Moab Friends-For-Wheelin’ will be supporting the BLM’s Alternative C. We will, however, be making numerous comments, and asking for several changes. Below are some of the things we have identified so far:
A. There are sections of several permitted Easter Jeep Safari trails that are left off the Travel Plan Maps. We have made the BLM and Grand County aware of these omissions, and they have indicated that they will be corrected, but it wouldn’t hurt to comment on them anyway:
B. Gemini Bridges:
C. Coyote Canyon:
D. Open Areas:
E. Permits:
F. Focus Areas:
There are many other points that are worth mentioning, but these are some of the ones that we feel strongly about. Feel free to use some of this info in your letters, but please don’t copy it word for word… make your comments your own!
A. There are sections of several permitted Easter Jeep Safari trails that are left off the Travel Plan Maps. We have made the BLM and Grand County aware of these omissions, and they have indicated that they will be corrected, but it wouldn’t hurt to comment on them anyway:
- Flat Iron Mesa:
- From about 4246450 N 636300 E going NW to the pipeline road
- From about 4245600 N 634700 E going SW to Plan trail
- From about 4246200 N 633400 E going SW to the county B road
- From about 4242400 N 633400 E south then east to the Plan road
- Strike Ravine:
- A portion of the “Big Ugly” hill at about 4254500 N 636600 E
- The north-to-south section accessing and traversing the property purchased by Kiley Miller (note: san Juan County has continuously supported this right-of-way claim in court).
- 3-D:
- From about 4285900 N 609900 E north then west to 4286400 N 609300 E
B. Gemini Bridges:
- Under Alt. C, access to drive over Gemini Bridges will be closed. Access to drive to the bottom of the bridges was closed some time ago. We feel that the historic privilege of driving over the bridges is a unique experience that should be allowed to continue. Reasons given for closure are primarily resource damage from vehicles.
C. Coyote Canyon:
- This extreme rock crawling trail is just to the east of Area BFE. It is a user-created trail (in an “open” designated area), and is not in the BLM road inventory and Travel Plan. While we understand that we may have to wait until the new RMP is in place before we can designate this trail, we are prepared to pursue that. Extreme trails are important, as they fill a need to a growing segment of 4WD enthusiasts, and there is a shortage of extreme trails in the Moab area. In addition, extreme trails such as Coyote Canyon can help take pressure off of other difficult trails, such as Moab Rim and Pritchett Canyon.
D. Open Areas:
- We support expanding the “open area” at White Wash Dunes to the same level as Alt. D.
E. Permits:
- Under Alt. C, the maximum number of vehicles allowed on a run or “event” without a permit would be 24, down from the current number of 49. We feel this would make it difficult for many clubs to have informal runs or outings. We feel that the number should remain 49, or at least up it to 35.
F. Focus Areas:
- BLM is proposing various “Focus Areas”, where a certain type of recreation would be emphasized over other types. Other types of recreation would not be prohibited, but management would be concentrated on the primary recreation of each focus area. We are considering proposing a “rockcrawling” focus area, at a location yet to be determined. I’ll have more on this later if we can put something together.
There are many other points that are worth mentioning, but these are some of the ones that we feel strongly about. Feel free to use some of this info in your letters, but please don’t copy it word for word… make your comments your own!
