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April 20, 2022

 

 

 

 

RV CITY • Sand fans from all over the state visited Little Sahara Recreation Area over Easter weekend

By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

Fairly good weather meant that a crowd of sand fans visited the Little Sahara Sand Dunes, approximately reaching the expected influx of approximately 20,000 visitors to the Little Sahara Recreation Area during Easter Weekend.

In addition to the visitors at the sand dunes, the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) conducted a speed enforcement project for the sand dunes at Little Sahara. Much of the enforcement project involved troopers being stationed in Juab and Millard counties and many of them along I-15.

“During an enforcement project in Juab County a UHP patrol Sergeant attempted to stop a Dodge Avenger for speeding 100 MPH in a 80 MPH zone on I-15, prior to milepost 217,” said a press release from the UHP. “The vehicle fled northbound staying on I-15. A second UHP Trooper was in the area and joined in the pursuit as the secondary unit.”

The pursuit continued and spikes were attempted at milepost 217 and again at 237, both failed. A third UHP Trooper set up spikes which were successful at milepost 242, and the vehicle came to a stop at milepost 244.

“The driver of the vehicle fled on foot,” said the release. “With back-up officers securing the vehicle, two UHP Troopers engaged in a foot pursuit and apprehended the suspect shortly after they began. The suspect sprained his ankle in the foot pursuit and one Trooper sustained a small cut on his hand.”

During the investigation it was determined that the driver was under the influence and was arrested for suspicion of DUI. After he was cleared at the hospital he was booked into the Juab County Jail.

Sgt. Corey Housekeeper with UHP said, in total, they made 290 speed stops which also included drivers who were speeding but were traveling under 100. He said troopers stopped 30 vehicles for speeding over 100 miles per hour within a 30-hour time period near Little Sahara.

UHP officials said since Friday morning, through Sunday, troopers made 49 traffic stops on vehicles speeding over 100 mph in Juab County.

In addition to that, UHP officials said troopers stopped 198 other vehicles for speeding but for speeding under 100 miles per hour.

Most of the stops occurred along Interstate 15.

“Our main goal for this weekend is to reduce crashes,” Housekeeper said.

The enforcement project started Friday morning and continued into Monday.

The Bureau of Land Management, to prepare for this high-volume weekend, increased their staffing.

“The BLM, Juab County Sheriff’s Office, Juab County Emergency Medical Services, Juab Search and Rescue, Utah Highway Patrol, Utah State Parks, and University of Utah AirMed staff are onsite,” said Doug Anderson, Juab County Sheriff. “We have a contract with them to provide law enforcement.”

He said that each year the main goal is to have the sand dunes be a place that families can enjoy. Another goal, he said, was to have those operating off-highway sand equipment safely.

“We are grateful for our continued partnerships, opportunities to use the advancement of technology to support emergency response,” said BLM West Desert District Manager Michael Gates. “We work closely with the Juab County Sheriff, emergency services, and with Utah State Parks. We collectively work together to help the public stay safe and to encourage them to have the proper protective equipment. We just ask the public to recreate responsibly and stay safe,” said Gates.

New for 2022 was a recently purchased sand car, which will improve BLM emergency responsiveness and efficiency within the recreation area for search and rescue, transport of injured persons, and law enforcement patrol.

“The backboard used by BLM responders is a custom build that was designed specifically to transport injured people off the sand dunes at Little Sahara Recreation Area,” said BLM public affairs specialist Hannah Lenkowski.

“The BLM is continually looking for new ways to improve our ability to respond to emergencies, protect public health and safety, and serve the public,” said Gates.

In Fall 2022, the BLM will open a new visitor center that boasts improved energy efficiencies, easier pay systems, improved Wi-Fi capabilities, and a small conference room for educational events, said Gates. The 44-year-old current visitor center is open for customers until the new visitor center construction is complete.

“It’s Utah’s sandbox,” Gates. “It’s a fun place to go out and ride.”

He said that visitors are encouraged to keep the following information in mind: All visitors to Sand Mountain are required to park 20-feet away from paved roads; large bonfires and wooden pallets are not permitted at Little Sahara Recreation Area; safety flags are required for all off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs); children under eight years of age are not allowed to operate any OHV/UTV on public lands, roads or trails in Utah; children ages eight to 15 may operate an OHV/UTV if they possess an education certificate issued by Utah State Parks or the equivalent certification from their home state; individuals 16 years or older may operate an OHV/UTV if they possess either a valid driver’s license or an approved OHV education certificate; building tunnels and deep pits in the sand is dangerous and prohibited.

“It’s a popular weekend for folks to come out and recreate,” Lenkowski said. “It’s a big family and friend event that’s been a tradition for quite some time.”

“With sand dunes, oftentimes you can’t see what’s on the backside, so we encourage you to be really cautious coming around them,” said Lenkowski.

Little Sahara Recreation Area is located in Juab County and includes 60,000 acres of BLM-managed public land encompassing sagebrush flats, juniper-covered hills and free-moving sand dunes. The area provides premier OHV recreation opportunities and is known as “Utah’s Largest Sandbox.”