuring and using park equip­ 
ment. In the recommended wilderness area, the 
use of motorized equipment will conform to the 
requirements of the Wilderness Act, "minimum 
requirements procedures," and related NPS 
policies (NPS Director's Order 41). Park man­ 
agers also will prepare a soundscape preserva­ 
tion and noise management plan to provide 
guidance for managing all noise sources in the 
park, including buses, generators, NPS equip­ 
ment, other aircraft, and external sources.

CULTURAL RESOURCES (GENERAL) 
Zion's cultural resources, including its pre­ 
historic, historic, and ethnographic resources, 
are an integral part of the park landscape. 
Protection of these resources is essential for 
understanding peoples' past, present, and future 
relationship with the park environment and 
expressions of America's cultural heritage. The 
Zion "Resource Management Plan" (NPS 1994a) 
provides details on the strategies and actions to 
address the park's most important cultural 
resource problems and research needs. 
. Desired Conditions: Zion's cultural resources 
are protected and the integrity of the park's 
cultural resources is preserved unimpaired. 
Park visitors and employees recognize and 
understand the value of the park's cultural 
resources. Zion is recognized and valued as an 
example of resource stewardship, conserva­ 
tion, education, and public use. 
. General Strategies: The National Park Service 
will support basic and applied research, 
directly and through various partnerships and 
agreements, to enhance the understanding of 
resources and processes or to solve specific 
management questions. 
Park staff will use the best available scientific 
information and technology for making deci­ 

---- page 13 end ----

== insert begin ==
Cultural Resource Mitigation Measures 

Park staff will continue to apply the following measures to ensure that impacts on sensitive cultural 
resources are avoided or minimized: 
. Consult a Utah state historical preservation officer and undertake an archeological survey, to deter­ 
mine the extent and significance of archeological resources in areas that are not surveyed, for actions 
that may involve ground disturbance or affect structures and/or landscapes that are either on or eligi­ 
ble for the National Register of Historic Places 
. Where possible, site projects and facilities in previously disturbed or developed locations 
. Whenever possible, modify project design features to avoid effects to national register eligible or list­ 
ed properties 
. Ensure that archeological monitors are present during all construction activities that may impact sub­ 
surface cultural deposits 
. Add signs and physical barriers to protect sites listed on the national register (or are eligible for list­ 
ing) from visitor related impacts. 
. Focus public education initiatives on class I and class II sites, as identified under the park's archeologi­ 
cal site disclosure policy
== insert end ==

sions on and managing the park's cultural 
resources. 
Park staff and scientists will continue to collect 
information to fill gaps in the knowledge and 
understanding of Zion's cultural resources, to 
assess their status and trends and more effec­ 
tively protect and manage the resources. 
The National Park Service also will continue 
long­term monitoring of archeological sites to 
measure the deterioration from natural and 
human sources and to evaluate the effective­ 
ness of management actions to protect 
resources and mitigate impacts. 
To analyze, model, predict, and test trends in 
resource conditions, park managers will con­ 
tinue to use and expand a data management 
system, including a geographic information 
system (GIS). 
To provide the public and park staff with 
optimum interpretive and resource manage­ 
ment opportunities, park personnel will con­ 
tinue to research, document, and catalogue the 
museum collection. Museum objects and 
archival materials will be conserved to NPS 
and professional standards. The park's 
museum conservation program will continue 
to provide for the proper preservation and 
protection of the museum collection. 
In accordance with the National Historic 
Preservation Act, as amended, park managers 
will continue to locate, identify, and evaluate 
park resources to determine if they are eligible 
for listing in the National Register of Historic 
Places. 
Visitor use management and construction mit­ 
igation techniques will continue to ensure that 
human activities are not impairing park 
resources. Park managers will rely on a variety 
of actions to minimize these impacts, includ­ 
ing visitor education and interpretation, and 
use of foot patrols to enforce the Archeo­ 
logical Resources Protection Act. The park's 
archeological site disclosure policy will con­ 
tinue to be followed (see the archeological site 
disclosure text box on page 15). 
Park managers will continue to regularly 
update the "Resource Management Plan" and 
prioritize actions needed to protect park 
resources.

HISTORIC STRUCTURES 
The National Park Service listed a total of 91 his­ 
toric structures at Zion in the Park Service's 1998 
"List of Classified Structures" (LCS). Eighty­five 
of those structures are either listed or recom­ 
mended as eligible for listing on the National 
Register of Historic Places. With the exception 
of a few prehistoric architectural sites, all of the 
historic structures on the LCS are used for park 
operational purposes (housing, offices), trans­ 
portation, or recreation. 
. Desired Conditions: The historic built envi­ 
ronment, whether federally owned or conces­ 
sion leased, is maintained in good condition.

---- page 14 end ----

== insert begin ==
Zion National Park's Archeological Site Disclosure Policy 

The National Park Service has devised and incorporated an archeological site disclosure policy at several 
national parks in Utah, including Zion National Park. This policy makes information about the location 
of archeological sites available to the public, but only if "no harm, threat, or destruction of cultural 
resources will result" from disclosure of that information. In general terms, such information is only 
provided to those sites that are regularly patrolled, monitored, stabilized, or otherwise protected from 
visitor impacts or harm. The site disclosure policy establishes three classes of sites, based on the ability 
of the site to withstand visitor impacts. The following describes those classes and the management 
actions that continue to be taken with regard to visitor access to sites within each class. 
Class I sites are those that are highly visible in the park and generally known to visitors, like the 
Weeping Rock granary or the south gate petroglyph site. These sites also receive direct physical protec­ 
tion (e.g., fencing, barriers, signs), as well as regular monitoring and condition assessment by park staff 
and site stewards. Some of these sites may have already been impacted by prior visitor use. The 
National Park Service provides information on these sites at the visitor center, as well as information on 
appropriate site etiquette and the Park Service's archeological site protection and use policy. 
Class II sites are evaluated as being more fragile and vulnerable to visitor impacts than class I sites, but 
are also well known to visitors. When visitors request information on a specific site, by name or site 
number, they are directed to the visitor center and a member of the park interpretive staff. Park per­ 
sonnel provide visitors location information on class II sites only after providing information on appro­ 
priate site etiquette and the archeological site protection and use policy. Park staff also regularly moni­ 
tor class II sites, which have stabilization and protective measures in place. 
Class III sites comprise the majority of sites within the park. These are considered to be fragile resources 
and not appropriate for visitor uses. In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act and the 
Archeological Resources Protection Act, location information on these sites is withheld from the general 
public. The National Park Service allows access only to those holding valid Archeological Resource 
Protection Act permits related to the study or management of these sites and only after they have con­ 
sulted with the cultural resource management specialist or the park archeologist. 
== insert end ==

Whenever possible, adaptive use of historic 
structures for park needs is considered before 
building new infrastructure. 
. Strategies: The park staff will continue to 
manage historic structures as "cultural 
resources" and will give full consideration to 
historical values that may be affected as a result 
of park planning efforts. 
. The park staff will continue to work closely 
with and consult with the Utah State Historic 
Preservation Officer and other interested 
parties to identify, evaluate, and protect his­ 
toric structures through mitigation or avoid­ 
ance, as required by sections 106 and 110 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act, as 
amended. 
. The park staff will employ technically sound 
historic preservation practices through routine 
preservation maintenance actions that are 
intended to slow the rate of deterioration and 
protect the fabric, character, and design of the 
building or structure. 
. Park resource and maintenance staff will 
receive historic preservation training and will 
be made aware of the most recent preservation 
technology and applications available.

LAND PROTECTION 
Private lands, water rights, and mineral rights are 
in portions of Zion National Park (shown on the 
Recommended Wilderness and Land Status map 
on page 47). Private lands are confined to the 
Kolob Canyons and Kolob Terrace. Private water 
rights are associated with some of these land 
inholdings, and on federally owned lands in the 
northwest corner of the park at Camp Creek. An 
application has been filed with the state engi­ 
neer to relocate a private water right on Shunes 
Creek in the southeast part of the park to a loca­ 
tion outside the park. The town of Springdale 
and the Springdale Consolidated Irrigation 
Company share a diversion with the National 
Park Service on the North Fork of the Virgin 
River 0.3 miles below the junction of the Zion 
Mount Carmel Highway and the Zion Canyon 
Scenic Drive. Private mineral rights are confined 
to two small tracts (4.39 acres) near the south 
entrance. 
The National Park Service recognizes all private 
rights in the park and respects the rights of the 
owners. Private vehicles will continue to access 

---- page 15 end ----

the inholdings on existing roads, unless the land 
and associated roads are acquired. Use of snow­ 
mobiles will continue to be permitted along the 
Kolob­Terrace Road in the park and on two seg­ 
ments of the Lava Point Road so landowners 
can access their private property. 
Inholdings are managed under the provisions of 
the "Zion National Park Land Protection Plan" 
(NPS 1984). Private landowners may conduct 
certain activities, defined as compatible uses, 
which will not damage the resources for which 
Zion National Park was established to protect. 
Some examples of compatible uses include: 
normal maintenance and upkeep, interior 
remodeling, razing of a structure and replacing it 
with one of the same size, continued diversion 
of water consistent with a valid water right, or 
grazing by domestic animals if that use was 
occurring when the land became an inholding. 
Examples of incompatible uses include: con­ 
struction of buildings on undeveloped land, 
subdividing or selling a portion of the inholding, 
developing minerals, or any action that results in 
damage to natural or cultural resources, wildlife, 
or scenery. 
If incompatible uses occur, the National Park 
Service will contact the landowner to eliminate 
this use. The National Park Service will not seek 
to acquire any interest in private lands without 
the consent of the owner as long as these lands 
are devoted to compatible uses. However, if sig­ 
nificant environmental impacts occur through 
incompatible use, measures will be taken to 
rectify the situation. The alternatives discussed 
in the "Land Protection Plan" may be employed 
to prevent the incompatible use. If these meas­ 
ures fail, it may be necessary to invoke condem­ 
nation procedures as a last resort to protect park 
values. 
. Desired Conditions: In the short run, 
landowners manage their lands in a manner 
compatible with the purposes and mission of 
the park. Water rights are managed to mini­ 
mize impacts to park resources. In the long 
run, the National Park Service has agreements 
or has acquired sufficient interests in the 
inholdings and water rights to achieve park 
purposes and mission goals. If and when the 
lands are acquired, they will be managed like 
the surrounding park lands and management 
zones. 
. Strategies: In the short run, private property 
and water rights will continue to be recog­ 
nized. Park staff will continue to clearly com­ 
municate with private right owners regarding 
desired management. Periodic meetings will be 
held with the owners to resolve any problems. 
In the long run, park staff will continue imple­ 
menting the actions called for in the "Land 
Protection Plan." Various techniques will be 
used to protect park values, including cooper­ 
ative management agreements, acquisition of 
conservation and access easements, land 
exchanges, donations, and purchase of fee 
title. The management of such lands will revert 
to the zoning and wilderness status proposed 
in this plan once the land or water rights are 
acquired or relinquished, and nonconforming 
uses are removed.

PARK ACCESSIBILITY 
The policy of the National Park Service is to 
maximize accessibility for people (visitors and 
staff) with disabilities. Guidance on this topic is 
provided by federal statutes and regulations. 
These regulations include the Architectural 
Barriers Act of 1968; the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; 
28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 36 
and 43 CFR, Part 17; the Uniform Federal 
Accessibility Standards of 1984; the U.S. Access 
Board Draft Accessibility Guidelines for 
Outdoor Developed Areas of 1999; and NPS 
Management Policies and Director's Orders. 
. Desired Conditions: Zion National Park's 
buildings, facilities, programs, and services are 
accessible to and usable by all people, includ­ 
ing those with disabilities. All new and reno­ 
vated buildings and facilities, including those 
provided by concessioners, are designed and 
constructed to provide access to people with 
disabilities. All services and programs, includ­ 
ing those offered by concessioners, volunteers, 
cooperating associations, and interpreters, also 
are designed to be accessible by people with 
disabilities. There are opportunities for all 
people to access parts of the park's backcoun­ 
try. 
. Strategies: Park staff will work with user 
groups, such as saddle stock groups and dis­ 
abled people or their representatives, to 
provide opportunities for the disabled to 
access to the front and backcountry. 
Existing buildings and facilities will be evalu­ 
ated to determine the degree to which they are 
currently accessible to and usable by people 
with disabilities, and to identify barriers that 
limit access. Action plans will be developed 
identifying how barriers will be removed. 

---- page 16 end ----

Similarly, existing programs, activities and 
services (including interpretation, telecommu­ 
nications, media, and web pages) will be evalu­ 
ated to determine the degree to which they are 
currently accessible to and usable by people 
with disabilities, and to identify barriers to 
access. Action plans will be developed identi­ 
fying how barriers will be removed.

VISITOR USE AND EXPERIENCE 
With the exception of commercial guided activi­ 
ties, visitors have had few restrictions on tradi­ 
tional activities in Zion until the past decade or 
so. However, over 2.5 million people now annu­ 
ally visit Zion and participate in a wide range of 
activities. Park managers are taking action to 
manage this use, minimize or avoid resource 
impacts, and ensure that visitors continue to 
have the opportunity for high quality experi­ 
ences. 
. Desired Conditions: Zion offers a variety of 
activities that are consistent with the park's 
purposes and significance. The vast majority of 
visitors are satisfied with appropriate park 
facilities, services, and recreational opportuni­ 
ties. Most visitors understand and appreciate 
the basic purposes and significance of the park 
and their stewardship role in preserving park 
features. They actively contribute to the park's 
preservation through demonstrated appropri­ 
ate use and behavior. Visitor use levels and 
activities are consistent with park purposes 
and desired resource conditions and visitor 
opportunities. Resource impacts and conflicts 
between users are minimal. Visitors have 
opportunities to experience the natural sound 
environment of the park in an unimpaired 
condition. They understand and support 
management actions that are taken to diminish 
or avoid resource impacts. 
. Strategies: If it is necessary to take action to 
address visitor impacts, park managers will use 
the method that assures the most resource 
protection whenever possible. Methods that 
may be used in this regard include such tech­ 
niques as providing ongoing visitor education 
and redesigning or "hardening" facilities (e.g., 
surfacing a trail or building a fence). More 
restrictive methods may include implementing 
a reservation system and requiring permits for 
certain uses or areas, placing limits on use, and 
closing areas including trails or campsites. 
Restrictions on visitor use will be based on a 
determination by the park superintendent that 
such measures are consistent with the park's 
enabling legislation and are necessary to either 
prevent the degradation of the values and pur­ 
poses for which the park was established, or to 
minimize visitor use conflicts. 
Park managers will continue to use the 
transportation system to manage visitor use 
and distribution within Zion Canyon, accord­ 
ing to the need to protect resources and 
provide quality visitor experiences. Visitor use 
of specific features or trails will continue to be 
managed or limited on a case­by­case basis to 
protect key visitor experiences. 
Park staff will periodically conduct visitor 
surveys to determine visitor satisfaction with 
the shuttle system and to determine if conges­ 
tion is occurring in other parts of the park. 
Park managers will emphasize visitor educa­ 
tion, including pretrip planning regarding the 
need for and use of the shuttle system.

VISITOR INFORMATION, ORIENTATION, INTERPRETATION,
AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 
The National Park Service uses a variety of 
methods to orient visitors to Zion, provide 
information about the park, and interpret the 
park's resources for visitors. The "Zion National 
Park Interpretive Plan" (NPS 1996a) describes 
interpretation goals and objectives and interpre­ 
tive themes. The interpretive plan specifies what 
park staff will do to provide visitors with 
information, orientation, and interpretation. The 
1996 plan also addresses interpretive media, 
such as wayside exhibits, bulletin boards, and 
signs. 
. Desired Conditions: The National Park 
Service makes pretrip information available to 
assist visitors in planning a rewarding visit to 
the park. Park staff use radio announcements, 
web sites, mailouts and reservation systems to 
assist visitors with preplanning. When visitors 
arrive at Zion, park staff provide information 
to orient them on what to do (and what not to 
do), attractions to see, and how to enjoy the 
park in a safe, low­impact way. Interpretive 
programs connect the visitor to the park's 
resources, build a local and national con­ 
stituency, and gain public support for protect­ 
ing the park's resources. Outreach programs 
through schools, organizations, and partner­ 
ships build emotional, intellectual, and recre­ 
ational ties with the park and its cultural and 
natural heritage. 
. Strategies: Park managers will continue to 
implement the park's interpretive plan, with 
emphasis on providing information, orienta­ 
tion, and interpretive services in the most 

---- page 17 end ----

effective manner possible. Staff will use state­ 
of­the­art technologies where appropriate. 
Park staff will stay informed of changing 
visitor demographics and desires to better 
tailor programs to visitor needs and desires. 
They will develop interpretive media support­ 
ive of the park purposes and significant 
resources. 
Working with other federal agencies, the state 
of Utah, and local communities, park staff will 
take action to improve pretrip planning and 
provide enroute information and orientation 
for park visitors. Park staff will work with local 
communities and other entities to provide 
information/orientation and interpretive facili­ 
ties outside park boundaries where appropri­ 
ate. Park staff also will seek partnerships with 
other state and national parks, educational 
institutions, and other organizations to enrich 
interpretation and educational opportunities 
regionally and nationally. 
The park evacuation plan and warning system 
for flash floods will remain in effect. Park staff 
will continue efforts to educate the public 
regarding flood hazards and place signs at all 
new facilities when appropriate to warn of 
flash flood hazards.

MANAGEMENT OF THE RECOMMENDED WILDERNESS AREA 
In 1978, the president recommended to 
Congress that 120,620 acres within Zion 
National Park be designated as wilderness and 
an additional 10,364 acres be identified as poten­ 
tial wilderness. The National Park Service is cur­ 
rently recommending that 132,615 acres (90% of 
the land under federal jurisdiction within Zion 
National Park) be designated as wilderness; 4,175 
acres of private lands and water rights within the 
park boundary remain identified as potential 
wilderness additions. These adjustments to the 
1978 acreage figures are due to (a) the acquisi­ 
tion of several inholdings, state surface and 
mineral rights, grazing rights, and water rights, 
(b) the use of geographic information system 
data, which more accurately delineates the origi­ 
nal (recommended) wilderness boundary, and 
(c) the correction of an error regarding a preex­ 
isting private water right on Camp Creek. 
. Desired Conditions: All of the lands within 
the recommended wilderness area retain their 
wilderness characteristics and values. Visitors 
continue to find opportunities for solitude and 
primitive, unconfined recreation. Signs of 
people remain substantially unnoticeable. The 
area continues to be affected primarily by the 
forces of nature. 
. Strategies: Within the next five years, park 
staff will complete a wilderness management 
plan, which will include the establishment of 
specific visitor carrying capacities. Compo­ 
nents of the wilderness management plan will 
address climbing/canyoneering, river recre­ 
ation, and the potential for commercial guide 
services. In the meantime, and in keeping with 
established NPS policies and Director's Order 
41 ("Wilderness Preservation and Manage­ 
ment"), the park staff will continue to manage 
the area recommended for wilderness designa­ 
tion as wilderness. 
The park's wilderness committee will also apply 
a minimum requirement assessment, as defined 
in Director's Order 41, to all activities affecting 
the wilderness resource and character. The 
minimum requirement assessment determines 
whether or not a proposed management action 
is appropriate or necessary for the administra­ 
tion of the area as wilderness. If the project is 
deemed appropriate or necessary, the manage­ 
ment method selected will be that which causes 
the least amount of impact to the physical 
resources and experiential characteristics of the 
wilderness. The park staff will also continue to 
take appropriate action to limit visitor impacts 
on resources to maintain wilderness values (see 
also the "Visitor Use and Experience" section).

LEVELS AND TYPES OF PARK DEVELOPMENT 
A variety of different types of development exist 
in Zion to transport, house, inform, and serve 
visitors and park staff. Most visitor and opera­ 
tional developments are concentrated at the 
south park entrance and in Zion Canyon. Some 
of these developments are adequate to meet 
visitor and park needs; other developments, 
such as some employee housing, do not meet 
NPS standards. 
. Desired Conditions: Park development is the 
minimum necessary to serve visitor needs and 
provide for the protection of park resources. 
Visitor and management facilities at Zion and 
its concessioners meet sustainability standards, 
and are harmonious with park resources, com­ 
patible with natural processes and surrounding 
landscapes, aesthetically pleasing, and func­ 
tional. The Park Service continues to provide 
access to and use of Zion's facilities for physi­ 
cally and learning disabled visitors, in confor­ 
mance with applicable laws, regulations, and 
NPS policies. 

---- end page 18 ----

. General Strategies: Park staff will properly 
maintain and upgrade existing development 
using sustainability principles where necessary 
to serve the park mission. They will consider 
and plan for flood hazards and mitigation 
efforts as appropriate. 
Park managers will consider the availability of 
existing or planned facilities in nearby com­ 
munities and adjacent lands when deciding 
whether to construct new developments in the 
park. This will ensure that any additional 
development in the park is necessary, appro­ 
priate, and cost­effective. 
The National Park Service will continue to 
strive to make affordable housing available 
within commuting distance of the park (60 
minutes), for park staff who are nonemer­ 
gency response personnel, seasonal em­ 
ployees, lower graded employees, occupants 
of historic quarters, and concessioner employ­ 
ees. 
The National Park Service will modify existing 
facilities to meet accessibility standards as 
funding allows or as facilities are replaced or 
rehabilitated. Park staff will periodically 
consult with disabled persons or their 
representatives to increase awareness of the 
needs of the disabled and to determine how to 
make the park more accessible. 
Entrance stations will remain on the south and 
east boundaries of the park (along the Zion­ 
Mt. Carmel Highway), and at Kolob Canyons. 
Entrance fees will continue to be collected at 
these stations. 
Park managers will work with other govern­ 
mental, private, and nonprofit organizations to 
find partners and funding sources for a 
research/environmental education facility and 
to explore locations within and outside the 
park to establish the facility. 
The National Park Service also will continue 
to seek opportunities to build the other man­ 
agement facilities called for in the Development 
Concept Plan, Zion Canyon Headquarters 
(1994b) and the 1997 Canyon Transportation 
System Environmental Assessment (NPS 1997a).

UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES 
Basic utilities and related access are necessary 
within the park to support visitor services and 
administrative operations and to provide for 
visitor and employee safety. Occasional mainte­ 
nance, upgrades, and minor route adjustments 
are carried out within existing corridors. 
Currently, a transmission line right­of­way and a 
road easement cross the park. The transmission 
line provides electric power to Rockville, 
Springdale, and the park's south entrance and 
main Zion Canyon area. The road easement in 
effect, between Interstate Highway 15 and the 
Kolob Canyons visitor center, provides access to 
a water tank on private lands. This easement 
includes maintenance of an existing privately 
owned water line buried in the road corridor. 
. Desired Conditions: Utility and communica­ 
tions facilities support park operations and 
public safety with a high degree of reliability, 
anticipate future loads and needs, minimize 
impacts on park resources, and are jointly 
located with other existing facilities and rights 
of way to the greatest extent possible. Only 
those communications facilities necessary to 
provide for public safety and administrative 
efficiency are located in the park. 
. Strategies: New or reconstructed utilities and 
communications infrastructure will be located 
in association with existing structures and 
along roadways or other established corridors 
in developed areas. This will allow ready 
access for repair and maintenance, thereby 
reducing potential visual quality impacts and 
resource disturbance from overland transport 
of vehicles and equipment. 
When utilities require reconstruction or 
extension into developed areas not currently 
serviced, park staff will select routes that will 
minimize impacts on the park's natural, cul­ 
tural, and visual resources. Rights­of­way will 
continue in effect or be established for service 
lines to existing and planned park facilities 
(including concessions facilities). Rights­of­ 
way will be granted for utilities, water con­ 
veyance, or other facilities within potential, 
proposed, or designated wilderness areas 
except where valid existing rights are estab­ 
lished. 
Utility lines will be placed underground to the 
maximum extent possible. 
In the southwest corner of the park, a right­of­ 
way exists for a powerline serving Rockville, 
Springdale, and the park. Due to concerns 
regarding the age of the infrastructure and 
growth in the communities, Utah Power and 
Light has proposed to reconstruct a higher 
capacity line between 2001 and 2003. The 
existing right­of­way for the powerline on the 
Zoning map in this plan is shown as an 
administrative zone. A separate environmental 
analysis will be conducted to evaluate routes 

---- end page 19 ----

for the proposed new powerline, including 
alternatives within and/or outside the park. 
Park staff will work with the utility company to 
analyze and select alternative techniques and 
routing to minimize potential impacts on the 
park's natural, cultural, and visual resources. 
Public involvement through the National 
Environmental Policy Act process will be 
solicited. 
There is potential for natural gas service to the 
park, Springdale, and Rockville, routed along 
State Highway 9. If this possibility materializes, 
park staff will work with the service company, 
local communities, and the public to locate the 
line in a manner that minimizes the effects to 
park resources. A right­of­way will be estab­ 
lished for natural gas distribution lines to NPS 
facilities within the main Zion Canyon area. 
Maintenance of the existing NPS radio system 
will be continued with solar­powered 
repeaters at existing sites. 
Additional park communications equipment is 
anticipated for the operation of the Zion 
Canyon transportation system and providing 
needed coverage along the Kolob­Terrace 
Road. These are minimal facilities, which will 
be located in administrative areas or co­ 
located with existing radio facilities. 
Commercial telecommunications applications 
(Telecommunications Act of 1996) will be 
processed in accordance with NPS policies 
(RM­53) and NEPA guidelines. The primary 
tests for the applications will be whether there 
is a documented public safety need, whether 
or not there are feasible alternatives, and 
whether a facility will result in derogation of 
the resources, values, and purposes for which 
the park was established. For NPS and com­ 
mercial communications needs there will be 
no facilities located within potential, pro­ 
posed, or designated wilderness areas 
(Wilderness Act, 16 USC §1131), except as 
specifically provided by law or policy.

SUSTAINABILITY 
Sustainability can be described in this context as 
the result achieved by conducting activities in 
ways that do not compromise the environment 
or its capacity to provide for present and future 
generations. Sustainable practices minimize the 
short­ and long­term environmental impacts of 
developments and other activities through 
resource conservation, recycling, waste mini­ 
mization, and the use of energy efficient and 
ecologically responsible materials and tech­ 
niques. 
Over the past several years, the federal govern­ 
ment has been placing more emphasis on adopt­ 
ing sustainable practices. In particular, Executive 
Order 12873 mandates federal agency recycling 
and waste prevention, and Executive Order 
12902 mandates energy efficiency and water 
conservation at federal facilities. 
. Desired Conditions: All decisions regarding 
park operations, facilities management, and 
development in Zion --- from the initial 
concept through design and construction --- 
reflect principles of resource conservation. 
Thus, all park and park operations are sustain­ 
able to the maximum degree possible and 
practical. New developments and existing 
facilities are located, built, and modified 
according to the Guiding Principles of 
Sustainable Design (NPS 1993) or other similar 
guidelines. The park has state­of­the­art water 
systems for conserving water, and energy con­ 
servation technologies and renewable energy 
sources whenever possible. Biodegradable, 
nontoxic, and durable materials are used in the 
park whenever possible. Park personnel 
promote the reduction, use, and recycling of 
materials and avoid as much as possible mate­ 
rials that are nondurable, environmentally 
detrimental, or that require transportation 
from great distances. 
. Strategies: Park staff will work with experts 
both in and outside the agency to make Zion's 
facilities and programs sustainable. 
Park managers will perform value analysis and 
value engineering, including life cycle analysis, 
to examine the energy, environmental, and 
economic implications of proposed park 
developments. 
Park staff will support and encourage the 
service of suppliers, contractors, and conces­ 
sioners that follow sustainable practices. 
Park interpretive programs will address sus­ 
tainable park and nonpark practices. 

---- end page 20 ----

Primary Planning Issues and Concerns

The planning team identified a number of key 
issues and concerns facing Zion National Park 
based on discussions with park staff, interested 
agencies and organizations, and the general 
public. Many of the issues revolve around the 
increasing number of visitors, the resulting 
impacts on park resources, and the quality of 
the visitor experience. The General Management 
Plan provides a framework or strategy for 
addressing these issues. This section summarizes 
the key issues and concerns of this document. 
This plan will not answer specific questions 
about the operation of the shuttle system in 
Zion Canyon, such as the number and types of 
shuttles, frequency of shuttles, shuttle operating 
times, and locations of most shuttle stops. 
Decisions regarding these elements were pre­ 
sented in the Canyon Transportation System 
Environmental Assessment (NPS 1997a) and the 
subsequent "Finding of No Significant Impact."

INCREASING VISITOR USE 
Visitation to Zion has grown dramatically over 
the past two decades. The number of people 
camping in the backcountry has risen each year, 
from 7,807 users in 1986, to 21,002 users in 1999. 
The park's campgrounds are generally full to 
capacity during the peak months from June 
through September. Increased visitation is 
resulting in resource impacts and crowding of 
some backcountry trails and frontcountry areas. 
While most of the park's resources are in good 
condition, in some areas visitors are inadver­ 
tently damaging natural and cultural resources 
by creating multiple social trails (i.e., unofficial 
trails formed by visitors). The formation and use 
of these trails result in trampled vegetation, 
eroded soils, stirred up sediments in rivers and 
streams, and displaced and collected surface 
artifacts. 
Although most visitors rate their experiences in 
Zion as high, they still express concern about 
some aspects of the visit. Some visitors feel there 
are too many people in some areas of the park. 
These visitors suggest limiting the use of the 
park based on established carrying capacities or 
other criteria. Another segment of the public 
wants Zion to continue to be available to all visi­ 
tors and believes the way to address crowding is 
not through limits, but by increasing visitor facil­ 
ities and access, or redistributing visitors to less 
used areas of the park. 
About 90% of Zion is recommended for wilder­ 
ness designation. Under NPS policy, this area 
must be managed as if it were established 
wilderness. This obligation carries with it certain 
expectations for visitors, such as the opportunity 
to experience solitude and quiet. But these 
opportunities cannot always be met in some 
areas of the backcountry due to the behavior 
and number of other visitors. 
The National Park Service must determine the 
conditions (i.e., resource conditions, visitor 
experiences) for which Zion National Park 
should be managed. If park managers allow use 
levels to increase further, the potential for 
resource damage will increase and opportunities 
for quality experiences, such as solitude, will 
likely decline. If park managers regulate or 
restrict use levels, resources can be better pro­ 
tected, but visitors will have less freedom to go 
where and when they choose. If park managers 
limit use in one area and displace visitors there, 
other areas within or outside the park may 
receive higher use levels and resource impacts.

FUTURE OF RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS (RNAS) 
Research natural areas are areas administratively 
designated by federal land management agencies 
for research and educational purposes and/or to 
maintain biological diversity. Research natural 
areas typically preserve examples of ecological 
communities that have been little disturbed in 
the past, and in which current natural processes 
are allowed to continue with minimal human 
intervention. Uses in research natural areas are 
restricted to research that samples but does not 
alter the existing condition, and educational 
activities that do not detract from the areas' 
research values. Federal land management agen­ 
cies, including the National Park Service, have 
established a national network of research 
natural areas. 
Zion National Park currently has three areas 
designated as research natural areas: Bighorn 
(8,313 acres), West Rim­Phantom Valley (22,409 
acres), and Kolob Mesas (279 acres). Bighorn 
and West Rim­Phantom Valley were designated 

---- page 21 end ----
 
as research natural areas in 1942, while Kolob 
Mesas was designated as a research natural area 
in 1966. Parunuweap Canyon also has been 
considered for designation. Park staff raised 
questions regarding the rationale for the three 
existing park research natural areas, which have 
not been consistently managed with the intent of 
the designation and NPS guidelines. Although 
recreational use is not generally allowed in 
research natural areas nationally, most of the 
currently designated Zion research natural areas 
are open to recreational use. 
Park managers must determine whether the 
existing research natural areas meet park 
resource management goals or whether manage­ 
ment of better­defined research natural areas is 
needed. If these areas are managed as intended 
under NPS policy, then potential impacts on 
many of the park's natural and cultural 
resources will be avoided, but much of the park 
will be closed to the public. If park managers 
establish a management designation that permits 
certain uses in research natural areas, potential 
impacts may result, and questions concerning 
how Zion's research natural areas relate to the 
national system may arise.

PUBLIC USE OF PARUNUWEAP CANYON 
In 1992, park managers closed Parunuweap 
Canyon for recreational use, pending comple­ 
tion of this planning effort. There are differing 
opinions on whether or not this area should be 
opened to the public. Some people want the 
canyon to be opened for unlimited recreational 
use, others prefer the canyon to be opened only 
for strictly regulated recreational use. Still others 
support keeping the canyon permanently closed 
to recreational use to prevent impacts on sensi­ 
tive cultural and natural resources. 
Park managers must determine whether or not 
to open Parunuweap Canyon to the public. If 
the canyon remains closed, the special resources 
in this area will be protected, but visitors will 
not be able to access this area. If this area was 
open to the public, impacts on the canyon's 
natural and cultural resources will increase. If 
the canyon was open to limited public use, park 
managers must answer questions regarding how 
many people should be allowed into the area, at 
what times, and at what points. Some people 
who want to see the area may not be able to do 
so at the time of their choosing.

FUTURE OF ZION CANYON LODGE 
The Zion Canyon Lodge operation has been a 
traditional use in Zion for more than 80 years. It 
has enabled many visitors to stay in the park by 
providing overnight accommodations and food 
services. Although the lodge is the only place 
offering these visitor services within the park, 
other facilities and services are available in 
Springdale and nearby communities. Some 
people believe the lodge should continue to 
operate, arguing it is a special part of Zion's 
history, and offers a unique visitor experience 
and services that add to visitors' enjoyment of 
the park. Others argue that the lodge is inappro­ 
priate and unnecessary in a national park, that it 
encourages crowding and resource impacts. 
These people believe the lodge should be closed 
or converted to another more appropriate use. 
The National Park Service must determine 
whether or not to continue the current opera­ 

---- page 22 end ----

tion of the Zion Canyon Lodge. If the lodge 
remains open as it is now, many people will con­ 
tinue to gain a special experience staying 
overnight in the park. However, resource 
impacts also will continue in the area, and the 
lodge will continue to take away potential cus­ 
tomers from businesses in Springdale. If the 
lodge was closed, some resource impacts will 
decrease in the area and businesses in 
Springdale may benefit. However, a special 
visitor experience now offered in the park will 
be eliminated and adversely affect the lodge 
employees and the employer.

WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION 
Both the public and park staff expressed con­ 
cerns about maintaining the free­flowing condi­ 
tion and other outstanding values of rivers and 
streams in and adjacent to Zion. Other citizens 
are concerned that designating drainages in and 
adjacent to Zion as wild and scenic rivers will 
impinge on visitor activities and freedoms. The 
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires federal land 
managers to consider potential national wild, 
scenic, and recreational rivers in planning for 
water and land resources. 
The National Park Service and Bureau of Land 
Management must determine whether or not to 
recommend that the drainages in and adjacent 
to Zion be designated as part of the wild and 
scenic rivers system. Making such a designation 
will provide additional protection to the park's 
drainages and may attract additional visitors to 
the park. On the other hand, if increased use 
occurs, the designation may result in additional 
resource impacts in the drainages.

MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTH FORK OF THE VIRGIN RIVER 
Recreational use of the North Fork of the Virgin 
River in Zion Canyon has dramatically increased 
in recent years. Visitors kayak the river in the 
spring, and swim and wade in the river during 
the summer. Concerned citizens have raised 
questions regarding how the Park Service 
should manage the North Fork in the future. 
These questions include: 
. What types of recreational uses are appropri­ 
ate for the river environment and the visitor 
experience? 
. Should the upper portion of the North Fork in 
Zion Canyon continue to be channelized or 
should it be restored to more natural condi­ 
tions? 
. If part of the river is restored, what effect will 
it have on the Zion Lodge, the road, and use 
of the canyon? 
Park managers must determine the appropriate 
uses for the North Fork of the Virgin River and 
whether or not to restore the river channel and 
its floodplain. Limiting certain uses will reduce 
or eliminate resource and visitor impacts, but 
this will also reduce the diversity of experiences 
offered in the park. 
Restoring part of the river's floodplain will be 
consistent with the park purpose to preserve the 
dynamic processes that formed the canyon. The 
riparian forest community along channelized 
reaches of the river has lost viability as evi­ 
denced by the even­aged, decadent overstory 
with no recruitment of new trees. Similar occur­ 
rences have been documented throughout the 
West where there has been a loss of connectivity 
between rivers and floodplains due to channel­ 
ization, channel entrenchment, or control of 
floods downstream of reservoirs. To reproduce, 
most riparian tree and shrub species need the 
disturbance and watering provided by floods 
and channel migration. Historic photographs of 
Zion Canyon, and comparisons with similar 
river channels elsewhere, show a much more 
active channel and greater use of the floodplain. 
Surveys in Zion have shown that Virgin 
spinedace populations are much higher where 
the river has not been channelized than where it 
has. 
River restoration will reestablish a natural mor­ 
phology and riverine ecology and maintain or 
restore habitat for aquatic and floodplain 
species. The level of restoration will determine 
the extent of impacts on the park road, foot­ 
bridges, and lodge; the level of visitation in Zion 
Canyon; and the degree to which visitors face 
safety hazards when the river floods. 
Although the plan focuses on what types of 
recreational uses are appropriate for the river 
and whether or not the river floodplain should 
be restored, detailed questions about the man­ 
agement of the river will not be answered. Spe­ 
cifically, this plan will not answer questions 
regarding appropriate use levels, use manage­ 
ment techniques, and the degree of restoration 
of the floodplain. A future detailed river 
management plan will address these questions. 

---- end page 23 ----

DEVELOPMENT AND USES ADJACENT TO THE PARK 
The population in the region around the park 
has been rapidly growing. As more people move 
into the area, residential and second­home 
development has been increasing on lands adja­ 
cent to the park. There most likely will be more 
development in the future, particularly near the 
south entrance, the Kolob Canyons entrance, 
and on land east of the park. Private develop­ 
ments and management practices may affect the 
scenic views from the park, night sky, ambient 
sound levels, solitude, soil erosion, composition 
of native plant and animal communities, and 
wildlife migration/ habitat corridors. Access may 
be restricted or closed off to parts of the park. 
Park managers must determine how to manage 
park resources in light of the development that 
is occurring, or may occur, adjacent to the park. 
If no actions are taken, park resources and the 
visitor experience will most likely degrade in 
parts of the park. Current access may be 
restricted or eliminated in some parts of the 
park. 

---- page 24 end ----

Issues to be Addressed in Future Plans 

Several other issues are of concern to park man­ 
agers and visitors at Zion National Park, which 
are summarized below. The General Manage­ 
ment Plan provides some directions and lays the 
groundwork for addressing these issues. 
However, future implementation plans will 
provide specific directions and actions that deal 
with these issues. Opportunities for public input 
will be provided in developing these implemen­ 
tation plans.

CARRYING CAPACITY 
Within the next five years carrying capacity 
studies will be completed for the park. These 
studies will serve as components for future plans 
such as the wilderness management plan. The 
1978 Parks and Recreation Act requires parks to 
address carrying capacity, and it is essential in 
order to protect resources and provide a quality 
visitor experience. While the General 
Management Plan addresses carrying capacity 
qualitatively, a more scientific approach is 
needed to determine appropriate resource and 
visitor experience conditions. A VERP process 
or similar one will be used to collect additional 
data on visitor experiences and resource condi­ 
tions, establish indicators and standards for each 
zone, and set up a monitoring program to deter­ 
mine whether conditions are acceptable or 
unacceptable. This process will allow manage­ 
ment to take action to ensure resources and 
visitor experiences do not deteriorate to an 
unacceptable level. In the meantime, interim 
carrying capacities for the primitive and pristine 
zones have been established based on current 
levels of use and resource protection needs.

WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT 
About 90% of the park is recommended wilder­ 
ness and is managed as wilderness. It is essential 
that these areas be managed to protect the 
wilderness characteristics and values, both for 
the resource value itself as well as for the 
visitor's wilderness experience. As backcountry 
use is expanding dramatically, it is increasingly 
difficult to protect resources and manage for 
solitude and primitive recreation. A compre­ 
hensive plan is needed to address wilderness 
management. The park staff will complete a 
wilderness management plan within five years. 
This plan will follow NPS policy, including the 
minimum requirement process, to determine 
appropriate uses and levels of use in wilderness. 
In addition to carrying capacity, the wilderness 
management plan will specifically address 
climbing/canyoneering, river recreation, and the 
potential for commercial guiding (see each 
description below).

CLIMBING AND CANYONEERING 
Climbing and canyoneering are two activities 
that have dramatically risen in popularity in 
recent years. These activities have the potential 
to adversely affect park resources, defacing rock 
faces, disturbing cultural resources, disturbing 
sensitive species (e.g., peregrine falcons, spotted 
owls, and desert bighorn sheep), trampling vege­ 
tation, and forming social trails. Climbing/ 
canyoneering will be addressed as a component 
of the wilderness management plan.

RIVER RECREATION 
Concerns have also been expressed about the 
impacts of river recreation. Visitors kayak the 
North Fork of the Virgin River in the spring, and 
swim, wade, and hike portions of the river in the 
summer. There are concerns about the impacts 
of these activities on water quality (e.g., 
increased sedimentation and turbidity, spread of 
human waste), soil erosion, sensitive species, 

---- page 25 end ----

and the disturbance of other visitors, particu­ 
larly in the Zion Narrows. 
Concerns regarding the use and management of 
the North Fork will be addressed in a river man­ 
agement plan.

NATURAL SOUNDS, NOISE, AND AIR TOURS 
Natural sounds (e.g., water flowing, wind 
blowing through trees, birds calling) are a 
resource that contributes to the visitor experi­ 
ence in all parts of the park. Natural sounds pre­ 
dominate in most of Zion; however, mechanical 
and other human­created sounds can be a 
problem in some areas. Noise from aircraft can 
be heard throughout the park. In the frontcoun­ 
try (Zion Canyon), some visitors complain that 
the sounds of automobiles and buses, genera­ 
tors, motorized equipment, and other people at 
times interfere with the natural sounds of the 
park. The intrusion of human­generated noise 
in the backcountry may negatively affect visitors' 
experiences. In particular, there is concern that 
the noise generated by an increase in low­flying 
aircraft or commercial jets will impair visitors' 
ability to hear natural sounds and detract from 
the experience of solitude. Human­generated 
noise can also affect the behavior of some 
animals, depending on the type, frequency, and 
level of noise, especially during sensitive periods 
such as the breeding season. 
Park managers must determine what activities 
produce, or can produce, unacceptable noise 
levels in the park consistent with management 
zoning. If sources of man­made noise are 
limited or prohibited, natural ambient sound 
levels will be maintained, and potentially nega­ 
tive impacts park resources on visitors' experi­ 
ences may be avoided. But this action also will 
reduce the range of scenic viewing opportuni­ 
ties. 
Questions pertaining to air tours will be 
addressed in a future air tour management plan 
while other noise issues will be covered in a 
soundscape preservation and noise management 
plan.

GUIDE SERVICES 
Currently, guided hiking or climbing activities in 
the park are not permitted. NPS staff­led activi­ 
ties include visitor center and evening programs, 
and ranger­led hikes. Some visitors and guiding 
organizations have requested that guided activi­ 
ties be allowed in Zion, believing these opera­ 
tions will enhance many visitors' experience, 
reduce potential impacts, and help prevent acci­ 
dents. Other people believe that guided activities 
should not be permitted, arguing that these 
operations will increase use in already over­ 
crowded areas and displace or impact 
nonguided users. Many questions exist regard­ 
ing what guided services (e.g., guided hiking, 
bicycling, climbing) are appropriate in the park. 
Other questions relate to when and where the 
services should take place and to what extent. 
The wilderness management plan and carrying 
capacity studies will determine whether or not 
to permit guided activities in Zion. Permitting 
guided services will have both positive and nega­ 
tive impacts, as noted above.

AIR QUALITY 
Long­range transport of air pollutants from 
industrial sources and large urbanized areas, 
increased numbers of visitors, and increased 
development in the region as well as near the 
park boundary have the potential to adversely 
affect Zion's air quality. Although the park's 
shuttle system has helped to reduce air pollution 
in Zion Canyon, increased vehicular traffic in 
Springdale and other parts of the park may 
increase air pollution. Smoke from campfires in 
the summer and from residences with wood 
stoves in the winter is sometimes evident in the 
canyon in early mornings and evenings. Local 
trash burns, prescribed burns, and administra­ 
tive maintenance burns can also produce 
temporary reductions in air quality.

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY 
A number of water resource issues exist in Zion, 
including water quality and flood hazards. 
Impacts on water quality have occurred in parts 
of the park due to recreational use and livestock 
grazing outside the park. Changes in water 
quality and water flows can have major effects 
on park resources and visitors. A parkwide 
water resources management plan will address 
these issues and other scientific and legal 
requirements to promote understanding and 
management of park waters.

NIGHT SKY 
Viewing of the night sky is an important aspect 
of visitors' experiences in Zion National Park. 
Outdoor lighting in developed areas of the park 
and in surrounding communities can negatively 
affect the night sky. As neighboring communities 
continue to grow, the potential for light pollu­ 
tion affecting the night sky visibility will 
increase. Actions and strategies will be devel­ 
oped to mitigate or eliminate impacts of artificial 
lights as part of the resource management plan.

CULTURAL RESOURCES 
Unmanaged visitor use at archeological or his­ 
toric period sites can impact the integrity and 

---- page 26 end ----

scientific value of these sites. The nature and 
extent of these impacts can be difficult to assess 
because baseline data on site conditions are 
often unavailable or incomplete. In recent years, 
park staff has implemented site monitoring and 
site condition assessment programs to aid in 
developing long­term protective strategies for 
significant sites that may be impacted by visitors. 
Park managers must maintain historic buildings 
on an ongoing basis (i.e., cyclic maintenance and 
rehabilitation) to ensure that conditions are suit­ 
able for national register eligibility. 
Cultural resources management will be 
addressed in the park's resource management 
plan. 

---- page 27 end ----

THE PLAN

Introduction

CONCEPT 
The General Management Plan, which the 
National Park Service will implement for Zion 
National Park over the next 20 years, is intended 
to safeguard the future integrity and diversity of 
park resources and provide for a range of quality 
visitor experiences within that context. 
Management of resources and visitors will be 
emphasized rather than providing new develop­ 
ments --- any proposed developments will be in­ 
tended primarily to protect resources and 
secondarily to improve visitor experiences. 
Visitors will have opportunities to participate in 
a variety of park experiences, ranging from 
social to wilderness experiences. Park managers 
will establish a framework to proactively address 
impacts that result from increased visitor use 
levels. For the first time, management zones will 
be applied throughout the park to identify de­ 
sired resource and visitor experience conditions 
and to set the basis for determining visitor carry­ 
ing capacities. With prescriptions for resource 
conditions and visitor experiences, managers 
can take actions, including setting limits, to en­ 
sure that Zion's resources are unimpaired for 
future visitors to enjoy.

