Southwest Crawlfest... what went wrong?

[Shawn]

Why don't you guys just shut the hell up!!

Are you kidding me? Hey, go away!

 

[Stephen]

I don't really have any deep insight into this whole situation, just what I've read here on RME. That said, I feel I need to echo may others in saying that I hope that Steve Crabtree can get this all cleared up, particularly with the BLM. SWCF, while not an event that has really interested me these past few years, was on my radar as a good thing for our community and a great way to show off the St. George area. Regardless of the outcome of this debate, everyone in our community is going to be walking away a little bloodied from what has been dredged up here, which is sad.

Also:

Why don't you guys just shut the hell up!!

Way to make your sixth post count!

 

[cjncustoms]

Why don't you guys just shut the hell up!!

Really? You can't be serious!? Just cause you were with him living it up at KOH and jumping off the stratosphere in Vegas instead of being at home and getting this mess all straightened out!! So you sir should prob "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!!" seriously though!!

 

[Herzog]

Ideal with these types of personalities all day long at work and I have no patience for it on my favorite web site.

I know how you feel man.

 

[Greg]

This is getting out of hand guys, keep the thread on track!!

Posting useless comments isn't helping anything, telling people to 'shut the hell up' adds no value, doesn't help anyone and is nothing more than insulting. We don't need that here, not now.

Obviously this discussion getting a quite heated, but for the sake of making some decent progress, please, PLEASE keep the comments related to SWFC and what issues need to be addressed.

 

[rockreligious]

HubScratchers were also listed on the site as 'Participating clubs' we did have three rigs registered, and only two were present, we had a blast, and Yes we did register and pay, we wondered around and mingled with misc trail groups because one of the trails we signed up for 'arrowhead' was cancelled...didnt want anyone to think we werent suppose to be there. we also bought flags and hoodies...we dont care to take sides, would just like to see this have a happy ending....

 

[00harpdawg]

It's almost thursday

 

[TheBigSgt]

HubScratchers were also listed on the site as 'Participating clubs' we did have three rigs registered, and only two were present, we had a blast, and Yes we did register and pay, we wondered around and mingled with misc trail groups because one of the trails we signed up for 'arrowhead' was cancelled...didnt want anyone to think we werent suppose to be there. we also bought flags and hoodies...we dont care to take sides, would just like to see this have a happy ending....

I could not agree more!

 

[jmaxj]

 

[Don B]

Mike Taylor
President
Utah Four-Wheel Drive Association

Don Black
Southwestern Vice President
Utah Four-Wheel Drive Association


Mr. Taylor,

This correspondence is in reference to the Southwest Crawlfest that is
scheduled for this weekend (Jan 29-30) on BLM-managed lands in Washington
County Utah. There were several problems with this activity that our
office has since addressed and I wanted to make sure that you and
Southwestern Vice President, Don Black were aware of what happened.

First, let me say that our office works closely with another of your
affiliate clubs (Utah 4x4). Dell Carter and his organization are, without
a doubt, one of our best volunteer groups. They have consistently
contributed a large amount of time and effort to public lands projects
over the past two years and their efforts have raised the reputation the
4x4 community has in Washington County.

I can't say the same for Rockaholics Anonymous. Earlier this week I was
informed that they were running an off-road event this weekend. And let me
be very clear. No one in our office was ever informed that the Southwest
Crawlfest was happening. No authorization or permit was ever requested or
issued. I immediately went to your website, followed the links, saw the
pictures, and read the ride descriptions. Needless to say, I was
surprised. Not only are some of the rides listed outside the Sand Mountain
Open OHV Area, one of them is even in Arizona. I checked with the BLM
Arizona Strip Field Office and they have not issued a permit for this event
either.

I asked Steve Crabtree, who organized the Southwest Crawlfest, to come to
our office on Tuesday.

