SL Tribune is SUWA's Best Friend

[UtahFire]

Check out this editorial:

http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_3937361

 

[Rick B]

OK, I read it 3 times & I still can't figure out what you have an issue with. Would you explain it please?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The fact the Wharton didn't check with a single OHV advocate in regards to the claims made by the SUWA rep. If he had he would have been informed of the fact that the OHV reps had in fact tried to work something out with all involved, but it wasn't too the liking of SUWA. Of course this wasn't mentioned. Brian Hawthorne had a great rebuttal letter to Wharton.

 

[UtahFire]

Wharton must not have read the response letter from the BLM to SUWA on their request for closure. The SUWA guy said their proposal would have left 5,100 acres of the 170,000 open to OHV use (less than 3%). Actually, it was only 1,000 acres that would have been left open. The BLM also indicated that the only roads that would have been left open were access roads maintained by Wayne County. And SUWA says this is a good compromise? SUWA has never compromised on anything.

SUWA’s idea of compromise is to carve out a few token geographically featureless areas that have limited recreational value for OHV use and the rest set aside for hikers and horse riders.

I had to laugh when the SUWA guy said they supported the BLM on the management plan they put together for San Rafael Swell. The fact is that if SUWA’s wilderness proposal passes in congress, most of the Swell will become wilderness.

I wrote a letter to the Richfield BLM office thanking them for their response.

 

[UtahFire]

Where is Brian Hawthorne's letter posted?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Where is Brian Hawthorne's letter posted?

He emailed it... let me see if I can find it (hope I didn't delete it already)

 

[bobmed]

It seems like all the tribune does is print press releases from the enviro groups no questions asked.
Half the stuff their writers (they are'nt reporters or journalists) put out
can be found on some web page.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I used to be able to find something useful in almost anything Tom
Wharton wrote. Lately, however, I've found his stuff decidedly in the
"advocacy journalism" category. I imagine his colleges at the Tribune
think that's perfectly appropriate!

This latest screed really chapped my hide. I thought you all might like
a peek at my response I sent to Tom....

Read and enjoy!

Brian H.


Tom,
Saw your Factory Butte article today. I thought I'd take this
opportunity to introduce you to Mike Swenson. Mike has my old job at the
Utah Shared Access Alliance. I recommend you contact Mike whenever
you're thinking about doing a story on OHV use.

Your story lacked important historical context apparently because you
didn't contact anyone from the OHV community. I trust you will correct
me if I'm wrong. In the future, please give me or Mike a call._
_
Mike's contact info is:
801-465-1145
mike@usaall.org

In your story you wrote:
/"We went through nine months of meetings," said Bloxham. "The idea was
to find management options, do fact-finding, find where dirt bikers like
to ride and what visitors in the area wanted. [ATV groups] never
provided any management options and wanted the riding area even larger
at the end of the day. They stood their political ground. We never got
anywhere. They never wanted to make anything happen." /

Never provided any management options??? I offered USA-ALL's first
management proposal to the BLM years ago and it included provisions to
close areas for a variety of reasons, _including and especially the
cactus_. Ray knows this.

But I'll let Mike give you "the other side of the story" on all that.

I want you to know that the whole flambeau over Factory Butte is a
pretty sore subject for "old" dirt bikers like myself. And when you talk
about working out compromises that protect resources while keeping some
areas open to motorized recreation -- it really rubs us old guys raw.

Why?

When the NPS closed Park land West of the river, they told us "go to
Factory Butte." When BLM closed the Dirty Devil area, making it a non
motorized recreation emphasis, they said "go to Factory Butte." When
they closed the WSA's on the south side of the highway, then a popular
dirt bike riding area, they said we could "go to Factory Butte." When
they closed all the open dune riding east of the highway across from
Temple Mtn. they said "go to Factory Butte." When they closed all cross
country riding N. of the Moroni slopes they told us "go to Factory
Butte." When they closed all those roads and trails over by Seggers Hole
they told us "go to Factory Butte."

Us "old" dirt bikers accepted those closures in years past precisely so
Factory Butte could remain open.

Your story failed to note that non-motorized recreationists have
millions of acres surrounding Factory Butte all to themselves. All of
the non-motorized recreational 'jewels' in this region were closed to
motors years ago. All of the really environmentally sensitive areas have
been closed years ago too. The Parks. The Dirty Devil. Moroni Slopes.
All of the river corridors. All the washes. All closed.

Years later, after all those closures, you write about working out
compromises. Sheesh....

Brian Hawthorne
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

 

[greenjeep]

Unfortunatly none of that will ever see print though.

 

[offroaddave]

That was a great step for the Utah BLM," said Bloxham. "There were things we didn't like and things we liked, but we supported the BLM."





Yea, that always happens

 

[Spork]

Today's update...
http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_3991248

 

[greenjeep]

Better