Moab trails closed.

[J1000]

They don't care because most never engage low range and of the buyers who do as many are doing it to backpack, hike or raft and they (at least in principle) agree with "wilderness" designation. Honestly if I was in charge of marketing for these companies I see the right stance is the apolitical one. If they explictly side with OHV they'd get reamed by anti-OHV brands and as the list shows recreational tourism is a big industry. They just want to sell cars and even if you aggregate all recreational users from hard core 4WD to meadow stomping granolaheads it's still a fraction of the people who just use them as grocery getters and to go skiing. The majority of 4Runner owners really couldn't care about Blue Ribbon or Sierra Club on a daily basis. Where we get creamed is selling ourselves to them. The Sierra Club sells books with pristine landscapes and Ansel Adams photos and we're presenting Red Bull flat bills sending it with huge rooster tails. If you're a soccer mom watching the noon news which are you gonna have good "feels" about?

Sure that makes sense but it doesn't stop them putting commercials up showing a offroad driving and upselling lockers and factory lift etc.

Also where is the 4x4 industry? Silence from 4WheelParts, ARB, Warn, OME, etc. Maybe BRC needs an outreach team to engage with these companies and get them on board.

 

[MonPetiteShoe]

The irony is they substantially rely on vehicle-based camping so they are undercutting themselves especially in this area with what seems like a lot of dispersed camping set to disappear. It's not just built Jeeps and SxS but every Chaco wearing yahoo in a stock Subaru and 4Runner out camping and hiking that's gonna have to wake up and smell the turd that this is.

It gets even more convoluted when you introduce mountain bikes and camper vans.
"OHV-closed," grants carte blanche use to hiking or horseback, but not mountain bikes.
If you're thinking about bringing an e-bike, it's even more restrictive.

Labyrinth/Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan Environmental Assessment
2.1.4 ROUTE DESIGNATIONS
OHV-Closed – Route not available for public motorized vehicle use. The OHV-Closed category includes:

• Routes that will not become part of the designated OHV network and are often earmarked for natural or manual reclamation.
• Routes that will remain available for authorized or administrative uses. Some of these routes provide access to authorized facilities (i.e., stock tanks and ponds, corrals, communication sites, etc.).
• Routes that remain available for non-OHV use, such as hiking or equestrian trails. Some OHV-Closed routes may remain available for mountain biking (where mountain biking was identified as a current use in the range of alternatives), depending on which alternative is selected.

Regardless of route designations, users can engage in non-motorized forms of transportation such as walking or riding horses anywhere on the TMA’s BLM lands (on existing routes or cross-country), unless there is a specific exclusion stating otherwise.


N.2 TRAVEL MANAGEMENT DECISION
Non-Motorized Route Use
"Users can engage in non-motorized and non-mechanized travel anywhere on public lands, including those within the TMA, unless an area or route is closed for safety or a specific resource concern. .... In the MFO (Moab Field Office), mountain bikes are limited to designated routes. Mountain bikes are allowed on all motorized routes, as well as on routes designated for mountain bike use.
E-BIKES
E-bikes are only authorized on OHV routes; however, an Authorized Officer may allow, as part of a land-use planning or implementation-level decision, e-bikes, or certain classes of e-bikes, whose motorized features are not being used exclusively to propel the e-bike for an extended period of time on roads and trails upon which mechanized, non-motorized use is allowed. E-bikes are by default allowed on all trails designated for motorized use.



On the bright side. It can be difficult finding a Lowest Common Denominator that can champion a cause greater than the one being pushed by SUWA.

It's not just SxS/4x4 groups who are being affected anymore.
We're all losing trails, regardless of how we travel them.


Moving onto the map of "authorized mountain bike trails:

Candy cane colored trails are the only trails specified as being an exception to mountain bikes, and not outright closed.
I've only seen one area that meets this criteria.... (Highlighted in yellow.)

 

[Notyourmomslx450]

Now the FS is looking to restrict snowmobiles here.

 

[VoodooBlue_Vixen]

Have you seen the BRC form to send an automated letter to your Congress representatives?

RELEASE: BlueRibbon Coalition Supports the Historic Roadways Protection Act

SALT LAKE CITY - Today Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Historic Roadways Protection Act in the United States Senate in response to the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) recent decision to close 317 miles of popular historic roads in Moab. Senator Lee's bill prohibits using federal money t

www.sharetrails.org

 

[Corbet]

Done

 

[MountainGoat]

Done

 

[RossM]

Sending this to many contacts and asking them to sign and send to as many contacts as possible. Also asked them to consider joining BRC.

