1999 BLM Wilderness Inventory

I got the job along with Marsha Terry to see just how the Bureau of Land Management's 1999 inventory would affect the Easter Jeep Safari Trails for presentation at the Fight Back land use forum during the 1999 Easter Jeep Safari. The inventory is on the web at http://www.access.gpo.gov/blm/utah/liu.html but takes much more time to look at than most people have. Marsha was able to get her hands on it in print for us to study. I started by putting all the Safari trails on a map and began to overlay the new inventory units on them. What I got was a shock. It ended up that only nine of the Red Rock 4-Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari trails were not affected by either out right closure or by bordering these new inventory units. Many of the permitted roads that are used for the Labor Day Camp Outs were also in these areas.

According to the BLM this dugway is not a 'road' which goes up to the top of Steamboat Mesa. This is one of the Labor Day Camp Out Trials along the Dolores Triangle route. This 'way' is in the heart of one of the 1999 BLM wilderness inventory units.

The Criteria that the BLM used to create these new proposed wilderness areas was also surprising. The BLM used HR 1500, a Utah Wilderness Coalition Bill that has never gone to vote in Congress, as a guideline for the areas they would look at. The definition of a road that was used was: " The word 'roadless' refers to the absence of roads that have been maintained by mechanical means to ensure relatively regular and continuous use. A 'way' maintained by the passage of vehicles does not constitute a road." " This language is from House Committee Report 94-1163, page 17, dated May 15, 1976, which forms part of the legislative history of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)." A court injunction forbidding the BLM to find new areas of wilderness was lifted in June 1998 and this new inventory came about within six months. Seems like a short time for the limited BLM staff to find, and report on over three million more acres of land that now has wilderness characteristics that did not in1978 when the existing wilderness study areas in Utah were created. There now exists only a short time in which public comment can be made before these lands are either made wilderness or tied up in court. This process is called scoping and initials a number of hearings and a written comment period. This scoping process will end on May 19th 1999. This is a very short time to save not only our Easter Jeep Safari trails but all the trails we use to back country recreate in Utah that are within these new inventory units. For those who are familiar with the Easter Safari Trails, here is a list of some of the trails that will be lost either in total or in part if the 1999 BLM inventory goes through uncontested. In no particular order, Hey Joe Canyon which drops down Spring Canyon will be lost in total. Secret Spire, Hell Roaring Rim, Moab Rim past the private property which now has a lift up the cliff from town, Top of the World overlook, Porcupine Rim, Fins and Things, Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, the list goes on.

I paid a visit to the BLM office in Moab and I was told that even if these new inventory units are not voted on quickly, which is likely, there is no way they can issue the next 5 year "discretionary" permit to the Red Rock 4-Wheelers for trails within the inventory units. The current five year permit ends after the 2000 Easter Jeep Safari. The next Easter Jeep Safari permit process will begin January of next year to continue the Event. The Easter Jeep Safari has been using these trails for over 30 years using tread lightly as a guide. The original intent of wilderness was not to close the roads and keep us out but to use the existing system of roads and trails to access these wilderness areas. The wilderness advocates would have you believe wilderness is the only way to protect the land for further generations. Then why is it that our Easter Jeep Safari Trails STILL meet wilderness characteristics.

If you have never written a letter to a government agency now is the time to do so. Our sport is in jeopardy and if this and other wilderness proposals make it to wilderness we will lose most of the trails we have in not only Utah but all across the United States. We have to stand up for our rights. A select few who say they represent the American people have had the say for years. It is now time for the people who really use the land to be heard.

Requests for more information or to be added to the project mail list should be sent to: BLM Utah State Office WSA Planning Project P.O. Box 45155 Salt Lake City, UT 84145.

Scoping comments should be sent to the same address or submitted through the BLM's Internet website. To be considered during the 63-day public scoping period, written comments must be received by May 19,1999. The intemet comment form is located at: http://www.ut.blm.gov/wilderness/comment.html

Kanab, UT	April 21	Holiday Inn Express	815 East Hwy. 89	5-8 PM
St. George, UT	April 22	Abby Inn	1129 South Bluff St	3-8 PM
Escalante, UT	April 23	Escalante High School	800 East Hwy 12	5-8 PM
Castledale, UT	May 3	Museum of the San Rafael	96 North 1 00 East	3-8 PM
Tooele, UT	May 4	City Recreation Complex	350 West 400 North	3-8 PM
Vernal, UT	May 4	Western Park	302 East 200 South	3-8 PM
Richfield, UT	May 5	Weston Inn	647 South Main	3-8 PM
Moab, UT	May 5	Senior Citizens Center	450 East 1 00 North	3-8 PM
Monticello, UT	May 6	Monticello High School	190 South 200 West	4-8 PM
Fillmore, UT	May 6	BLM Office	35 East 500 North	3-8 PM
Salt Lake City, UT	May 7	Utah Department of Natural Resources	1594 North Temple Suite 1060	3-8 PM

Following is a letter to the BLM concerning the 1999 wilderness re-inventory. Use it as a guide to respond to this very important issue by May 19th.

BLM Utah Sate Office
WSA Planning Project
P.O. Box 45155
Salt Lake City, UT 84145

The 1999 BLM re-inventory as it stands is unacceptable to all of us who use this public land for recreation. The criteria in which determines a road was flawed at best. "The word 'roadless' refers to the absence of roads which have been improved and maintained by mechanical means to ensure relatively regular and continuous use. A 'way' maintained solely by the passage of vehicles does not constitute a road." This statement by which all of the inventory areas were created does not take into account further definitions within the 1978 BLM Wilderness Inventory Handbook which also states that "Actions taken by people to keep the road open to vehicular traffic." 'Improved does not necessarily mean formal construction. 'Maintained does not necessarily mean annual maintenance.' If these last three definitions were used during the re-inventory, very little of the 1999 BLM inventory would stand. If just the single fact of relatively regular and continuous use were taken into consideration it would disqualify major sections of the re-inventory.

Point in fact; Many of the re-inventory sections have motorized routes in them. The Moab Easter Jeep Safari has continuously used some of these 'ways' for over 30 years. The discretionary 5 year permits issued to the Red Rock 4- Wheelers for conducting this event have been ignored in the re-inventory process. If the BLM has recognized these 'ways' for a yearly motorized event, how can these re-inventory sections still meet the 'roadless' criteria. Another point of fact; I and my family have been using these routes since before 1975 which predates the Federal Land Policy Management Act and puts these routes into the grandfathered RS 2477 Statute.

There are many of these continuously used 'way's or motorized routes that are used almost on a daily basis all over the state which were not taken into account during the much too brief inventory process. So many are there it would be impossible to identify them during the time allotted for the scoping process. I am requesting that the scoping process be extended or put on hold until the following two issues can be addressed.