I just wanted to throw this out there. Maybe it would be cool if everyone contacts the Moab Chamber of Commerce or someone else down there to express how difficult this is to deal with.
So, as of October of last year, any group of 25 or more PEOPLE that is organized, no matter how loosely, is required to have BLM permits ($5 per person, per day (not per vehicle per day)). In addition, any event over 25 vehicles (it actually might be people...not sure) is required to carry an insurance premium protecting the BLM from any lawsuit that might be filed against them for whatever reason. If you have 25 people in your family trip, or you club outing, this applies to you.
Now, in addition to that STLA (SITLA?), is asking for a piece of the cake as well. $100 processing fee, and minimum $200 for rental fee of the land that crosses their trails. We just barely ran into this, and I'll post more particulars as we go. Some info here
Our group is volunteer organized, free, and is sponsored by nobody. We a have always limited it to under 50 vehicles to comply with BLM rules. We never have more than 12 rigs on any given trail on any given day.
Now, the insurance for a 2 day event is going to be over $500, plus this STLA fee, plus the permits from the BLM. It's now a $50+ event, just because we are "organized" in that there is a website that is dedicated to pre-registering, which was only done so we could ensure we complied with the previous 50 vehicle limit. Because we tried to be honest, we're roped into this new program.
From what I hear, the Moab BLM is somewhat actively finding online forums and showing up at trail heads to enforce permit issues. I've heard tale of a group of motorcylce guys that had a run in with the BLM who was specifically there for there small (I heard 8-10 bikes) trail ride they organized online.
At any rate, I for one think this is complete BS. I personally want to forget about it, and take a group out and see exactly what they could do. I don't see how they could hold any one person more liable than the next for "breaking" this new rule, nor do I know how they can prove a group of 12 vehicles is any way organized an affiliated with another group of 6 vehicles 50 miles away on another trail. We are not testing this and will comply, but all of the organizers fear that the new cost to the event will drop the vehicle count below 25, thus eliminating part of the problem in the first place, but leaving us as the people who have taken it upon ourselves to try and jump through the BLM's hoops, with the bill for the insurance premium and stla fees.
So, as of October of last year, any group of 25 or more PEOPLE that is organized, no matter how loosely, is required to have BLM permits ($5 per person, per day (not per vehicle per day)). In addition, any event over 25 vehicles (it actually might be people...not sure) is required to carry an insurance premium protecting the BLM from any lawsuit that might be filed against them for whatever reason. If you have 25 people in your family trip, or you club outing, this applies to you.
Now, in addition to that STLA (SITLA?), is asking for a piece of the cake as well. $100 processing fee, and minimum $200 for rental fee of the land that crosses their trails. We just barely ran into this, and I'll post more particulars as we go. Some info here
Our group is volunteer organized, free, and is sponsored by nobody. We a have always limited it to under 50 vehicles to comply with BLM rules. We never have more than 12 rigs on any given trail on any given day.
Now, the insurance for a 2 day event is going to be over $500, plus this STLA fee, plus the permits from the BLM. It's now a $50+ event, just because we are "organized" in that there is a website that is dedicated to pre-registering, which was only done so we could ensure we complied with the previous 50 vehicle limit. Because we tried to be honest, we're roped into this new program.
From what I hear, the Moab BLM is somewhat actively finding online forums and showing up at trail heads to enforce permit issues. I've heard tale of a group of motorcylce guys that had a run in with the BLM who was specifically there for there small (I heard 8-10 bikes) trail ride they organized online.
At any rate, I for one think this is complete BS. I personally want to forget about it, and take a group out and see exactly what they could do. I don't see how they could hold any one person more liable than the next for "breaking" this new rule, nor do I know how they can prove a group of 12 vehicles is any way organized an affiliated with another group of 6 vehicles 50 miles away on another trail. We are not testing this and will comply, but all of the organizers fear that the new cost to the event will drop the vehicle count below 25, thus eliminating part of the problem in the first place, but leaving us as the people who have taken it upon ourselves to try and jump through the BLM's hoops, with the bill for the insurance premium and stla fees.
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