 

[Burt88]

After 15 years I'm no longer supporting BRC until they start telling some truth about what all is happening and the entirety of the issues we face as an off road community.

 

[VoodooBlue_Vixen]

After 15 years I'm no longer supporting BRC until they start telling some truth about what all is happening and the entirety of the issues we face as an off road community.

I'm pretty surprised to read this. Considering how much communication has been out about the Moab trails issue lately. Could you please elaborate?

 

[Hulk]

After 15 years I'm no longer supporting BRC until they start telling some truth about what all is happening and the entirety of the issues we face as an off road community.

This is an unexpected comment. The 4x4 community is coalescing around Blue Ribbon Coalition to lead the fight on trail closure. Well-respected groups like Red Rock 4Wheelers (Easter Jeep Safari) and Utah Public Lands Alliance have publicly stated that they are funneling their money to BRC rather than trying to enter the fight on their own.

Rising Sun made a substantial donation to BRC last year and we are on the verge of doing so right now from funds raised from Cruise Moab and the ColoYota Expo in the past year.

Please explain your statement. Do you believe that BRC is not using donations wisely? Do you have another group that you would suggest in place of BRC? The time to make a difference in how we donate our money is now.

 

[Burt88]

I’ve been watching the situation progress without giving too much input until I could see the bigger picture. I think the closure was a bit much but I completely understand the arguments from the other side. I even got a chance to talk directly with Ben at expo in flagstaff and I was left disheartened by the conversation. When one person craps in the sparsely populated public pool, we get out , clean it up, let the pool recover and jump back in. When more people come to the pool and crapping in the pool becomes something people do all the time the pool gets closed.
The BRC is doing a great job ignoring the real issues we face and spinning a false narrative to whip up their fundraising frenzy. You won’t find any mention from them about bad behavior. All they want is to create enemies of public lands organizations that we need to work together with. I also don’t want my tax dollars being sucked into the vacuum of endless lawsuits and rather it go to properly managing the land we use. The damage of a small group of people is real, we see it everywhere. Our public lands managers have a responsibility to ALL citizens AND the environment and the most involved citizens are going to be heard. We won’t win any hearts beating them down and creating enemies of them like the BRC wants us to.
I stop my support of any organization that takes people’s money and promotes destructive behavior by hiding from it. On another issue the BRC flat out lied about closures in Death Valley. Prominent organizations need to call out the bad behavior, and I can plainly tell you the BRC is not.
These are recent pictures and I have many more of the areas in jeopardy.

 

[Burt88]

@DaveInDenver if the BRC will just be honest in their message I'll reconsider support. But they're digging in their heels and this high profile closure just brought their real narrative it to the forefront. That narrative is to turn a blind eye to the irresponsible behavior that adds fuel to the argument of organizations that want to shut down public lands to vehicle travel. And frankly, we keep giving them more to go on.

You see, I'm an environmentalist first and an off-roader second. If we can't take care of the areas we use then I understand that sometimes I have to compromise. Does the message and effort of SUWA a major overreach? Yes. Is the effort to keep every single mapped trail or road open and require our public lands managers to try to keep up with natural and human destruction a realistic expectation? No. Should we become better stewards of the land and find compromise based on the realities of the situation? Yes. But I repeat, and I'll continue to say it, creating enemies of our public lands managers is not going to benefit us in the long run. I have heard the message of BRC loud and clear and on numerus discussions through their social media posts I find it very clear that they endorse the bashing of the BLM and Forest Service while they ignore the blatant comments of their supporters admitting that they consider the behavior occurring is not a problem. Also, many roads in the area that have no purpose need to be closed and let nature do what it does. I was on a parallel road not even 30ft beside another that had no reason to exist. I was on an overlook that had tracks leading off in all directions past the end of the trail. I was on another overlook where a camp had been set up on the cliff edge illegally and tracks everywhere crushing native vegetation. I passed a road that you could barely make out anymore and there was no signage closing it off and no reason for it anymore. But according to BRC we need to drive it. Nature be damned. Where's our outrage about that? As a prominent club, why doesn't Rising Sun ask BRC to address these issues?

Another realization I've had in these recent discussions is that a lot of the users of the area around Moab have no idea what the ecosystem is like and how fragile it is compared to other desert environments. They just don't know. The organizations we support should make education more of a priority.

 

[twentyfooteighty]

You won’t find any mention from them about bad behavior.

I don't think it is up to lawyers to try and explain to people how to take care of things and pick up after themselves. There are plenty of other groups (Stay the Trail for example) who work in that field. BRC is just one fighter in the overall battle. It takes a village to take all this on, they are just the lawyers trying to keep the land open.

