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Grand Junction BLM Travel Management

Badbuggy

Badbuggy

rock star
Location
Fruita, Co
BLM travel management

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I just got back from the Fruita meeting. The BLM employees could not have been nicer, and more helpful.

However, the task before us as jeepers, and offroaders is monumental.
When I arrived, it was explained to me how the evening was set up. A huge pile of maps sprawled over several tables held the key to the future of wheeling this area. I was handed a form, and asked to write down the trail number that interested me. Where to start? I picked 21 road as a starting point. I followed my finger up the map where it showed the road ended. The first BLM person I asked said "it continues on another map". So I found the next map, and again the road came to an end. The next BLM person said to draw in where the road goes out at the top to eventually come out at 16 road. I was able to look at Google earth and find the trail, and mark it in on the BLM map. If someone, ( and someone else would have), had not drawn in a line on the map, we would loose the upper section of 21 road use.

My fear is that there are roads out there that no-one will know are not marked correctly and they will be lost.

GO TO THE BLM TRAVEL MANAGEMENT MEETING IN GJ TOMARROW NIGHT.

Maybe you know of a trail or road that is not listed on their map.

I plan on going over everything from the BLM website and checking as many trails as I can. We have until March 20th to submit these forms.

More interesting info on the next post stay tunned.
 
Badbuggy

Badbuggy

rock star
Location
Fruita, Co
At one point in the evening I had two young ladies who work for the BLM in front of me, and I asked," If we would like to recommend a new trail, or an obvious connection between two existing trails, is this the point in the process to do so?". One said yes, the other said no. After a lengthy explanation about studies, and impacts, endangered species, and plant life, as well as historical sites, it was explained to me that this was not the best time to recommend new trails. I then asked if there was a better time in the process to recommend a new trail, and both said no. So then we decided that this IS the best time, maybe the only time. As it turns out, they had not planned on anyone wanting new trails, and had not figgured in how in this process it would be done.
Or maybe they have, and these two people did not know about it. It seems everytime I had a question, I was directed to a different person than the person I asked.
 
Badbuggy

Badbuggy

rock star
Location
Fruita, Co
I have now been to a couple of the meetings, and the Jeep Club meeting was tonight.
The main topic was the BLM RMP, and travel management plan. Several mistakes and ommisions have already been found on the maps. We now have until March 20th to find any other problems with the existing maps. Also we can recommend new trails or connections to make loops from existing trails. If you know any trails in the Grand Junction area, please go to the BLM website and make sure it is on the map. Also please comment about the travel managment plan, or trails that you want to make sure stay open. (like Billings, and 21 road) All this can be done on the website.
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo/rmp.html
Thank you.
 
Badbuggy

Badbuggy

rock star
Location
Fruita, Co
"They are closing my favorite trail!"

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I invited around one hundred people to a meeting about the travel managment plan from the local BLM. The turn out was around 25. My hat is obviously off to the brave souls who took the time to break away from thier own complicated lives to look at maps for the evening. I know it is boring and not the greatest Friday night in memory.
We accomplished some things. Around 20 little squiggley lines added to some 12 topo maps furnished by the BLM. Those 20 squiggley lines represent trails.

I don't want to hear, "They closed my favorite trail" from any one who did not try to keep it open.
Unfortunatly, your loss, is also my loss. And my son's loss, and his kids, and so on.
I know we are all busy. But I also know what we all mean to do. If it was easy, we would all say, "Don't close that trail", or " I would like to have a few more trails in a couple of areas". Instead we let Government agencys cover us up with enough red tape to choke us to death.

I have a new plan. I joined the Grand Mesa Jeep Club because of land use issues. A bigger group is a bigger voice. I made up a paper, that basically says; I do not belong to the Grand Mesa Jeep Club, but I agree with what the Grand Mesa Jeep Club is doing in reguards to Land Use issues, in this area at this time. Please count me as one more person who supports them.
I am basically offering to do the work for you, if I offically have your support.

Is this a good idea?

Thank you again to all the people who showed up for all the meetings.
Thank you also to the local BLM office for your cooperation, and help.
 
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