Balanced....? Well if you consider showing footage "courtesy of SUWA" balanced. But the reporting itself wasn’t bad. It should be noted that one of KSL reporter’s, John Daley, reportedly has a “special relationship” with Heidi, SUWA’s conservation director. That may be how this video got to KSL and may be the source of the slanted EJS video KSL aired a while back. That info comes from a VERY reliable source; we still are unsure whether this reporter is her husband or boyfriend. We’re looking into this fur her and will keep you posted. The video shown is equivalent to our side going out there on Monday morning in December and trying to represent the video as typical usage. They showed areas that receive the most intense usage, and it was on a busy day by Factory butte standards. I have rode this area and found it to be a great riding area, and when I rode it in October there was only one other party we saw and we rode about a 50 mile round trip that day. What they don’t show is what happens to those tracks from year to year and in many cases from week to week.
On the hiker issue: let me tell you, I am VERY involved in this issue, and I don’t ride ATV's very often either. EVERYONE has told me they rarely if ever see a hiker in this area. I believe them.
Lastly this area was apart of the SUWA vs. Babbit (then Norton) case that we joined in the United States Supreme Court last year. Yeah that’s the one we WON! The justices stated that they were concerned and bothered by the photo exhibits SUWA used and represented as the typical damage done to this area. We had photos taken in the same areas, but not close ups, you could see some tracks, but there was large areas untouched. The justices chastised SUWA for their intent to mislead the court. When our and BRC's attorneys moved to have the case dismissed the decision was unanimous. Instantly major legal precedent was set in our favor. This is type of high quality work and results USA-ALL produces. This emergency closure is SUWA grasping at straws, and we will beat them back on this one too. But we need your support to help us do it!
Stay tuned tonight to hear from Paul our attorney, and see what they have to say about erosion. I cant wait!
Here is a link to KSL website and the story
KSL Factoy Butte Story