VISION FOR FRONTCOUNTRY AREAS 
The frontcountry experiences will vary 
dramatically throughout the park. Visitors trav­ 
eling to the Kolob Canyons area can expect to 
leave an intensive, high­speed feeling from travel 
on I­15 and be immersed almost immediately in 
the scenic grandeur of the Kolob Fingers --- an 
especially inviting trip at sunset when the sand­ 
stone cliffs almost glow. The natural environ­ 
ment will be largely undisturbed, and visitor 
facilities will serve to assist in the transition and 
serve as an information source for the trails 
accessible along the scenic drive. 
An even more rural experience will be gained by 
travel along the Kolob­Terrace Road, connecting 
the town of Virgin to the pine­covered plateaus 
north of the park. A few small visitor facilities 
along the road and at Lava Point will continue to 
reflect the low intensity, remote nature of the 
park. 
When driving to the park's south entrance, visi­ 
tors will be treated to a decompression zone 
after they leave I­15. They will travel through 
small communities and then follow the scenic 
corridor where the sandstone formations of 
Zion and nearby BLM areas are protected from 
development. Visitors arrive via State Route 9 in 
the town of Springdale, which is nestled on 
three sides by Zion National Park. They will find 
that Springdale reflects the mood and feeling of 
being in the park. The streetscape will reflect the 
rustic architecture found in the park, and there 
will be a seamless effect provided by the 
transportation system shuttle stops. The empha­ 
sis on pedestrians will cause one to slow down 
mentally as well as physically. The visitor center 
located just inside the park boundary will sim­ 
plify this relaxation approach, encouraging visi­ 
tors to stroll through the facility, gaining an 
appreciation for the park's resources and learn­ 
ing how best to use the transportation system. 

== insert begin ==
Definitions of Planning 
Terms 
The following terms are used throughout this 
document. 
Desired conditions refer to the goals or end 
results park managers are striving to achieve. 
The NPS can set desired conditions for park 
resources, visitor experiences, management activ­ 
ities, and facilities. Desired conditions reflect the 
park's purposes and mission goals, and ensure 
that the NPS preserves Zion's resources and pro­ 
vides quality experiences. 
General management strategies describe the 
general actions park managers intend to take to 
achieve the desired conditions. These strategies 
are not tied to management zones. They may 
apply parkwide (e.g., general visitor use man­ 
agement) or to specific geographic areas or facil­ 
ities (e.g., Zion Canyon Lodge). 
Management zones identify how different 
areas in the park will be managed to achieve a 
combination of desired conditions. Each zone 
prescribes a unique combination of physical, bio­ 
logical, social, and managerial conditions. 
Zone­specific management strategies 
describe the actions that would, or could, be 
taken to achieve the desired resource conditions 
and visitor experiences for a given zone. 
== insert end ==

---- page 28 end ----

<map - Areas of Relative Inaccessibility>

---- page 29 end ----

[page 30 is either missing or this is a page numbering error]

A rural atmosphere will again be provided for 
those visitors entering the park from Mt. Carmel 
Junction along State Route 9. Opportunities for 
park orientation may be developed along the 
way. Inside the park, the Zion­Mt. Carmel 
Highway will stay as is, with opportunities for 
scenic viewing of the cross­bedded Navajo 
sandstone being the prime visitor experience on 
the park's eastside. 
Natural processes and landscapes in the front­ 
country will be unaltered, except within or 
directly adjacent to the limited developed sites. 
In these areas, alterations will blend in with the 
natural landscape.

VISION FOR BACKCOUNTRY AREAS 
About 90% of the park has been recommended 
for designation as wilderness. Visitors entering 
this area will expect to find quiet and solitude 
and experience Zion where natural conditions 
prevail. The only sounds heard here will be 
natural sounds. Natural processes and the land­ 
scape will be unaltered, except for minimal 
developments such as designated campsites, 
trails, and routes in some areas. 
Visitors to the backcountry will be exposed to 
the value of wilderness in its own right, as a part 
of the American heritage. This natural environ­ 
ment, away from social pressures, tension, and 
stimuli brought by civilization, will allow the vis­ 
itors to experience the restorative and spiritual 
powers of wilderness. 
These backcountry areas will also allow people 
to examine ecosystems as they have evolved 
outside significant human influence. They will 
provide a source of information for people to 
learn about natural processes, species diversity, 
and the importance of physical and biological 
systems. 
In particular, land zoned pristine, primitive, 
research natural areas (RNA), and some por­ 
tions of the transition zone will be managed for 
wilderness values. A large percentage of these 
areas in the backcountry of Zion is inaccessible 
due to steep topography (see Areas of Relative 
Inaccessibility map on page 29). Existing trails 
and routes throughout the backcountry reflect 
the character of wilderness and are managed to 
maintain the wilderness resource. In these areas 
visitor use will be managed to ensure these 
visitor experiences and resource conditions 
retain their wilderness character. 

---- page 31 end ----

Summary of the Management Zones 

Zion will be divided into different zones. These 
zones identify how the different areas of the 
park will be managed to achieve desired 
resource and social conditions and to serve 
recreational needs. The zones are intended to 
protect park resources and make a range of 
quality activities available for visitors. The zones 
give visitors an understanding of where certain 
activities are and are not allowed. They also tell 
park managers where development can and 
cannot be added and the intensity of manage­ 
ment that is appropriate in different parts of the 
park. 
The key elements of the zones are summarized 
below. (Appendix C describes additional details 
on the zones.) It is important to note that three 
of the zones place interim limits on the number 
of people, and one of the zones places an 
interim limit on saddle stock groups in the back­ 
country --- managing group sizes and encoun­ 
ters with other groups will affect how many 
people can go into different areas in the park. 
These limits will be re­examined in the carrying 
capacity studies and possibly modified in the 
subsequent wilderness management plan.

FRONTCOUNTRY HIGH DEVELOPMENT ZONE 
This zone will provide visitors with highly struc­ 
tured opportunities to enjoy and learn about the 
park by means of motorized, primary roads. In 
essence, visitors will feel that they are in a 
pocket of civilization surrounded by the park's 
natural beauty. 
. Both natural processes and the natural land­ 
scape will be highly modified. 
. A wide array of visitor services and facilities 
will be available, including primary motorized 
roads, visitor centers, and developed camp­ 
grounds. 
. Visitors will experience highly social condi­ 
tions, although there will be some opportuni­ 
ties at certain times for solitude. 
. Limits will only be placed on the numbers of 
people to address resource protection con­ 
cerns or facility design capacities.

FRONTCOUNTRY LOW DEVELOPMENT ZONE 
Visitors will have a fairly structured, rural expe­ 
rience oriented around motorized sightseeing 
on secondary roads, camping, picnicking, and 
taking short walks. 
. Natural conditions will be unmodified in 
most of the zone. 
. Basic facilities and services will be provided, 
but they will be fewer and less concentrated 
than in the frontcountry high development 
zone. Focused visitor facilities, secondary 
roads, picnic areas, and less developed camp­ 
grounds are examples of facilities that may be 
present. 
. There may be opportunities to camp in camp­ 
grounds. 
. There will be few opportunities for solitude, 
but the social environment will remain 
uncrowded. 
. Limits will only be placed on the numbers of 
people to address resource protection con­ 
cerns or facility design capacities.

TRANSITION ZONE 
The main purpose of this zone will be to allow 
visitors to view or directly access many of the 
park's prime resources by means of nonmotor­ 
ized, well­developed, high use trails. 
. Natural processes and landscapes may be 
altered or manipulated in developed areas, 
but most of the landscape will be largely 
undisturbed and the resources protected. 
. This will be a day­use zone. Only minimal 
facilities (e.g., trails) will be present. Park 
managers will concentrate visitor use within 
or near these facilities. 
. During the peak season, there will be a low 
expectation of solitude due to the sights and 
sounds of other people. However, crowded 
levels will not keep visitors from reaching 
desired destinations or viewing outstanding 
park features. 
. Limits will only be placed on day use to 
address resource protection concerns or facil­ 
ity design capacities.

PRIMITIVE ZONE 
This zone will provide better opportunities for 
visitors to experience wildlands and solitude 
than the zones described above. However, com­ 
pared to the pristine zone, access will be easier 
into this zone, there will be signs of people, and 
the area will feel less remote. 

---- page 32 end ----

==insert begin ==
Definitions of NPS Visitor Facilities 
The following types of NPS facilities are present in the development zones. 
Full­service visitor centers provide a variety of services including: restrooms, orientation, interpreta­ 
tion (e.g., introduction to the park, themes, all manner of interpretive media), trip planning, item sales 
(interpretive and informational), and fee collection (e.g., as part of trip planning). Park staff will also 
issue permits at these centers but will not provide food service. Full­service visitor centers will only be 
allowed in the frontcountry high development zones. 
Focused visitor facilities focus on only a few functions. Unlike a full­service visitor center, these facili­ 
ties provide interpretation related to resources at­hand, and limited, if any, sale items. Restrooms may 
be present. Focused visitor facilities may be indoor or outdoor, and be staffed or unstaffed, depending 
on need and the services provided. They may be found in both frontcountry low development and 
frontcountry high development zones. 
Picnic sites have tables and may include grills, trash facilities, and restrooms. Water will be provided 
only if it was already present. In the frontcountry high development zone, many picnic sites may be 
added to a given area, but in the frontcountry low development zone, the number added may only 
total a cumulative of 10 sites per area, such as at Lava Point. Picnic sites may be located in frontcountry 
high development, frontcountry low development, and transition zones. 
== insert end ==

. The landscape will be largely undisturbed, 
with natural processes predominating. 
. There will be very little development. Only 
narrow, unpaved trails and/or routes will be 
maintained. Other facilities related to pro­ 
tecting resources may be provided. 
. Primitive camping may be permitted at large 
or in designated campsites, but camping facil­ 
ities will not be provided. 
. There will be a sense of being in a natural 
landscape with a moderate sense of solitude. 
. Park personnel will manage the number of 
people in this zone. Hiker group sizes for day 
and overnight use will continue to be limited 
to 12 or fewer individuals. A maximum of six 
saddle stock and six people will be allowed 
per group. Hikers will generally encounter no 
more than 12 groups per day in the zone, 
while saddle stock groups will encounter no 
more than one other group per day. (Note: 
All of the above limits are interim limits, 
which may change in the future.)

PRISTINE ZONE 
The pristine zone will offer the feeling of being 
entirely alone in Zion's remote and isolated 
wildlands. Visitors will have a chance to experi­ 
ence a natural landscape. 
. Natural conditions and processes will be 
largely undisturbed by people. Bolts on 
climbing routes may be present. Culturally 
significant resources also may be maintained. 
. Routes and paths may be defined and main­ 
tained if necessary to prevent resource 
damage; no other visitor facilities will be pro­ 
vided. 
. Visitors can camp throughout the zone, 
although in some cases, camping sites will be 
designated to protect resources. 
. Opportunities for a high degree of solitude 
will be provided throughout the zone. 
. Use of these areas will be limited. Saddle 
stock use will be prohibited. Hiker groups 
will continue to be limited to no more than 12 
people. Visitors will usually not expect to 
encounter other groups in the zone. (Note: 
The group sizes and encounter rates are 
interim limits, which may change in the 
future.)

RESEARCH NATURAL AREA ZONE 
A research natural area (RNA) is an administra­ 
tive designation that federal land management 
agencies use to designate field ecological areas 
primarily for research and educational purposes 
and/or to maintain biological diversity. This zone 
applies the key conditions of research natural 
areas. Conducting baseline inventories and long­ 
term ecological observations will be emphasized 
in this zone, with the primary purpose to create 
an ecological/environmental benchmark over 
time. This zone will not be opened to recre­ 
ational uses, but may be opened to educational 
uses. 
. Research natural areas will be areas with little 
to no human disturbance. 
. No visitor facilities will be present. Trails and 
temporary research equipment may be per­ 
mitted in limited instances. 
. In general, camping will not be permitted, 
unless it was essential for meeting research 
goals and was consistent with other park 
policies. 
. Group sizes for research, educational, and 
administrative activities will be limited to 12 or 
fewer individuals. (Note: The group size is an 
interim limit, which may change in the 
future.) 

---- page 33 end ----

ADMINISTRATIVE ZONE 
The primary purpose of this zone will be to 
support the management and administration of 
the park. General visitation will not occur, 
although some visitors may need to access these 
facilities/areas to obtain staff assistance or to 
solve a problem. 
. Natural processes and landscapes will be 
altered to support park operations. 
. The type and level of development and con­ 
centration will vary as needed to provide for 
park operations. 
. NPS staff, concession employee, and scien­ 
tists may be provided with housing, but 
visitor camping will not be permitted. 
. Park staff will not encourage public visita­ 
tion, although there will be no limits placed 
on the use of this zone. 

---- page 34 end ----

General Management Strategies 

Park managers will follow all of the desired con­ 
ditions and strategies described in "Park Policies 
and Practices," plus several additional manage­ 
ment directions and strategies. These strategies 
relate to supplying and conserving water, man­ 
aging visitor use and various levels and types of 
park development, and managing the North 
Fork of the Virgin River.

WATER SUPPLY AND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES 
In addition to the water quality and quantity 
strategies described in "Park Policies and 
Practices," park managers will follow one other 
strategy to maintain Zion's water quality and 
improve water conservation in the park. 
To evaluate the possibility of restoring springs in 
Zion Canyon and to explore water conservation 
techniques, the National Park Service will study 
water supply and treatment alternatives. This 
study will examine alternative ways for the 
National Park Service to obtain drinking water, 
including the procurement of treated water 
from Springdale. Any changes in the water 
supply system will be consistent with the Zion 
National Park Water Rights Settlement 
Agreement.

PARK CARRYING CAPACITY AND VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 
The National Park Service has long recognized 
the need to apply the carrying capacity concept 
to areas under its jurisdiction. The National 
Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 
95­625) requires that general management plans 
establish a visitor carrying capacity for each 
national park system unit. This plan provides a 
basis for and a management framework to begin 
to address Zion's carrying capacity. 
The visitor experience and resource protection 
(VERP) framework addresses carrying capacity 
and visitor use impacts on park resources and 
visitor experiences (NPS 1997b). Under this 
approach carrying capacity is defined as the 
type and level of visitor use that can be accom­ 
modated while sustaining resource and social 
conditions that complement the purposes of a 
park and its management objectives. In other 
words, carrying capacity is interpreted as a 
prescription of natural and cultural resource and 
visitor experience (social) conditions. Under the 
VERP framework, the park staff, with public 
input, determines desired resource conditions 
and visitor experiences in different areas of the 
park. A monitoring program is established to 
measure changes in resource and social condi­ 
tions. From monitoring results, management 
actions are initiated to maintain desired condi­ 
tions. 
To address carrying capacity, this General 
Management Plan describes desired resource 
conditions and visitor experiences by manage­ 
ment zone. The management zone prescriptions 
can be seen as setting qualitative carrying capac­ 
ities for the park --- the zones prescribe the 
appropriate range of visitor uses, resource 
conditions, developments, and management in 
each area of the park. However, there are three 
more integral elements (described below) in the 
VERP framework, which will be addressed fully 
in the wilderness management plan and carrying 
capacity studies to be completed within five 
years (as described under the "Future Planning 
and Research Needs " section). 
. For each zone indicators and standards are 
selected. Indicators are specific, measurable 
variables that can be monitored to determine 
the quality of natural and cultural resource 
conditions and visitor experiences. Standards 
identify the minimum acceptable conditions 
for each resource or social indicator --- the 
standards indicate when management actions 
are merited. 
. The next element of the framework is long­ 
term monitoring of the indicators. The indi­ 
cators are systematically monitored in the 
zones to determine the conditions of 
resources and visitor experiences. Effective 
monitoring of resource and social indicators 
provides the feedback and documentation 
needed to implement meaningful manage­ 
ment action. Monitoring documents if and 
when a management action is needed to keep 
conditions within the standards. (Monitoring 
will be an ongoing task starting with the 
implementation of this plan. Monitoring 
needs will be further analyzed as part of the 
future wilderness management plan and car­ 
rying capacity studies.) 
. The final element is management action. 
Management action(s) are taken if resource 
conditions or visitor experiences are out of 

---- page 35 end ----

== insert begin==
Group Sizes and Encounter Rates 

The current backcountry group size limit of 12, which has been in place since about 1982, will continue 
as an interim limit for the primitive and pristine zones until the wilderness management plan and carry­ 
ing capacity studies are completed. While a substantial body of scientific literature exists regarding the 
effects of group size on resources and visitor experiences (see Manning (1999) and Hammitt and Cole 
(1998)), information specific to Zion is limited. Information collected through the carrying capacity stud­ 
ies during the development of the wilderness management plan should assist park managers in setting 
appropriate group size limits for the primitive and pristine zones. It may be necessary to impose stricter 
group size limits than the current limit to meet the desired future conditions for the two zones as 
described in this plan. 
With regard to visitor encounters, the continued growth in backcountry use requires some proactive 
action now to ensure that resource integrity and the quality of visitor experiences are maintained. 
Limiting group encounters is one way to ensure that that desired conditions for the primitive and pris­ 
tine zones are met. The encounter limits proposed in the plan are consistent with encounter rates in 
other wilderness areas across the country. Like the group size limits, they are labeled as interim limits 
because additional research, specific to Zion, is needed to determine if these limits are sufficient for 
protecting resources and ensuring quality visitor experiences in the primitive and pristine zones. The 
future wilderness management plan will reexamine the encounter rates and modify them if appropri­ 
ate. 
Prior to completion of the wilderness management plan, park managers may institute other interim 
group sizes or encounter rates in specific areas to address resource damage or visitor safety concerns. 
== insert end ==

standard or monitoring indicates a down­ 
ward trend in the condition of the resources 
or visitor experiences. (Proactive manage­ 
ment action will be an ongoing task starting 
with the implementation of this plan. See the 
discussion under "Park Policies and Prac­ 
tices" regarding methods that may be used.) 
Resource indicators and standards have not yet 
been set for Zion. Although few formal studies 
exist documenting resource impacts and impair­ 
ment in much of Zion due to visitor use, impacts 
such as soil compaction, erosion, and trampling 
of vegetation are frequently observed. In addi­ 
tion, other park resources, such as bighorn 
sheep, are known to be highly susceptible to 
disturbance. If use levels increase, there is con­ 
cern that additional resource impacts may occur 
in the park. Thus, the plan emphasizes monitor­ 
ing in the front and backcountry to determine 
resource baselines and trends. The carrying 
capacity and wilderness management plans will 
identify which indicators should be monitored 
and when and where they should be monitored.

PRELIMINARY CARRYING CAPACITIES 
Until the wilderness management plan and car­ 
rying capacity studies are completed, many of 
the existing visitor use management policies will 
not change from current policies. Several carry­ 
ing capacities already have been set for areas 
exhibiting resource damage and crowding, such 
as in the Narrows from the northern park 
boundary down through Orderville Canyon (a 
maximum of 80 day hikers per day and 70 
overnight hikers at any one time) and the Left
Fork of North Creek (a maximum of 50 people
per day). Through the operation of the shuttle
system visitor use levels are somewhat regulated
in the main Zion Canyon. The shuttle system has
eliminated much of the vehicle congestion and
parking problems — one of the primary carrying
capacity problems in Zion Canyon.
Increasing visitor use levels will drive the need
to set quantitative carrying capacities in the
frontcountry. Current (2000) visitor use levels
are generally consistent with the zone conditions.
However, as use levels increase there is
concern that resource and visitor experience
impacts will increase. To address these concerns,
carrying capacity studies will establish baseline
conditions and identify indicators and standards
for the transition, frontcountry high development,
and frontcountry low development zones.
Monitoring will be done to identify trends in
these zones.
This plan sets interim carrying capacities,
pending further research, for hikers and saddle
stock groups in the primitive and pristine zones.
Group sizes and encounter rates with other
groups will largely determine the carrying
capacities for these zones. In the research
natural area zone, interim group size limits have
also been set for authorized research and educational
groups. As with all the other zones, additional
limits may be imposed in specific areas or
at certain times if necessary to protect
resources.

---- page 36 end ----

Primitive Zone --- Hikers. The interim hiker 
group sizes for day and overnight use will be 
limited to 12 or fewer individuals. The interim 
encounter rate will be generally no more than 12 
groups encountered per day on any one trail in 
the zone. These are consistent with the zone 
prescription that calls for a moderate sense of 
solitude. Twelve encounters per day is a some­ 
what higher limit than many wilderness areas in 
the West, but it is not inconsistent with en­ 
counter standards that have been set elsewhere 
(see Manning 1999). In addition, Zion's rugged 
backcountry confines most use to existing trails 
and routes. The great majority of people in the 
recommended wilderness area use these trails, 
which will be zoned as primitive. Thus, higher 
encounter rates will be expected than may be 
the case in other wilderness areas where use is 
not as confined due to topography. 
Primitive Zone --- Saddle Stock. Saddle stock 
will continue to be permitted on designated 
trails. Off­trail use of saddle stock will continue 
to be permitted only in the lower Coalpits Wash 
from the trailhead to the junction with Scoggins 
Wash, Scoggins Wash itself, and Huber Wash 
where the surrounding terrain confines use to 
the wash bottom. Overnight camping will be 
permitted only at the designated saddle stock 
site in Hop Valley, with a group permitted to stay 
one night. Excluding the trail ride concessioner, 
the interim saddle stock group size limit will be 
a maximum of six people per group with six 
saddle stock. These numbers are consistent with 
current park regulations. The interim encounter 
rate limit will be set at no more than one other 
saddle stock group encountered per day. This 
will ensure that large numbers of saddle stock 
will not be present along any one trail at any one 
time and will therefore avoid impacts to re­ 
sources and other users. 
Pristine Zone --- Hikers. The interim hiker 
group size limit for day and overnight use will be 
12 people. The interim encounter limit will be set 
at zero: visitors will usually not expect to en­ 
counter other groups in the zone. These 
numbers are consistent with the zone prescrip­ 
tion, which calls for a high sense of solitude. 
Zero encounters is a low limit compared to 
other wilderness areas, but it reflects the rugged, 
largely inaccessible terrain comprising this zone: 
one would not expect to find another group 
throughout most of Zion's rugged and remote 
areas. 
Pristine Zone --- Saddle Stock. Saddle stock 
will not be allowed within the pristine zone. 
With the exception of upper Coalpits Wash 
above the springs, this is consistent with park 

== insert begin ==
Definition of Saddle Stock 
Saddle stock in Zion National 
Park are defined as horses, 
mules, and burros. Llamas, 
goats, dogs, and all other ani­ 
mals are excluded for use 
within the park. 
== insert end ==

regulations, which are intended to prevent soil 
erosion, vegetation trampling and denudation, 
and to avoid impacts to sensitive resources such 
as microbiotic crusts, riparian habitat, and 
archeological sites.

