Kane County Roads and Factory Butte Commentary in SLTrib

[hatfieldcb]

From Utah Shared Acess Alliance:

Below are a few articles that were forwarded to me this morning. The Second
article is particularly repulsive. We need to mail storm the SLTrib. This is
amazingly biased and irresponsible "reporting". We cannot allow this type of
article to be printed or go unchecked. I am appalled at the lack of quality
information and the narrow minded slant this, obviously uneducated, author
chose to use. Please let the Tribune know how you feel, we need to see a
stronger outcry against articles such as this. We also need to see more
positive articles about OHV's and the good they do. USA-ALL will be
responding swiftly to this article but we need many of you to do the same.
We also have personal mtgs w/ the Tribune this coming week and we will
express out disgust for such articles. Please send in comments expressing
your views on these issues as well. It will help us make the point. Thank
You!

Mike Swenson
Executive Director
Utah Shared Access Alliance (USA-ALL)


Main: 801.465.1145
Fax: 801.465.6972
Toll Free: 866.265.3434
email: mikes@usa-all.com

www.usaall.org

-----Original Message-----
From: usall-bounces+mikes=usa-all.com@mailman.xmission.com
[mailto:usall-bounces+mikes=usa-all.com@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of
John Borg
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2005 8:56 AM
To: Utah Shared Access Land List
Subject: [Usall] Kane County Roads and Factory Butte Commentary in SLTrib

Salt Lake Tribune
19 March 2005

Kane County ups ante in road feud with feds
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2612653


Salt Lake Tribune
20 March 2005

Who is the BLM serving?
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2614430
(Commentary about OHV use in Factory Butte area.)

Laws disobeyed, unenforced
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2614442
(Letter about recent Kane County ROW issues.)

[sanjuancruiser]

Our county (San Juan) in Colorado went throught his a few years ago. The BLM started to inventory lands in the area and indecrimenitly started closing down roads that have been historically open to mining and recreation .

The county was outraged and removed the signage put on the roads by the BLM and installed county road signs in their place. Also claiming the RS 2477 act as fact.


The BLM argued that the act was repealed int the 70's and the county had thier opportunity to claim then. The county refused the argument and proved the roads were and have always been open therefore are to remain open.

As such the county prevailed and most of the roads that they could prove historical are still open and now we have a numbered sign system which never existed before-Hard on those of us who are used to saying the 'mine road' or other common names! now it CR 2 or something.

This is NOT uncommon afaik with land agencies and we as a group need to speak up!

My rant.

[Pluton]

I don't see anything biased in the article about the county re-signing roads. It just said that they were doing it, and it's a potential conflict with the feds. As for the letter deploring the county's action, it contained the usual frenzied enviro-hyperbole, which makes the good cause of trying to hold back the 'west's curious desire to rape itself' more difficult. I like the fact that the county is asserting itself and maybe putting the brakes on wholesale road closures that are unecessary. I wish to have access to as many dirt roads as possible when I visit the fabulous Utah landscape.
As for OHV's and the 'good they do', you'll have to educate me on that. It's hard to conceive of OHV's doing good to any landscape. unless you consider vehicle tracks, dust and erosion to be improvements.
I think the west is big enough for OHV riders to have nice big play areas that will satisfy without tearing up areas that most people agree should be left intact.
I plan to visit the Factory Buttes area this June and see what the hubbub is about. ' Just my opinion...I could be wrong.'