Tibble fork

[demon jeep]

Did you guys see this






On Tuesday, January 13, 2004 the Utah Shared Action Alliance (USA-ALL) filed a lawsuit in Utah federal district court challenging motorized trail closures and other restrictions in the Uinta National Forest.



The lawsuit challenges the U.S.D.A. Forest Service’s closure of 20 miles of the Tibble Fork trail system and implementation of a “closed-unless-posted-open” motorized travel system for the entire forest.



USA-ALL’s complaint alleges that the Forest Service unlawfully refused to consider comments from USA-ALL or the environmental consequences of its actions when it adopted a revised Uinta Forest plan and then restricted motorized travel.



Brian Hawthorne, USA-ALL executive director, said that the Forest Service discouraged the public to comment on specific trails, indicating it would address travel plan changes at a District Office level.



“When formulating the new forest plan, the Forest Service said they would not be making route closure decisions and refused to accept our input on trails,” said Brian Hawthorne, USA-ALL executive director. “Then they did the opposite and closed the trails.”



Land managers and even environmentalists say they want OHV use to be limited to designated trail systems. The Tibble Fork system was a model of what a responsible trail system should be. OHV users contributed nearly $200,000 of Utah State OHV funds for management, maintenance and law enforcement of the system. “The Forest Service has rewarded our good behavior with closure,” said Hawthorne.




USA-ALL’s suit asks the court to re-open the Tibble Fork trails, to order the Forest Service to consider comments from USA-ALL members, and to consider the environmental impacts of its actions before making changes.



The action also asks the court to block the closed-unless-posted-open system of roads and trails that remain open. USA-ALL contends that forest regulations require the Forest Service to post closed routes, not vice-versa. “It’s an impossible system,” said Hawthorne. “Somebody pulls down a sign and it’s unlawful for the public to travel on an open road.”


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The Utah Shared Access Alliance is Utah's largest public lands access advocacy group. Learn more about how you can help keep public lands open for recreational access on USA-ALL's website: http://www.usa-all.com




Source: Utah Shared Access Alliance

 

[Greg]

Yeah the closure, AFAIK, was supposed to effect every 'single-track trail' West (or was it East??) of the Great Western Trail. It's really lame, there's ton's of killer single track that's prime motorcycle territory.

From what I understood, none of the established 'roads' will be closed. But, that's not good enough...

 

[demon jeep]

The down fall always starts in one place and works through the system. Only time will say, but we need to keep on top of things and make sure we keep the trails open. They are closing down 80 trails I know of in Utah. One may get opened back up if work is done on it.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pretty sad, the closure actually took place mid-summer of last year... but USA-ALL has been preparing their case since then.

As Greg stated, it doesn't effect any of the 4x4 width trails, but like Demon said... it gets them all the closer to closing them down. At one point Forest Lake was slated for closure due to the fact that you had to cross the river to access it... We (U4WDA) will be meeting with representatives from the PG USFS office in the spring about service projects... it will also be a good time for us to ask them about their future plans, etc...

 

[Greg]

...At one point Forest Lake was slated for closure due to the fact that you had to cross the river to access it...

If the river crossing is still a problem, let's build a bridge. Problem solved...

 

[my4thjeep]

[sarcasim]Crossing a stream/river that has been contaminated by years of mining is very bad for the environment. Lead arsenic and cyanide leaching through the water/ecosystem is not as dangerous as erosion and or gas and oil from motorized vehicles. [/sarcasim]

It just makes me mad that people can come in and just close down areas for motor vehicle travel or mountain bike travel. I believe that there are evironmental areas that are very sensitive to this type of traffic and should be protected however old mining regions or other similar areas should not be closed down.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

[sarcasim]...I believe that there are evironmental areas that are very sensitive to this type of traffic and should be protected however old mining regions or other similar areas should not be closed down.

I agree...

Many of you have never noticed this, but the site of the water crossing was once a very big mining operation, 50 ft. up the F.L. road, to the North, it a row of old charcoal kilns, all that is left now is the foundations, and across the road was originally the site of a smelter.... Years ago, the USFS tore down the remaining mining buildinds in the name of public safety...

 

[my4thjeep]

I don't really get it. Who makes these crazy decisions? Where do they come from? And how on earth do they get them to close these types of areas down?

cruiseroutfit
You always have good information. You have inspired me to start doing something by reading your posts. Its this type of crap (closures) that has made me start sending letters over the last year. Anytime I hear of a possible closure whether its here in Utah or any where in the US I write a letter and or send emails.

I am tired of the extreme fringes of society getting everything they want and the average american getting screwed out of everything.

 

[jmaxj]

I don't really get it. Who makes these crazy decisions? Where do they come from? And how on earth do they get them to close these types of areas down?

People get paid thousands of dollors to sit in an office look at a map and say "this will piss them off, let's do that one next."

 

[my4thjeep]

People get paid thousands of dollors to sit in an office look at a map and say "this will piss them off, let's do that one next."

Is there a weblink to apply for that position? It sounds like I am missing out.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

People get paid thousands of dollors to sit in an office look at a map and say "this will piss them off, let's do that one next."

I think you have it all wrong... I am convinced they never actually "look" at the map, rather use darts or some other sharp object, tossed from the other side of the office.

You must realize that alot of these decisions are made by the higher-ups, meaning they have never even stepped foot in the affected area... Kind've sad.. but we are working on changin that.

Take for example the Big Cottonwood Canyon Saga... the Public Relations officer for SL County told us "none of these roads have been passable to a 4x4 for half a century..." Really, thats funny, some of them (2) were open to public use as late as 98' and one (Mineral Fork) is still passable by a SUV to private property owners... And are the others passable... yes with small amounts of maintainance/repair...

Sad, sad, sad... things will change when the County realizes what Oxygen theives they are all being....

 

[EZRhino]

I'm with Greg. Let's get some grant money and build a bridge across the river to Forest Lake. I'd rather drive over a bridge than have the trail closed, although I want to see the data showing that a few vehicles crossing it really causes that much of a problem. I reserve the right to torch the bridge when/if the trail gets closed!!

EZ

 

[demon jeep]

I'm with Greg. Let's get some grant money and build a bridge across the river to Forest Lake. I'd rather drive over a bridge than have the trail closed, although I want to see the data showing that a few vehicles crossing it really causes that much of a problem. I reserve the right to torch the bridge when/if the trail gets closed!!

EZ

FIRE FIRE FIRE AHUHUHUAHUHUH

 

[jmaxj]

Is there a weblink to apply for that position? It sounds like I am missing out.

Don't know about a weblink but i do know they place ad's in the sl tribune, but they read different than close our roads for future generations, they read stuff like make 5000.00 a month working with the disabled and blind, ya know stuff people will respond to. For instance about a year ago my fiance replied to an ad that said make 1000.00 a week working with disabled children so she was excited that not only that she would work with disabled kids but that 1000.00 a week would be nice, they try'd to make her sit through a hour long seminar about how we need to preserve our land and close it to travel,(i.e. motorized, foot, bikes and any other people type of travel) so her and like 3 others got up to leave and they told her that she didn't care about the land and it was because people like her that it was being ruined. NOW THAT'S BS

 

[jmaxj]

[/FONT]

I think you have it all wrong... I am convinced they never actually "look" at the map, rather use darts or some other sharp object, tossed from the other side of the office.

Now i totally agree with that.