Land use... join Tread Lightly and The Blue Ribbon Coalition

[Snacktime]

Use to be very active with a local 4x4 group. We installed a bunch of pit toilets along pacific crest trail with our information all over them. Making sure them hikers knew who took care of there shit and the 4x4 trails we maintained to keep access. Lot of people don't realize private groups fund toilets, fire rings and signage. The next big thing was rock bolting winch points to save trees and prevent moving smaller rocks.

I really miss doing trail projects but that was a very fun group.

Sponsored

 

[Valhalla]

Hello [Participant's Name],

We hope you're doing well and still excited about the 2023 Tread Lightly! Protect the Fun Giveaway. With the giveaway ending on November 17th, here's an exclusive opportunity to skyrocket your odds of scoring an epic prize package, featuring a custom 2023 Jeep Gladiator tow rig, a 2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR, and a Ramptek aluminum trailer!


What makes this deal even more irresistible? Even though you are already entered, you can boost your chances of winning for as little as $5!

Here's how to secure more entries:

1. Join as a Member: If you're not part of the Tread Lightly! family yet, there's no better moment to hop on board. Not only do you align yourself with our mission of responsible outdoor recreation, but you also bag extra giveaway entries based on your membership level.

$25 membership: 10 entries
$50 membership: 25 entries
$100 membership: 60 entries
$250 membership: 180 entries


2. Upgrade Your Membership: For our existing members with memberships valued at $100 or below, here's a golden opportunity. Upgrade your membership, enjoy additional benefits, and rack up those extra giveaway entries. Simply call 801-627-0077 or reply directly to this email to upgrade.

Upgrade to a $50 membership: 30 entries
Upgrade to a $100 membership: 75 entries
Upgrade to a $250 membership: 200 entries

3. Make a Donation: Your generous contributions are a powerful force for good. Not only do they fuel our mission to protect outdoor spaces, but they also grant you extra entries into the giveaway. Every little bit counts!

$5 for 1 Entry
$20 for 5 Entries
$50 for 15 Entries
$3 per entry after $50

Now, here's a little secret: Your chances of winning are sky-high because we currently have fewer participants than expected. With a prize this spectacular and odds this good, this is your moment to shine.

Don't let this golden opportunity slip away! Grab those extra entries, increase your odds, and be in with a chance to walk away with the grand prize. Plus, you'll be supporting our mission to "Protect the Fun!"

Ready to seize the moment? Learn more here!

Thank you for your continued support, and best of luck in the giveaway!

Tread Lightly! Team
For more information and to see the Official Rules and

 

[Valhalla]

Weekly Newsletter Issue 48 | Dec 7, 2023

Oppose the Sell Off of Our Public Lands and National Parks to Wall Street BlueRibbon Coalition recently engaged on a public rule making 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 are serious plans in development to sell off our public lands, and if we – meaning those of us who actually visit, enjoy, and love our public lands – don’t stand up for them, no one else will. In addition to positioning our public lands and National Parks to be sold off to Wall Street, the proposed rule gives the private investment company management authority over the “ecological performance” of the enrolled federal natural assets. This authority is baked into the NAC’s definition set forth in the proposed rules. “Natural Asset Companies (NACs) — Corporations that hold the rights to the ecological performance of a defined area and have the authority to manage the areas for conservation, restoration, or sustainable management.” (Fed. Reg. Vol. 88, No. 191, 10/4/2023, page 68814) These NACs are also likely the entities that will be lining up to secure the conservation leases that the Bureau of Land Management is proposing to create. This could affect the entire nation and every type of use on public lands from off-roading, overlanding, primitive camping, snowmobiling, dirt-biking, mountain biking, hiking to hunting and fishing. If you have ever experienced public lands or intend to, please add your voice below before January 2, 2024. Public lands are for the public to enjoy, massive corporations on Wall Street should not be managing or making any decisions regarding these lands that could potentially restrict all uses. Oppose Selling Public Lands to Wall Street! Send a letter opposing the sell-off of our public lands and National Parks to Wall Street! TAKE ACTION​

