Opposing the Potential Designation of a Greater Canyonland National Monument

[gorillaxj]

i hope with this happening we are all taking time to thank area bfe for what they have given us.. i'm affraid someday that will be the only legal wheeling in the moab area..

also area bfe has spend a bunch of time spreading word of this and messaging the businesses that have signed it

Agreed. Make sure they see your support!

[anderson750]

I hate typing on my phone so my comments will be brief. The restrictions of a national monument go way beyond restricting access to mineral extraction and the OHV community losing routes. First off it will drastically impact people with grazing permits in the area. Sure SUWA and others will deny that but how can a rancher maintain a stock pond when the "obscure" road they use to get to their pond is closed. How are they supposed to maintain those ponds when use of heavy equipment is restricted in a national monument. For really proof of this, look how little of grazing is being done today in the GSNM today as before the designation.

I agree with Jack, why do we always have to be the group to make the first and most concessions. Stand up and fight hard for what you want. I would rather lose when I fought hard than to just make concessions and hope for something. Does anybody really feel confident that if this monument goes forward in any shape or form right now that it would be favorable for anybody but the agenda SUWA is pushing?

[jackjoh]

i hope with this happening we are all taking time to thank area bfe for what they have given us.. i'm affraid someday that will be the only legal wheeling in the moab area..

also area bfe has spend a bunch of time spreading word of this and messaging the businesses that have signed it

The only four wheeling places in Europe and especially England are private pay to ride places. BFE is the future unless we stick to our guns on closures. Thank god that our country is as large as it is or we would be like Europe now.

[Jonathan]

Hello Friends, There has been an active discussion tonight over at Expedition Portal. Several people have encouraged me to take things a step further and I have been trying to determine what I can do. I have determined that I have this weekend free and would love to be able to paint a picture of what the Greater Canyonlands area looks like to you and other users. I have offered my time to show you, through the lens of my camera what the current state of the are is. In this endeavor I will travel through the area, documenting existing routes, current mineral extraction, reclaimed well pads, and a general site picture of what we are really looking at. I will provide a narrative of what I see as well as geo-referenced photographs for your use. Due to current financial circumstances, I cant take off on an unplanned trip like this. However, If you are willing to make a small donation to cover mileage and lodging I will make it happen. I have set a threshold of $75 to get this show on the road. If I don't receive that much in donations I will donate all funds to the Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association. If I reach the threshold, I will make the trip. Any funds in excess of my mileage and lodging will be donated in the name of the donor to the Utah 4 Wheel Drive Association (U4WDA.ORG). I would recommend a $10 gift as a starting point. I hope I can do my part to ensure that the true character of the area is represented and documented for those who wish to see it protected for future generations. I'll entertain suggestions and requests for specific areas to visit. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Please send PayPal as a gift to jonharis at hotmail.com

[Badbuggy]

The Grand Mesa Jeep CLub, just stepped up. I think it is a fine idea. There are far too many people who have an opinion in this matter who have no idea what the area looks like now.

[jackjoh]

U4WDA will donate the $75. Where do I mail the check? There is no T in U4WDA.ORG.

[Jonathan]

The Grand Mesa Jeep CLub, just stepped up. I think it is a fine idea. There are far too many people who have an opinion in this matter who have no idea what the area looks like now.

U4WDA will donate the $75. Where do I mail the check? There is no T in U4WDA.ORG.

Thank you guys. I appreciate it very much. I edited the link, it was late. I don't want to derail this excellent thread. so I've started a new one over here.

http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php...-Wirlwind-Tour

Jack. Your offer is wonderful. I have already received support that rises far and above what I expected. When this is done it looks like I will be cutting the U4WDA a check as promised above. I'll be tracking the funds in the other thread.

[SpeedyVic]

UPR just ran a pretty one sided story about this. Here's the link:

http://www.upr.org/post/utah-tourism...on-canyonlands



Sent from my hacked Droid tablet. How do you like them Apples?

