Letter to the Editor: Look closely at the plan

By Sun Advocate

Editor:
Recently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released their copy of Draft Resource Management Plan (DRMP), and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public review and comment. This is intended for the public to view how the BLM plan to manage the natural resources of our area, (Carbon and Emery Counties).
However, due to the extent and content of the plan, many people are confused and frustrated with what has been proposed, and with good reason. It is almost incomprehensible. There are numerous errors, contradictions, and omissions in this plan. It is so complicated that even land managers will be confused at its contents.
We, the citizens of Carbon County do not understand the plan as something we can live with. To us this looks very clearly like this is taxation without representation. As far as we can see this is a major step in seeking control beyond what is reasonable for the American people. How can our cities, count and state government not see what the people do not want.
Some examples of this in the document are the following.
•Limiting group sizes to 25
•Limiting numbers of motorized vehicles in the group to 10
•The BLM requiring you to let them know 180 days (6-months) in advance about group activities
•Imposing $80 and more for user fees for large group gatherings
•Closing more roads and trails
•Giving fancy names to every area you can imagine, i.e. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Wild and Scenic, Wilderness, Semi primitive, Semi primitive motorized, High Use Areas, Special Recreation Management Areas, areas for Special Recreation Permits, etc. All of these which congress stood up and said “no” to. That means the BLM did not have the authority to designate W.S.A.’s, so now they’ve (BLM) resorted to other means.
•The BLM is taking upon themselves to create “Buffer Zones”, such as 75,000 acres around Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. Do you understand that means a non-motorized area from Cleveland to Wellington?
All of the above is being done without a travel plan. Why? Because the final bottom line is the intention of elimination. They just plain do not want you to be out recreating in a motorized unit. Confused yet? Well there’s more.
How about planning an outdoor event, such as a club ride or outdoor jamboree, poker run, family reunion, or even an outdoor wedding of some sort? Be prepared to pay extra for the BLM to come and “monitor” this event. It has happened to the good folks in the Monticello-Blanding area with their recently held San Juan safari. People, just like you and I, volunteering a lot of time and effort to help bring economy to their area. This group staged the event for economic reasons. They had 91 riders at $100 a person. That’s $9,100 they brought in, just to get the people to come. That doesn’t count what was revenues were brought in with purchases of fuel, lodging, and dining. The BLM charged them $6,700 for monitoring and studying this event. Can you see who wanted the chunk of the income without doing a thing for it? Do you think these people will want to stage another event?
Remember another thing, this is an election year. You need to know how your delegates stand on issues such as this. They need to hear from you. Then go vote accordingly. If our government servants will stand up for “we, the people”, then they will be doing what we put them in office to do.
The comment period for the DRMP has been extend to November 29. Please get out your pens and write. Our forefathers fought for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Well, doesn’t happiness include outdoor outings with the people we choose to be with, without more “government control”? Come on Carbon and Emery Counties, where is your backbone? We are being tested; if BLM can get away with it with us, they’ll move on going after other things and places.