CARRYING CAPACITY DATA NEEDS 
Based on an indepth study of the park's infor­ 
mation (Vande Kamp 1997), the following are 
the highest carrying capacity social data needs 
for the park: 
. accurate counts of the number of visitors 
(and groups of visitors) who are currently 
using specific areas in Zion's recommended 
wilderness 
. the number of encounters experienced by 
current visitors 
. visitor evaluations of social conditions (such 
as numbers of encounters with other visitors) 
. the number of parties camped within sight or 
sound of current overnight campers 
. information about specific sites and activities 
where the presence of other visitors most 
clearly detracts from experience quality (e.g., 
"bottlenecks") 
. the characteristics of visitors found at various 
sites in Zion's recommended wilderness 
. changes in visitor use patterns because of the 
Zion Canyon shuttle system 
With regard to carrying capacity, natural 
resource data needs, the planning team has 
identified several potential natural resource 
indicators for Zion: 
. number, width, and depth of active social 
trails 
. streambank profiles in riparian areas 
. percent groundcover 
. percent microbiotic soils 
. vegetation species composition 
. soil compaction 
. soil bacteria, nematode, and fungi community 
composition 
These indicators are appropriate for Zion 
because the indicators respond rapidly to 
human disturbance and they measure impacts 
directly related to human disturbance. The 
wilderness management plan and carrying 
capacity studies will establish a monitoring 
program and standards for some or all of these 
indicators in different areas of the park. 
Other indicators and standards for key natural 
and cultural resources may be appropriate in 
Zion, but additional data will be necessary to 
determine if there are correlations between 

---- page 37 end ----

human activity and resource conditions. Some 
of the possible natural resource indicators 
include: 
. Mexican spotted owl 
. reactions to human activity in nesting areas 
. desert bighorn sheep reactions to human 
activity in key habitat 
. a relationship between visitor river use and 
Virgin spinedace and aquatic invertebrates 
. a relationship between visitor river use and 
water quality 
. Peregrine falcon roosting and nesting activi­ 
ties in relation to rock climbing 
. mountain lion behavior/activity in visitor use 
areas 
. quality of visitor experience relative to natural 
and human­generated sound levels 
. the tolerance of Zion snails and hanging 
garden plants to human activity

STRATEGIES FOR THE LEVELS AND TYPES OF PARK DEVELOPMENT 
All of the strategies described under "Park 
Policies and Practices" regarding development 
in the park will apply. The National Park Service 
will build the management facilities called for in 
the 1994 Development Concept Plan, Zion 
Canyon Headquarters (NPS 1994b). The Park 
Service will pursue several additional strategies 
regarding new development in the park. These 
strategies are intended to minimize new 
developments within the park and encourage 
the construction of visitor facilities outside the 
park. 
. No new camping facilities will be built in 
Zion's frontcountry areas, including camp­ 
grounds, campsites, or infrastructure (e.g., 
roads, utilities, tables, fire rings). This includes 
areas in Zion Canyon, along the Kolob 
Canyons and Kolob­Terrace Roads, Lava 
Point, and along the Zion­Mt. Carmel 
Highway. In addition, picnic areas will not be 
converted into campgrounds. 
. New picnic sites may be built but only in pre­ 
viously disturbed areas at selected trailheads 
or pullouts throughout the park and at the 
Kolob Canyons visitor center. 
. No new food service buildings will be con­ 
structed in the park. 
. No new lodging will be provided. 
. No new roads will be built in the park, 
except possibly for short access roads to park 
facilities. The National Park Service will con­ 
tinue to coordinate and cooperate with the 
county with regard to maintenance of the 
Kolob­Terrace Road. 
. Park workers will continue to staff collection 
stations and collect associated entrance fees 
on the south and east boundaries of the park 
(along the Zion­Mt. Carmel Highway), and at 
Kolob Canyons. In addition, the National 
Park Service will study the feasibility and 
advantages of establishing an entrance/fee 
collection station along the Kolob­Terrace 
Road. 
. The Park Service will work with adjacent 
landowners, Kane County, and other organi­ 
zations to locate a space outside the east 
boundary of the park to provide information 
to visitors.

ZION CANYON LODGE STRATEGIES 
Park managers will continue to work with the 
concessioner to ensure that the quality of the 
services appropriate to the historic experience 
was maintained. The commercial services imple­ 
mentation plan will provide more detailed guid­ 
ance on operation and administration of the 
lodge, and thus ensure that management of the 
lodge was consistent with desired conditions for 
this area (see also the "Visitor Use Strategies").

DESIRED CONDITIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT
OF THE NORTH FORK OF THE VIRGIN RIVER 
Restoring parts of the river will be an important 
step in preserving the dynamic processes that 
formed Zion Canyon and will maintain and 
restore habitat for riverine and floodplain 
species. 
. Desired Conditions: The North Fork contin­ 
ues to provide high­quality experiences for vis­ 
itors. Visitor use levels and activities are consis­ 
tent with park purposes --- visitors enjoy the 
river without impairing resources. Conflicts 
between users are minimal. The river's water 
quality and natural biological community are 
enhanced or maintained. Portions of the 
channel of the North Fork, particularly in the 
vicinity of Zion Lodge, are restored to a more 
natural morphologic condition, considering 
such factors as width/depth ratios, gradients, 
riffle and pool structure, sinuosity, and hydro­ 
logic connection with its floodplain. Flood­ 
plain habitat conditions are also restored 
through additional measures, including man­ 
agement of exotic plants and wildlife, protec­ 
tion and planting of native flora, and education 
of visitors. 
. Strategies: The National Park Service will 
develop a river management plan(s) to address 
important water resource issues in the park, 
including visitor uses and the restoration of 
sections of the North Fork's floodplain. 
Actions will be consistent with management 
zoning and with the recommended classifica­ 
tion of the river below the Temple of Sinawava 

---- page 38 end ----

as recreational under the Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act. 
The river management plan will examine dif­ 
ferent strategies and actions for managing river 
uses (e.g., use levels, timing of use, educational 
efforts) to protect riparian and riverine 
resources and ensure continued visitor enjoy­ 
ment of the river. Actions considered as part 
of this plan may include designating river 
access points, allowing river recreation only at 
times when the potential for resource damage 
or safety hazards was low, and limiting the 
number of visitors. 
Restoring part of the North Fork may be 
addressed in the river management plan. This 
plan will 
. identify objectives for any river restoration 
effort (e.g., the "natural" conditions that 
constitute a restored river, given its zoning 
and wild and scenic river status) 
. indicate information needs (e.g., identifica­ 
tion of the locations of all park infrastructure 
in or near the river floodplain, analysis of 
relocation and protection costs) 
. identify and assess alternative approaches for 
restoring the river 
. determine when, where, and how the river 
will be restored 
The plan will examine the removal of levees and 
riverbank­protection structures (revetments) 
dating back to the 1920s that prevent the river 
from using the floodplain. These structures are 
primarily in place near the Zion Lodge. Park 
managers will evaluate alternative restoration 
approaches, ranging from allowing levees to 
slowly deteriorate over time to removing the 
levees, along with their effects on flood safety, 
floodplain resources, visitor use, and costs. 
Depending on the approach selected, the 
desired condition will be achieved in varying 
time spans. 
Park managers also will evaluate other in­stream 
structures between the Temple of Sinawava and 
the southern park boundary, such as gabions, 
pipeline crossings, and cemented boulders, for 
their potential removal or replacement with 
more biologically, hydrologically, and aestheti­ 
cally sensitive treatments. River diversion struc­ 
tures associated with the water rights of the 
National Park Service and Springdale will 
remain in place. The plan will need to include an 
examination of how restoration efforts can 
affect visitor access to the river and its flood­ 
plain and the potential impacts on the existing 
park infrastructure. 
Visitor safety will be a primary consideration in 
planning any restoration of the North Fork. 
Since most park facilities are concentrated along 
the eastern edge of the floodplain, they can be 
protected while the river is allowed to use the 
remainder of the floodplain. In particular, the 
lodge and the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive will 
continue to be protected from flooding. 

---- page 39 end ----

Zoning and Related Actions 

The Zoning map shows how the different man­ 
agement zones will be applied throughout the 
park. The map shows the zones as both large 
polygons and as narrow corridors that follow 
trails, routes, and drainages. It should be noted 
that this zoning map shows how private inhold­ 
ings and other lands with private water and 
mineral rights within Zion National Park will be 
managed if they are acquired in the future. Until 
the private rights (as shown on the Wilderness 
Recommendation and Land Status map) are 
acquired or relinquished, the National Park 
Service will recognize that the inholdings are 
private lands and respects the valid rights of the 
landowners and mineral and water right owners. 
Pristine zones will cover most of Zion, about 
81% of the park. Primitive areas will cover about 
11% of the park, primarily in the Taylor Creek 
area, the area around Lava Point and Horse 
Pasture Plateau, the slopes of lower Zion 
Canyon, and the majority of trails in Zion's 
backcountry. Although most of the park's back­ 
country will be primitive or pristine zones where 
use levels will be low, much of the backcountry 
is not accessible to most visitors due to the 
park's steep topography. These zones will be 
consistent with most of the park being recom­ 
mended as wilderness and with use levels the 
backcountry is likely to receive in the future. 
About 6% of the park will be research natural 
areas, including Goose Creek, Parunuweap, 
upper Shunes Creek, Crazy Quilt, the slickrock 
area adjacent to Gifford Canyon, the southeast 
corner of the park, and several isolated mesa 
tops and hanging gardens. 
The transition, frontcountry, and administrative 
zones will be in readily accessible areas. 
Transition zones, covering about 1% of the park, 
will encompass the floor of Zion Canyon adja­ 
cent to the scenic drive, Sand Bench trail, the 
Weeping Rock trail, Canyon Overlook and 
Watchman trails, Emerald Pools trail, Court of 
the Patriarchs trail, the Hidden Canyon trail up 
to the mouth of the canyon, and the West Rim 
trail from the canyon floor up to Scout Lookout, 
and Angels Landing. The Narrows from Order­ 
ville Canyon south to Mystery Canyon, Timber 
Creek Overlook trail, and Observation Point 
trail will be designated as special transition 
zones (see the "Recommended Wilderness" 
section ). Frontcountry high development zones, 
encompassing about 0.4% of the park, will 
include the south park entrance, the Zion 
Canyon Scenic Drive to the Temple of Sinawava, 
the Zion­Mt. Carmel Highway, and the entrance 
to the Kolob Canyons. About 0.5% of the park 
will be designated frontcountry low develop­ 
ment zones, including the Kolob Canyons Road, 
Kolob­Terrace Road, Smith Mesa Road, Lava 
Point, and the east entrance. Administrative 
zones will comprise about 0.2% of the park, pri­ 
marily in maintenance and employee housing 
areas and near the entrances to the Kolob 
Canyons and Lava Point. 
The pristine, primitive, and research natural area 
zones will primarily lie within the recommended 
wilderness area. However, several of these 
zones, totaling 8,203 acres (about 5% of the 
park), will lie outside the recommended and 
potential wilderness areas. These areas include 
the area south of the powerline corridor in the 
Coalpits area; an area above Lava Point, north of 
the roads to the MIA camp; an area west of the 
Kolob­Terrace Road by the Smith Mesa Road; 
and several areas near the Kolob Canyons, 
Kolob­Terrace, and Zion­Mt. Carmel Roads. 
These pristine, primitive, and research natural 
areas will be managed the same way as the zones 
are managed in the recommended wilderness 
area. 
The remainder of this section describes more 
specifically how different areas of the park will 
be zoned and the actions that can occur. The 
actions are those most likely to take place over 
the next 20 years in the park, given the zone 
definitions, what already exists in the park, and 
the park's environmental constraints. Where 
possible, any proposed new development will be 
built in already disturbed areas, and mitigation 
measures will be taken to avoid sensitive areas, 
such as threatened and endangered species 
habitat and archeological sites.

FRONTCOUNTRY AREAS 
Kolob Canyons Road Area. The entrance area 
will be a frontcountry high development zone. 
Actions that may be taken in this area include 
expanding the existing Kolob Canyons visitor 
center, adding parking, and possibly developing 

---- page 40 end ----

<map - Zoning, Zion National Park, Utah>

---- page 41 end ----

an outdoor exhibit area/plaza, an associated 
picnic area, and a nature trail. 
The Kolob Canyons Road itself (the road corri­ 
dor from the entrance gate to the Timber Creek 
Overlook) will be a frontcountry low develop­ 
ment zone. If traffic in this area increases in the 
future, park staff will take action to ensure that 
the opportunity for visitors to have a rural expe­ 
rience was maintained, such as by limiting the 
number of private vehicles or offering a shuttle 
to transport visitors. No expansion of facilities 
will occur along the road other than the possi­ 
bility of installing restrooms. Parking spaces at 
the trailheads for the Middle and South Forks of 
Taylor Creek and the Lee Pass trails will have to 
be reduced to reflect trail­use capacities. (These 
trails are all zoned primitive.) 
The Timber Creek Overlook trail will be 
managed as a special transition zone because it 
lies within the recommended wilderness area. It 
will be maintained to meet wilderness require­ 
ments but will allow higher use levels than the 
majority of the recommended wilderness (see 
the "Recommended Wilderness" section). 
The area to the north of the entrance, which 
includes employee housing, a maintenance shed, 
and water collection tanks, will be an adminis­ 
trative zone. This will allow managers to make 
improvements to support the possible increase 
in visitor services and facilities in this area. 
Particular actions that park managers can take in 
this area include adding administrative offices 
and/or maintenance facilities.

KOLOB­TERRACE ROAD AREA 
The portion of the Kolob­Terrace Road corridor 
within the park will be a frontcountry low 
development zone. If visitor numbers increase 
here in the future, actions will be taken to 
ensure that a rural setting was maintained (e.g., 
offer a shuttle to transport visitors). 
Within the limited space available, existing trail­ 
heads can be improved (e.g., restrooms 
installed), but no new trailheads will be built. 
The improvements may include adding a few 
picnic sites in the already disturbed areas at the 
Hop Valley and Wildcat Canyon trailheads. 
With the agreement of the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), the Park Service will build 
a focused visitor facility/ranger residence/office 
and restrooms on BLM lands near the park 
boundary at North Creek. The staff at this facil­ 
ity will provide visitors with park information, 
visitors issue permits, possibly collect fees, and 
establish a Park Service presence on this side of 
the park. (Park managers will prepare a site plan 
and assessment of the environmental impacts of 
this facility at a later time.) 
The existing Firepit Knoll administrative area 
and its associated access road will be a pristine 
zone. The ranger residence and road are not 
consistent with the desired conditions of the 
pristine zone. Thus, once the new focused 
visitor facility/ranger residence on the Kolob­ 
Terrace Road was built, the Firepit Knoll ranger 
residence and its access road will be removed 
and the area restored to natural conditions. 

---- page 43 end ----

Northeast of Virgin, the Park Service will 
remove the existing Dalton Wash/Crater Hill 
parking area. This area needs to be removed 
because it lies within the 1978 wilderness recom­ 
mendation.

LAVA POINT AREA 
Most of this area, which includes the Lava Point 
campground and picnic area, as well as the road 
to the West Rim trailhead, will be a frontcountry 
low development zone. If visitor numbers 
increase, actions will be taken to ensure that 
opportunities for visitors to have a rural experi­ 
ence are still available, such as by limiting the 
number of private vehicles or offering a shuttle 
to transport visitors. 
The road east of the gate at the West Rim trail­ 
head, including all three forks leading onto 
private land outside the park, will be an admin­ 
istrative zone. This zoning will allow continued 
motorized access by administrative vehicles, the 
private landowners, and their guests. The area to 
the north of the entrance also will be an admin­ 
istrative zone to support management of this 
part of the park. The existing Lava Point ranger 
residence will be replaced with a new structure 
that meets NPS standards.

SOUTH ENTRANCE AND THE MAIN ZION CANYON AREA 
This area of the park will be a mix of front­ 
country high development, primitive, pristine, 
transition, and administrative zones. 
The areas zoned frontcountry high development 
will include the road corridor from the south 
entrance to the Temple of Sinawava, including 
much of the Zion Canyon Lodge area (parking 
lots, lodging facilities, and restrooms). Most of 
the south entrance area (including the camp­ 
grounds, the segment of the Pa'rus trail through 
the campgrounds, the Zion Canyon visitor 
center, and the Zion Museum) will be front­ 
country high development zones. In these areas 
park staff may add picnic sites in disturbed 
areas. 
Most of the canyon bottom on either side of the 
road corridor, including the segment of the 
North Fork of the Virgin River north of the 
campgrounds to the junction with Orderville 
Canyon, will be transition zones. Trails and 
routes that will be transition zones include: 
. the segment of the Pa'rus trail extending 
north of the campgrounds 
. the Watchman and Sand Bench trails 
. the lower, middle, and upper Emerald Pools 
trails 
. a segment of the West Rim trail from the 
canyon bottom to Scout Lookout 
. the trail to Angels Landing 
. part of the Hidden Canyon trail from the 
trailhead at the parking lot to the mouth of 
Hidden Canyon where the designated trail 
ends 
. Weeping Rock trail 
. the Observation Point trail from the trailhead 
at the Weeping Rock parking lot to 
Observation Point 
. Riverside Walk 
. the Narrows from the southern end of the 
Riverside Walk to the junction of Orderville 
Canyon 
Bicycling and saddle stock use will not be per­ 
mitted except for trails where the uses are cur­ 
rently allowed (i.e., bicycling on the Pa'rus trail, 
and horseback riding on the Sand Bench trail). 
The portion of the river zoned transition will 
need to be restored, as per the desired condi­ 
tions/strategies discussed earlier, but the level of 
restoration can vary from simple to complex --- 
the zoning will not require specific restoration 
actions. No other management actions will be 
necessary to ensure that these areas are consis­ 
tent with transition zone conditions. Outside of 
wilderness, park staff can upgrade trails to 
higher standards to better meet zone conditions, 
however. 
The Observation Point trail and the lower 
Narrows from Orderville Canyon south to 
Mystery Canyon will be managed as special 
transition zones since they lie within the recom­ 
mended wilderness area. They will be main­ 
tained to meet wilderness requirements but will 
allow higher use levels than the majority of the 
recommended wilderness (see the 
"Recommended Wilderness" section). 
Several areas will be administrative zones, 
including: Sammy's Canyon (site of the shuttle 
maintenance facilities), the Watchman employee 
housing area, the old waste treatment plant, the 
Oak Creek employee housing and maintenance 
area, the Pine Creek employee housing area, the 
Birch Creek concessioner support facilities, 
water collection structures at springs in Zion 
Canyon, and concessioner support facilities 
around the Zion Canyon Lodge. Any future 
development will be accomplished in a manner 
consistent with the zone descriptions. 

---- page 44 end ----

== insert begin==
Summary of 
Interim Visitor 
Use Limits 
Visitor use limits pertaining to 
hikers will not be imposed in 
the frontcountry high and low 
development zones and the 
transition zone, unless 
resource or visitor safety con­ 
ditions warrant action or car­ 
rying capacity studies deter­ 
mine there is a need to pro­ 
tect resources or visitor experi­ 
ences. (For saddle stock inter­ 
im use limits, see the text box 
on page 46.) The primitive, 
pristine, and research natural 
area zone conditions will limit 
the number of people who 
can enter these areas. 
In the primitive zone, interim 
group sizes for day and 
overnight use will be 12 or 
fewer individuals. No more 
than 12 groups generally will 
be encountered per day in the 
zone. 
In the pristine zone, the inter­ 
im group size will be no more 
than 12 people. Visitors will 
usually not expect to 
encounter other groups in the 
zone. 
In the research natural area 
zone, the interim group size 
for authorized research and 
guided educational group 
sizes will be limited to no 
more than 12 people, and 
recreational use will be pro­ 
hibited. 
== insert end ==

EAST ENTRANCE AND THE ZION­MT. CARMEL HIGHWAY AREA 
The road corridor and east entrance area will be 
frontcountry high development zones. No new 
trails or visitor facilities will be provided along 
the road corridor, with the possible exception of 
a few restrooms, picnic sites, and associated 
parking spaces in disturbed areas at existing 
pulloffs along the road. Pulloffs along the road 
that are contributing to unacceptable resource 
damage will be removed and rehabilitated. In 
addition, depending on the recommendations of 
the carrying capacity studies and transportation 
plan, a voluntary shuttle system may be initiated 
to better transport visitors to this area and 
reduce parking congestion. 
The short access road to the East Rim trailhead 
and an area north of the east entrance will be 
frontcountry low development zones. The trail­ 
head can be improved by formalizing parking 
and adding picnic sites and a restroom. 
The Canyon Overlook trail will be a transition 
zone. Park staff will continue to prohibit bicy­ 
cling and horses on this trail due to safety con­ 
cerns. Actions that can be taken in this area 
include adding more interpretive signs along the 
trail and improving the parking area to address 
safety concerns. 
Just outside the recommended wilderness, on 
the park's eastern boundary, the East Rim trail­ 
head will be a frontcountry low development 
zone to provide for trailhead parking. 
The existing employee housing area and water 
collection tank at the east entrance will be an 
administrative zone.

RECOMMENDED WILDERNESS 
The park staff will continue to manage a total of 
132,615 acres (about 90% of the park) as wilder­ 
ness (see the Recommended Wilderness and 
Land Status map on page 47). This is consistent 
with the 1978 wilderness recommendation, with 
a few changes that reflect the acquisition of 
inholdings, state surface ownership and mineral 
rights, grazing rights, and water rights since that 
time. (The acreage figures also differs from the 
1978 figures due to the inclusion of a valid exist­ 
ing water right on Camp Creek that had been 
overlooked in 1978, and due to the use of more 
accurate geographic information system maps.) 
In recognition of valid private rights, an addi­ 
tional 4,175 acres (3% of the park) will continue 
to be administered as potential wilderness --- 
lands that currently do not qualify for wilder­ 
ness designation due to nonconforming or 
incompatible uses (e.g., private inholdings, 
private water rights). If and when these rights 
are relinquished or acquired, the potential 
wilderness will either become part of the wilder­ 
ness recommendation or be included as desig­ 
nated wilderness. 
Recommended wilderness will primarily be 
zoned as pristine, primitive, or research natural 
areas.

PRIMITIVE ZONES 
The primitive zone will apply to 13,602 acres in 
the recommended wilderness, including numer­ 
ous trails and routes. (An additional 18 acres of 
potential wilderness will be included in this 
zone.) To meet desired zone conditions, on 
occasion managers may need to limit or reduce 
visitor numbers on the Narrows route from the 
northern park boundary to the junction with 
Orderville Canyon, Orderville Canyon itself, the 
Middle Fork of Taylor Creek, and La Verkin 
Creek trail. In the future, managers may need to 
place limits on visitor use elsewhere in the prim­ 
itive zones if visitor use levels increased to the 
point where desired conditions are not being 
met. 
Visitor access may be improved in a few areas 
within the primitive zones. Visitor access may 
also be improved in areas that are able to with­ 
stand increased human use (e.g., areas where 
there are no spotted owls or other sensitive 
species habitat). The topography of the areas 
adjacent to Lava Point and Wildcat Canyon, and 
on the Horse Pasture Plateau would be most 
conducive to improved access by the upgrading 
of existing trails and routes in these areas. 
Designated campsites in areas outside spotted 
owl protected activity centers can also be estab­ 
lished. On the other hand, no new trails will be 
established along either side of the Zion­Mt. 
Carmel Highway due to the sensitivity of the 
resources in this area.

PRISTINE ZONES 
The Park Service will apply the pristine zone to 
110,083 acres in the recommended wilderness, 
which will include a number of known routes. 
(An additional 4,023 acres of potential wilder­ 
ness will be included in this zone.) In general, 
existing conditions already meet the undevel­ 
oped, very low use nature of this zone. 
However, to ensure the probability of encoun­ 
tering no other people, managers may need to 
limit or reduce visitor numbers on sections of 
the following routes: Camp Creek, Willis Creek, 
Beartrap Canyon, Right Fork of North Creek, 
upper Coalpits Wash above the junction with 
the Chinlee Trail, Dalton Wash, upper Hidden 
Canyon, and Mystery Canyon. In the future, 

---- page 45 end ----

managers may need to place limits on visitor use 
elsewhere in the pristine zones if visitor use 
levels increase to the point where desired condi­ 
tions are not being met. 
There may be areas zoned pristine that do not 
meet desired conditions. In such cases, park 
managers will remove the evidence of human 
use and restore these areas to natural conditions 
when feasible. Bolts on climbing routes and 
either national register­eligible or listed 
resources, including historic structures, will re­ 
main. These areas will be restored either by 
letting the areas naturally recover or by taking 
active measures such as planting native vegeta­ 
tion.

TRANSITION ZONES 
Ordinarily, transition zones are not compatible 
with recommended wilderness. However, three 
areas within the 1978 recommended wilderness 
area all receive higher use levels than other trails 
in the recommended wilderness: the Timber 
Creek Overlook trail, the Observation Point 
trail, and the Narrows from Mystery Canyon to 
the mouth of Orderville Canyon. In recognition 
of their higher use levels, these three areas will 
be designated as special transition zones: the 
areas will be managed consistently with wilder­ 
ness, but use levels will be permitted to be 
higher than in other zones in the recommended 
wilderness area.

