UtahFire
Registered User
For an assignment at school, my son wrote a letter to some "conservation" groups with a set of questions. Take a look at what he got back from a SUWA representative. I really like the answers to 5 and 6.
1. Do you believe people have a right to use off-road
vehicles on public lands?
Only on designated roads and trails but not cross-country because that tears
up the landscape.
2. How much of the 23,000,000 acres of BLM land in Utah
should become wilderness?
All 9.5 million acres with wilderness characteristics.
3. Should well used trails that already exist be closed if
they are in the proposed wilderness boundaries?
Yes if they are user-created. If the trail were mechanically constructed,
the area would not quality as wilderness.
4. Do you think people who are physically unable to hike
should be denied access?
No. Groups like SPLORE take disabled people to the wilderness all the time.
See http://www.splore.org/
5. Do you think the banning of OHVs in popular areas will
hurt the local economies in rural areas where they are
popular?
It doesn't matter. Public lands exist for the benefit of the nation, not
local economies. Vandalism (which is what off-road driving is) should not
be part of a local economy.
6. For those people who enjoy the sport and recreation,
where do you think OHVs should be allowed?
Private land. ORV use should be seen as tobacco smoking is now -- uncouth
and disreputable. If you want to do it, do it in your own space.
7. What would be a fair trade for the Utah schools trust
lands that are part of the proposed wilderness areas?
I don't know. The BLM has economists that can figure that out. They
usually trade developable land near population centers for SITLA
in-holdings.
1. Do you believe people have a right to use off-road
vehicles on public lands?
Only on designated roads and trails but not cross-country because that tears
up the landscape.
2. How much of the 23,000,000 acres of BLM land in Utah
should become wilderness?
All 9.5 million acres with wilderness characteristics.
3. Should well used trails that already exist be closed if
they are in the proposed wilderness boundaries?
Yes if they are user-created. If the trail were mechanically constructed,
the area would not quality as wilderness.
4. Do you think people who are physically unable to hike
should be denied access?
No. Groups like SPLORE take disabled people to the wilderness all the time.
See http://www.splore.org/
5. Do you think the banning of OHVs in popular areas will
hurt the local economies in rural areas where they are
popular?
It doesn't matter. Public lands exist for the benefit of the nation, not
local economies. Vandalism (which is what off-road driving is) should not
be part of a local economy.
6. For those people who enjoy the sport and recreation,
where do you think OHVs should be allowed?
Private land. ORV use should be seen as tobacco smoking is now -- uncouth
and disreputable. If you want to do it, do it in your own space.
7. What would be a fair trade for the Utah schools trust
lands that are part of the proposed wilderness areas?
I don't know. The BLM has economists that can figure that out. They
usually trade developable land near population centers for SITLA
in-holdings.
