Pocatello, ID – Early last week, the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org joined with other recreation groups in a letter sent to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in support of a balanced approach to managing public lands as part of the Moab Master Leasing Plan.
The letter addressed to BLM serves as formal comments from OHV stakeholders. It also represents an effort between motorized and non-motorized recreation groups working together for the protection of outdoor recreation resources on public lands.
Martin Hackworth, the Executive Director for the BlueRibbon Coalition, said, “As an OHV enthusiast, mountain biker and rock climber, I am proud of how we worked with other recreation stakeholders in this planning process. Recreation is an important economic factor in the Moab area and we support land use plans that approach energy and recreation management in a holistic manner.”
The BLM will wrap up the comment period for the draft Moab Master Leasing Plan on Nov. 23. The land use plan will seek to balance the protection of outdoor recreation resources with oil and gas drilling as well as potash mining on nearly one million acres in Utah’s Grand and San Juan counties.
“We’re hopeful that the BLM will adopt a smart plan that protects recreation opportunities in Eastern Utah that can be enjoyed by Utahns and people around the world for years to come,” said Don Amador of the BlueRibbon Coalition. “We appreciate the BLM’s hard work to bring all stakeholders to the table and find a balanced approach in the Moab Master Leasing Plan.”
The BlueRibbon Coalition specifically has recommended an Enhanced Recreation Analysis be included in the BLM’s preferred alternative (alternative D). Such an analysis would be focused on site-specific impacts to recreation facilities and activities. It would allow the agency to better apply the No Surface Occupancy criteria or other mitigation measures to avoid negative impacts to recreation use. With the inclusion of a site-specific analysis process in the MLP many of the more restrictive lease requirements included in Alternative D become unnecessary, allowing the agency greater flexibility to tailor leases in a fashion that efficiently locates the lease activity while protecting other resources such as recreation.
BRC believes inclusion of an Enhanced Recreational Analysis in the MLP will protect current and future recreational activities.
Recreation Group Letter to BLM:
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Moab-MLP-Recreation-Group-letter-v.8.updated.10.22.15.pdf
