The Bureau of Management released their decision for the Resource Management Plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. The BLM chose a modified Alternative C that they are now calling Alternative E which will close the Little Desert open OHV area, the V road and an additional 1.2 million acres to OHV use.
Pastures and allotments would be closed to grazing, recreational target shooting will be greatly restricted and prohibited throughout much of the monument. Over 552,000 acres will be managed to protect wilderness characteristics which will affect dispersed camping and all other uses.
It is currently open for protests for those who previously submitted comments on the proposed plan, and BlueRibbon Coalition will be submitting a formal protest.
The Governor of Utah also has the opportunity to provide a Governor’s Consistency Review and submit his recommendation on the plan. We want to encourage the governor to recommend halting the resource management plan and point out that the new proposed restrictions are unacceptable and inconsistent with Utah state policy and local county resource plans. Send an email using the form below encouraging Governor Cox to strongly oppose the proposed plan.
I’m a retired senior citizen and I love southern Utah!! We have enough wilderness, national parks and so forth!! Public land is just that, public and should remain accessible for all!! I use a sxs to get around these areas and follow leave no trace polices and encourage others to do the same!! Just because I can’t put on a backpack and hike 10 miles doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be able to enjoy the freedoms that I have worked my entire life to defend!! Keep the land open for all to enjoy!!!!