RAF Encourages Pilot Feedback on Utah Backcountry Airstrips

New BLM Environmental Assessment of 10 Canyon Country District landing sites opens a critical 15-day comment window.

Parris Clarke

Friday, August 28, 2026 at 01:57 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: Travis Tingle

Nokia Dome Airstrip [Credit: Craig Gustafson/RAF]

Key Takeaways:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for 10 backcountry airstrips in Utah's Canyon Country District.
The BLM's proposal is to designate these airstrips for aircraft-only use, with limited maintenance plans and seasonal closures to protect wildlife.
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) is urging pilots to submit public comments during the 15-day period to support continued access to these essential landing sites.
The project's future is uncertain, as the BLM had previously stated it was "reconsidering the recent decision" before releasing the draft EA.

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Following a new Environmental Assessment (EA) from the Bureau of Land Management reviewing 10 backcountry airstrips in Utah, the Recreational Aviation Foundation is calling on local pilots to voice support and submit feedback to protect these essential landing sites.

On August 19, the BLM released a draft of the EA with an accompanying 15-day period for public comment. Comments will be taken into account as the agency continues to make decisions around its “Designating Backcountry Airstrips in the Canyon Country District” project that began earlier this year.

The BLM has proposed as part of the project to designate 10 backcountry airstrips in the Canyon Country District as limited to aircraft only. The proposal includes maintenance plans for each airstrip that would at times require a truck and hand tools to remove rock and vegetation, but that sort of work is only expected to occur once every five years, according to the BLM.

Other contingencies attached to the proposal include required periods of inactivity throughout the year at specific airstrips to protect wildlife, such as burrowing owls and bighorn sheep that reproduce in these areas seasonally.

Earlier in August, the BLM said through its web page dedicated to the project that it was “reconsidering the recent decision and updating the project.” Two weeks later, it released the draft EA.

It’s unclear if the choice to reconsider the measures puts the entire project in jeopardy or which portions would be amended as a result of any changes.

In hopes of saving the project, the RAF is asking local pilots to reaffirm to the BLM their commitment to cooperation with the BLM and to be careful stewards of the airstrips.

The RAF has been hard at work in the Beehive State of late. The organization’s 2026 Expanding the Map initiative to open and reopen more than 15 backcountry airstrips has gained steam over the last few months, with two of the first five restoration efforts coming out of Utah.

Pilots interested in participating in the public comment period can submit feedback here.