 

[Hulk]

@DaveInDenver...I passed a road that you could barely make out anymore and there was no signage closing it off and no reason for it anymore. But according to BRC we need to drive it. Nature be damned. Where's our outrage about that? As a prominent club, why doesn't Rising Sun ask BRC to address these issues?

Another realization I've had in these recent discussions is that a lot of the users of the area around Moab have no idea what the ecosystem is like and how fragile it is compared to other desert environments. They just don't know. The organizations we support should make education more of a priority.

I'm glad to discuss with Ben at BRC. I've encouraged him to join the RS forum and join the discussion himself and maybe he will at some point.

I agree that something needs to change, but SUWA isn't advocating for a balanced, sensible solution. They take no prisoners. BRC is the antidote to that. If we're lucky, the ultimate result will be something that maybe we can all live with.

Regarding education: I don't feel like Tread Lightly is moving the needle. The people who already agree with these principles don't need to hear the message again and again, but the people who really do need to change their behavior aren't listening.

 

[Burt88]

I’ve stated my position. I knew it wouldn’t change any minds and I didn’t expect it to.

As a society we’re stuck in this perpetual position of fighting lies with lies and conveniently omitting negative truths to try to distract from the real issues. Digging in deep and allowing zero room for compromise is not progress. The narrative in this fight is clearly being spun by both sides and I won’t participate that way. And yes, BRC is fabricating a narrative that is untrue and thus is lying. I’ve paid close attention to their dialogue and fundraising videos recently. It’s clear.

I’m not going to support creating villains of our public employees. They’re my friends. Supporting them and helping them maintain our lands rather than threatening them will have a much more productive impact.

 

[Burt88]

What’s the solution? That’s a great discussion to be had. I can confidently say that creating enemies of public land agencies and their employees is not the solution.
Ask BRC why they refuse to find middle ground, perhaps? Like I have. But I’m just a nobody

 

[nuclearlemon]

What’s the solution? That’s a great discussion to be had. I can confidently say that creating enemies of public land agencies and their employees is not the solution.
Ask BRC why they refuse to find middle ground, perhaps? Like I have. But I’m just a nobody

unfortunately, too many public land agencies and their employees are anti ohv to being with, so it's hard not to make them the enemy when they are shutting down ohv. as for middle ground, why doesn't suwa find middle ground?

 

[Hulk]

I’ve stated my position. I knew it wouldn’t change any minds and I didn’t expect it to.

Is there any land use organization that you do support instead of Blue Ribbon?

 

[Burt88]

unfortunately, too many public land agencies and their employees are anti ohv to being with, so it's hard not to make them the enemy when they are shutting down ohv. as for middle ground, why doesn't suwa find middle ground?

In my experience the employees I’ve personally spoken to are not anti ohv as much as they are anti destruction of our resources and they don’t appreciate the bad behavior that creates unnecessary headaches. They certainly don’t appreciate being stuck in the middle of this kind of nonsense and always at the receiving end of the blame game.

Here in Montrose BLM has built brand new facilities catering to ohv use where it’s appropriate. Free camping in nicely organized parking lots with ample room for trailers near some amazing rock crawling trails. That seems pretty pro ohv to me.

As for what organizations I’m still in favor of Tread Lightly tops the list. Others I’m still looking into are Leave no Trace, Stay The Trail, and Sons of Smokey. These organizations are building good relationships with public land agencies. I’m sure there’s some blanket support for BRC among those organizations but I’ve seen very little in recent discussions.

Among the off road and ohv community BRC has always been an organization in high esteem. Unfortunately their recent marketing narrative has left me in disbelief.

 

[Burt88]

@DaveInDenver BRC has spun their narrative on social media which is their main source of communication and fundraising. They have laid the blame on BLM numerous times and have gleefully participated in discussions laying blame on BLM in this case. They are suing BLM.

I’m pulling MY support for BRC because I don’t tolerate bull crap anymore. I don’t accept that it is what it is and that’s why I spoke up. I know my position isn’t a popular but I’m not the type to do things just because it’s the thing to do. Both sides have valid arguments, like it or not.

Mentioning mining activity, which is how the vast network of roads were maintained in that area before, who maintains them now? Where does funding come from if it’s tied up in battling lawsuits? A lot of those roads don’t need to exist anymore. Boo friggin hoo and bang my fists cause that’s my favorite road and nobody can take it from me and closure isn’t management and it’s the public’s land everything needs to be open for us to use even if we’re destroying it because not using it is causing more damage somehow and screw everybody that disagrees.

I WOULD like to explore other avenues besides throwing money at both sides of an issue and I will only get behind the efforts of organizations that express humility while pushing their narrative.