Defend Your Ground Podcast: Episode 40 In this insttallment of the "Last Known Position series" we are joined by Tyler St. Jeor, who has served as a volunteer for the Search and Rescue team in Wasatch County. With extensive experience on a variety of rescues in the Wasatch Mountains, Tyler shares his insights on how to recreate safely and responsibly. We are grateful to all Search and Rescue volunteers, and we encourage everyone to support Wasatch County SAR. The "Last Known Position" series is a podcast project that has been generously supported by the Utah OHV Program and the International Snowmobile Association LISTEN HERE​ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT! Enter to win an upgrade package to transform your current vehicle into the off-road rig of your dreams! BlueRibbon Coalition is partnering with BestOff-Road.com to offer you the chance to turn your current off-road vehicle into a custom dream build with over $20,000 worth of upgrades and up to $10,000 worth of installation labor. ENTER HERE!​ Additional Action Alerts 1. Southern Wyoming under attack through the Rock Springs RMP – Deadline January 17, 2024 The Bureau of Land Management has opened public comment for the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan until an Extended Deadline of January 17, 2024. This plan will dictate how 3.7 million acres of land is managed and accessed for decades to come. This area is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The plan proposes creating more than 1.6 million acres as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC’s). ACEC’s have historically closed off access to other uses and have allowed for extremely restrictive management actions to take place all in the name of “conservation”. ACEC’s are poorly defined and management and allowable uses can vary from area to area. For this reason, any creation of new ACEC’s is problematic. We are encouraged to see that Representative Hageman in Wyoming successfully passed a funding restriction on developing this plan on a recent spending bill in the House of Representatives. Many in Wyoming are rising up to oppose the most extreme versions of this plan, and we need you to add your voice. TAKE ACTION​ 2. BlueRibbon Coalition Supports the Historic Roadways Protection Act Senator Lee’s bill prohibits using federal money to enact new travel plans in Utah until all the historic road cases that are currently being adjudicated have been settled. Additionally, Sen. Lee’s legislation pauses any previous plans by the BLM to change how these lands are used until the courts reach a decision on these historic roads. Please call the Utah delegation and encourage them to support this legislation as well as sending a letter below. You can also call Senator Mike Lee to thank him for introducing this legislation. Senator Mitt Romney: (202) 224-5251 Senator Mike Lee: (202)-224-5444 Representative Blake Moore: (202) 225-0453 Representative John Curtis: (202) 225-7751 Representative Burgess Owens: (202) 225-3011 TAKE ACTION​ 3. Support the Plan to Sustain Lake Powell and Lake Mead Bureau of Reclamation is accepting public comment for the near term Colorado River Operations. In April of 2023 BOR released its original alternatives and the public provided feedback. Many of our members sent in comments. The BOR ended that public comment period due to the Arizona, Nevada, and California agreeing to work on a solution together. Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, requested BOR analyze this proposal which would reduce lower basin uses by 3 million acre feet. BOR has adopted this lower basin proposal as the second alternative and the preferred action to a no action alternative. This analysis and operational plan will guide BOR for the next few years before the Post-2026 Operating Guidelines are finalized. comments are due December 11, 2023. Enter in your information below to send a comment to BOR supporting operating guidelines that sustain Lake Powell and Lake Mead. TAKE ACTION​

 

[Valhalla]

54% of Roads Proposed for Closure in Southeast Arizona

Gila-San Simon Travel Management Plan- Located in the south eastern corner of Arizona is beginning Travel Management Planning. This plan affects 2,391.5 miles within 951,842 acres. Surrounding Safford, Arizona the project boundaries include areas such as: Gila Box/Bonita Creek, Hot Well Dunes, Red Knoll/Bear Spring/Watson Wash. Comments are accepted until December 23, 2023.

The primary reason given for route closures are riparian concerns and the routes provide no recreational value. The Bureau of Land Management simply does not understand that recreational value is different for each individual therefore all current routes should remain open in order to accommodate the increase of use on public lands. The BLM is also proposing to close user created routes. The majority of these routes have a significant purpose and need for the general population whether its for OHV, rock climbing, single track, rock hounding, mining claims, ranching, dispersed camping or other uses. The BLM should be analyzing each new “user created route” and identifying the impact of formally adopting the route into the route system.

E-bikes are being classified as an OHV through this plan. Many closures in all alternatives, including the "access" alternative, Alt. D, closes many spurs that provide sought after campsites. Add your voice to ours advocating that the BLM modifies Alt. D and opens more routes than originally proposed.

Take Action!

 

[shawn6107]

Just joined the BRC. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

 

[Valhalla]

Support our Giving Season Sweepstakes and Win an Upgrade Package to Transform Your Vehicle into the Off-road Rig of Your Dreams!

Enter to win an upgrade package to transform your current vehicle into the off-road rig of your dreams! BlueRibbon Coalition is partnering with BestOff-Road.com to offer you the chance to turn your current off-road vehicle into a custom dream build with over $20,000 worth of upgrades and up to $10,000 worth of installation labor.

This week we confirmed that a set of TIS Wheels will be part of the package. We have also launched a Promo Code to get 25% more entries: LostTrails

Everyone who enters the sweepstakes between now and Sunday, uses this promo code, and makes a donation of $25 or more will receive a copy of Volume 2 of the Lost Trails Guidebook. We will ship them out on Monday, so they should arrive in time for Christmas.

ENTER BEFORE SUNDAY!