[bayleyj]

Hello I am a resident of San Juan County (Monticello) we have been rallying the troops here. I came across this site and we are so grateful for you and your members! We also had started an online petition and will be stagging peaceful protests with attendees dressed representing our history with the land. Thank you also for the layered approach outline we have been passing this out as much as possible as well!

[Stephen]

Hello I am a resident of San Juan County (Monticello) we have been rallying the troops here. I came across this site and we are so grateful for you and your members! We also had started an online petition and will be stagging peaceful protests with attendees dressed representing our history with the land. Thank you also for the layered approach outline we have been passing this out as much as possible as well!

Glad we can be helpful! When are your protests planned?

[Jonathan]

Article in the Moab Sun

http://www.moabsunnews.com/news/arti...z_za4.facebook

[lasaljim]

So we have all seen "The Letter" at this point. While this is potentially a frightening prospect, at this point all it is is a letter from an industry group.
But since that is all it is, it gives us, the users of this land, an opportunity to head this off at the pass! We need to get our voice heard early on in this process and that means right now.

What we need to do is a layered approach where we attack this problem from multiple angles.

First:

I have created an online petition asking President Obama not to designate this area as a national monument:

President Barack Obama: Do Not Designate the Greater Canyonlands Area a National Monument

Now, yes, online petitions don't carry much weight but it gets noticed by people and hopefully gets them to do more. So go, sign it, share it on your Facebook, Twitter, other forums! Get this out there and talk about it!

Second:

Write your Senators and Representative. Here are links to contact those from Utah:

Senator Orrin Hatch
Senator Mike Lee

Rep. Rob Bishop
Rep. Jim Matheson
Rep. Jason Chaffetz

In contacting them, try to be polite and express your concerns concisely. Below you will find a form letter, but I encourage you to write your own as it will carry much more weight.

Dear [Representative/Congressman] [enter name here],

It has recently come to my attention that the Outdoor Industry Association has written to President Barack Obama encouraging him to designate 1.4 million acres of land surrounding Canyonlands National Park as a new national monument. Their motivation behind this is that they believe these 1.4 million acres, already federally administered by the Bureau of Land Management, requires greater protection from resource development and off-highway vehicle use.

As I am sure you are well aware, the BLM already has ample capability to manage this land to allow resource development, mechanized and non-mechanized recreation to coexist in a balanced, responsible way. As a citizen of the State of Utah, I love and enjoy this area for its natural beauty, and am proud to say that myself and generations of Utahans before me have been responsible caretakers of this land; which is why it maintains its beauty to this day! That said, I am very concerned at the prospect of adding an additional layer of management on this land, which will do little to further protect its natural beauty, but would have negative effects on economic growth in the state of Utah.

It is my sincere hope that you, as my [Representative/Congressman], will oppose any effort to designate the 1.4 million acres surround Canyonlands as a new national monument.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Third:

Write the President.

President Barack Obama

Sound silly? Maybe, but it cant hurt. As with above, try to be polite and express your concerns concisely. Below you will find a form letter, but I encourage you to write your own as it will carry much more weight.

Dear Mr. President,

It has recently come to my attention that the Outdoor Industry Association has written to you encouraging you to designate 1.4 million acres of land surrounding Canyonlands National Park as a new national monument. Their motivation behind this is that they believe these 1.4 million acres, already federally administered by the Bureau of Land Management, requires greater protection from resource development and off-highway vehicle use.

As I am sure you are well aware, the BLM already has ample capability to manage this land to allow resource development, mechanized and non-mechanized recreation to coexist in a balanced, responsible way. As a citizen of the State of Utah, I love and enjoy this area for its natural beauty, and am proud to say that myself and generations of Utahans before me have been responsible caretakers of this land; which is why it maintains its beauty to this day! That said, I am very concerned at the prospect of adding an additional layer of management on this land, which will do little to further protect its natural beauty, but would have negative effects on economic growth in the state of Utah.