Here is what our office decided to do. Since a lot of effort has gone into
this event, and participants have already made travel plans, we issued a
letter of authorization for all of the rides that take place inside the
Sand Mountain Open OHV Area. All rides outside this area have been
cancelled because there was no way to conduct an adequate environmental
assessment and issue a permit in the time allotted.

I suspect that if I had not called Steve and confronted him, he would have
gone ahead and tried to run the event without prior authorization. Even
more disturbing was his claim that the local tourism board put up money to
advertise the event. So, here we have an event that showcases the beauty
and challenging terrain of public lands in Southern Utah, but the agency
tasked with managing those lands was never informed.

The bottom line is that our office is very disappointed in Rockaholics
Anonymous and by association, their umbrella organization, the Utah
Four-Wheel Drive Association. Unfortunately, this type of activity
reflects badly on other local organizations like the Utah 4x4 Club, because
the general public sees no difference between the two. The Utah 4x4 Club
and the U4WDA have developed a solid reputation in Southern Utah and I
suspect you would like to keep it that way. So would we. We can do it if
we work together.

Feel free to call me if you would like to discuss this further.

Sincerely,

Dave Kiel
Outdoor Recreation Planner
St. George Field Office
345 E. Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
(435) 688-3210

Lest we forget...
I've seen little comment on this or where the consequences of this may lead. How many of our activities occur on public lands?

 

[anderson750]

Was this in regards to the 2010 or 2011 event?

 

[rockreligious]

Lest we forget...
I've seen little comment on this or where the consequences of this may lead. How many of our activities occur on public lands?

Needs to be addressed, but there are smarter men than me to figure out how.

 

[Don B]

This was 2010, I'm in contact with the BLM for how things stand for 2011.

Permit was issued, past due post event report submitted with no payment.

 

[Brett]

I loves me some good late night readin! :brett:

 

[toyota crawlin]

Why don't you guys just shut the hell up!!

I think we have a tough guy... Think before you type on your key board what are you 2????

 

[TRNDRVR]

TRNDRVR, stop fueling drama. You weren’t even there

Can't....And you're right, I wasn't there. But there is one thing I can't stand, and that's a thief/criminal. Just ask my brother in-law who is now a convicted felon.

If this guy is so upstanding, why are you speaking on his behalf? Why has he not spoken for himself? Could it be that he's hiding something and you're covering up for him?

Seems sketchy at best.

 

[Gravy]

... feel free to come by and talk to me about it anytime over a beer or a sprite and I will give you "The Rest Of The`Story!" That I will not bring into this here.

Matthew J Westrich

Stratton,

I will publically apologize to you and have no problem doing so, I will even call you tonight to do it....
Russ

Apology accepted, thanks for the voice mail.

I won't point fingers but I could make a pretty educated guess why you have no record of cash payment registrations....
If you want, give me or Sarge or Tracy or anyone a phone call and hear the rest of the story.

rholbrook, I do not mean in any way to your question your intentions, motivations, integrity or honesty, but from my prespective, you are just the latest in a long line of good people being BS'd.

Agreed.

Personally, I would distance myself from the situation.
It was a big event and I had lots of fun, lots of folks did. Lots of people spent a lot of time planning and organizing and volunteering at the event... it's too bad one bad apple had to go and ruin it.

 

[fullsizeyota]

Did he mean today or next Thursday?

 

[cannoncrawler]

yup

 

[rholbrook]

Tacoma

Your last post is the kind of post I would expect to see from a individual in your position. That statment leaves me thinking that that you are doing what is right for the off-road communtiy. You state your concerns and then you wait for a response. Again, nice post.

If others would follow suit and state their concerns and sit back and wait. Instead there are individuals that just like to run off at the mouth and try to stir the pot. There a few that let their hatred for Steve burns so intensely inside them that it literally consumes them and they want nothing more than to destroy him and SWCF. Seriously, life is too short to let it consume you like this.

Anyway. Steve said he'd respond Thursday, so I have nothing more to add.

And the above statement is what it should be. Let Steve respond and make it right.