RESEARCH NATURAL AREAS 
Research natural areas are integral to manage­ 
ment and long­term monitoring of park 
resources. They serve as baseline reference areas 
to compare and assess the condition of more 
intensively used areas of the park. In addition, 
research natural areas protect significant exam­ 
ples of natural and cultural resources from 
impacts of recreational use and provide oppor­ 
tunities for long­ and short­term research within 
areas mostly unaffected by human activities. As 
such, research natural areas serve as important 
sources of information for broader management 
decisions affecting park resources and visitor 
use. 
This plan will change the research natural areas 
in Zion. Specifically, the three existing research 
natural areas will be deauthorized, and new 
research areas will be designated. The three 
original areas were poorly documented at the 
time they were established and do not specify 
the primary ecological components or processes 
to be studied and protected. Additionally, their 
boundaries were rather subjective and were 
poorly defined ecologically or administratively, 
making their management difficult. As a result, 
these research natural areas have mostly been 
ignored in park management since their desig­ 
nation. In some areas this resulted in uses that 
were inconsistent with their research natural 
area designations. 

== insert begin ==
Summary of Saddle Stock Use Management 
. Saddle stock are limited to horses, mules, and burros. 
. All Zion Canyon trails from the rim down (with the exception of the Sandbench trail), Kolob Arch trail, 
Willis and Beartrap Canyons, the East Mesa trail below the junction with the Observation Point trail, 
the Taylor Creek trail, and Timber Creek Overlook trail will continue to be closed to all saddle stock. 
. Saddle stock use on authorized backcountry trails in the primitive zone will continue to be prohibited 
during spring thaws, during unusually wet periods, and at other times when their use will cause 
undue trail damage. 
. Off­trail use of saddle stock in the primitive zone will continue to be permitted only in the lower 
Coalpits Wash from the trailhead to the junction with Scoggins Wash, Scoggins Wash, and Huber 
Wash. 
. In the primitive zone there will be an interim limit on group size: a maximum of six saddle stock and 
six people will be permitted per group. 
. In the primitive zone there will be an interim encounter rate limit: no more than one other stock 
group can be encountered per day. 
. In the primitive zone, overnight camping with saddle stock will be permitted only at one designated 
campsite in Hop Valley. A group will be permitted to stay at this campsite only one night. 
. In the pristine zone no saddle stock will be allowed in order to avoid impacts to sensitive natural and 
cultural resources and other visitors. 
== insert end ==

---- page 46 end ----

<map - Recommended Wilderness and Land Status, Zion National Park, Utah>

---- page 47 end ----

Because well­managed and ecologically defined 
research natural areas are essential to achieve 
the purposes of Zion National Park, new 
research natural areas will be designated. (See 
the text box below for an explanation of how 
these areas were selected.) Several of the pro­ 
posed research natural areas are more ecologi­ 
cally specific areas derived from the three exist­ 
ing research natural areas that will be deautho­ 
rized. The new areas also are more suitable and 
possess a greater variety of ecological communi­ 
ties than the currently designated research 
natural areas. These are areas that park staff can 
manage more consistently with the intent of the 
research natural area national network. 
The research natural area zone will be applied to 
the new research natural areas. The zone will 
cover 9,013 acres, which will make up about 6% 
of the park. Most of the research natural areas 
(8,893 acres) will be in the recommended 
wilderness; another 134 acres of potential 
wilderness will be included in this zone. The 
research natural areas will include undisturbed 
watersheds and riparian corridors (Parunuweap, 
Goose Creek, upper Shunes Creek), some iso­ 
lated mesa tops (e.g., Burnt Mountain, 
Greatheart Mesa, Inclined Temple, Crazy Quilt), 
selected hanging gardens in Zion and 
Parunuweap Canyons (e.g., near Grotto Spring, 
Weeping Rock, and North Menu Falls), a repre­ 
sentative area of slick rock between the Zion­ 
Mt. Carmel Highway and Parunuweap Canyon, 
and a relict piñon­juniper forest in the southeast 
corner of the park. (See appendix D for a list of 
all of the research natural areas that will be des­ 
ignated along with a description of the attributes 
of these areas.) 
The research natural areas will be open only to 
authorized research and NPS­guided educa­ 
tional trips --- recreational use will be prohib­ 
ited. Actions park managers may take in this 
zone include: 
. providing offsite interpretation on the values 
of these areas 
. allowing minimal trail and campsite con­ 
struction if essential to provide access to 
temporary research equipment (e.g., access 
to a temporary water gauging station) 
. installing temporary research equipment if 
no practical alternative exists for achieving 
research goals and where consistent with the 
Wilderness Act

== insert begin ==
Selection of New Research 
Natural Areas 
To select areas to be designated as research 
natural areas, the process described in the NPS 
"Natural Resources Management Guideline" 
(NPS 1990) was followed, incorporating resource 
data from the park geographic information 
system and other databases and from informa­ 
tion provided by interested scientists and the 
public. The new research natural areas were 
selected to represent and include important 
physical processes, biological species and com­ 
munities, and cultural resources within land­ 
scapes of applicable size to allow them to be 
affected primarily by natural forces. Therefore 
the new research natural areas range in size 
from less than an acre in the case of protecting a 
hanging garden vegetation community to more 
than 4,000 acres to study the hydrologic and 
geologic processes at work in a slickrock water­ 
shed. Landscape units were selected that contain 
outstanding examples of several ecological units 
and multiple resource attributes. 
== insert end ==

---- page 49 end ----

Boundary Adjustments and Easements 

The National Park Service will propose several 
boundary adjustments and the acquisition of 
access and conservation easements in Zion. 
Congressional authorization will be required for 
the National Park Service to pursue the bound­ 
ary adjustments and to acquire easements on 
private lands. 
Under section 604(b)(4) of the National Parks 
and Recreation Act (PL 95­625), Congress 
specifically directed the National Park Service to 
identify proposed boundary adjustments in park 
general management plans. The Park Service 
will propose boundary adjustments for Zion 
National Park through land transfers from the 
Bureau of Land Management. The map on page 
51 shows the general locations of these boundary 
adjustments. All of the proposed boundary 
changes satisfy the NPS criteria for boundary 
adjustments. (The evaluation of the boundary 
proposals and easements is on file at park head­ 
quarters.) 
The proposed boundary adjustments also must 
meet the requirements of Public Law 101­628. 
Section 1216 requires an evaluation of each pro­ 
posed addition, including an assessment of the 
impact of the boundary adjustment. Section 1217 
requires the National Park Service to consult 
with others on the proposal, to estimate the cost 
of acquisition, and to identify the relative prior­ 
ity for acquisition of each parcel. This plan does 
not address these legislative requirements; 
however, the legislative proposal and accompa­ 
nying support materials that are submitted to 
Congress will address these requirements.

BLM LAND TRANSFERS 
The National Park Service will propose four 
BLM wilderness study areas adjacent to Zion, 
totaling 640 acres, to be included in the park 
boundary (see the Proposed Park Boundary 
Adjustments and Adjacent Landownership 
map). These areas include: Watchman (480 
acres); Middle Fork of Taylor Creek (40 acres); 
Beartrap Canyon (40 acres); and the southern 
part of the Goose Creek area (80 acres). 
These parcels are small, isolated areas managed 
by the Bureau of Land Management. The 
boundary changes will bring into the park the 
heads of canyons or incorporate complete 
drainages and other prominent features that vis­ 
itors already associate with Zion. The changes 
also will enable park staff to manage all of the 
subject canyons, provide increased protection 
for other natural and cultural resources in the 
park (e.g., Mexican spotted owl habitat), 
provide visitors with additional challenging 
hiking opportunities, and promote more effi­ 
cient management of the areas. These land 
transfers are consistent with the recommenda­ 
tions in the Dixie Resource Area Resource 
Management Plan (BLM 1998). 
It is the intention of the National Park Service to 
administer and protect the proposed BLM 
wilderness study area acquisitions in keeping 
with NPS Management Policies and Director's 
Order 41 (Wilderness Preservation and Manage­ 
ment). In keeping with established guidelines, 
the National Park Service will subsequently ini­ 
tiate the administrative process needed to rec­ 
ommend to Congress the addition of these units 
to the national wilderness preservation system 
as either NPS "designated" or "potential" 
wilderness. 
In addition to these areas, the Park Service pro­ 
poses approximately 311 acres on the adjacent 
Rockville Bench for transfer to the park. The 
boundary adjustment will preserve the park's 
scenic qualities, eliminate or mitigate impacts on 
its natural and cultural resources, and promote 
more efficient management of the park. Thus, 
the proposal will satisfy the NPS criteria for 
boundary adjustments. Both the Bureau of Land 
Management and the town of Rockville are 
amenable to this land transfer. The Park Service 
and Bureau of Land Management will enter into 
an interim memorandum of agreement for the 
Park Service to manage the tract until the pro­ 
posed boundary adjustment is approved.

ACQUISITION OF ACCESS EASEMENTS 
An easement is an interest in property restricting 
certain uses of land or giving a right to another 
entity to make limited use of the land. An access 
easement gives the public a right to pass through 
a property owner's land. All current and future 
owners of the land are legally bound to follow 
the provisions of the easement agreement. 

---- page 50 end ----

<map - Proposed Park Boundary Adjustments and Adjacent Landownership, Zion National Park, Utah>

---- page 51 end ----

[page 52 is either missing or this is a page numbering error]

The National Park Service will seek nine access 
easements, totaling approximately 15 miles, on 
lands outside the park boundary (see the 
Proposed Park Boundary Adjustments and 
Adjacent Landownership map on page 51). The 
easements include: 
. the North Fork of the Virgin River/Virgin 
River Narrows (3 miles) 
. Orderville Canyon (0.25 mile) 
. Ponderosa Ranch area (two separate ease­ 
ments, totaling 3 miles) 
. Anasazi Plateau (1.3 miles) 
. Camp Creek (1 mile) 
. Horse Ranch Mountain area (three separate 
easements totaling 6.5 miles) 
The Park Service believes the easements will 
ensure that visitors and park personnel continue 
to have access in perpetuity to relatively inacces­ 
sible parts of the park. Several of the easements 
provide access to existing trailheads and popular 
routes. Without these easements, visitor access 
can be severely restricted and park managers 
will not be able to adequately protect and pre­ 
serve park resources or complete resource man­ 
agement projects and studies in remote parts of 
the park.

ACQUISITION OF CONSERVATION EASEMENTS 
ON ADJACENT PRIVATE LANDS 
Private lands abut Zion's boundary in many 
locations. Most of these areas are undeveloped, 
but several landowners are developing or are 
considering developments on their property. 
Developments or other uses on these parcels 
can adversely affect the scenic qualities of the 
park and visitor experiences. Three privately 
owned adjacent areas are of particular concern: 
. the Kolob Terrace area south of Spendlove 
Knoll (1,500 acres) 
. the Anasazi Plateau subdivision area east of 
the Rockville Bench (400 acres) 
. parcels in the North Fork of the Virgin River 
near the northeast corner of the park (320 
acres) 
The National Park Service will seek legislative 
authority to acquire conservation easements for 
these areas and for other potential areas near the 
park on a willing­seller basis, or will encourage 
local governmental entities or nonprofit groups 
to acquire these easements. These easements 
will benefit the landowners and will not remove 
any privately owned land from the tax rolls. In 
some cases, as with the Anasazi Plateau subdivi­ 
sion, the landowner is able to cluster new homes 
in the development and dedicate the remaining 
portion to an open space conservation agree­ 
ment as provided for by Springdale's zoning 
ordinances. 

---- page 53 end ----

Proposals for Wild, Scenic, and Recreational River Designation 

As part of the planning process for Zion, a study 
was conducted to determine whether any of the 
rivers in the park and on six river segments on 
adjacent Bureau of Land Management lands 
should be recommended for inclusion in the 
national wild and scenic rivers system. 
Appendix E summarizes the study process that 
was followed. (For more details on the study 
process, see the Final Zion General Management 
Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (NPS 
2000). Based on the evaluation, the following 
five rivers and their tributaries in the park were 
found eligible and suitable for inclusion in the 
national wild and scenic rivers system: 
. the North Fork of the Virgin River above and 
below the Temple of Sinawava (two seg­ 
ments) 
. the East Fork of the Virgin River 
. North Creek 
. La Verkin Creek 
. Taylor Creek 
In addition all six BLM segments evaluated were 
found eligible and suitable, with the exception of 
the upstream 1.7­mile segment of Shunes Creek 
from the Kane County line to the dryfall. All of 
the above rivers and their tributaries will be pro­ 
posed for wild, scenic, and recreational river 
designation. 
Table 1 lists the proposed classifications for the 
rivers and their tributaries. (Tributaries are listed 
beneath the main stems.) See the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers map on page 55 for locations of 
the rivers and their tributaries. 
The Zion National Park Water Rights Settle­ 
ment Agreement provides comprehensive pro­ 
tection of Zion National Park rivers. The 
National Park Service will support wild and 
scenic rivers authorizing legislation that recog­ 
nizes this Agreement as constituting the 
reserved water rights for the park and that does 
not reserve more water for the park than is pro­ 
vided for in the Agreement. In this way the 
National Park Service can honor its commit­ 
ments made in negotiating the Agreement. 

---- page 54 end ----

<map - Proposed Wild and Scenic Rivers, Zion National Park, Utah>

---- page 55 end ----

[page 56 is either missing or this is a page numbering error]

Table 1: Proposed Classification of Rivers in Zion National Park and on Adjacent BLM Lands 

River                                        Classification 
---------------------------------------      --------------
North Fork of the Virgin River,  . . . . . . Wild 
Above the Temple of Sinawava 
.Kolob Creek (incl. BLM segment) . . . . . . Wild 
.Goose Creek (incl. BLM segment) . . . . . . Wild 
.Imlay Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Orderville Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Deep Creek  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Mystery Canyon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
North Fork of the Virgin River . . . . . . . Recreational 
below the Temple of Sinawava 
.Birch Creek Canyon  . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Pine Creek (excluding the segment   . . . . Wild 
segment below the lowest switch­ 
back west of the tunnel on Zion­ 
Mt. Carmel Highway 
.Pine Creek (below the switch­ . . . . . . . Recreational 
back to confluence with the 
North Fork Virgin 
.Oak Creek (incl. BLM segment) . . . . . . . Recreational 
.Heaps Canyon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Behunin Canyon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Echo Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Clear Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recreational 
East Fork of the Virgin River  . . . . . . . Wild 
.Shunes Creek (incl. BLM segment), . . . . . Wild 
excluding the segment from the 
water diversion to the western 
park boundary 
.Shunes Creek from the western . . . . . . . Recreational 
park boundary to the water 
diversion 
River Classification 
North Creek  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Wildcat Canyon  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Right Fork  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Left Fork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Grapevine Wash  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic 
.Wolf Springs Wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic 
.Pine Spring Wash  . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scenic 
.Russell Gulch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Little Creek  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
LaVerkin Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Willis Creek (incl. BLM segment). . . . . . Wild 
.Beartrap Canyon (incl. BLM segment) . . . . Wild 
.Currant Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Cane Creek  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Timber Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Hop Valley Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
Taylor Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.North Fork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wild 
.Middle Fork from east of the park . . . . . Scenic 
boundary along the Kolob Canyons 
Road for 1 mile 
.The rest of the Middle Fork . . . . . . . . Wild 
(including the BLM segment) South Fork . . . Wild 

---- page 57 end ----

Implementation 

PRIORITIES, COSTS, AND FUNDING 
The National Park Service will implement new 
developments and management actions over the 
next 20 years as funding becomes available. The 
Park Service will establish partnerships with 
other agencies or groups to implement several 
actions. The park's management emphasis will 
shift under this plan, requiring a reallocation of 
staff among the different park programs. 
Estimates regarding the general costs of imple­ 
menting this plan are provided in the Final 
General Management Plan / Environmental 
Impact Statement. The actual cost of implement­ 
ing the plan will ultimately depend on funding 
by the National Park Service and Congress over 
the life of the plan. 
Given adequate funding, the highest priority will 
be given to implement actions that serve the fol­ 
lowing functions: 
. address crucial resource protection needs 
. address visitor and employee safety concerns 
. remedy serious infrastructure concerns 
. accommodate immediate interpretation or 
visitor use needs

FUTURE PLANNING AND RESEARCH NEEDS 
Park managers will prepare several "step­down" 
implementation plans and studies upon comple­ 
tion of the General Management Plan. These 
more detailed implementation plans will 
describe how the Park Service will achieve the 
desired conditions outlined in the General 
Management Plan by describing specific actions 
park managers intend to take in Zion to ensure 
that resources are protected, and visitors contin­ 
ued to have opportunities for high quality 
experiences. The Park Service will seek public 
input in preparing all of these plans and will 
prepare additional environmental docu­ 
mentation as needed to comply with the 
National Environmental Policy Act. 
The highest priority implementation plan will be 
the wilderness management plan. Carrying 
capacity studies also will be done for the front 
and backcountry. (For details on the carrying 
capacity studies, see page 36­38.) These studies 
and plan will be completed by 2006. 
The wilderness management plan will address a 
variety of topics, either as plan components or 
stand­alone plans: 
. carrying capacity: appropriate uses and use 
levels, including hikers and saddle stock use 
. minimum requirement documentation: 
guidelines for the use of "minimum require­ 
ment" that apply to all administrative deci­ 
sions within the recommended wilderness 
. resource issues: other visitor and 
resource impacts, reservation systems, 
human waste, signs, resource monitoring, 
and fire management 
. climbing/canyoneering: locations, use levels, 
and resource issues 
. river management: strategies for managing 
water use in and from the park's recom­ 
mended wilderness 
. commercial guiding: whether or not com­ 
mercial guiding should be allowed in the rec­ 
ommended wilderness, and if so how it 
should be managed 
In addition to these follow­up actions specific to 
the park's recommended wilderness, there are 
other implementation plans that will be needed. 
These plans will include: 
. river management: detailed strategies for 
managing the North Fork of the Virgin River 
. water resources: parkwide water issues, 
including a water supply, treatment, and con­ 
servation study 
. air tour management: protection of natural 
quiet and natural sounds 
. soundscape management: preservation of the 
natural soundscapes and mitigation of intru­ 
sive noise from sources other than air tours 
. commercial services: commercial services 
necessary and appropriate in the park's 
frontcountry 
. transportation plan: assess the need for 
expanding the current shuttle system 
Congressional authorization will be sought for 
preparing a related lands study in the next one 
to three years. The purpose of the study will be 
to identify key lands that are integral to main­ 
taining ecological integrity and long­ range con­ 
servation of critical natural and cultural 
resources. The study will encompass public 

---- page 58 end ----
lands that may be considered for inclusion in the 
national park, as well as public and private 
lands, which may be managed cooperatively 
with willing parties under easements, agree­ 
ments or other means. The study should also 
consider the availability of adjacent lands for 
accommodating increased recreational use, 
include an analysis of the local economic impact 
of alternatives for managing the Zion National 
Park ecosystem, and determine the ecological 
boundaries necessary to ensure integrity of park 
resources and natural processes. 

---- page 59 end ----

<full-page image>

---- page 60 end ----

Appendix A: Record of Decision

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
RECORD OF DECISION
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

ZION NATIONAL PARK
UTAH

INTRODUCTION
The Department of the Interior, National Park
Service (NPS), has prepared this Record of
Decision (ROD) on the Final General
Management Plan / Environmental Impact
Statement for Zion National Park, Utah. This
ROD includes a statement of the decision made,
synopses of other alternatives considered, the
basis for the decision, a description of the environmentally
preferable alternative, a discussion
of impairment of park resources or values, a
listing of measures to minimize environmental
harm, and an overview of public involvement in
the decision-making process.

DECISION (SELECTED ACTION)
The National Park Service will implement the
preferred alternative as described in the Final
General Management Plan / Environmental
Impact Statement issued in January 2001. Under
the selected action, park managers will make
several changes to proactively address impacts
resulting from increased levels of visitor use in
Zion National Park. The park will be zoned to
ensure that resources are protected and opportunities
are provided for a range of quality
visitor experiences. Most of the park (90%) will
continue to be recommended for wilderness
designation and will be managed according to
the provisions of the Wilderness Act. In the
frontcountry no new major visitor facilities will
be provided; however, small visitor facilities,
such as picnic sites and restrooms, could be built
in several areas, including the Kolob Canyons
and the east entrance. Voluntary visitor shuttles
may run along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway to
the east entrance. The Zion Canyon Lodge will
continue to operate as it has in the past. Part of
the North Fork of the Virgin River in the main
Zion Canyon will be restored to a more natural
condition.
In the backcountry several management actions
will be taken. Three existing research natural
areas (21% of the park) will be deauthorized,
while new research natural areas covering 6% of
the park will be designated. Group size limits
and new group encounter rates will be instituted
as interim standards, pending the completion of
a wilderness management plan. Park managers
may need to limit or reduce visitor numbers on
12 trails and routes in the recommended wilderness,
depending on visitor use levels, including
part of the Narrows, Middle Fork of Taylor
Creek, and La Verkin Creek. Only authorized
research and NPS-guided educational groups
will be allowed in 9,031 acres in mostly remote
backcountry areas (including Parunuweap
Canyon) due to their designation as research
natural areas.
The selected action calls for the National Park
Service to propose five Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) areas, totaling approximately
950 acres, for transfer to the park. Nine
access easements, totaling about 15 miles, and
three conservation easements, totaling 2,220
acres, would be sought on private lands adjacent
to the park. Congressional authorization would
be required for all these actions.
Five streams and their tributaries in the park,
and six tributaries on BLM lands adjacent to the
park, will be recommended for inclusion in the
national wild and scenic rivers system. The five
streams in the park are: the North Fork of the
Virgin River above and below the Temple of
Sinawava, the East Fork of the Virgin River,
North Creek, La Verkin Creek, and Taylor
Creek. The tributaries extending from the park
and partly on BLM lands are: Kolob Creek,
Goose Creek, Shunes Creek, Willis Creek,
Beartrap Canyon, and the Middle Fork of Taylor
Creek. Congressional authorization will be
required for inclusion of these streams and tributaries
in the national wild and scenic rivers
system.

OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
Three other alternatives for managing Zion
National Park were evaluated in the Draft and
Final Environmental Impact Statements.

---- page 61 end ----

The no-action alternative provides a baseline for
evaluating the changes and impacts of the three
action alternatives. Under the no-action alternative,
park managers would continue to manage
Zion as it has in the past, relying on the 1977
master plan and related existing plans. No new
construction or major changes would take place,
except for previously approved developments.
All of the park’s existing facilities would continue
to be operated and maintained as they
have in the past. The three existing research
natural areas would be managed as they have
been in the past. Most of the park (90%) would
continue to be recommended for wilderness and
be managed under the provisions of the
Wilderness Act.
Alternative A would provide opportunities for
more widespread and increased use of Zion,
providing opportunities for a range of visitor
experiences, while protecting resources. New
management zones would be applied throughout
the front and backcountry to proactively
manage visitor use. The upgrading or building of
trails and the designation of new routes would
improve access inside the park. Additional
visitor facilities, including picnic areas, information
facilities, and backcountry campsites, would
be provided at Lava Point, the Kolob Canyons
area, the east entrance area, and along the
Kolob-Terrace Road and Zion-Mt. Carmel
Highway. The Zion Canyon Lodge would continue
to operate as it has as in the past. Part of
the North Fork of the Virgin River in the main
Zion Canyon would be restored to a more
natural condition. Most of the park (90%)
would continue to be recommended for wilderness
designation and be managed according to
the provisions of the Wilderness Act. Group size
limits and new encounter rates would be instituted
as interim standards in the backcountry.
Depending on visitor use levels, park managers
may need to limit or reduce visitor numbers in
four areas in the recommended wilderness. New
research natural areas, covering about 4% of the
park, would be designated, while the three existing
research natural areas would be deauthorized.
Only authorized research and NPS-guided
educational groups would be allowed on
6,145 acres in remote backcountry areas due to
their designation as research natural areas.
However, under this alternative Parunuweap
Canyon would be open to limited NPS or NPS sanctioned
guided interpretive trips along the
river.
Alternative B focuses on providing increased
protection for park resources while still providing
opportunities for a range of visitor experiences.
Management zones would be applied
throughout the front and backcountry to proactively
manage visitor use. In the frontcountry a
full-service visitor facility would be built near
the east entrance, and a mandatory shuttle
system would be implemented along the Zion-
Mt. Carmel Highway. Alternative B would limit
other new development in the park to a
minimum. In several areas trailheads would be
removed and trailhead parking would be
reduced. The Zion Canyon Lodge would be
converted to a research/environmental education
facility. Part of the North Fork of the Virgin
River in the main Zion Canyon would be
restored to a more natural condition. The
number and frequency of shuttles going from
the Zion Canyon Lodge to the Temple of
Sinawava would be reduced. As in all of the
alternatives, most of the park (about 90%)
would continue to be recommended for wilderness
designation and would be managed according
to provisions of the Wilderness Act. Limits
on group size and new limits on encounter rates
would be instituted as interim standards in the
backcountry. Depending on visitor use levels,
park managers may need to limit or reduce
visitor numbers on 17 trails and routes in the recommended
wilderness. About 14% of the park
(including Parunuweap Canyon) would be designated
as research natural areas, while the three
existing research natural areas would be deauthorized.
Only authorized research and NPS-guided
educational groups would be allowed on
20,348 acres in mostly remote backcountry areas
due to their designation as research natural
areas.
Alternatives A and B are identical to the selected
action in the following ways: (1) the BLM areas
that would be proposed for transfer to the park;
(2) the acquisition of access and conservation
easements; and (3) the streams in the park and
on adjacent BLM lands recommended for inclusion
in the national wild and scenic rivers
system.

