Dear Sand Mountain Enthusiast:

It is likely that that Sand Mountain advisory subgroup will not come to any consensus regarding advising the BLM on the 1000 acre potential closure. The decision will end up in the BLM's hands in Carson City. That being the case, it is very important to pressure the BLM in regards to this decision. So far, they have heard from several OHV organizations opposing the closure (ORBA, CA4WDC, CORVA, BRC, ASA, AMA, etc.), but they also need to hear from as many users as possible.

Direct your letter to:

Bureau of Land Management
Carson City Field Office
John Singlaub, Field Office Manager
5665 Morgan Mill Road
Carson City, Nevada 89701
Fax: (775) 885-6147

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USA-ALL ACTION ALERT
COMMENT LETTER REQUESTED

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Sage Riders, Trail Riders & Land Use Activists:
> Our dear friends at SUWA are upset again.....that's gotta make you smile!
> They don't like ATV jamborees, they don't like Jeep Safaris, they don't
like
> motorized recreation on public lands.  Sad thing is they express their
> opinion to the land managers and they put their money where their mouths
> are.  (never mind where their heads are, that's not my point)
> So, are you going to match them........word for word.......dollar for
> dollar?
> Start today, send a message of support for the San Juan County ATV
Jamboree
> to the BLM office in Monticello (see address listed at the end of this
SUWA
> ALERT)
> Please do your part......JOIN----PARTICIPATE----DONATE
> Alan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stephen Cowley" <stevecc@infowest.com>
> Subject: Fw: Urgent: Comments needed on ATV safari!
>
>
> > These people are out of control.
> > I trust the BLM on this one.
> > Lets give them some support.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: AlertList@suwa.org <AlertList@suwa.org>
> > To: AlertList@suwa.org <AlertList@suwa.org>
> > Date: Friday, June 20, 2003 2:07 PM
> > Subject: Urgent: Comments needed on ATV safari!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ********URGENT************
> >
> > COMMENTS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY ON PROPOSED ATV SAFARI THROUGH SAN JUAN
> COUNTY!
> > COMMENTS DUE JULY 9!
> >
> > The BLM has released an environmental assessment (EA) draft "finding of
no
> > significant impact" for a "proposed" three-day, 350 ATV event on BLM and
> > Forest Service managed lands throughout San Juan County, Utah this
> September
> > 25-27.  The EA can be viewed at
> http://www.blm.gov/utah/monticello/prog.htm
> > (See http://www.suwa.org for photos and the press release).
> >
> > Currently, the EA lacks consideration of an alternative that would
> disallow
> > proposed routes through inventoried wilderness and other sensitive
lands.
> > This is the first example of the kind of wilderness attack for which the
> > collusive agreement between Governor Leavitt and the Interior Dept. has
> > paved the way, as some of the routes traverse areas whose pristine
> > wilderness qualities stood to be protected from ORVs and other
development
> > until the April 11th settlement, including: Jacob's Chair-- the route
> would
> > bisect an area that the BLM found to have wilderness character in 1999;
> and
> > Bridger Jack--ATVs would loop through another BLM inventory unit on a
> route
> > illegally bulldozed by San Juan County (rather than pursuing a trespass
> > violation against the County, the agency is rewarding the illegal action
> by
> > now permitting an ATV event on the same route)!
> >
> > Other proposed routes fall within the Cedar Mesa Area of Critical
> > Environmental Concern (ACEC), the Scenic Highway Corridor ACEC, citizen
> > proposed wilderness, and other lands rich in archaeological sites and
> > wildlife habitat.  These include John's Canyon (located within the Cedar
> > Mesa ACEC), Piute Pass (within the Scenic Highway Corridor ACEC).  The
> > routes proposed in Arch Canyon (also in Cedar Mesa ACEC) and Indian
Creek
> > (near Canyonlands National Park; proponents call the route "Falls
> Missile),
> > lie in ecologically fragile streambeds with lush riparian vegetation, a
> > violation of BLM policy to protect- not damage rare riparian areas.
Each
> > rider would crash through Arch Canyon creek over 100 times during their
> > trip-- a total of 1,700 crossings per group.
> >
> > Sections of proposed routes that conflict with proposed wilderness lands
> in
> > National Forest must not be permitted, including the "White Rim" section
> of
> > the North Long Point route, and portions of the Shady Ridge route.
> >
> > Proponents of the event hope that it will follow the pattern of the Moab
> > Jeep Safari--which we all know has expanded into an often uncontrollable
> > event.  In 1979, the Moab Jeep Safari consisted of 10 trails with 400
> > vehicles participating in a one day event.  Now, the Jeep Safari extends
> > over 9 days on thirty trails with over 1,700 registered participants,
and
> an
> > additional 4,000 ORV riders who take to the trails without a permit.
> >
> > Simply put, ORV events like the one proposed have proven to be
> unmanageable,
> > damaging to public lands, and dangerous to participants, community
> members,
> > and other public land users.  Prior to even thinking about approving a
> large
> > scope, problem-laden event like the proposed San Juan ATV Safari, the
BLM
> > must prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) based on the
> following:
> >
> > **All "routes" must be analyzed for conflict with other resources and
> > resource users, including wilderness, primitive recreation, wildlife,
> soils,
> > vegetation, water/riparian and cultural sites.  Any routes found to be
in
> > conflict with such resource values must not be permitted.
> >
> > **The EIS must analyze the direct, indirect, cumulative, and reasonably
> > foreseeable impacts of the proposal.  Indeed, no permit should be
> considered
> > until a full-scale travel plan is completed in the EIS prepared in
> > conjunction with the San Juan Area Resource Management Plan amendments.
> >
> > **All proposed "routes" and potentially affected areas must be
> > field-inventoried for archaeological, paleontological, vegetative, and
> > wildlife resources, including endangered species.
> >
> > **Wilderness character of all potentially affected lands must be
> inventoried
> > and evaluated.
> >
> > **Any permit issued following completion of a full EIS must include a
> > monitoring plan and stipulations designed to prevent undue damage to
> > resources.  Such monitoring must occur and stipulations must be
enforced!
> A
> > bond sufficient to cover any damage to public land resources must be
> > required, and a reclamation plan must be submitted and analyzed.
> >
> >
>
============================================================================
> > =================
> >
> > Please send in comments requiring the BLM to adhere to their own
> regulations
> > outlined above and to reconsider issuing a permit for the San Juan ATV
> > Safari for the reasons listed above.
> >
> > ======== Comments are due JULY 9, 2003 ==============
> >
> > Please address letters to:
> >
> > Patrick Madigan
> > Monticello Field Office Manager
> > BLM
> > P.O. Box 7
> > Monticello, UT 84535
> > Fax (435) 587-1518
> >> >
> > To change your list settings or to unsubscribe, go to
> > http://www.suwa.org/AlertList/settings.html.  You can also use this page
> to
> > change your password to something more memorable or to add your zip
code,
> > which allows us to be more effective in our use of this email alert
> system.
> > Thank you for your support