Moab Closures - AYL episode on ABC TV

[uphill]

Sean K. previously said:

Wow. 2 comments? Again....obviously no one cares.

That's not a fair statement. A large number of us on this Forum as well as others have spoken with our checkbooks. I honestly don't know how else to do it. I really don't mind laying down in front of a bull dozer but that's not what it takes here.

The whole Politically Correct BS world nearly drives me to prozac. (I said nearly). I'm sick and tired of tree hugging taken to an absurd degree in this welfare state, but sadly, I am in the minority and my rights seem to be routinely disregarded.

[Sean K.]

It wasn't meant to be fair Larry. It was meant to spark some conversation. I'm glad to see it did.

Sean

[SloPoke]

uphill previously said:

That's not a fair statement. A large number of us on this Forum as well as others have spoken with our checkbooks. I honestly don't know how else to do it.

Speaking of checkbooks... U4WDA's board meeting was last night, and the MOAB RMP was a major part of our business. U4 is contributing more money towards this cause... but ultimately it is the Public Comments that are needed from Every person that takes thier tires off the pavement. The Public Comments need to address some of the trails that will be lost (Rusty Nail) and are important for the BLM to be hearing right now.

You can E-mail your comments to:
UT_Moab_Comments@blm.gov

or mail them to:
Bureau of Land Management
Moab Field Office
RMP Comments
82 East Dogwood
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 259-2100

We have a collective voice that needs to be heard - and it needs to be louder and broader than gang-green who is telling the BLM to close everything.

I personally will be at the open house on Wednesday 10/3/2007 in Salt Lake City. A procession of 4x4 vehicles and supporters is being organized to try to gain as much attention as possible.

Please send your comments to the BLM - We need to keep our trails OPEN!

[SloPoke]

... oh - something I missed in the previous post.

U4WDA has been working with Blue Ribbon and other groups to analyse the RMP and identify all of the trails/roads/spurs that are subject to closure.

An "official stance" of the association is being drafted, and should be published very shortly. I'm not suggesting that you wait for this before you send YOUR comments to the BLM, but there are a lot of awesome trails north of I-70 that is subject to closure in all of the proposals except "do nothing". Ideally - having the third option revised to include these routes is the best choice - but may not be considered. Weighing the options is underway right now.

[mir207]

This was only a google search, but here are links to the draft plan info:

Draft plan website at BLM Moab.

This is the executive summary.

It looks like some of the really cool trails right by (north east of) Moab will go the way of lion's back . But what is strangest reading the options is that they seem to have aligned vehicle access with mineral rights. There's no reason to do that apart from to tar vehicle access with the "un-environmental" brush. Why not an "option e" with the same setup as "c", but with vehicle access more like "d". Having said that, it looks like the biggest issue with "a" (same as now) is the large amount of "open" OHV access (i.e. allowed driving off trails). Why not just have the "a" option but stop most off trail driving?

Here are the images showing areas of OHV access:

A:


B:


C:


D:


I have higher res versions too:

Option A
Option B
Option C <- BLM "preferred"
Option D

[pathrat]

I have complained plenty about personal irresponsibility and am not real pleased about paying for the sins of those who demonstrate bad behavior on the trails. I'm thinking of how to deter such behavior. The problem is, when people are idiots on the trails, there are no consequences specific to the offender. I would like to suggest consequences to those who do not belong on trails and are caught being disrespectful when I add my comments to the BLM, and have that suggestion be of low-cost to the managing agency so it may be more palatable to adoption and enforcement. Any suggestions? Hotline? Website? Record the plates and report the offense? Photo proof leads to being banned?

[Rustler]

Comments SENT!

[MoabRat]

SloPoke previously said:

... oh - something I missed in the previous post.

U4WDA has been working with Blue Ribbon and other groups to analyse the RMP and identify all of the trails/roads/spurs that are subject to closure.

An "official stance" of the association is being drafted, and should be published very shortly. I'm not suggesting that you wait for this before you send YOUR comments to the BLM, but there are a lot of awesome trails north of I-70 that is subject to closure in all of the proposals except "do nothing". Ideally - having the third option revised to include these routes is the best choice - but may not be considered. Weighing the options is underway right now.

Thanks for the scoop. It seems over the years I give and give and the attacks on our access become more audacious every year! Talk about minority rule . I think we'd lose a lot of roads in America if we closed the ones that didn't go through anywhere. I guess they don't agree with us over the value of the trip to get there.

[timbo2]

Anyone who has traveled "Off the Beaten Path" knows that hikers and horses leave a beaten litter and horse crap filled rut. In all of the national parks I have hiked in, none of them allow motorized traffic on the trails. The trails STILL scar the landscape, with the most used trails scarring worse then ANY 4x4 trail I have used. In comparison, the offroad trails I have done, I have never seen any 4x4 feces, only horse. In the Canyonlands FOOT TRAFFIC is destroying the crypto, 4x4's stay on designated roads. All we're asking for, after all is ONE MORE RUT!!!! If people and horses can tear up a three foot wide piece of earth, shouldn't we offroaders be allowed the same? ONE MORE RUT, ONE MORE RUT!!!! This should be the offroaders mantra!
Just my opinion, Tim

[pathrat]

you can do it without being what my kids call "a tard"...