BASIS FOR DECISION
The Organic Act established the National Park
Service in order to “promote and regulate the
use of parks.” The Organic Act defined the
purpose of the national parks as “to conserve
the scenery and natural and historic objects and
wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment
of the same in such manner and by such
means as will leave them unimpaired for the
enjoyment of future generations.” The Organic
Act provides overall guidance for the management
of Zion National Park.
In reaching its decision to select the preferred
alternative, the National Park Service considered

---- page 62 end ----

the purposes for which Zion National Park was
established, and other laws and policies that
apply to lands in Zion National Park, including
the Organic Act, the Wilderness Act, National
Environmental Policy Act, existing formal agreements
(e.g., the Zion National Park Water Rights
Settlement Agreement), and the NPS
Management Policies. The National Park
Service also carefully considered public comments
received during the planning process.
Each alternative in the General Management
Plan presents a different framework for managing
Zion National Park. As a result, each alternative
would have different impacts on park
resources and visitors.
Compared to all of the alternatives considered,
the preferred alternative (selected action) best
accomplishes protection of park resources and
maintenance of a range of quality visitor experiences.
The preferred alternative would have
both positive and negative impacts on the park’s
natural resources, but most of the negative
impacts would be minor and localized. The new
management zones would help ensure that
opportunities for experiencing solitude and
natural quiet were available in most of the park,
although the zones also may adversely affect
some groups (e.g., saddle stock groups).
Providing a few new small visitor facilities also
would have minor, beneficial effects on visitor
experiences.
Unlike the no-action alternative, the preferred
alternative addresses many of the issues that
have arisen since the master plan was approved
in 1977, including management of the existing
research natural areas, restoration of the North
Fork of the Virgin River’s floodplain, ensuring
access to the park in several areas from adjacent
lands, and protection of the park’s scenic qualities
along its boundaries. The preferred alternative
provides a comprehensive approach for
addressing impacts from increasing visitor use,
particularly in the backcountry. In comparison,
the no-action alternative does not fully address
many of these issues or addresses them in a
piecemeal fashion. As a result, the preferred
alternative would have a lower potential than the
no-action alternative for adverse impacts to such
resources as Virgin spinedace habitat and desert
bighorn sheep. Unlike the no-action alternative,
restoring part of the North Fork of the Virgin
River’s floodplain would have beneficial effects
on the river’s values, riparian/wetland communities,
and possibly southwestern willow flycatcher
habitat. Also the preferred alternative
would be expected to have a positive effect on
most visitors’ experiences, based on the application
of the new management zones and the
development of a few new visitor facilities. In
contrast, the no-action alternative would likely
result in a gradual decrease in the quality and
range of recreational opportunities, increased
crowding, declining condition of park resources,
and diminished opportunities for quiet and solitude
in areas not closely managed.
The preferred alternative would have a lower
potential than alternative A for adverse impacts
to natural resources in certain areas, such as the
potential for impacts to the desert bighorn sheep
range — there would be a greater potential in
alternative A than in the preferred alternative for
adverse impacts caused by increased visitor use
within a large portion of the desert bighorn
sheep range in canyons along the Zion-Mt.
Carmel Highway. The preferred alternative also
would have a lower potential than Alternative A
for loss of microbiotic soils due to the amount
of new development proposed and higher use
levels. In addition, impacts to the natural soundscape
would be lower under the preferred alternative
than alternative A due to expected higher
use levels in the former alternative.
Compared to alternative B, the preferred alternative
would result in far fewer adverse impacts
on visitor use and personal choice in much of
the park. Unlike the preferred alternative, under
alternative B there would be the potential for
moderate to major adverse impacts to the experiences
of many visitors. For example, there
would be fewer opportunities in alternative B to
experience Zion Canyon above the lodge, to stay
overnight in the park, to ride horses, and to visit
many parts of the backcountry.

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE
Records of decision are required under Council
on Environmental Quality regulations to identify
the environmentally preferable alternative.
Environmentally preferable is defined as “the
alternative that will promote the national environmental
policy as expressed in §101 of the
National Environmental Policy Act. Section 101
states that “…it is the continuing responsibility
of the Federal Government to…(1) fulfill the
responsibilities of each generation as trustee of
the environment for succeeding generations; (2)
assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive,
and aesthetically and culturally pleasing
surroundings; (3) attain the widest range of beneficial
uses of the environment without degradation,
risk to heath or safety, or other undesirable
and unintended consequences; (4) preserve
important historic, cultural, and natural aspects
of our national heritage, and maintain, wherever
possible, an environment which supports diver-

---- page 63 end ----

sity, and variety of individual choice; (5) achieve
a balance between population and resource use
which will permit high standards of living and a
wide sharing of life’s amenities; and (6) enhance
the quality of renewable resources and approach
the maximum attainable recycling of depletable
resources.”
The environmentally preferable alternative is the
NPS preferred alternative in the Final Zion
National Park General Management Plan /
Environmental Impact Statement because it surpasses
the other alternatives in realizing the full
range of national environmental policy goals in
section 101. This alternative provides a high level
of protection of natural and cultural resources
while concurrently providing for a wide range of
neutral and beneficial uses of the environment.
The alternative maintains an environment that
supports a diversity and variety of individual
choices. And it integrates resource protection
with an appropriate range of visitor uses.
The no-action alternative does not provide as
much resource protection as the preferred alternative
— resource impacts would be expected to
increase with increasing use levels, particularly
in the backcountry. Visitor experience impacts
also would likely increase under this alternative.
Thus, compared to the preferred alternative, the
no-action alternative does not meet as well
national environmental policy goals 3 (attain the
widest range of beneficial uses of the environment
without degradation), 4 (preserve important
natural aspects and maintain an environment
that supports diversity and variety of
individual choice), 5 (achieve a balance between
population and resource use), and 6 (enhance
the quality of renewable resources).
Alternative A provides for the greatest range of
visitor experiences and access to Zion National
Park. However, there would be a higher potential
for impacts to natural resources under this
alternative compared to the preferred alternative.
Thus, alternative A does not meet policy
goals 3 (attain the widest range of beneficial uses
without degradation), 4 (preserve important
natural aspects), and 6 (enhance the quality of
renewable resources) to the same degree as the
preferred alternative.
Although alternative B provides a higher level of
resource protection than the preferred alternative,
it restricts visitor experiences and thus does
not fully achieve goals 3 (providing the widest
range of beneficial uses of the environment
without degradation) and 5 (achieving a balance
between population and resource use) — alternative
B does not realize these national environmental
policy goals to the same extent as the
preferred alternative.

FINDINGS ON IMPAIRMENT OF PARK RESOURCES AND VALUES
The National Park Service may not allow the
impairment of park resources and values unless
directly and specifically provided for by legislation
or proclamation establishing the park.
Impairment that is prohibited by the NPS
Organic Act and the General Authorities Act is
an impact that, in the professional judgment of
the responsible NPS manager, would harm the
integrity of park resources or values, including
the opportunities that otherwise would be
present for the enjoyment of those resources or
values. In determining whether an impairment
would occur, park managers examine the duration,
severity and magnitude of the impact; the
resources and values affected; and direct, indirect,
and cumulative effects of the action.
According to NPS policy, “An impact would be
more likely to constitute an impairment to the
extent that it affects a resource or value whose
conservation is: a) Necessary to fulfill specific
purposes identified in the establishing legislation
or proclamation of the park; b) Key to the
natural or cultural integrity of the park or to
opportunities for enjoyment of the park; or c)
Identified as a goal in the park’s general management
plan or other relevant NPS planning documents.”
This policy does not prohibit all impacts to park
resources and values. The National Park Service
has the discretion to allow impacts to park
resources and values when necessary and
appropriate to fulfill the purposes of a park, so
long as the impacts do not constitute an impairment.
Moreover, an impact is less likely to constitute
an impairment if it is an unavoidable
result, which cannot be further mitigated, of an
action necessary to preserve or restore the
integrity of park resources or values.
After analyzing the environmental impacts
described in the Final General Management Plan
/ Environmental Impact Statement and public
comments received, the National Park Service
has determined that implementation of the preferred
alternative will not constitute an impairment
to Zion National Park’s resources and
values. The actions comprising the preferred
alternative are intended to protect and enhance
the park’s natural and cultural resources, and
provide for high-quality visitor experiences.
Overall, the alternative would have minor to
moderate, beneficial effects on such resources as
air quality, riparian/wetland communities,
hanging gardens, and Virgin spinedace; major

---- page 64 end ----

beneficial effects on the floodplain of the North
Fork of the Virgin River; and a minor, positive
effect on most visitors’ experiences. From an
overall, parkwide perspective, no major adverse
impacts to the park’s resources or the range of
visitor experiences and no irreversible commitments
of resources (other than the loss of soil)
would be expected. While the alternative would
have some adverse effects on park resources and
visitor experiences, most of these impacts would
be site-specific, minor to moderate, short-term
impacts. There is the potential for moderate to
major impacts to microbiotic soils due to developments
and use, but these impacts would
occur in relatively small, localized areas. Most
park lands supporting microbiotic soils would
not be subject to disturbance.
Some pack stock users and hikers may be displaced
by the application of the new management
zones. However, other destinations in the
park are available to these groups. None of the
impacts of this alternative would adversely affect
resources or values to a degree that would
prevent the National Park Service from fulfilling
the purposes of the park, threaten the natural
integrity of the park, or eliminate opportunities
for people to enjoy the park.

MEASURES TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL HARM
Measures to avoid or minimize environmental
harm that could result from implementation of
the selected action have been identified and
incorporated into the preferred alternative and
are described in detail in the Final General
Management Plan / Environmental Impact
Statement. Natural resource mitigation measures
are described in the “Park Policies and
Practices” chapter, the description of the preferred
alternative, and in the analysis of environmental
impacts. Measures to minimize environmental
harm include, but are not limited to:
timing of trail openings/closures; restricting
visitor activities at certain times and locations;
siting projects and facilities in previously disturbed
or developed locations; employing
erosion control measures, restoration of habitats
using native plant materials; visitor education
programs, ranger patrols, erecting barriers and
signs to reduce or prevent impacts; allowing
only the use of weed-free materials and equipment
in the park; conducting visitor surveys and
monitoring visitor use patterns; monitoring
changes in the condition of natural and cultural
resources; monitoring construction activities;
and consulting with the Utah state historical
preservation officer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service when appropriate.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
The National Park Service provided numerous
opportunities for the public to participate in the
Zion National Park general management planning
process. The planning team primarily used
newsletters and workbooks to solicit public
comments and suggestions for the plan. During
the course of the planning process six newsletters
and one workbook were sent to the park’s
mailing list, which consisted of over 1,000
names. Each of the newsletters and the workbook
provided the opportunity for feedback and
comments from the public. The planning team
held three focus group meetings to gain public
input on aircraft overflights, river recreation,
and climbing/canyoneering. Meetings were also
held with the Springdale Planning Commission,
Southwest Utah Planning Authorities Council,
Five County Association of Governments, the
Utah Natural Resource Coordinating
Committee, and the Utah Rural Summit. In
addition, members of the planning team consulted
with and sought the views of several agencies
and governments, including the Kaibab
Paiute, Moapa, and Paiute Indian Tribes, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land
Management, and the Utah state historic preservation
officer.
The comment period on the draft plan initially
ran from December 6, 1999, through February
11, 2000. A notice of availability was published in
the December 6, 1999, Federal Register. After
several requests were received, the comment
period was extended to February 29, 2000. The
planning team held five public meetings on the
draft environmental impact statement from
January 6 through January 13, 2000. Meetings
were held in Cedar City, Springdale, Kanab, St.
George, and Salt Lake City. Over 500 separate
written responses were received during the
comment period.
One individual and one business sent in comments
on the Final General Management Plan /
Environmental Impact Statement during the 30-
day no-action period. The business,
UtahMountainBiking.com, opposed the addition
of the Rockville Bench area to the park
because this action would close the Slickrock
Swamp Trail to mountain bikes. The individual
was concerned that the city of Springdale did
not comment sufficiently on several issues in the
plan. No new substantive issues were raised in
the two comment letters.
The notice of availability for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement was published
in the May 8, 2001 Federal Register. The 30-day
“no action” period ended on June 7, 2001.

---- page 65 end ----

CONCLUSION
Among the alternatives considered, the preferred
alternative best protects the diversity of
park resources while also maintaining a range of
quality visitor experiences, meets NPS purposes
and goals for managing Zion National Park, and
meets national environmental policy goals. The
preferred alternative would not result in the
impairment of park resources and would allow
the National Park Service to conserve park
resources and provide for their enjoyment by
visitors. The officials responsible for implementing
the selected alternative are the Regional
Director, Intermountain Region, and the
Superintendent, Zion National Park.

Approved:
<signature>
Karen P. Wade
Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service
Date: 6/18/01

---- page 66 end ----

Appendix B: Statement of Findings for Floodplains

INTRODUCTION
Description of the Site. The North Fork of the
Virgin River is the main drainage through Zion
Canyon. A number of tributary streams feed
into the North Fork within the canyon, including
Birch Creek. Zion Canyon is the primary
visitor use area within the park. Because of the
physiographic characteristics of the canyon, a
narrow valley confined by tall canyon walls,
much of the existing use and development is
located along the bottom of the main canyon or
side streams.
Description of the Preferred Alternative. This
statement of findings addresses the National
Park Service proposal to retain the Zion Lodge
and associated development, the support facilities
at Birch Creek, existing picnic areas, as well
as the addition of new picnic sites in Zion
Canyon. Maintenance of other existing facilities
within the canyon and proposed transportation
system developments were covered under the
statement of findings for the 1994 Development
Concept Plan for Zion Headquarters and the
subsequent 1997 Canyon Transportation System
Environmental Assessment. The transportation
system plan modified the elements of the earlier
development concept plan and the statement of
findings.
Flooding Characteristics in the Area. The North
Fork experiences wide fluctuations in flow with
a seasonal snowmelt peak in the spring, followed
by generally low summer and fall flows.
Occasional heavy storms, which can occur at
any time of the year but are most common in
summer and early fall, produce the largest flows
in the Virgin River system. These runoff events
are usually of short duration and can occur suddenly.
Floods in desert regions such as Zion are
often accompanied by large quantities of debris
and sediment, increasing the impact of floods.
The only reservoir with the capacity to significantly
affect stream flows in the park is Kolob
Reservoir, located 2.5 miles upstream of the
park. Reservoir releases can make canyoneering
in Kolob Creek hazardous, but are inconsequential
farther downstream.
Through much of Zion Canyon, the 100- and
500-year floodplain boundaries closely follow
the banks of the river. The probable maximum
flood area extends into much of the valley floor,
including Zion Lodge and all other facilities that
are adjacent to the river. Estimates of flood stage
indicate that the Zion Lodge and associated
facilities (parking, restrooms, cabins, concessioner
housing) would be protected by the existing
road grade, which would contain both the
100- and 500-year floods. An exception to this is
in the upstream reach adjacent to the main lodge
building, where the 500-year flood would overtop
the road and inundate a portion of the lawn
area in front of the lodge. The flood depth
would not reach the lodge foundation and overbank
velocities would not likely exceed two feet
per second. Even with failure of the road grade,
neither of these design floods would reach the
elevation of the lodge, since the foundation is
estimated to be a minimum of three feet above
the 100-year flood and one foot above the 500-
year flood.
No floodplain mapping or flood stage estimates
have been made for the support facilities (concessioner
housing, water tank, and
stable/corrals) on the Birch Creek point. Based
on the topography and river channel characteristics
in this area, these facilities are likely elevated
outside of the 100- and 500-year floodplains,
but would be within the probable
maximum floodplain (December 6, 1993, trip
report from Michael Martin, hydrological technician,
NPS Water Resource Division).

JUSTIFICATION FOR USE OF THE FLOODPLAIN
Why the Proposal Would Retain Facilities in the
Floodplain. The Zion lodge and Birch Creek
facilities would be retained for their existing use
and would remain within the probable
maximum floodplain. The floodplain is closely
bordered by canyon walls that slope upward at a
sharp angle. Therefore there is little canyon
bottom that is level enough for development
that is outside of the floodplain and there are no
other suitable non-floodplain sites on the
narrow canyon bottom for relocation of these
facilities. The overnight facilities in these two
areas would be outside of the more frequently
flooded sites as well as the 100- and 500-year
floodplains. The park’s warning and evacuation
procedures would also remain in effect.

---- page 67 end ----

Under NPS procedures for implementing 
Executive Order 11988, the existing and pro­ 
posed picnic areas may be placed within the 
100­year floodplain, but these day use facilities 
must contain signs informing visitors of flood 
risk and suggested actions in the event of flood­ 
ing. These facilities would be signed to warn vis­ 
itors of flash flood hazards and evacuation 
areas. 
Alternatives Considered in the Environmental 
Impact Statement. No alternatives were consid­ 
ered in the General Management Plan that 
would remove the Zion Lodge, Birch Creek 
development, or picnic areas. One alternative 
did consider converting the lodge to an environ­ 
mental education center, although overnight use 
would still continue in support of this new func­ 
tion.

DESCRIPTION OF SITE­SPECIFIC FLOOD RISK AND ACTIONS
TO MINIMIZE HARM TO FLOODPLAIN VALUES AND TO MINIMIZE
RISK TO LIFE OR PROPERTY 
The above facilities for visitors and employees, 
including overnight users, would be maintained 
in their existing locations within flood hazard 
areas along the North Fork and tributaries 
because flood prone areas are unavoidable 
within the confines of the canyon walls. These 
facilities could be lost during an extreme flood 
event, but are outside of areas potentially subject 
to more frequent flooding. To protect lives the 
evacuation plan and warning system would 
remain in effect. The flash flood warning and 
evacuation plan consists of daily contact 
between Zion dispatch and the National 
Weather Service during the summer to receive 
weather forecasts and storm potential condi­ 
tions. Observations of drainage conditions by 
park rangers are also collected. The standard 
operating procedure is to close the upper 
canyon road to visitor traffic during flash floods, 
while posting rangers as scouts along the river to 
warn visitors and employees of impending 
danger. The park staff would also emphasize 
public education and awareness of flood 
hazards. Picnic facilities would be signed to 
warn of flash flood hazards and evacuation 
areas. These measures would minimize poten­ 
tially hazardous conditions to people. 
The natural and beneficial values of floodplains 
(moderation of floodwaters, maintenance of 
water quality, and groundwater recharge) would 
primarily not be affected by retaining the exist­ 
ing facilities. Minimal effects on ground water 
recharge would result from retention of imper­ 
vious structures or paved surfaces.

SUMMARY 
The National Park Service has determined that 
there is no practicable alternative to maintaining 
Zion Canyon Lodge, Birch Creek support facili­ 
ties, and picnic areas within the probable 
maximum floodplain. This determination was 
based on the decision to maintain Zion Canyon 
as the primary visitor use area within the park, 
with provisions for overnight and day­use facili­ 
ties. These facilities are not within areas subject 
to frequent flooding, and with the early warning 
system and evacuation plan in use, the risk to 
human safety would be minimized.
 
Recommended: <signed>
Superintendent, Zion National Park 
Date: 03/07/01
Concurred: <signed>
Water Resources Division 
Date: 3/30/2001
Concurred: <signed>
Regional Compliance Officer 
Date: 5/7/01
Approved: <signed>
Karen P. Wade 
Regional Director, Intermountain Region 
Date: 5/9/01

---- page 68 end ----

Appendix C: Definitions of The Management Zones 

FRONTCOUNTRY HIGH DEVELOPMENT ZONE 
This zone will provide visitors with highly struc­ 
tured opportunities to enjoy and learn about the 
park by means of motorized, primary roads. In 
essence, visitors will feel as though they are in a 
pocket of civilization surrounded by the park's 
natural beauty. A wide array of visitor services 
and facilities will be available. The experience 
will be highly social. Both natural processes and 
the natural landscape will be highly modified. 
Resource Conditions. Natural processes and the 
landscape will be greatly altered to accommo­ 
date visitors and support park operations. 
Throughout the area, resources may be altered 
or manipulated whenever necessary to restore 
damaged areas, preserve/ maintain cultural 
resources, or to direct visitor use and minimize 
human impacts. All alterations, however, should 
blend in with the surrounding landscape or 
facilities to the extent possible. 
Visitor Experience. Visitors will view the park 
landscape from the relative comfort of motor 
vehicles and highly developed facilities. 
Transportation, lodging, camping, orientation/ 
information, and a wide variety of other services 
will be readily available to help visitors learn 
about and enjoy the park's resources. Visitors 
will feel secure in a developed environment. The 
visitor experience generally will be highly social 
with frequent interact i on among visitors and 
between visitors and park staff. Although there 
may be some opportunity for solitude at certain 
times of the day, particularly during the off­peak 
season, encounters with others will be more 
likely compared to other management zones. 
Throughout the year, the only limits on numbers 
of people or on group size that may be encoun­ 
tered, both day and night, will be due to 
resource protection concerns or facility design 
capacities. Visitors will stay overnight in camp­ 
grounds or lodges. Because of the close proxim­ 
ity of facilities and services, visitors will not 
need to have a high degree of self­reliance or 
outdoor skills. Travel will occur mainly along 
primary or secondary roads or on walkways 
connecting facilities. 
Management and Scientific Uses. Most manage­ 
ment actions will focus on maintaining facilities 
and providing high quality visitor experiences, 
with a secondary focus on mitigating impacts 
from human use. Actions that may be taken to 

---- page 69 end ----

manage visitors include: directing or limiting use 
via signs, fences, or pathways; educating visitors; 
and encouraging behaviors that protect 
resources and maintain visitor safety. Research 
and resource management activities also will be 
permitted, with some restrictions. Many types of 
equipment will be allowed for scientific and 
management purposes, although how, when, 
and where they will be used may be restricted 
Fee collection will take place in this zone. For 
both research and administrative purposes, the 
number of people will be limited if there are 
resource protection concerns or by the design 
capacity of the facilities. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. Visitors can participate in a wide 
variety of highly structured and facility­depend­ 
ent recreational activities. These activities will 
revolve mainly around going to a visitor center, 
enjoying motorized sightseeing, and camping in 
a developed campground or staying overnight in 
a lodge. Other activities may also include 
walking, bicycling on roads or designated trails, 
watching wildlife, and viewing selecting cultural 
sites. The use of nonmotorized watercraft (e.g., 
kayaks), climbing, and canyoneering will be per­ 
mitted, although these activities may be 
restricted or prohibited at certain times and 
locations. Day use of saddle stock may be 
allowed in designated areas and at designated 
t mes. Nonmotorized winter activities will be 
permitted on trails and designated areas. 
Commercial filming may be permitted provided 
it is consistent with the desired resource and 
social conditions described above for the zone. 
Group activities (e.g., weddings, reunions) may 
occur with a special use permit. 
A broad range of formal interpretive, education, 
and orientation programs, facilities, and infor­ 
mation will be provided in this zone. Guided 
and self­guided activities may also be provided. 
For example, slide programs, guided walks and 
tours, live presentations, exhibits, publications, 
cooperating association sales (e.g., sales of 
park/resource­related interpretive materials), 
and some nature trails can be found here. 
Educational programs and workshops may also 
be accommodated (e.g., Junior Ranger program, 
Elderhostel, painting and photography work­ 
shops). 
The greatest variety of park­appropriate devel­ 
opment will be found in the frontcountry high 
development zone. Additionally, the greatest 
number and highest concentration of facilities 
w ll be found here. This is the on l y zone where 
full­service visitor centers and developed camp­ 
grounds (with electricity, sewage/dump stations, 
and showers) may occur. The existing lodge, gift 
shop and restaurant will be in this zone 
Sprinkler systems, housing, and exterior lighting 
also will be permitted in this zone. (Exterior 
lighting will be the minimum needed for visitor 
safety in order to minimize impacts on night sky 
viewing.) Other types of appropriate visitor 
facilities may include focused visitor facilities, 
paved or hardened walkways, nature trails and 
river put­in or take­out sites, restrooms, devel­ 
oped picnic areas, and interpretive facilities. 
Several other types of developments, including 
corrals, barns, entrance stations, utility lines, 
irrigation systems, diversion dams, and other 
structures associated with park operations and 
maintenance, may be permitted in this zone. 
Culturally significant resources, including his­ 
toric structures, may be used for administrative 
purposes.

