NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION - HELP SAVE MOAB'S TRAILS

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NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION - HELP SAVE MOAB'S TRAILS

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NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION - HELP SAVE MOAB'S TRAILS

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED

DEADLINE MARCH 31, 2015

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The Grand County Council has identified over 100 miles of road
closures in its proposed Public Lands Initiative (PLI) plan to be
submitted to Representative Rob Bishop. This proposal is scheduled to
be voted on by the end of the month, so it is imperative for you to
take action today!

Utah's Grand County, home to Moab's world class OHV trails, has been
participating in Congressman Rob Bishop's Public Lands Initiative, a
plan to resolve some of Utah's most contentious public lands issues,
including Wilderness and OHV use.

BRC, our member clubs and other stakeholders, including counties,
have been involved in the process from the beginning: Utah Land Use
Legislation: Threats and Opportunities
<http://www.sharetrails.org/public-lands ... ortunities>
, Key Players <http://www.sharetrails.org/public-lands/key-players>

After last November's elections, Grand County's new Council initiated
a process to put finishing touches on its recommendations to
Congressman Bishop. OHV users, including Ride with Respect (RwR)
<http://www.ridewithrespect.org/>
, Moab Friends-For-Wheelin' <http://moabfriendsforwheelin.com/>
and the Red Rock 4-Wheelers <http://www.rr4w.com/>
have been participating. For the most part, the process had been
proceeding in a reasonable direction.

Sadly, the situation has taken a turn for the worse.

Less than twenty-four hours prior to a public hearing on the matter,
the new Council removed measures that would have secured long-term OHV
access. Before OHV users had a chance to analyze and assess the
proposal, the County officially finished the draft plan for submission
to Bishop that would close over 100 miles of roads and trails!

Grand County's Draft Plan would eliminate the 10 Mile Wash Road and
impose seasonal closures on Hey Joe Canyon, Hell Roaring Canyon and
the popular Dead Cow Loop.

That's in addition to thousands of acres of new Wilderness in the
Book Cliffs and Dolores River - areas outside of the existing
Wilderness Study Areas!

Worse, the County plans to form a committee that would recommend road
closures in the Dolores (from Beaver Creek to the south side of
Westwater) areas. They expect to close at least half of the non-graded
roads.

Obviously, local OHV advocates are disappointed. Not only were some
of the proposed closures announced at the last meeting before the
Draft was finalized, provisions that allow the remaining routes to be
"grandfathered" and protected from future closures were not included
in the Draft.

Ride with Respect's Clif Koontz described it this way:

Effectively, the proposal says that several high-quality trails will
be closed now, and any number of the remaining trails could be closed
later. While they don't intend to close the remaining routes now, they
provide no protection from future closures.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!

While the plan is a "draft," the county has allowed less than two
weeks for comment. It is therefore imperative that ALL OHV users
respond to this important proposal by the March 31, 2015 deadline.

We've taken the time to put together some comment suggestions to make
it as easy as possible.

Just follow "BRC's 3-Step Action Item" below.

Thanks in advance and, as always, please call or email with questions
or concerns.

Ric Foster

Public Lands Department Manager

BlueRibbon Coalition

208-237-1008 ext 107

BRC ACTION ALERT

COMMENTS ON GRAND COUNTY PROPOSED PUBLIC LANDS INITIATIVE

TAKE ACTION NOW!

SITUATION:

The Grand County Council has identified over 100 miles of road
closures in its proposed Public Lands Initiative (PLI) plan to be
submitted to Representative Rob Bishop. This proposal is scheduled to
be voted on by the end of the month, so the final draft will actually
be worked on prior to March 31st, 2015

WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT:

The Council will vote on a final version of its proposal to
Representative Bishop on March 31st, so there's not much time.
Environmentalists have been stacking the deck with their comments. It
is time we respond and show the council that we care and that we are
in the majority. Moab is a mecca for many kinds of recreation,
although OHV riding and mountain biking are the only ones restricted
to designated routes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

It is imperative that ALL of us who wish to preserve the access we
currently have respond to the Grand County Council and to
Representative Bishop before March 31, 2015. Send Your Comments Today!

BRC'S THREE-STEP ACTION ITEM

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS:

NOTE: Please be civil and, if possible, make your comments as
personal as you can. If you can add any personal testimony about your
experiences enjoying this spectacular area, please take a minute to
add that to your email.

STEP 1: Please send comments - Preferably by email:
council@grandcountyutah.net
<mailto:council@grandcountyutah.net?subject=Comments%20on%20Grand%20County%20Public%20Lands%20Initiative%20(PLI)%20>

Or if using express service, mail to - Grand County, Attention:
Public Lands, 125 E. Center St.,

Moab, UT 84532 - For questions, call 435-259-1342

STEP 2: Contact Representative Rob Bishop's office using the contact
info below:

Washington office: 202-225-0453

Ogden office (main Utah office): 801-625-0107

john.newhall@mail.house.gov
<mailto:john.newhall@mail.house.gov?subject=Comments%20on%20Grand%20County%20Public%20Lands%20Initiative%20(PLI)%20>

STEP 3: Contact your Congressional Representative - Find there
contact info Click Here <https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/>
:

Craft your own comments or use the comment suggestions below when
communicating with Grand County Council, Rep. Bishop and your
representative. Don't forget to be polite and keep it civil.

SPECIFIC COMMENT SUGGESTIONS:

I oppose Grand County's proposal to close roads and trails. There
seems to be consensus among many local stakeholders that BLM's new
recreational travel plan is, with a few exceptions, acceptable.
Legislation, even a designation such as an NCA, can and should
"codify" the current management as a baseline. Additional uses could
be authorized via planning and NEPA.

I support the idea of "no net loss" for recreational travel routes. I
do not wish to preclude federal land managers from temporarily closing
or restricting public access to a designated route for purposes of
resource protection or public safety. Provided, however, that if the
closure becomes permanent, or the length of the temporary closure
impairs established access and use normally provided by the designated
route, the land managing agency shall establish alternate access,
equivalent to that provided by the designated route.

Grand County's "management objectives" are vague and use undefined
terminology. The proposal needs to specifically outline what type of
management the County desires. The establishment of the National
Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) directs the Secretary of the
Interior to manage lands in a manner that protects the values for
which the components of the system were designated. This requires that
special attention be given to the specific management intent.
Specifically: recreational uses, including OHV recreation, must be
protected and existing roads and trails preserved.

The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) is a national non-profit organization
that champions responsible recreation and encourages a strong
conservation ethic and individual stewardship, while providing
leadership in efforts to keep outdoor recreation alive and well -- all
sports; all trails. With members in all 50 states, BRC is focused on
building enthusiast involvement with organizational efforts through
membership, outreach, education

and collaboration among recreationists.

1-800-BLUERIB - http://www.BlueRibbonCoalition.Org

_______________________________________________________

As a non-profit, grassroots organization funded primarily by
membership dues and donations, we greatly appreciate your support.
Visit http://www.sharetrails.org/make-a-difference-now
to help fund our efforts to protect your trails!
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