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Many of the best Moab trails are in danger of being shut down.

MilamJR

Well-Known Member
Messages
805
Location
Alabama
[https://d3k81ch9hvuctc]

The Labyrinth Rim/Gemini Bridges area is in danger of being shut down to motorized vehicular travel.

The Souther Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is currently working to shut down 330,000 acres of trails and riding areas around Moab, Utah. This is the area west of hwy 191 and encompasses our favorite trails like Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Gold Bar Rim, Metal Masher, Cliff Hanger, and many, many more.

We cannot allow this to happen.*The first of two (or three) public comment periods is open now. The deadline to make your voice heard is April 26th.*
If you are proponent of Motorized Use on our Public Lands, and want to continue to enjoy these areas,*then you need to take action on this early comment*period in a "substantive" way.*I had a trusted source give me more context about how we can make these "comments" to the BLM "substantive" so that they aren't just ignored.*
*
Here is a link on how to make substantive comments from the BLM.*Make sure to pay careful attention to their instructions.
*
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/f..._Alaska_How-to-make-a-Substantive-Comment.pdf
*
Below is a link to the "other side" of*environmental*issues and how they train their audience to leave substantive*comments*that get traction.*Again, if you are an avid off-roader, this organization is not your best friend, but it's worth seeing how they are trained and simply more*organized*than us.*Learn form this guide:
*
https://winterwildlands.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Comment-writing-guide.pdf
*
Most importantly, here is the link where we all need to make our substantive comments heard.*It's much easier to do this on a computer than your mobile*from what I've seen.*You can study the project, and then click on the Green Menu option on the left that says "Participate Now".*Use the other*resources*I gave above to make a "substantive" comment that won't be*immediately*thrown out.*This is serious stuff.*Please take some time now during this phase of the project.*All the work we do now will give us more options to fight this down the road.
*
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2001224/510
After you make your comment, consider what else you can do to keep our off-road trails open for future generations to come.*

Pack it in, pack it out - Trash on the trails is the easiest tactic anti-OHV groups use to get our trails shut down.

Clean up your spills - Keep an oil spill kit in your vehicle at all times. Rain can wash spilled oil into our streams, rivers, and lakes. Not only is this bad for wildlife and downstream inhabitants, but it can be tested for by anti-OHV groups.

Do not go off trail - Again, tire marks are easy to spot and are another*tactic*anti-OHV groups*use against us.

Follow common-sense*Leave No Trace*and*Tread Lightly*principles - If we are all responsible off-roaders, then we limit the ability for groups to shut our trails down

Consider a membership to PRO-OHV organizations like*CORVA*or*Tread Lightly*- These groups fight anti-OHV in the courts and are working every day to ensure you can recreate off-road. Their legal fees are high so please consider donating so they can keep fighting for us.*

Power Tank proudly supports the following pro-OHV organizations:
*
[https://d3k81ch9hvuctc][https://d3k81ch9hvuctc][https://d3k81ch9hvuctc][https://d3k81ch9hvuctc]
No longer want to receive these emails?*Unsubscribe.

Power Tank
43 Commerce Street Ste 103 Lodi, ca 95240

[http://trk]

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deserth3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,069
Location
Conroe, TX
IMO. The current administration doesn't care what you and I think or want.
These trails will most likely close.

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bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
[h=5]Project Description[/h]
On May 31, 2017 a settlement agreement was reached in the case titled Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, et al.v U.S Department of the Interior, et al.. This agreement has implications for travel and transportation planning efforts in the Richfield, Price, Moab, Kanab, and Vernal BLM field offices. Information about statewide Travel Plan efforts can be found at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-programs/travel-and-transportation/utah. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Canyon Country District, Moab Field Office is developing a Travel Management Plan (TMP) for travel routes and route uses in the Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area (TMA).This TMA covers approximately 300,000 acres of BLM managed land in portions of Grand County, Utah. Plan expected to be complete on or before May 2023 as required by the 2017 settlement agreement.



[h=5]What's New[/h]
The Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Area covers approximately 300,000 acres -- the entire Special Recreation Management Area of the same name. The BLM has developed a map with current designated route information regarding trails, routes and roads within this are to assist with public feedback.






Public input is needed by Monday, April 26, 2021. Please follow the links below for the full BLM Press Release, Interactive Map, and Public Comment form. Please keep your comments respectful.
Comments should mention as many of the following areas that are personally relevant to you in as much detail that you are able to share.

  • Your personal use of these trails: Is this an area you and your family visit for vacations or you meet up with friends? Describe how you use the trails, viewing scenery and wildlife, archaeology, geology, Any details that reflect special areas of interest to you (and your family). Photos are always strong influencers.
  • The financial impact to the area: Moab’s economy derives primarily from tourism. How many times a year do you visit Moab, and for how long have you been coming? Would you continue to visit Moab if these trails were closed to motorized access.
  • If you have engaged in trail cleanups or maintenance to keep them accessible, give details of those efforts.
  • Would you be unable to visit the area if you could not use motorized vehicles, i.e. physical limitations that would deny access to you
YOUR COMMENTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN INFLUENCING THIS DECISION, AND MUST BE RECEIVED BY MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021. CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE BLM PAGE FOR YOUR COMMENTS

Overall BLM Travel Management Plan in Utah
https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-programs/travel-and-transportation/utah

[h=4]UTAH TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION[/h]Travel and transportation are an integral part of virtually every activity that occurs on public lands. The BLM conducts comprehensive travel and transportation planning to determine why and how to manage roads, trail systems and associated areas on public land to best meet transportation needs. All forms of transportation including foot, horseback and other pack-animal use, mechanized vehicles such as bikes, and motorized vehicle use, are addressed through creation of comprehensive travel and transportation management plans.
A comprehensive travel and transportation management plan includes a wide-ranging analysis considering the access needs of public lands users. Access needs are evaluated in conjunction with BLM’s legal mandate to protect natural and cultural resources on public lands. Individual route evaluations and designations included in the TMP will be analyzed in through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Federal law requires specific evaluation and designation for public motorized uses, referred to in regulation as off-highway vehicles (OHVs). Based on this analysis every BLM route within the TMA will receive designation for its use types or use limitations.
Travel management plans are dynamic. Once a plan is complete, routes and route designations can be changed as needed due access issues (inholding access for example), new development (new mt. bike trail for example), resource changes (landslide or resource damage for example), as needed and as directed by the Resource Management Plan or NEPA process results.
On May 31, 2017 a settlement agreement was reached in the case titled Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, et al.v U.S Department of the Interior, et al.. This agreement has significant implications for travel and transportation planning efforts in the Richfield, Price, Moab, Kanab, and Vernal BLM field offices.


 

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,398
Location
Central Texas
Lots of the locals are lefties who could care less about off roading and would welcome the trails being closed. They don't see far enough into the future to see how devastating that would be to the Moab economy.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
It’s stupidity. I love Moab and see 1 of 2 things happening. We win, keep the trails open. We lose, the town struggles and the local economy is crushed. Everyone goes to sand hollow Utah instead of Moab. Their economy flourishes.
 

scoreh3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,024
Location
SoCal
I’ve been a member of CORVA & Tread Lightly for several decades now Plus Blue Ribbon Coalition , California Four Wheel Drive Association and a couple others . We need to support group that keep fighting the fight to keep or public lands public and to keep the trails open. We also need to police ourselves and make sure we aren’t setting a bad example. Stay on marked trails and clean up after ourselves. Their are anti off road groups out there over Exaggerating everything we do , just to shut an area do. We as a group are good people and need let the elected officials now that or soon we will be a group of mall crawlers .
 
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