Moab access alert!!!!! PLEASE comment if you can compose a sentence...

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
If you need help stating your opinion, post up here and we can get someone to help you with your thoughts. Please cross-post this, link to it, plagiarize it or whatever. Just get people informed.

Some of you may know about a pretty important county meeting that happened tonight in Moab. If you don't, there's some reading below. It's time for YOU to step up, write your reps, Grand county officials and get our passive user base to actually speak with the big stick that we can carry. IT is CRITICAL that you write RESPECTFUL, THOUGHTFUL and impactful comments to the Grand County Council, YOUR local state rep and senator, and throw it at your national rep and senator as well (you wrote the letter, ship it around :D). about your personal feelings about access via permits, quotas, and the proposed Red Rock Wilderness act. Emphasize that you've played fair, use the trails responsibly, volunteer with land management agencies for work parties and other land users to help educate the public about responsible land use. Check out those maps. Those should scare the shit out of you.

The meeting
http://www.grandcountyutah.net/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=42

council@grandcountyutah.net


rob.bishop@mail.house.gov
jason.chafettz@mail.house.gov
garyherbert@utah.gov
jasonharding@utah.gov (Gov. Herbert's chief of staff)
mikemower@utah.gov (Deputy chief of staff)
kathleenclarke@utah.gov (Director, Utah Public land policy coordinating office)
codystewart@utah.gov (Policy Advisor, Governor Herbert)
alanmatheson@utah.gov (Environmental Advisor, Governor Herbert)
dhinkins@le.utah.gov (Moab district State Senator)
 
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Troop92

Well-Known Member
Location
Layton, UT
This is something we can't afford to remain quiet about. I'm relatively new to the Utah wheeling scene, but am blown away by the beauty found in Moab and other areas this will potentially impact. I can't imagine not being able to share this with my son when he's old enough.

I was an editor in college, and I'll gladly help draft, edit, or rework anything we want to send out.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
This is something we can't afford to remain quiet about. I'm relatively new to the Utah wheeling scene, but am blown away by the beauty found in Moab and other areas this will potentially impact. I can't imagine not being able to share this with my son when he's old enough.

I was an editor in college, and I'll gladly help draft, edit, or rework anything we want to send out.

I believe it would be helpful to sift through all that information above and create some talking points in this thread for people to write letters about. I've got some work to do and I'm really not feeling to well tonight. If you can draft some talking points (why people recreate in Moab---should be obvious to the writer) about the threat that would be REALLY helpful. Thanks! Feel free to PM me or just post up here. We can use this thread as a living document.

I'd love to see this posted around the off-roading intardnet. Jeepforum, Ih8mud, wherever so we can get positive, intelligent comments about Grand County.
 

anderson750

I'm working on it Rose
Location
Price, Utah
This is the same thing that is going on in Price right now. We have a county commission meeting tomorrow that centers on this topic. I am not familiar with what is being proposed in Moab but I know locally it has been focused on what protects our industry and recreational access while still giving up areas of "sacrifice". Ultimately Bishops is trying to get this done to head off having a National Monument shoved down our throats.
 

amp713

Active Member
Need to have all of the thousands of jeepers at EJS getting involved. What if for each jeep there was a letter plus they hand delivered it?? Need to find a way to make that happen!!
 

anderson750

I'm working on it Rose
Location
Price, Utah
You can have a form letter at the U4WDA booth for people to sign and have U4 deliver the stack. Cookie cutter letters are not ideal but they are better than no letter at all.
 

Alcancia

Member
Location
Clearfield, UT
I've tried reading the "Citizens Comments" from your link (http://www.grandcountyutah.net/777/Public-Lands-Bill-Process), there's too many of them though. It gives you a good bead on the public perception.

Just reading the small sample that I did, I'd say that the majority of people pushing for wilderness designation are mostly trying to stop oil and gas exploration/extraction. There are a few that complain about ATV/Jeep impacts, but they are the definite minority.

Here's the thing though, having unadulterated scenery and being "out in the wilderness" is a huge part of the appeal for for me as well as an off-road enthusiast. I would be outraged if an oil rig with all associated infrastructure went in on the land surrounding Behind the Rocks, one of my favorite trails and areas of Moab.

So here's the deal, how do we protect the wilderness from oil/gas development while maintaining our ability to access it by motorized vehicle on approved trails?
 

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wydaho
I've tried reading the "Citizens Comments" from your link (http://www.grandcountyutah.net/777/Public-Lands-Bill-Process), there's too many of them though. It gives you a good bead on the public perception.

Just reading the small sample that I did, I'd say that the majority of people pushing for wilderness designation are mostly trying to stop oil and gas exploration/extraction. There are a few that complain about ATV/Jeep impacts, but they are the definite minority.

Here's the thing though, having unadulterated scenery and being "out in the wilderness" is a huge part of the appeal for for me as well as an off-road enthusiast. I would be outraged if an oil rig with all associated infrastructure went in on the land surrounding Behind the Rocks, one of my favorite trails and areas of Moab.

So here's the deal, how do we protect the wilderness from oil/gas development while maintaining our ability to access it by motorized vehicle on approved trails?

Agreed. Last thing I want to see is an oil rig on any of the Moab trails. Not only is it an eye-sore, but they pretty much pave the damn trails into a highway for their equipment.
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
People are more interested in naming a samari then filling something out so they can actually use said samari.

I posted a link about Canyonlands and no one seemed to care.

GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND SAVE OUR RECREATION AREAS.
 

Alcancia

Member
Location
Clearfield, UT
So here's an example letter sent by Jeff Stevens, president of Moad Friends-For-Wheelin. Although I generally disagree with including the oil/gas development aspect of the debate while advocating for preserved access for ATV/off-road use, I think the letter gives a pretty reasonable idea of what needs to be said.

View attachment MFFW Letter.pdf

Snail mail can be sent here:
Grand County Council
Attn: Public Lands Bill
125 E. Center Street
Moab, Utah 84532
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
So here's an example letter sent by Jeff Stevens, president of Moad Friends-For-Wheelin. Although I generally disagree with including the oil/gas development aspect of the debate while advocating for preserved access for ATV/off-road use, I think the letter gives a pretty reasonable idea of what needs to be said.

View attachment 97644

Snail mail can be sent here:
Grand County Council
Attn: Public Lands Bill
125 E. Center Street
Moab, Utah 84532


Jeff and Moab Friends For Wheelin' are QUITE responsible for your access in the area. We definitely don't want "wilderness" designation as OHV users (we are eliminated from use except for hiking or equestrian--that usually means NO MECHANIZED which kills cycling) and that's what I'm opposed to. I'm with you in that I'm not wanting a tour of oil rigs on roads built for 80k truck access.
 
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