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Upper Woodpecker trail destroyed

MaxPF

MaxPF

AGNTSA
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I got a link to this thread over on AZ Virtual Jeep Club. BLM closed the entrance to UWP last year as mart of their travel management plan. Apparently, having 4-wheel drive rigs on the trail is a cause for environmental concern, but bulldozing it isn't a problem :hjob:
 
MaxPF

MaxPF

AGNTSA
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1,394
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The dark side of the globe
The thing is, one reason cited for the travel plan that closed UWP and other trails in the region was environmental/ecological concerns. So, it was expected that the trails would be closed and left alone. Instead, it was a ruse, and the real reason was.... you guessed it.... money. Here's the reply Andrew at LetzRollOffroad recieved from the BLM:

Friends of Woodpecker Trail,

This morning I received several email messages inquiring about dozer work along the Woodpecker Wash (Upper Woodpecker Trail/OHV Site); some messages had a link to photos, but the link did not work; thank you all for checking up on what’s going on.

BLM Tucson Field Office Geologist Daniel Moore has been out of the office this past month on fire duty; he will return this week on Thursday, and may have additional details on the situation. Here is a brief on the work presently underway along Mineral Mtn. Rd. and Woodpecker Wash (Upper Woodpecker Trail/OHV Site)

BLM processed a mining notice from Three Metals Mining, who has mining claims on BLM lands along Mineral Mtn Rd. and up Woodpecker Wash. Three Metals’ notice was processed in accordance with the 1872 mining law, and the company is authorized to conduct mineral exploration and testing work on several mining claims. The exploration/testing work requires construction of approx. 0.5 miles of access road from the Mineral Mtn. Rd near the Reymert turnoff, and approx. 0.2 miles of road construction a mile or so up Woodpecker Wash (see attached map). The exploration work is authorized under the 1872 mining laws, and it is presently underway. The mining claim holder was authorized to drive up the bottom of Woodpecker Wash, going around severe obstacles by taking the old bypass road grades, and/or capping with streambed material (gravels, stones, cobbles) the sections that would be impassable for the mineral exploration work. The attached map shows the locations where the mining company is authorized to build access road from Mineral Mtn Rd., and Woodpecker Wash up to the mining claims. The work is being done under a reclamation bond, and reclamation of the associated impacts is required to pre-existing conditions as much as possible. A site visit is planned this week to check on Three Metals’ Mining work.

After the mining company completes the exploration/testing work and before reclamation, the BLM will work with the company to make sure the restoration work is acceptable. It would be good to have input from you, the recreational users of this section, on this restoration work. Under the BLM Travel Management Plan completed a couple of years ago, a trail plan for this OHV site (Upper Woodpecker Trail) needs to be prepared. This restoration work might be a good time to prepare the site plan.

Thanks for your interest, and I will let you know what I find, and keep you informed of this project.

If you have any questions please let me know.
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alrock

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
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Scottsdale
Arizona's economy was historically based on what they called the 4 Cs: Copper, climate, cattle, citrus. Climate and copper are still major players in the economy and the mining companies hold a lot of sway here.
 
MaxPF

MaxPF

AGNTSA
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3Hummers said:
So we just need to go into the mining business and we can do whatever we want.
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You are closer than you think. Here in AZ anyone can stake out a mineral claim for prospecting on any public land, assuming someone else doesn't hold a current claim. SO, yeah, if there's an area of trails we want preserved, we could stake a claim on it. Beyond that, I'm sure there are things that have to be done to keep the claim, such as actually prospecting the area. I also have no idea how long a claim is good for before you have to actually start prospecting, mining or whatever.

It would be interesting to peruse the relevant laws and use them for our benefit, rather than getting perpetually screwed by others using them.
 
A

abearden

Well-Known Member
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609
Location
N. Idaho
MaxPF said:
You are closer than you think. Here in AZ anyone can stake out a mineral claim for prospecting on any public land, assuming someone else doesn't hold a current claim. SO, yeah, if there's an area of trails we want preserved, we could stake a claim on it. Beyond that, I'm sure there are things that have to be done to keep the claim, such as actually prospecting the area. I also have no idea how long a claim is good for before you have to actually start prospecting, mining or whatever.

It would be interesting to peruse the relevant laws and use them for our benefit, rather than getting perpetually screwed by others using them.
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I was wondering if that was possible. Might be an interesting tactic to start Exploration Mining Co and start locking up public land claims specifically for recreational use with the minimum necessary action to legally maintain the claim.
 
Pappibri

Pappibri

Well-Known Member
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1,611
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Cohoctah, MI
Indeed.. They use them for their benefit, time to find the loophole and lock it down tight over the few wheeling areas left...
 
Portager

Portager

■ ☼▐▐▐▐▐▐▐ ☼■
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1,506
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Silverado
3Hummers said:
So we just need to go into the mining business and we can do whatever we want.
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I could help you with that. Filing a claim is actually a very good way to assure access to an area of public lands. Here is a link to the BLM FAQ on filing a claim. :link: For example there was on old Fluorite mine located inside what is now the Red Canyon wilderness area. As long as the claim owner maintained the claim the BLM had to allow access to the Fluorite mine. As soon as the owner allowed the claim to expire the BLM put up a barricade and closed the access road. Since it is now inside a wilderness area we have to park and hike into the Fluorite mine.

My understanding is to file a claim you have to have personal knowledge that there is a mineral of some value on the site. If you file a placer claim, an individual may locate up to 20 acres with a maximum of 160 contiguous acres with 8 or more people (an association). The cost would be $189 for the initial filing year and $140 for annual renewals, unless you file a small miners waiver which is $10/years but you must also perform $100 worth of labor or improvements on all placers or lode claims during the assessment year. These improvements could be labor spent maintaining the access road.

All you need to do is file a claim on a site that is on an access road that you want to keep open.
 
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