FRONTCOUNTRY LOW DEVELOPMENT ZONE 
Visitors will have a fairly structured rural experi­ 
ence oriented around motorized sightseeing, 
camping, picnicking, and taking short walks. 
Basic facilities and services will be provided, but 
they will be fewer and less concentrated than in 
the frontcountry high development zone. There 
will be few opportunities for solitude, but the 
social environment will remain uncrowded. 
Natural conditions will be unmodified in most 
of the zone. 
Resource Condition. Natural processes and 
landscapes will be unaltered, except within or 
directly adjacent to the limited number of devel­ 
oped sites. In developed areas, natural processes 
and landscapes may be altered or manipulated 
when necessary to restore damaged areas, to 
preserve or maintain cultural resources, or to 
direct visitor use to avoid resource impacts. All 
alterations will be designed to blend in with the 
natural landscape.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE 
In this zone visitors will experience the park 
while in or near their vehicles and with the aid 
of some basic services and facilities. Visitors will 
feel they are part of the natural landscape, while 

---- page 70 end ----

also having the security of knowing other 
people and facilities are nearby. Sights and 
sounds of people and some vehicles will be 
expected. Although there will be few opportuni­ 
ties for solitude and the probability of encoun­ 
tering other people or NPS staff will be moder­ 
ate, the social experience will be uncrowded. 
Throughout the year, the only limits on numbers 
of people or on group size that may be encoun­ 
tered, both day and night, will be due to 
resource protection concerns or facility design 
capacities. At night, people can camp in camp­ 
grounds, but no lodging will be available. Basic 
necessities and conveniences will be provided; 
therefore, visitors will not need a high degree of 
self­reliance or outdoor skills. Travel generally 
will be by motor vehicle along secondary roads, 
or by foot or bicycle on short trails. 
Management and Scientific Uses. Management 
and scientific uses will be the same as described 
for the frontcountry high development zone. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. Most activities will be somewhat 
structured, with the visitor experience oriented 
around motorized sightseeing, camping in 
campgrounds, picnicking, and taking short 
walks. Non­motorized watercraft use, bicycling 
on roads or designated trails, climbing, 
canyoneering, viewing selected cultural sites, 
nonmotorized winter activities, commercial 
filming, and group activities generally will be 
permitted, with some restrictions or prohibi­ 
tions possible. Day use of saddle stock may be 
permitted on designated trails and at designated 
times. A wide range of interpretive, educational, 
and orientation programs, facilities, and infor­ 
mation will be provided, but to a lesser extent 
than in the frontcountry high development 
zone. Unlike the frontcountry high development 
zone, lodging, conferences, food sales, and gift 
sales will be prohibited. The types of develop­ 
ment permitted will be similar to those in the 
frontcountry high development zone, but they 
will be less concentrated and generally more 
primitive. For example, only secondary roads 
will be present---roads may be paved, but will be 
designed to maintain the rural setting, with low 
traffic volumes and slow speeds. Picnic sites 
(tables) will be limited to a cumulative total of 
ten sites per zoned area. Campgrounds will not 
have electricity, sewer/dump stations, or 
showers. Focused visitor facilities may be 
present to provide visitors with park orienta­ 
tion/information or to interpret specific park 
resources. The following types of developments 
will not be allowed: sprinkler systems, exterior 
lighting, full­service visitor centers, lodges, gift 
shops, and restaurants. Existing historical fea­ 
tures (e.g., orchards, irrigation ditches) may be 
maintained. Culturally significant resources, 
including historical structures, may be used for 
administrative purposes.

TRANSITION ZONE 
The main purpose of this zone will be to allow 
visitors to view or directly access many of the 
park's prime resources by means of nonmotor­ 
ized, maintained, high­use trails. This will be a 
day­ use zone. Only minimal facilities (e.g., 
trails) will be present. Visitor use will be concen­ 
trated within or near these facilities, leaving the 
rest of the landscape largely undisturbed and the 
resources protected. 
Resource Conditions. Natural processes will 
likely be altered to a greater degree than in the 
primitive and pristine zones, but less so than in 
the frontcountry high and low development 
zones. For example, culverts may be constructed 
to direct the flow of water under a trail, 
although other types of stream channelization 
cannot occur. (However, channelization may 
continue in the section of the North Fork of the 
Virgin River flowing through the main Zion 
Canyon.) Some parts of the natural landscape 
may be altered by hardening them or shielding 
them from impacts (e.g., surfacing trails or 
campsites, putting in water bars, installing 
toilets). As in the frontcountry low development 
zone, natural processes and landscapes may be 
altered or manipulated in developed areas in the 
transition zone when necessary to restore 
damaged areas, to preserve or maintain cultural 
resources, or to direct visitor use to avoid 
resource impacts. All alterations will be designed 
to blend in with the natural landscape. 
Visitor Experience. Visitors will have opportuni­ 
ties to view or directly access many of the park's 
prime resources via well­developed trails. 
Visitors will have a sense of being in a natural 
landscape, although during the peak season 
there will be a low expectation of solitude due 
to the sights and sounds of other people. The 
probability of encountering other people and 

---- page 71 end ----

NPS staff will be high, but crowding levels will 
not keep visitors from reaching desired destina­ 
tions or viewing outstanding park features. 
Throughout the year, the only limits on day 
use---numbers of people or group sizes that may 
be encountered---will be due to resource protec­ 
tion concerns or facility design capacities. This 
zone generally will be closer to conveniences 
and easier to access than the primitive and pris­ 
tine zones; therefore, visitors will need only a 
low to moderate degree of self­reliance and 
basic outdoor skills. Travel generally will be on 
foot and largely directed via surfaced trails, and 
other clearly delineated routes over land or 
water. 
Management and Scientific Uses. Management 
actions will focus on maintaining visitor facili­ 
ties, mitigating impacts from human use, and 
providing for quality visitor experiences. In 
order to avoid resource impacts, actions may be 
taken to manage visitors, including designating 
overnight use areas, directing or limiting use via 
safety rails or chains, fences, and other barriers, 
and educating and encouraging behaviors that 
protect resources and maintain visitor safety. 
Research and resource management activites 
also will be permitted, with some restrictions. 
Most types of equipment and small motorized 
vehicles that do not exceed the trail widths will 
be allowed. How, when, and where equipment 
will be used for management or scientific pur­ 
poses may be restricted. For both research and 
administrative purposes, group size will be 
limited by resource protection concerns or facil­ 
ity design capacities. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. Only nonmotorized visitor uses 
can occur in a transition zone, such as hiking 
and backpacking. Day use of saddle stock will 
be permitted on designated trails at designated 
times. Watercraft use, climbing, and canyoneer­ 
ing, nonmotorized winter activities, viewing 
selected cultural sites, and commercial filming 
generally will be permitted, with some restric­ 
tions or prohibitions possible. Group activities 
such as weddings will not be allowed. A moder­ 
ate range of interpretive services may be avail­ 
able, including formal guided walks, informal 
patrols, outdoor exhibits and bulletin boards, 
signs, trail guides, and various educational pro­ 
grams. 
The types and level of development in the tran­ 
sit i on zone will be limited. Appropriate types of 
visitor facilities will include: pit toilets; devel­ 
oped trailheads; clearly delineated routes over 
land or water; surfaced trails, overlooks, and 
destination points; bridges; and interpretive and 
informational signs. Management structures will 
be limited to irrigation ditches, springhead 
boxes, river gauges, gabions, trail culverts, diver­ 
sion dams, research exclosures, radio repeaters, 
fences, safety rails, chains, or other such barri­ 
cades. Except for historic structures listed or eli­ 
gible for listing on the National Register of 
Historic Places, no utility­related structures 
cabins or large buildings, or other more devel­ 
oped "frontcountry" facilities will be allowed. 
Only those roads that allow access to private 
property will be permitted, although these roads 
will be gated and open only to landowners and 
their guests. Culturally significant resources, 
including historic structures, may be used for 
administrative purposes.

PRIMITIVE ZONE 
This zone will provide better opportunities for 
visitors to experience wildlands and solitude 
than the zones described above. The landscape 
will be largely undisturbed, with natural 
processes predominating. However, compared 
to the pristine zone, access will be easier into 
this zone, there will be signs of people, and the 
area will feel less remote. 
Resource Condition. Natural processes and the 
landscape will be unaltered in the primitive 
zone, except for a few minimal developments 
such as primitive trails and designated camp­ 
sites. Little evidence of recreational impacts will 
be tolerated. Resources may be altered or 
manipulated if necessary to restore areas that 
have been disturbed. Some resources may be 
altered to preserve/maintain cultural resources, 
but such changes will be kept to the minimum 
extent possible. A few resources also may be 
manipulated to direct visitors to avoid resource 
impacts, but they will be subtle and harmonize 
with the natural environment (e.g., building 
native plant barriers). 
Visitor Experience. Visitors will have opportuni­ 
ties in the primitive zone to experience Zion's 
wildlands with limited assistance. There will be a 
sense of being immersed in a natural landscape 
with a moderate sense of solitude. Natural sights 
and sounds will be almost all that one sees and 
hears. The probability of encountering other 
people and NPS staff will be moderate through­ 
out the year. Generally a visitor will encounter 
no more than twelve groups per day. An interim 
hiker group size limit for day and overnight use 
will be 12 or fewer individuals. For saddle stock 
parties, the interim group size will be a 
maximum of six saddle stock and six people per 
group. At night people can camp out of sight of 
others. Because this zone will be farther from 
conveniences, visitors will need to have a high 

---- page 72 end ----

degree of self­reliance, and more advanced 
outdoor skills may be necessary (e.g., route­ 
finding or canyoneering ability). However, travel 
will be largely directed via primitive trails and 
routes over land and in streams. 
Management and Scientific Uses. Most of the 
management actions in this zone will bed evoted 
to protecting resources, minimizing, or avoiding 
potential impacts from visitors, and restoring 
disturbed areas. Act i ons that may be taken to 
manage visitors include setting group size limits, 
designating camping sites, restricting off­trail 
use, and encouraging behaviors that protect 
resources. Research and resource management 
activities will be permitted, with some restric­ 
tions. For both research and administrative pur­ 
poses, all groups will be limited to no more than 
12 people. Motorized equipment and the use of 
aircraft to access the zone generally will not be 
permitted, as per the Wilderness Act and NPS 
policies. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. With the exception of interpretive 
activities and bicycling, the same types of non­ 
motorized visitor activities described in the tran­ 
sition zone can occur in the primitive zone 
(although there may be different qualifications, 
restrictions, or prohibitions on visitor activities). 
Only limited opportunities may be provided for 
formal guided interpretive walks. No bicycling 
will be permitted. However, day use of saddle 
stock will be permitted on designated trails and 
at designated times. Off­trail use of saddle stock 
will be permitted only in designated areas. 
Overnight camping with saddle stock will be 
permitted only at designated sites. 
There will be very little development, either to 
support visitors or for management purposes. 
Narrow, unpaved trails and/or routes will be 
maintained (paved trails that existed at the time 
of zoning are an exception to this rule). Some 
designated campsites and other facilities may be 
provided for the purpose of protecting 
resources rather than for the convenience of vis­ 
itors (e.g., pit toilets and stream crossings, but 
not bridges). Some undeveloped river put­in 
and take­out points may be designated to mini­ 
mize the potential for resource impacts. 
Informational/ directional signs also may be pro­ 
vided when deemed necessary for human safety 
and resource protection; however, interpretive 
signs will not be present. Some administrative 
facilities may be maintained if they are needed 
for parkwide management (e.g., radio repeaters, 
weather stations, existing water collection 
devices, river gauges). Culturally significant 
resources, including historic structures, may be 
used for administrative purposes.

PRISTINE ZONE 
The pristine zone will offer the feeling of being 
entirely alone in Zion 's remote and isolated 
wildlands. This zone will provide visitors a 
chance to experience a natural landscape. Use of 
these areas will be low, and group encounters 
infrequent. 
Resource Condition. Lands in this zone will be 
managed to perpetuate natural conditions and 

---- page 73 end ----

processes, undisturbed by people. There will be 
very little tolerance for uses or actions that will 
disturb or alter resources and natural processes; 
the only sign that others have used the area may 
be faint hiking routes and bolts on climbing 
routes. However, some resources may be altered 
or manipulated if necessary to restore areas that 
have been disturbed, or to preserve/ maintain 
cultural resources. 
Visitor Experience. Visitors will have the sense of 
being immersed in a totally natural landscape 
With virtually no evidence of others passing 
through this zone, some visitors may feel like 
they were the first humans to explore this area 
On l y natural sights and sounds will be seen and 
heard. There will be a strong sense of isolation 
and remoteness. The probability of encounter­ 
ing other people or NPS staff will be very low 
throughout the year. For example, visitors will 
not usually expect to encounter any other 
groups either during the day or at night. The 
interim group size limit will be a maximum of 12 
people per group. Because visitors will not find 
conveniences and other people in this zone, 
they will need to be entirely self­ reliant and 
possess a high level of outdoor skills--- route­ 
finding and canyoneering abilities will be essen­ 
tial. 
Management and Scientific Use. Management 
in the pristine zone will be aimed primarily at 
protecting park resources, while still ensuring 
that visitors have a high­quality experience. 
Minimal administrative use will occur, such as 
restoration of disturbed areas, search and 
rescue, and monitoring of endangered species. 
However, providing the type of desired visitor 
experience will require a high degree of man­ 
agement of visitors outside of the zone. For 
example, visitor levels will need to be highly 
managed to ensure that visitor encounters are 
minimized. If impacts occur due to visitor use, 
there will be increased management of visitors 
(e.g., required orientations, use restrictions, 
temporary closures). 
Long­term inventory and monitoring and 
resource management to mitigate human 
impacts or preserve cultural resources will occur 
in this zone. Other types of research may take 
place if this zone is considered to be the only, or 
best suitable, area for that research. All research 
activities will require a project/research proposal 
that will be subject to internal (National Park 
Service) and external peer review. 
For both research and administrative purposes, 
the size of groups and the total number of 
groups will be the same as described for visitors 
in this zone. Motorized equipment and the use 
of aircraft to access the zone generally will not 
be permitted, as per the Wilderness Act and 
NPS policy. 
Appropriate Activities and Development. 
Hiking, backpacking, climbing, canyoneering, 
cross­country skiing, snowshoeing, and nonmo­ 
torized watercraft use will be permitted, with 
restrictions or prohibitions possible at certain 
times and locations. Commercial filming may be 
permitted, provided it is consistent with the 

---- page 74 end ----

desired conditions and intent of the zone. No 
commercial recreational activities, motorized/ 
mechanical uses, or saddle stock will be permit­ 
ted in order to minimize impacts to other visi­ 
tors and the resources. Interpretive/ educational 
services also will not be provided in the pristine 
zone. 
No visitor developments generally will be 
present, including campsites, signs, or main­ 
tained river put­in/take­out. However, routes 
and paths may be defined and maintained if 
necessary to prevent resource damage. Faint 
hiking routes and climbing bolts will be permit­ 
ted. Administrative developments generally will 
not be permitted, with the possible exception of 
existing radio repeaters that are essential for 
parkwide management. Culturally significant 
resources, including historic structures, may be 
mantained but will not be used for administra­ 
tive or other purposes.

RESEARCH NATURAL AREA (RNA) 
This zone applies the intent of the national 
network of "research natural areas," which are 
field ecological areas designated primarily for 
research and education and/or to maintain bio­ 
logical diversity. Research natural area zones will 
be applied in areas with little to no human dis­ 
turbance. Baseline inventory and long­term eco­ 
logical observations will be emphasized in this 
zone, with the primary purpose of creating an 
ecological/environmental benchmark over time. 
This zone will not be open to recreational use, 
but may be open to educational uses. 
Resource Condition. This zone is located in 
areas that are prime examples of natural ecosys­ 
tems and areas with significant genetic resources 
with value for long­term baseline observational 
studies or as control areas. The areas will exhibit 
little evidence of human disturbance, although 
they will be relatively accessible (with the excep­ 
tion of the isolated mesa tops). Limited manipu­ 
lations may be allowed, provided the intent is to 
restore the area to more natural conditions (such 
as when using prescribed fire), or to 
preserve/maintain significant cultural resources 
(such as when conducting archeological 
research). 
Visitor Experience. Any areas included in this 
designation will be closed to all recreational 
uses. Educational trips may be authorized under 
established RNA guidelines, subject to justifica­ 
tion, documentation, and internal review. 
Management and Scientific Uses. All manage­ 
ment and scientific uses in research natural
areas will require a project/research proposal 
that will be subject to internal (National Park 
Service) and external peer review. Long­ term 
inventory and monitoring, and resource man­ 
agement to mitigate human impacts or preserve 
cultural resources will occur. Other types of 
research, sampling, or collection may occur if it 
is considered to be the only, or best suitable, 
area for accomplishing the research objectives. 
Limited administrative uses (e.g., search and 
rescue) will be permitted, but will be infrequent 
and last only a short time. For both research and 
administrative activities, an interim limit will be 
12 or fewer individuals. The total number of 
groups will be established in the carrying capac­ 
ity studies and the wilderness management plan­ 
ning process. Motorized equipment and the use 
of aircraft to access the zone generally will not 
be permitted, as per the Wilderness Act and 
NPS policies. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. Although this zone will be closed 
to general public use, some interpretation of the 
areas may occur outside of the zone, such as 
explaining the benefits and use of benchmark 
environmental monitoring sites as land manage­ 
ment tools. Camping and trail construction will 
not be allowed, except to provide essential 
access to established research facilities. 
Temporary research equipment (e.g., stream 
gauging stations, meteorological equipment) will 
be permitted if there is no practical alternative 
for achieving research goals, and where consis­ 
tent with the wilderness management plan, the 
Wilderness Act, and other park documents (e.g., 
the "Resource Management Plan"). 

---- page 75 end ----

ADMINISTRATIVE ZONE 
The primary purpose of this zone will be to 
support the management and administration of 
the park. General visitation will not occur, 
although some visitors may access these facili­ 
ties/areas to obtain staff assistance or to solve a 
problem. The level of facility development and 
concentration will vary as needed to provide for 
park operations; the degree of modification of 
natural processes and landscapes also will vary. 
Resource Condition. Natural processes and the 
landscape will be altered to support park opera­ 
tions; the degree of alteration will be dependent 
on need. Resources may be altered or manipu­ 
lated whenever necessary to restore damaged 
areas, to preserve/maintain cultural resources, or 
to direct use in order to avoid resource impacts. 
However, all alterations should blend in visually 
with the surrounding landscape or facilities to 
the extent possible. 
Visitor Experience. General public visitation will 
not be encouraged, because this zone will be 
intended to serve primarily administrative func­ 
tions. However, some visitors may have access to 
obtain staff assistance or to solve a problem. 
Management and Scientific Uses. Most manage­ 
ment activities will be devoted to maintaining 
park facilities and for park operations. Research 
and resource management activities will be per­ 
mitted with some restrictions. Most types of 
equipment will be allowed for scientific and 
management purposes, although how, when, 
and where the equipment is used may be 
restricted. For both research and administrative 
purposes, the number of people will be limited 
if there are resource protection concerns or by 
the physical capacity of the facilities. 
Appropriate Kinds of Activities and 
Development. Because the public will seldom be 
in this zone, there will be no interpretive, educa­ 
tional, or orientation facilities or services; 
however, orientation information, such as signs, 
may be present to direct visitors where to go for 
assistance. The type, level, and concentration of 
administrative facilities will depend on the 
requirements for park operations, and generally 
will be the same as in the frontcountry high 
development zone. 

