land use

This is the fourth travel management planning environmental assessment that has been released in the Owyhee’s area of Idaho within the past 6 months. Because of engagement of the motorized community, the alternatives presented reflect the need for motorized access. Comments until February 12...

The United States Forest Service has issued a notice of intent to update the Northwest Forest Plan. This plan hasn’t been updated in 30 years and is the broader plan that dictates how 17 national forests and 25 million acres of land is managed across the northwest states. This plan will affect...

During the past year, BlueRibbon Coalition has engaged in hundreds of administrative actions that affect access to outdoor recreation experiences on public lands. We are proud of the work of our policy team, and we believe that showing up is making a big difference. In many cases this is...

On December 22, we joined with Colorado Off-road Trail Defenders and Texas Public Policy Institute to take our challenge to the federal government’s arbitrary and illegal closure of over 300 miles of trails near Moab, UT, to federal district court for the District of Utah. The federal court...

The recent decision to close hundreds of miles of some of the best off-road trails on the planet near Moab was part of a larger ongoing project that will affect many more trails. In 2017 the Department of Interior, wilderness groups, and pro-access groups including BRC entered into a settlement...

When Clark Collins, BRC’s visionary founder, passed away his obituary mentioned a closure in an area called Massacre Rocks that was popular for dirt biking and rock climbing. It was this closure that motivated him to start the BlueRibbon Coalition. Since 2011, the Bureau of Land Management has...

The Kaniksu and Kootenai National Forests have undergone travel management planning for over snow vehicle (OSV) use. These areas of Montana and Idaho are very popular for snowmobiling and bring a lot of economic value to local communities. The decision for the Kaniksu National Forest in Idaho...

In October BlueRibbon Coalition submitted an official objection to the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests management plan. More than 3 million acres in Colorado will be affected by this forest plan that will direct management decisions for the next 20+ years. The decision...

In August 2022, BlueRibbon Coalition filed a challenge to President Biden’s expansion of the Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah’s District Court. This year we moved forward with this challenge, and we are currently scheduled for this challenge...

A little over a year ago, the Hassayampa Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management completed the travel management plan for the Black Canyon Corridor in Arizona. The plan ended up leaving open many valuable routes – including several technical rock crawling trails. However, it has become an...

Bonner County District Judge Susie Jensen recently upheld the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners’ decision to deny a petition for road validation concerning a section of West Fork Pine Creek Road – a main access road for the popular Rollercoaster trail located in northern Idaho near Coeur...

In September, the Bureau of Land Management released a proposal for a new Resource Management Plan for the lands they manage around Rock Springs, Wyoming. In our initial analysis, we knew it was bad, and we published an action alert on the plan shortly after it was released. This plan will...

BlueRibbon Coalition recently engaged on a public rulemaking proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Yes, you read that right. You might be asking what a financial regulator has to do with BRC’s mission of protecting recreation access to public land? The short answer is that there...

The Redding and Arcata Bureau of Land Management Field offices in northwest California are redoing the Resource Management Plan that will direct future management decisions for BLM managed lands. The entire area includes 14.4 million acres however, BLM only manages 382,200 acres of that. Be...

The San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado has seen a recent and extensive push to support some form of designation which would ultimately lock up public and private lands. Groups and organizations have been holding public meetings with the agenda to get locals to support either a national...

In September, the Bureau of Land Management released a proposal for a new Resource Management Plan for the lands they manage around Rock Springs, Wyoming. In our initial analysis, we knew it was bad, and we published an action alert on the plan shortly after it was released.This plan will affect...

Gila-San Simon Travel Management Plan- The Safford Field Office, located in the south eastern corner of Arizona is beginning Travel Management Planning. 2,391.5 miles on 951,842 acres. Surrounding Safford, Arizona the project boundaries include areas such as: Gila Box/Bonita Creek, Hot Well...

Texas only has a small portion of BLM land, approximately 12,000. This area is designated as a special recreation management area just north of Amarillo. The BLM is accepting public comment through November 13, 2023 to gather public feedback on ebikes on all inventoried trails in Crossbar SRMA...

While everyone was focused on the terrible closures in Moab, the Bruneau Field Office of the BLM in Idaho released their final plan for the Canyonlands East area near the Owyhees. This area includes the eastern reaches of the Owyhee Canyonlands south of Boise. In a major victory for all the...

Today, the BlueRibbon Coalition, joined by the Colorado Offroad Trail Defenders and Mr. Patrick McKay, challenged a decision by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to close 317 miles of some of the nation’s best off-roading trails near Moab, Utah. If allowed to stand, the closures will affect...