Public lands field trip to Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur quarry

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

The Emery County Public Lands Council visited the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry on a field trip to discuss boundaries with Bureau of Land Management staff, Ken Ivory and Mike Leschin.
The lands council is proposing to add a monument component to the Public Lands Initiative which is being put together by Rep. Rob Bishop and Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
The area being considered is the dinosaur quarry. Currently the quarry is managed as a National Historic Landmark, Area of Critical Environmental Concern and a Special Recreation Management Area.
Leschin explained to the group the dinosaur bones are found in the Morrison formation. More bones are found in the top layer than lower layers.
Within the AC/EC you cannot collect rocks and dinosaur bones. Leschin said there hasn’t been money available to do any signing to delineate when you are in the AC/EC. The University of Wisconsin is currently conducting excavations at Cleveland-Lloyd. Colleges must apply for permits in order to excavate at the site.
The council presented maps for the personnel to look at regarding boundaries recommended by the grazers which wouldn’t impact the allotments in the area including Dripping Springs, Cleveland Summer and Lucky Lemon Flat.
Mainly the AC/EC covers rocky ledges which aren’t conducive to cattle grazing anyway.
The AC/EC covers approximately 850 acres, the historic landmark covers 80 acres including the visitor center and sheds, the SERMA is approximately 2,800 acres.
Leschin showed the group an area of the SERMA which he would like to put a geocache area/staging area. He would also like to have an interpretive trail walk which identifies formations, trees, vegetation and other noteworthy aspects of the land surrounding the quarry. He said money hasn’t been available for any of these improvements he would like to see at the quarry. The SERMA boundaries are in place, but a specific plan for the SERMA hasn’t been written. Another aspect the BLM would like to explore is making the Rim trail ADA accessible as well as other trails.
The group also toured areas which have the potential as campgrounds should the quarry become a national monument.
The group agreed a national monument designation would create interest and anything that can be done to make the area more appealing should be considered as well as where funds to make these improvements can be secured.
Leschin said the quarry closes in October for the season and re-opens in the spring before Easter. He said when he first arrived at the quarry, they closed it right after Labor Day. He has been able to extend the season. “Fall is really the best time to visit here. A paved road would really be nice. Thirteen miles of dirt road stops some people from visiting. For some people, this may be their first time off a paved road. Roads out here are sometimes impassable due to weather.”
Leschin said approximately 5,000 people visit the quarry each year, he estimates with monument status, that number could increase two-five times. If the quarry had adequate staff, they can interact with the visitors and personalize their visit.
The public lands council is developing a proposal to submit to the Emery County Commissioners and the proposal will be discussed at the upcoming commission meeting on Sept. 1.