It is my sincere hope that you will not designate this area as a national monument.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Fourth:

Write the businesses that signed the letter. Express your discontent that they are supporting something like this and that you will be taking your business elsewhere. We've already seen that Camp Chef was duped, how many others? Contacting the businesses could actually be the most important part of this, so please, please do this! Again, a form letter below (which I stole from Veyecteaoare as I couldn't possibly say it better), but a personal one will always, always go further!

Dear Sir and/or Madam,

I have just resently discovered that your business/organization has signed on to a letter that was sent to President Obama to ask him to designate the Greater Canyonlands area a National Monument.

Let me voice my great disappointment with this fact. As an avid outdoorsperson, I have chosen to live in Utah because of it's diverse recreation opportunities, some of which involves motorized offroad vehicle use. By designating the Greater Canyonlands area as a National Monument, it would no doubt close this area off to responsible motorized use, and people that would not be able to enjoy the area by any other means would be denied access to the wonders and beauty within the area.

Please understand that I truly respect your position on this matter. With this letter, I just wanted to inform you of my position. As a citizen of Utah, and an avid camper, fisherman, hiker, snowboarder, and mtn biker, I cannot, in good conscience, support a business that would knowingly exclude people such as my elderly parents or people with special needs from enjoying what this great land has to offer. In the future, I will look to support businesses and organizations that openly promote inclusive and responsible land use.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]

Fifth:

Mail in all your letters. No really, fill out an envelope, put a stamp on it and mail it in. This carries FAR more weith than an e-mail. Trust me.

Sixth:

Don't freak out. As I said at the beginning, this was just a letter by an industry group. It's made a big splash, but until we hear something from the government side, there is very little to be concerned about. But the sooner we act, by following the above steps, the more likely we will be able to make a difference. So do that and tell your friend to too. Share this post on any and all boards your are a member of. Get the word out!

Outdoor Industry Association
Will Manzer, Eastern Mountain Sports, CEO Eastern Mountain Sports, Inc. - 2012 888-463-6367
Brian Unmacht, REI, COO 1-800-426-4840
Zohar Ziv, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, COO 805.967.7611
Jennifer Mull Backwoods Equipment, CEO 1.877.331.4255
Sue Rechner Confluence Watersports CEO 1-800-595-2925
Sutton Bacon, Nantahala Outdoors CEO 1-800 232-7238
Tom Barney, Osprey, CEO (970) 564-5900
Todd Bradley, Co-Founder, C4 Waterman (808) 739-2837
Peter Bragdon, Senior Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Columbia Sportswear Company (800) 622-6953
Gordon Seabury, Horny Toad, CEO 888-865-8623
Carolyn Brodsky, President, Sterling Rope Co., Inc. carolyn@sterlingrope.com 1-800-788-7673
Mark Bryden, President, lucy Activewear 1.877.999.5829
Darren Bush, Owner, Rutabaga Paddlesports 1-800-472-3353
Travis Campbell, President & CEO, Far Bank Enterprises 206-780-8767
Fred Clark, Thule, CEO 1-800-238-2388
Darrell Denny, SVP, Nielsen Expositions 1.646.654.4602
Bob Holding, Co-Founder, Waypoint Outdoor
David Kulow, Owner, All Terrain (603) 763-8800
David Labistour, CEO Mountain Equipment Co-op 1.888.847.0770
John Lacy, EVP Global Product and North American Sales, Burton Corporation (800) 881-3138
Jill Layfield, President and CEO, Backcountry.com 1.800.409.4502
Ed McAlister, Owner, River Sports Outfitters 1.865.523.0066
Casey Sheahan, CEO, Patagonia 1.800.638.6464
Mark Taylor, VP, Finance, Amer Sports America AMEAS.HE
Andy Vecchione, President & CEO, Polartec LLC 1-800-252-6688
Kim Walker, Founder, President, outdoor DIVAS 1.866.449.3482
Jim Zwiers, President, Wolverine Outdoor Group, Wolverine World Wide Inc 866-699-7369
Will Manzer, Eastern Mountain Sports, CEO Eastern Mountain Sports, Inc. - 2012 888-463-6367
Brian Unmacht, REI, COO 1-800-426-4840
Zohar Ziv, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, COO 805.967.7611
Jennifer Mull Backwoods Equipment, CEO 1.877.331.4255
Sue Rechner Confluence Watersports CEO 1-800-595-2925
Sutton Bacon, Nantahala Outdoors CEO 1-800 232-7238
Tom Barney, Osprey, CEO (970) 564-5900
Todd Bradley, Co-Founder, C4 Waterman (808) 739-2837
Peter Bragdon, Senior Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Columbia Sportswear Company (800) 622-6953
Gordon Seabury, Horny Toad, CEO 888-865-8623
Carolyn Brodsky, President, Sterling Rope Co., Inc. carolyn@sterlingrope.com 1-800-788-7673
Mark Bryden, President, lucy Activewear 1.877.999.5829
Darren Bush, Owner, Rutabaga Paddlesports 1-800-472-3353
Travis Campbell, President & CEO, Far Bank Enterprises 206-780-8767
Fred Clark, Thule, CEO 1-800-238-2388
Darrell Denny, SVP, Nielsen Expositions 1.646.654.4602
Bob Holding, Co-Founder, Waypoint Outdoor
David Kulow, Owner, All Terrain (603) 763-8800
David Labistour, CEO Mountain Equipment Co-op 1.888.847.0770
John Lacy, EVP Global Product and North American Sales, Burton Corporation (800) 881-3138
Jill Layfield, President and CEO, Backcountry.com 1.800.409.4502
Ed McAlister, Owner, River Sports Outfitters 1.865.523.0066
Casey Sheahan, CEO, Patagonia 1.800.638.6464
Mark Taylor, VP, Finance, Amer Sports America AMEAS.HE
Andy Vecchione, President & CEO, Polartec LLC 1-800-252-6688
Kim Walker, Founder, President, outdoor DIVAS 1.866.449.3482
Jim Zwiers, President, Wolverine Outdoor Group, Wolverine World Wide Inc 866-699-7369