---- page 76 end ----

Appendix D: Summary of Research Natural Areas 

Research Natural Area / General Description 
/ Ecological Units Present in the RNA (1)
/ Other Resource Attributes 

Kolob Mesas 
Acreage: 623.0 
The relatively flat tops of Timber 
Top Mountain and Nagunt Mesa 
overlooking the Kolob Canyons. 
Also includes canyon draining 
west from Timber Top Mountain. 
Access is by helicopter and tech­ 
nical climbing only. 
. Hanging canyons 
. Relict mesas 
. Relict forests 
. Springs and seeps 
. Rock crevice and slickrock com­ 
munities 
. Peregrine falcon nesting and 
foraging 
. Natural 1st order watershed 
Shunes Creek 
Acreage: is combined with 
Parunuweap 
Shunes Creek Canyon below the 
Navajo Sandstone cliffs along the 
southern boundary of the park, 
excluding the administrative 
zone around a water right diver­ 
sion. Shunes Creek is a small 
perennial stream tributary to the 
East Fork of the Virgin River. 
. Riparian fluvial & aquatic 
. Springs and seeps 
. Riverine adaptation of ances­ 
tral Puebloan people 
. Bighorn sheep lambing area 
. Good populations of virgin 
spinedace 
. Natural function in riparian 
area 
. Ancestral Puebloan people use 
Hanging Garden 
Acreage: 2.2 
Five hanging gardens in Zion 
and Parunuweap Canyons. RNA 
would include the immediate 
vicinities of Grotto Spring, 
Weeping Rock, Sinawava 
Hanging Garden, and two 
unnamed springs in Parunuweap 
Canyon. 
. Hanging gardens 
. Springs and seeps 
. Rare endemic plant and animal 
communities 
. Rare hydrology 
. Endemic invertebrates includ­ 
ingZionsnail 
Isolated Mesa Tops 
Acreage: 877.4 
Isolated mesa tops that are sur­ 
rounded by high cliffs of Navajo 
Sandstone. These include Burnt 
Mountain (south of La Verkin 
Creek), Greatheart Mesa, 
Inclined Temple, four unnamed 
high mesas west of Horse 
Pasture Plateau, and two closely 
associated unnamed mesas north 
of Wynopits Mountain. 
Access is by helicopter and tech­ 
nical climbing only. 
. Relict mesas 
. Hanging canyons 
. Relict forests 
. Genetic isolation of some plant 
and animal species possible. 
. Conditions for plants and ani­ 
mals as near natural as physical 
isolation can provide 
. First order ephemeral channels 
. Relict ecosystems in the 
absence of large mammals 
Goose Creek 
Acreage: 994.3 
The sandstone slot canyons of 
Goose Creek, which drain east 
from Lava Point and Horse 
Pasture Plateau. A five­mile long 
tributary of the North Fork of 
the Virgin River with deep nar­ 
row canyons and perennial 
stream flow in the lower reach­ 
es. 
Access to most of Goose Creek is 
through technical canyoneering. 
. Slot canyons 
. Riparian fluvial & aquatic 
. Springs and seeps 
. Hanging canyons 
. Relict forests 
. Mexican spotted owl habitat. 
. Second and third order 
ephemeral and perennial chan­ 
nels 
. Surface almost entirely inside 
park 

---- page 77 end ----

Research Natural Area / General Description 
/ Ecological Units Present in the RNA (1)
/ Other Resource Attributes 

Crazy Quilt Mesa 
Acreage: 153.0 
The top of Crazy Quilt Mesa and 
adjacent slopes, east of 
Checkerboard Mesa near the 
East Entrance to the park. 
Access is by helicopter and tech­ 
nical climbing only. 
. Relict mesas 
. Rock crevice and slickrock com­ 
munities 
. Excellent examples of slickrock, 
and crack & crevice geology 
and hydrology 
. Several rare plant species 
. Potential Mexican spotted owl 
habitat 
Slickrock 
Acreage: 556.6 
An area of extensive slickrock 
buttes, slopes and terraces, south 
of Clear Creek, east of Gifford 
Canyon and around the head of 
Crawford Wash. 
. Rock crevice and slickrock 
communities 
. Eolian landscape 
. Excellent examples of slickrock, 
and crack & crevice geology 
and hydrology 
. Several rare plant species 
Southeast Pinyon Juniper 
Acreage: 1,180.5 
An area of relatively deep sandy 
soils supporting relict pinyon -- 
juniper forests in the southeast­ 
ern most corner of the park. The 
vicinity includes dune deposits 
and slickrock. Access is via sever­ 
al miles of poor roads across BLM 
land. 
. Relict forest 
. Eolian landscape 
. Unusually large old­growth 
pinyon ­ juniper communities 
. Unique association of birds 
. Numerous evidence of ances­ 
tral Puebloan people use 
Parunuweap 
Acreage: 4,625 
Includes Parunuweap and most 
of Shunes Creek Canyons below 
the Navajo Sandstone, and 
Transview mountain above the 
Navajo sandstone. 
Parunuweap canyon contains the 
East Fork of the Virgin River, one 
of the last remaining free­flow­ 
ing large rivers in the desert 
southwest. The surrounding 
lands include extensive slickrock 
and old­growth pinyon­juniper 
in the southeastern corner of the 
park. 
. Rock crevice and slickrock com­ 
munities 
. Riparian fluvial & aquatic 
. Springs and seeps 
. Hanging gardens 
. Hanging canyons 
. Eolian landscape 
. Riverine adaptation of ances­ 
tral Puebloan people 
. Numerous evidence of ances­ 
tral Puebloan people use 
. Bighorn sheep lambing area 
. Peregrine falcon breeding 
. Mexican spotted owl breeding 
. Historic Use 
. Natural hydrology and healthy 
riparian communities 
. Unusually large old­growth 
pinyon­juniper communities 
. Unique association of birds 
. Several rare plant species 

(1) Description of Ecological Units 
Eolian Landscape -- Areas where wind is the predominate shaper of the land. Features include unvegetated dunes, vegetated wind­deposited 
soils that are often deep, and wind erosion of exposed rock. The ability of eolian soils to capture and store water is enhanced by their sandy 
texture and depth. 
Hanging Canyons -- Canyons that are isolated from below by abrupt vertical cliffs, and are thus hanging above the rest of the terrain. As 
such hanging canyons contain plant and animal communities isolated from human and other influences that affect more accessible canyons. 
The large vertical relief in Zion National Park permits the occurrence of larger hanging canyons with a greater degree of isolation than else­ 
where. 
Hanging Gardens -- Seeps issuing from vertical faces of Navajo Sandstone. These vary in size and create rare vertical wetlands habitats that 
support unique plant communities and endemic invertebrate species. Though found elsewhere on the Colorado Plateau, hanging gardens in 
Zion National Park are more numerous and larger, and contain species not found elsewhere. 
Riverine Adaptation of Ancestral Puebloan People -- Areas occupied by ancestral Puebloan people where they became adapted to life 
along large perennial watercourses of the Virgin River basin. This setting may have permitted a more sedentary lifestyle and greater popula­ 
tions than upland sites. Early excavations in Parunuweap Canyon provide "type sites" that are a benchmark for defining ancestral Puebloan 
people. Occupation occurred over several periods, and included a wide range of site types (pueblos, rock shelters, and cliff dwellings). The 
sites and their setting remain relatively intact. 
Rock Crevice and Slickrock -- Areas dominated by flat, sloping and vertical exposures of cross­bedded Navajo Sandstone. Plant and animal 
communities adapt to these settings that are at once harsh (due to sun, wind and temperature exposure) and accommodating (due to less 
competition, and greater water availability from runoff and seepage through cracks & joints in the rock). The result is the occurrence of sever­ 
al rare and endemic plant species. 
Relict Forests -- Woodland communities that have never been logged or otherwise disturbed. They contain old­growth forests and specialized 
habitats for species such as Mexican spotted owl. Soils and moisture regimes differ from disturbed forests. 

---- page 78 end ----

Relict Mesas -- High mesa tops, isolated by steep cliffs and accessible to humans only by helicopter or arduous technical climbs. These gener­ 
ally lack large mammals and have fire regimes unaltered by humans. Vegetation, insect and herpetological communities are generally unal­ 
tered. Genetic isolation may be significant. 
Riparian, Fluvial and Aquatic ­ Habitats associated with rivers. These are some of the most diverse and productive habitats. Riverine sys­ 
tems are adapted to flood disturbance, channel migration, and abundant free­flowing water. Flow patterns are essentially natural. 
Slot Canyons -- Deep narrow canyons, accessible only by traversing the stream channel, that are cooler and moister than in surrounding ter­ 
rain. Streambeds in slot canyons are dominated by flooding. Their existence and formation is highly developed in Zion National Park. They are 
important as habitat for Mexican spotted owl and mesic mixed conifer communities. 
Springs and Seeps -- Water sources that are important habitat for specialized vegetation and wildlife including endemic snails. These are 
important sites for the study of groundwater hydrology. 

---- page 79 end ----

Appendix E: Summary of the Wild and Scenic River Evaluation 

This appendix summarizes the study process 
that was used to determine whether any of the 
rivers in the park and on adjacent BLM lands 
should be recommended for inclusion in the 
national wild and scenic rivers system. For more 
details on the process, see the Final General
Management Plan / Environmental Impact 
Statement (NPS 2000). 
Seven rivers---each including the main stem and 
major tributaries---were evaluated within the 
park. These rivers constitute the park 's major 
waterways. As per a 1998 Memorandum of 
Understanding between the NPS and BLM, this 
study also evaluated six short stream segments 
outside of national park boundaries on lands 
administered by the BLM. Total river mileage of 
the six BLM segments is 2.3 miles (see table 2). 
These river segments are upstream of and con­ 
tiguous with the park rivers, and were evaluated 
along with park rivers in the interest of effi­ 
ciency and holistic resource management. Wild 
and scenic river determinations for the BLM 
segments will constitute a land use plan amend­ 
ment to the Dixie Resource Area Resource 
Management Plan (1998). 
The rivers evaluated were: 
. North Fork of the Virgin above and below the 
Temple of Sinawava 
. East Fork Virgin River 
.CoalPitsWash 
. North Creek 
.LaVerkinCreek 
.TaylorCreek 
.CampCreek 
The North Fork of the Virgin River was evalu­ 
ated in two segments because the character of 
the river area changes significantly at the Temple 
of Sinawava.

STUDY PROCESS 
All rivers in the park and the BLM river seg­ 
ments were evaluated. Each river study corridor 
included the channels of the main stem and 
major tributaries and the adjacent lands one­ 
quarter mile from each riverbank. 
The wild and scenic river study process is com­ 
posed of three steps: 
. determine if rivers are eligible as components 
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System 
. determine the appropriate classification of 
eligible rivers 
. determine whether the eligible segments 
would make suitable additions to the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System 
Eligibility. The process used to conduct the eligi­ 
bility assessment is described in "Wild and 
Scenic River Review in the State of Utah: 
Process and Criteria for Interagency Use," July 
1996. The process was developed as a collabora­ 
tive effort between the National ParkS ervice, 
Forest Service, and Bureau of Land 
Management. 
To be eligible for inclusion in the national wild 
and scenic rivers system, a study segment must 
be free­flowing and the stream corridor must 
exhibit at least one "outstandingly remarkable" 
resource value. 
"Free­flowing" means existing in a largely 
natural condition without major impoundments, 
diversions, or other modifications of the water­ 
way. There are no specific requirements con­ 
cerning minimum flow for eligible segments. 
Flows are considered sufficient for eligibility if 
they sustain or complement the outstandingly 
remarkable values for which the segment would 
be designated. Rivers with intermittent flows 
have been included in the national system 
Outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs) are 
scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, 
historic, cultural or other similar values that are 
judged to be regionally significant--- those that 
stand out as among the best on a regional basis. 
All resources assessed should be directly river­ 
related, or owe their location or existence to the 
river Features that are exemplary (outstanding 
examples of common types), as well as those 
that are rare or unique, should be considered. 

---- page 80 end ----

Classification. Four factors are evaluated in clas ­ 
sifying eligible rivers: water resources develop­ 
ment, shoreline development, accessibility, and 
water quality. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
specifies three categories of classification: 
Wild river areas are free of impoundments and 
generally inaccessible except by trail, with 
watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive 
and waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges 
of primitive America. 
Scenic river areas are free of impoundments, 
with shorelines or watersheds still largely primi­ 
tive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but 
accessible in places by roads. 
Recreational river areas are readily accessible by 
road or railroad, may have some development 
along their shorelines, and may have undergone 
some impoundment or diversion in the past. 
Suitability. The suitability phase evaluates 
whether designation as a national wild and 
scenic river would be the best way to manage 
eligible rivers. Suitability considerations include 
the environmental and economic consequences 
of designation and the manageability of the river 
if designated.

FINDINGS 
Five of the seven rivers (and their tributaries) in 
the park were found eligible and suitable for 
inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System: the North Fork Virgin River above and 
below the Temple of Sinawava, the East Fork 
Virgin River, North Creek, La Verkin Creek, and 
Taylor Creek. In addition, all six BLM segments 
were found eligible and suitable, with the excep­ 
tion of the upstream 1.7­mile segment of Shunes 
Creek from the Kane County line to the dryfall. 
Table 2 displays the river mileage, landowner­ 
ship, and proposed boundaries of the rivers. 

---- page 81 end ----

Table 2: River Mileage and Landownership of Suitable Rivers 

River Name / River Miles Flow / River Miles Total / River Miles NPS / River Miles BLM / Private / % Federal Ownership / Proposed Boundary 

North Fork Virgin, Above Temple P 10.0 10.0 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Kolob Creek P 3.3 2.9 0.4 ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Goose Creek I,P 4.6 4.2 0.4 ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Imlay Creek P 2.7 2.7 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Orderville Canyon P 3.5 3.5 ­ ­ 10 Rim­to­rim 
Deep Creek P 0.8 0.8 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Mystery Canyon I 1.4 1.4 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Subtotal 26.3 25.5 0.8 0 100 
North Fork Virgin, below Temple P 8.0 8.0 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Birch Creek Canyon P 2.3 2.3 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Pine Creek I,P 4.6 4.6 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Oak Creek I 2.8 2.8 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Heaps Canyon E 2.8 2.8 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Behunin Canyon E 1.9 1.9 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Echo Canyon I 2.5 2.5 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Clear Creek E 6.4 6.4 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Subtotal 31.3 31.3 0 0 100% 
East Fork Virgin River P 8.0 8.0 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Shunes Creek P,I 3.0 2.0 1.0 0 100 1/2 mile 
Subtotal 11.0 10.0 1.0 0 100 
North Creek P 17.5 17.5 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Wildcat Canyon I 2.8 2.8 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Right Fork P 9.1 9.1 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Left Fork P 7.5 7.5 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Grapevine Wash E,P 3.0 2.6 ­ 0.4 100 Rim­to­rim 
Wolf Springs Wash I 1.9 1.4 ­ 0.5 73 1/2 mile 
Pine Spring Wash I,P 6.0 4.6 ­ 1.4 77 1/2 mile 
Little Creek P 7.1 7.1 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Russell Gulch I 2.0 2.0 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Subtotal 56.9 54.6 0 2.3 96% 
LaVerkin Creek P 8.7 8.7 ­ ­ 100 1/2 mile 
Willis Creek I 1.9 1.6 0.3 ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Beartrap Canyon P 2.3 2.2 0.1 ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Timber Creek I 3.1 3.1 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Currant Creek P 1.6 1.4 ­ .2 89 Rim­to­rim 
Cane Creek P 1.1 0.6 ­ .5 55 Rim­to­rim 
Hop Valley Creek P,I 4.3 3.3 ­ 1.0 77 1/2 mile 
Subtotal 23.0 20.9 0.4 1.7 91% 
Taylor Creek P 4.6 4.5 ­ 0.1 98 Rim­to­rim 
North Fork I 2.0 2.0 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Middle Fork P 2.0 2.0 0.1 ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
South Fork I 1.5 1.5 ­ ­ 100 Rim­to­rim 
Subtotals 10.2 10.0 0.1 0.1 98% 
Totals 158.7 152.3 2.3 4.1 96% 

Notes: 
Bold face indicates the main stem. Tributaries are listed beneath. 
"Flow" refers to hydrologic status as either (P)perennial, (I)intermittent, or (E)ephemeral. 
. Goose Creek is intermittent in upper 2/3 of segment, perennial in lower 1/3. 
. Pine Creek is intermittent above the slot canyon, perennial from slot canyon down. 
. Grapevine Wash is ephemeral above Grapevine Spring, perennial below the spring. 
. Pine Spring Wash is intermittent above spring, perennial below spring. 
Proposed boundaries, if designated, are based upon canyon topography. 

---- page 82 end ----

Appendix F: Legislative History for Zion National Park 

Mukuntuweap National Monument established 
on July 31, 1909, by Presidential Proclamation 
No. 877 (36 Stat. 2498). Total acreage: 15,200 
acres. 
Mukuntuweap National Monument name 
changed to Zion National Monument on March 
18, 1918, by Presidential Proclamation No. 1435 
(40 Stat. 1760). The proclamation also added 
61,600 acres of land. Total acreage now: 76,800 
acres. 
Zion National Park established from Zion 
National Monument on November 19, 1918, by 
Act of Congress (41 Stat. 356). Included all lands 
formerly in the monument. 
On June 13, 1930, Congress approved Public Law 
No. 351 (46 Stat. 582), which added 17,441 acres 
to the park. Total acreage now: 94,241 acres. 
Zion National Monument was established on 
January 22, 1937, by Presidential Proclamation 
No. 2221 (50 Stat. 527). Gross acreage of the 
monument was 48,414 acres. 
Zion National Monument was made a part of 
Zion National Park on July 11, 1956, by Act of 
Congress (70 Stat. 527). All lands formerly in the 
monument were included in the park. Total 
acreage now: 142,655 acres. 
An act to revise the boundaries of Zion National 
Park was approved February 20, 1960 (74 Stat. 
4). The boundary change added a t o t a o f 3 , 485 
acres to the park. Total acreage now: 146,610 
acres. (Note: Official land records of the 
National Park Service indicate that as of January 
1, 1970, gross acreage of Zion National Park was 
147,035 acres.) 
An act to revise the boundaries of the national 
park was approved October 21, 1976 (90 Stat 
2732). 

---- page 83 end ----

Appendix G: Summary of Key Legal Mandates 

Legal mandates provide direction for what can 
and cannot be considered in this plan. Several of 
the provisions of key legal mandates are summa­ 
rized below.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ORGANIC ACT OF 1916 (P.L. 64­235) 
This act created the National Park Service and 
established its mandate to conserve park 
resources and values and provide for their 
enjoyment: "[The National Park Service] shall 
promote and regulate the use of the Federal 
areas known as national parks, monuments, and 
reservations...by such means and measures as 
conform to the fundamental purpose of the said 
parks, monuments, and reservations, which 
purpose is to conserve the scenery and the 
natural and historic objects and the wild life 
therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the 
same in such manner as will leave them unim­ 
paired for the enjoyment of future generations." 
The act also authorized the Secretary of the 
Interior to make rules and regulations for the 
use and administration of NPS areas, and 
allowed concessioners to be granted leases in 
parks.

NATIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION ACT OF 1978 (P.L. 95­625) 
Section 604(b) of this act requires that general 
management plans be prepared and revised in a 
timely manner for each unit in the national park 
system. The act further specifies that general 
management plans shall include measures for 
the preservation of the area's resources, indica­ 
tions of the types and intensities of development 
associated with public use of the unit, visitor 
carrying capacities for all areas of the unit, and 
indications of potential modifications of the 
unit's external boundaries if needed.

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 1973, AS AMENDED (16 USC 1531 ET SEQ.) 
The purpose of this act is to provide protection 
for animal and plant species that are currently in 
danger of extinction (endangered) and those 
that may become so in the foreseeable future 
(threatened). Section 7 requires all federal agen­ 
cies to ensure that their activities do not have 
adverse impacts on the continued existence of 
threatened or endangered species or on desig­ 
nated areas (critical habitats) that are important 
in conserving those species. Thus, the National 
Park Service is required to fully integrate endan­ 
gered species conservation planning into park 
system management. Agencies also are required 
to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
to ensure that any action authorized, funded, or 
carried out by the agency does not jeopardize 
the continued existence of listed species or criti­ 
cal habitat. The result of formal or informal con­ 
sultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service 
should be documented in an environmental 
assessment or environmental impact statement.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 (NEPA; P.L. 91­190) 
This act sets forth the federal policy to preserve 
important historic, cultural, and natural aspects 
of our national heritage. Another purpose of 
NEPA is to help public officials make decisions 
that are based on an objective understanding of 
environmental consequences and to take actions 
that protect, restore, and enhance the environ­ 
ment. The act applies to all federal projects or 
projects that require federal involvement. All 
federal agencies are directed to use a systematic, 
interdisciplinary approach that integrates 
natural and social sciences in planning and deci­ 
sion making that may impact the human envi­ 
ronment. NEPA and the Council on 
Environmental Quality implementing regula­ 
tions describe the process a proposed federal 
action such as this plan must follow. Among the 
steps in the process, NEPA and the regulations 
require early coordination, called "scoping," to 
determine the scope and significance of issues to 
be addressed in an environmental impact state­ 
ment. A structured format for public involve­ 
ment during the public review process is speci­ 
fied. When preparing an environmental impact 
statement, the regulations further require federal 
agencies to rigorously explore and objectively 
evaluate all reasonable alternatives to the pre­ 
ferred alternative.

WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT OF 1968 (P.L. 90­542) 
This act establishes federal policy to preserve 
certain rivers with remarkable scenic, recrea­ 
tional, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cul­ 
tural, or other similar values in a free­flowing 

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condition and to protect their immediate envi­ 
ronments. The act created the national wild and 
scenic rivers system and outlined criteria and 
procedure whereby free­flowing streams, or 
portions thereof, can be added to the system. 
The system includes wild, scenic, and recre­ 
ational rivers. Rivers and streams proposed for 
inclusion in the system must be considered 
during project planning and project impacts 
identified in an environmental assessment or an 
environmental impact statement.

NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT OF 1966, AS AMENDED (16 USC 470, ET SEQ.) 
This act establishes as federal policy that the his­ 
torical and cultural foundations of the nation's 
heritage be preserved. Section 106 requires that 
federal agencies that have direct or indirect 
jurisdiction over undertakings take into account 
the effect of those undertakings on properties 
eligible for or included in the National Register 
of Historic Places. The section also provides the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and 
the state historic preservation officer an oppor­ 
tunity to comment on the undertaking. The 1992 
amendments to the act have further defined the 
roles of American Indian tribes and the affected 
public in the section 106 consultation process. 
Section 110 requires federal managers, in consul­ 
tation with the state historic preservation offi­ 
cers, to establish programs to identify, evaluate, 
and nominate properties to the National 
Register of 
National register eligible or listed properties and 
national historic landmarks are afforded special 
protection in federal project federal project 
planning and implementation.

WILDERNESS ACT OF 1964 (P.L. 88­577) 
The Wilderness Act established the national 
wilderness preservation system, composed of 
congressionally designated, federally owned 
areas. Federal agencies are required to admin­ 
ister these areas to provide for their use and 
enjoyment, now and in the future, and to 
protect and preserve their wilderness character. 
NPS policy is to manage all potential, proposed, 
recommended, and wilderness study areas as 
wilderness, to the extent that existing noncon­ 
forming uses will allow, and to seek to eliminate 
the temporary conditions that preclude wilder­ 
ness designation. 

---- page 85 end ----

Bibliography 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. 
Department of the Interior 
1998 Dixie Resource Area. Proposed Resource 
Management Plan and Final 
Environmental Impact Statement. St. 
George, UT. 
Cole, D.N. and D.R. Spildie 
1998 Hiker, Horse and Llama Trampling 
Effects on Nature Vegetation in 
Montana, USA. Journal of Environmental 
Magazine. 
Manning, R. 
1999 Studies in Outdoor Recreation. Search and 
Research for Satisfaction. 2nd ed. Oregon 
State University Press. Corvalis, OR. 
National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department 
of the Interior 
1984 "Zion National Park Land Protection 
Plan." On file at park headquarters. 
1990 " Natural Resource Management 
Guideline (77)." Washington, D.C. 
1993 Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design. 
Denver Service Center. Denver, CO. 
1994a " Resource Management Plan Zion 
National Park." On file at park headquar­ 
ters. 
1994b Development Concept Plan. Zion Canyon 
Park Headquarters. Zion National Park, 
Utah. On file at park headquarters. 
1995 Report on Effects of Aircraft Overflights on 
the National Park System. Washington, 
D.C. 
1996a "Zion National Park Interpretive Plan." 
Unpublished. On file at park headquar­ 
ters. 
1996b "Wild and Scenic Rivers Review in the 
State of Utah: Process and Criteria for 
Interagency Use." On file, Zion National 
Park. 
1997a Canyon Transportation System 
Environmental Assessment. Zion National 
Park. On file at park headquarters 
1997b Visitor Experience and Resource 
Protection (VERP) Framework Handbook 
for Planners and Managers. Denver 
Service Center. Denver, CO. 
1998 "List of Classified Structures." On file at 
park headquarters. 
1999 Director's Order 41 and Reference Manual 
41: Wilderness Preservation and 
Management. Washington,D.C. 
2000 Final General Management Plan / 
Environmental Impact Statement. Zion 
National Park. Denver Service Center. 
Denver, CO. 
2001 NPS Management Policies. Washington, 
D.C. 
n.d. "Zion National Park Compendium." 
Unpublished. On file at park headquar­ 
ters. 
Vande Kamp M. 
1997 "Existing Social Data Relevant to the 
VERP Process at Zion National Park." 
Technical Report NPS/ CCSOZION/ 
NRTR­97­05. NPS D­116. Prepared for 
the National Park Service. College of 
Forest Resources, University of 
Washington, Seattle, WA. On file at the 
Technical Information Center, Denver 
Service Center, Denver, CO. 

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As the nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned 
public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, 
and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing 
for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to 
ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their 
care. The department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island 
territories under U.S. administration. 
NPS D­190 / August 2001 / Printed on recycled paper 

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National Park Service 
U.S. Department of the Interior 

Zion National Park 
Springdale, Utah 84767­1099 

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA 

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DOCUMENT END