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| The BRC Action Plan for Moab – Five Actions You Can Take to Fight for Our Trails |
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| The picture above is the Taylor Canyon Overlook located at the end of a route that the Bureau of Land Management lovingly refers to as Route 1026B. It is one of the 317 miles of trails that will be closed by the final travel plan that the BLM released for this area last week. I was in Moab the week prior to the decision being released, and one evening I had time to go explore one trail in the Labyrinth Rims area. I knew this route was on the hit list of routes that might be closed, so I wanted to see what we would be losing if access to this route was lost forever because of a capricious decision in a rigged and broken process. Last year when we helped facilitate thousands of comments from our supporters to advocate for keeping this area open, there was a glimmer of hope that the BLM would choose a reasonable plan if the agency would listen to feedback from so many of the users who actually recreate in this area and use these trails. However, in the last year the team at BRC has watched as agencies across the federal government have proposed, analyzed, and adopted management plans that have become increasingly radical. When I saw the draft management plan proposals for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument that was released in August on the heels of another 1 million acre land grab by Antiquities Act abuse in Arizona, I started getting the sinking feeling that the current Administration was abandoning all reason and using the administrative planning process to ram through a raft of closures. I knew that the final plan for Labyrinth Rims in Moab would be released by the end of September from updates we get from the federal court that is supervising the settlement that requires the BLM to review most of its travel plans in Utah. If the plans we had been reviewing were any indication of how things would go in Moab, it became clear that the BLM was going to be receiving significant pressure from the political bosses in Washington DC to pick a variation of the worst plan possible for public access to the area. This is exactly what they did. Our friend and supporter, Patrick McKay provided a great summary of the plan once it was released: There’s no other way to say this. This travel plan is the worst defeat motorized recreation has suffered in decades. SUWA won. Moab is lost. Almost every major trail west of Moab is closed, including Day Canyon Point, Hey Joe Canyon, Mashed Potatoes, Ten Mile Canyon, Hell Roaring Canyon, Mineral Canyon, Hidden Canyon, 7-Up, two of the three overlooks on Deadman Point, and many more. Poison Spider, Golden Spike, 7 Mile Rim, 3D, Buttes and Towers, Hell Roaring Rim, and Metal Masher will stay open but that’s about it. All motorized access to the Green River except for county B roads is closed. Most overlooks on the rims of Labyrinth Canyon, 10 Mile Canyon, Taylor Canyon, and South Fork 7 Mile Canyon are closed. For no other reason than the fact the BLM decided to completely reverse course and prioritize non-motorized recreation everywhere there is anything remotely scenic, contrary to the express direction of their own resource management plan. I thought this would be bad, but I never dreamed it would be this bad. This was a fight we knew was coming. This was a fight we had been preparing for for several years. Now we’re going to fight for these trails, and we’re going to need your help. Here are the five actions we will be taking, and there is a role you can play with each one of these actions: Action 1: We Will Challenge This Plan In Court - Learn More Action 2: We Need to Pressure Congress to Stop This Plan - Add Your Voice Action 3: We Need to Control the Media Narrative Around this Fight - Let's Connect Action 4: We Need to Encourage Industry, Club, and Organization Support - Join the Fight Action 5: Order a Copy of the Lost Trails Guidebook and Explore the Trails Before They're Closed - Order Your Copy |
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| BLUERIBBON COALITION RELEASES VOLUME 2 OF THE LOST TRAILS GUIDEBOOK |
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That is awesome, thank you for your support!
| "They're taking your memories" |
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| We’re standing at a crossroads, our freedom to explore public spaces in Moab is under siege. The reality hit hard when we met an engaged couple at their campsite, one of the hundreds slated for closure. They’ve celebrated life and love here for nine years, even planning to wed in this very spot. But now? They’re watching these personal horizons shrink with possibly their last sunset. But this fight is as much yours as it is theirs. The BLM's move doesn't only strip away access to trails or sites; it rips out the pages of our life stories written on these lands. It's personal for all of us who have shared laughs, faced challenges, or just found some peace in these open spaces. Here’s the deal: we’re diving headfirst into a legal battle to challenge these closures, and we need YOU. Your photos and stories are more than just memories; they’re evidence. They’re the testimony that these lands hold the collective history of adventurers like us. This legal fight is not just about land; it's about defending the freedom of experiences that belong to us. And we're stepping into the ring prepared for whatever it takes. So, we’re calling on you to share those snapshots of dust, sweat, and wide-open spaces. Send us everything—from the thrill of the ride to the calm of the evening campfire. By sharing, you’re putting your stamp on this fight, granting us the firepower to use your stories and images as we rally against these unjust closures. We need these photos* by October 25th to use them in the announcement of our fight! Understand that in sending these, you’re giving us the green light to use them in our legal challenge. It’s about staking a claim, not just in the sands of Moab but in the halls of justice. Ready to make history? Share your photos and stories here: [email protected] This is our ground. Let’s defend it. With Determination, Ben and the BRC Team *We need specific Moab photos from the areas shown below in blue. If you've used these areas we need photo proof of that for our fight* |
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| TOGETHER WE CAN #SAVEMOAB |
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| VOLUME 2 OF THE LOST TRAILS GUIDEBOOK |
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I appreciate it, i've just seen a lot of trails closed... still upset about what Clinton administration did to Tellico...
