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Cal4Wheel submits comments on BLM's Environmental Assessment for Moab area trails
Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Cal4Wheel submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding their Environmental Assessment for an update to the Labyrinth Rim / Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan (TMP). The Labyrinth Rim / Gemini Bridges area is located just outside of Moab, Utah. It is a national destination for OHV enthusiasts as it boasts a network of over 1,100 miles of trails through stunning red rock canyons, arches, and exquisite desert landscapes. This area is also the host site of the annual Easter Jeep Safari. BLM's proposed update could close over 400 miles of trails. Cal4Wheel objected to the proposed closures and advocated that BLM should consider increasing trail mileage rather than reducing it, given that BLM already closed over 700 miles of trails in this area in 2008. Additional trail closures would negatively impact user safety, potential resource damage, the local Moab economy, and the national OHV economy.
After analyzing the TMP Environmental Assessment, Cal4Wheel believes that the BLM has failed to resolve critical concerns and legal violations on the following Plan components:
Additionally, Cal4Wheel called on the BLM to abandon the current progression of the TMP update, return the full plan to its formative stages to conduct a valid evaluation of the issues noted above, and provide forums for relevant, robust public comment.
Read the full comment letter via this link: https://cal4wheel.com/documents/CA4WD-Labyrinth-Rims-&-Gemini Bridges-TMP-EA-Comment.pdf
Rose Winn, Cal4Wheel Natural Resources Consultant
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Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Cal4Wheel submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding their Environmental Assessment for an update to the Labyrinth Rim / Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan (TMP). The Labyrinth Rim / Gemini Bridges area is located just outside of Moab, Utah. It is a national destination for OHV enthusiasts as it boasts a network of over 1,100 miles of trails through stunning red rock canyons, arches, and exquisite desert landscapes. This area is also the host site of the annual Easter Jeep Safari. BLM's proposed update could close over 400 miles of trails. Cal4Wheel objected to the proposed closures and advocated that BLM should consider increasing trail mileage rather than reducing it, given that BLM already closed over 700 miles of trails in this area in 2008. Additional trail closures would negatively impact user safety, potential resource damage, the local Moab economy, and the national OHV economy.
After analyzing the TMP Environmental Assessment, Cal4Wheel believes that the BLM has failed to resolve critical concerns and legal violations on the following Plan components:
- NEPA analysis
- Economic impact analysis
- Omission of local resident and user insight
- Cumulative impacts
- Regulatory discrimination of disabled persons
- Analysis of impacts to species of concern
Additionally, Cal4Wheel called on the BLM to abandon the current progression of the TMP update, return the full plan to its formative stages to conduct a valid evaluation of the issues noted above, and provide forums for relevant, robust public comment.
Read the full comment letter via this link: https://cal4wheel.com/documents/CA4WD-Labyrinth-Rims-&-Gemini Bridges-TMP-EA-Comment.pdf
Rose Winn, Cal4Wheel Natural Resources Consultant
Continue Reading
Continue reading...