Just a quick update for those interested in the random closures and ways to work to get something done.
Kane County and GRE went pretty much head to head with the BLM and OGM down there. It was a polite interaction, but left no doubt that we were going to fight them tooth and nail. This worked out okay and we got some nice lip service from the BLM.
However, in the background Commisioner Habbeshaw contacted Rep. Mike Noel and Mike was able to freeze the funding for the project until the county agreed to the blms plans.. the result, well, lets say that the BLM was not very nice when they found out that their funding had been locked. they bitched, called and asked why we couldnt just work with them on oral agreements.
Long and short is that now the entire project is in peril (according to the BLM), they are bent out of shape and feel like we "back doored" them in freezing their money. Guess they dont like being on the other side of the fence where the people decide what is done with their lands.
Just thought some of you may like to know this. This is the same way that SUWA and other groups have been working against the mining and offroad community. It works and is very effective in establishing some credibility.
We are going to continue working with Kane county and trying to get some other counties involved in preserving these sites and determining what is done with their land at a local level.
So I guess its good not to politic and play nice and work at sticking it to the BLM in the same way they have been sticking it to the offroad community for years.
Kane County and GRE went pretty much head to head with the BLM and OGM down there. It was a polite interaction, but left no doubt that we were going to fight them tooth and nail. This worked out okay and we got some nice lip service from the BLM.
However, in the background Commisioner Habbeshaw contacted Rep. Mike Noel and Mike was able to freeze the funding for the project until the county agreed to the blms plans.. the result, well, lets say that the BLM was not very nice when they found out that their funding had been locked. they bitched, called and asked why we couldnt just work with them on oral agreements.
Long and short is that now the entire project is in peril (according to the BLM), they are bent out of shape and feel like we "back doored" them in freezing their money. Guess they dont like being on the other side of the fence where the people decide what is done with their lands.
Just thought some of you may like to know this. This is the same way that SUWA and other groups have been working against the mining and offroad community. It works and is very effective in establishing some credibility.
We are going to continue working with Kane county and trying to get some other counties involved in preserving these sites and determining what is done with their land at a local level.
So I guess its good not to politic and play nice and work at sticking it to the BLM in the same way they have been sticking it to the offroad community for years.
