Utah BLM looking to close Moab trails

UhOh

UhOh

That'll leave a mark!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Messages
90
Location
Marquette, MI
If you wheel in Moab (or might ever want to go), perhaps drop the BLM a note about their planned closure of Gemini Bridges area (etc) to motorized use... it's possible they will permanently close even more trails as requested by Grand County, and close all of the Hey Joe Canyon, Hell Roaring Canyon, Golden Spike, Gold Bar Rim, Rusty Nail, Day Canyon Point, Dead Man Point, Bull Canyon, Ten Mile Canyon, and 3D / Mashed Potatoes Jeep trails, plus the Dead Cow and Tubes motorcycle trails, plus parts of Where Eagles Dare, Buttes and Towers, Wipe Out Hill, and 7 Mile Rim.


The draft EA for the Labyrinth Rims / Gemini Bridges travel plan in Moab has just been published, kicking off a 30-day comment period that ends October 7.

Find more info here: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/b...ent-period-labyrinth-rimsgemini-bridges-draft

This is probably the most important travel management plan of the decade and will decide the fate of most of Moab's most famous Jeep trails.

It is crucial that you comment opposing alternatives B and C and supporting alternatives D or A (with D being the most possible alternative for continuing motorized use), and ask the BLM to keep all of the routes mentioned open instead of closing them. Please review the entire press release above for additional information.

COMMENTS ARE ONLY ACCEPTED UNTIL OCTOBER 7, 2022.

Written comments may be mailed, emailed, or submitted through ePlanning. Please reference “Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management” when submitting comments via ePlanning and mail. https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2001224/510


More info at https://www.rr4w.com/index.cfm
 
I started riding dirt bikes out there in the mid-90s, from areas starting all the way from Rabbit Valley in Colorado over and down into Moab and out to the San Rafael Swell. Traffic was pretty well dispersed; there were some problem areas but it seemed like it could have been managed.

Then the BLM started coming in with their "Travel Management Plans", cramming all of the traffic onto their designated routes. Jeeps/SUVs, ATVs including the new big side-by-sides and dirt bikes all on the same routes. The trails all got beat to crap, particularly bad riding for the dirt bikes. And that was before the massive hordes came in and flooded the places.

I don't know what the right answer is. I tend to think in terms of intensively developing and maintaining quality trails within some confined areas in return for closures in others. But the mindset these days is to just shut things down.
 
Top Bottom
Back