Interesting approach but it would be a shame to see those areas paved.
When all the chips fall there may be little we can do on this situation and others. I'll chalk it up to a good try and look for the next opportunity. That said the
current system is not working on any level, our local OHV groups haven't even had this type of "loss" on their radar and as we stand to lose more to 'development' than we do closure if counties get 60' right of ways on every RS2477 route. I'm in no way saying I believe counties are planning to pave any or all of their Class D transportation routes but Garfield County is and its more than a rumor that other counties are warm on the idea particularly when stimulus money is footing the bill. There was discussion of paving American Fork Canyon from Tibble Fork to Midway, that would 100% ruin the area for motorized users and in fact I would rather see it closed than paved, simple as that. Last thing I want is AF Canyon to turn into Big/Little Cottonwood Canyon style recreation at the urging of the counties that
are looking out for the citizens. SL County is one of the worst offenders:
http://cruiseroutfitters.com/landuse_slcounty.html
What happens when Carbon and Emery county want to pave Buckhorn? What happens when Tooele County wants to pave the Pony Express Trail out to Fish Lake? What happens when Grand County wants to pave Sand Flats Road up into the La Sals? While many are saying "no way" it will never happen. Its just as amazing to me that the remote Bullfrog-Notom Road and Burr Trail switchbacks are being paved and given the language written into the Utah RS2477 legalese it could happen. Back to American Fork Canyon, there is much talk of a paved road extending up to Snowbirds planned expansion in the canyon, while its nothing more than rumors I don't think Snowbird has disguised the fact they want to serve Utah County skiers in their own backyard, its honestly my opinion that within the next 10 years there will be winter access to skiing via Utah County? I could totally be up in the night but given the FS discussions I've had & heard and the current context I think its plausible. Article related:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/52687264-90/county-snowbird-utah-build.html.csp
In our conversation today Heidi asked what my thoughts were on seasonal closures of areas that are 'controversial' (think Arch Canyon in SE Utah). I said I was for them where appropriate. As I sat there thinking about it I realized it was the 4x4 community asking the FS in AFC to install those same seasonal gates on the spur trails up AFC to prevent the shoulder season damage that was happening every year and threatening the future of those routes. Had an environmental group proposed that I can honestly say the majority of OHV users would have been up in arms about 'loss of control' and being 'stripped of our rights' yet in this instance our end goal was the same, preserve access while mitigating the damage that cannot be ignored. U4's member clubs have built thousands of feet of fence in AFC, fence that we all know is to keep OHV'ers on the trail. We can't deny that our community needs policing, at least I can't. I'm rambling here but it was very enlightening to discuss this matter with Heidi. While we might not agree on many aspects of land management, she is intelligent and works within a very successful group. I've said it over and over but I have far more respect from an active anti-motorized, pro-wilderness, environmentalist, (insert any name that might be associated with the opposite of OHV community) than I do apathetic users when it comes time to hearing them out and weighing their input. Simple as that.
I've urged many to read a book by Jim Stiles called "Morphing Moab at the Speed of Greed" in which he clearly predicts what will be the biggest detractor to the outdoors in Moab. Development. His satire filled book may be good for laughs but Stiles in an environmentalist whom speaks praise for RR4W and the EJS event and doesn't think they will ruin Moab. Development will. Think Proving Grounds, think Lions Back, think Bump Dump. Think about the Strike Ravine and Lower Helldorado cases, more losses by those than 'environmentalist' actions in the recent years. If it were not for groups like Area BFE undoubtedly that area would have been bought by some other person looking to build a house and given SITLA's procedure they would have closed down everything they could just like the Strike Ravine scenario. I'll quite rambling but check out the book if you get a minute, its an eye opener for many.
http://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-West-Morphing-Speed/dp/0816524742