[Olaf]

Great discussion!

[tisjeep]

I would venture a guess that there are some local Oil and Gas companies that maybe need to be made aware of this. I now that Bill Barrett (sp) and Encana are two operators in the area that might have interest in siding with the 4x4 community in keeping this area open. I can tell you first hand that a slighted attack on the oil and gas industry for toxic sludge and noisy equipment is completely unfounded. I have had the Opportunity to work on wells from Bakersfield California to Pittsburg Pennsylvania, and from Minot North Dakota to Corpus Cristi Texas. I also see a lot of post drilling locations and I know for a fact that big money is spent to leave areas as pristine as possible. I also know that there are areas of BLM land that I have worked on where the rules are extremely stringent. Not being able to travel the rig road during certain periods and such. I also know that without Oil and Gas, and miners there would be almost no 4x4 trails to enjoy as that is how the majority of our offroad trails started and what got it all started. So I would say that is a route of attack that should be considered.

[SpeedyVic]

I would venture a guess that there are some local Oil and Gas companies that maybe need to be made aware of this. I now that Bill Barrett (sp) and Encana are two operators in the area that might have interest in siding with the 4x4 community in keeping this area open. I can tell you first hand that a slighted attack on the oil and gas industry for toxic sludge and noisy equipment is completely unfounded. I have had the Opportunity to work on wells from Bakersfield California to Pittsburg Pennsylvania, and from Minot North Dakota to Corpus Cristi Texas. I also see a lot of post drilling locations and I know for a fact that big money is spent to leave areas as pristine as possible. I also know that there are areas of BLM land that I have worked on where the rules are extremely stringent. Not being able to travel the rig road during certain periods and such. I also know that without Oil and Gas, and miners there would be almost no 4x4 trails to enjoy as that is how the majority of our offroad trails started and what got it all started. So I would say that is a route of attack that should be considered.

While I would love to join forces with the powerful O&G Industry, I think that doing so could be detrimental to our cause. The moment we (off-road users) lined up with "Big Oil", we would be labeled as shills for them.

Sent from the Outer Limits via Android.