Friday, November 16, 2012

Help keep public land.....public

Recently a letter was submitted to close approximately 1.4 million acres in Utah's canyonlands. This closure would make area only accessible to hikers and mountain bikers, closing it to ALL motorized vehicles. The BLM's new travel plan has already closed a significant percentage of roads and trails.

Off-road enthusiasts subscribe to the "tread lightly" mantra. We respect the land and treat it no differently than the average hiker or mountain biker. Sure, the occasional "rotten egg" makes his presence known, Unfortunately this is not specific to one recreation over another. This happens in the "human powered" arena too. I've had to pick up trash ranging from punctured inner-tubes and energy bar wrappers to litter filled camp sites. My point is, it happens but the 99% make up for it. We police ourselves because we know it's the <s1% that can ruin it for all of us. Someone mentions the term off-roader and often the image the comes to mind for the average person is Billy Bob in his trucker cap, with a wad of chew filling his lower lip and driving a lifted full sized Chevy pickup hootin' as he tosses beer cans out the window. This is not who the average off-roader is. Sorry if I have offended the Billy Bob's of the world, but that's my intent.....cut that crap out. But the truth is, the average off-roader is your neighbor. It's that professional that has been retired for years but his knee no longer lets him walk for miles and miles to explore, it's the war wounded vet that lost his leg fighting for your freedom, it's the father with is son that can't walk due to his Multiple Sclerosis, it's the family with children that are too young to hike the same distances as their parents but will when they get old enough.

But I digress. Click on the link below to help keep this beautiful area open to all outdoor enthusiasts. Write to the companies that have supported this closure and let them know your thoughts and why this area is important to you. Please help to keep it open to all the overland travellers, rock crawlers, motocross and adventure riders, quads, razors, and others.

Sharing this post isn't enough to get this job done. Share it, then make a few phone calls, send a few emails and write a couple of letters. Tell your family and friends about your outback adventures. Get them involved and active. Help keep our public lands open to more than just the young and able bodied.

Thank you.

 https://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2012/11/14/another-massive-national-monument-pushed-in-utah

No comments:

Post a Comment