 

[Valhalla]

12 Days of Legal Updates: Day 7 National Monument Challenge in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals

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 to be heard in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. We are partners with the state of Utah in the challenge.

The heart of our challenge is that when presidents designate national monuments that are millions of acres in size, they are abusing the limited powers granted to presidents by the Antiquities Act. With massive new monuments designated in Nevada and Arizona since we filed our challenge, it is clear that we will continue to see presidents continue to abuse the Antiquities Act to lock up our public lands.

Our concerns with these expansive monuments were validated this fall when the Bureau of Land Management released management plans for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Some of these proposals were the most restrictive plans we've seen, and the public should be prepared to see significant loss of public access to these areas.

This is why we're fighting so hard to challenges these monuments!

In November we learned that Manhattan Institute, the Reason Foundation, the Arizona Senate President, the Arizona House Speaker, Senators Cruz and Lee, the Pacific Legal Foundation, and the American Forest Resource Council filed amicus briefs in support of our appeal.

The states of Idaho, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming also filed amicus briefs.

In the meantime, there are discussions happening to build support for three new monuments in California. If you're fed up with the government locking up our lands, we encourage our members and supporters to oppose these monuments.

OPPOSE NEW MONUMENTS

 

[SeptuagenarianSasquatch]

"Stroke of the pen...law of the land...pretty cool," a casual remark attributed to an advisor of a former President.

 

[Valhalla]

https://www.tapkat.org/blueribbon-c...84a-dca9-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=16389960 nice sweepstakes/ fighting for our rights from BRC

 

[Valhalla]

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/m...B without since 1987-01-cropped rectangle.png
Send a comment supporting access for the Snake River South Travel Management Plan below!
The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comment until January 8, 2024 on the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area South Travel Management Plan. Although the name is mouthful, BRC needs you to take a few moments to submit a comment letting the BLM know that you support access and multiple use. This travel management area encompasses over 100,000 acres in southwest Idaho known for off-roading and single track routes.

Many of our members and supporters have previously submitted comments on the Canyonlands East and West travel management areas in this same area of Idaho. The BLM is continuing travel management with this next area. Because of supporters like you who submitted comments on other plans, the BLM has chosen the best alternative. If we can continue to have support for Alternative D, BRC believes we can have another successful travel management plan decision. If you are familiar with this area, please include personalized information in your comment and reach out to BRC regarding specific routes that should stay open!

Please share this action alert with others who would like to see our public lands remain open! Thank you for your support.

Submit a Comment to the Idaho BLM

 

[SevenT]

Our Bronco clubs in CO support the Blue Ribbon Coalition. The BLM, Congress and other tree huggers have succeeded in closing 317 miles of trails around Moab. The town of Moab has not approved any more permits except for EJS. We need to take back public lands and treat them respectfully so all can enjoy.

 

[Valhalla]

https://www.sharetrails.org/release...4ab-39ac-ee11-bea1-0022482237da&ceid=16389960

 

[ironmike]

Our Bronco clubs in CO support the Blue Ribbon Coalition. The BLM, Congress and other tree huggers have succeeded in closing 317 miles of trails around Moab. The town of Moab has not approved any more permits except for EJS. We need to take back public lands and treat them respectfully so all can enjoy.

I think you have it backwards. The respect part is primary, and that’s clearly not being demonstrated. Figure out how to police the bad actors, and then make a case for regaining access.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Doesn’t matter if it’s land access, gun rights, or fisheries; they just keep coming to take away as much as they can. Next on their list is the internal combustion engine and our gas stoves. Elections have consequence, we need to make sure we stop screwing them up.

 

[Valhalla]

Bears Ears Land Swap Withdrawn and a Win in the Utah Legislature In August of 2023, BRC released an action alert to encourage our members to influence a proposed land exchange, which would trade trust land parcels within the Bears Ears National Monument for other Bureau of Land Management lands within the state of Utah. These lands are extremely valuable to numerous interests including recreation however national monument designations trigger a process that is rigged to make it seem as if these lands have no value. Because these lands provide guaranteed access to the monument and it's resources, these parcels are invaluable. This week we learned that as a result of the restrictive BLM plans that are being released in Utah, that the State of Utah has canceled its memorandum of understanding with the BLM to move this exchange forward. So for now this exchange essentially dead. We are currently challenging the expansion of Bears Ears in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and so BRC's position is that we would like to see these lands continue to be managed for multiple use and public recreation access. The recent proposed monument management plan for Grand Staircase Escalante is likely a preview of what we will see for the Bears Ears area, and if proposed plans for Bears Ears are as restrictive, then it is no surprise that the State of Utah is recognizing that the current administration isn't a working in good faith to coordinate management of these lands. It will be better for those of us who want to access these lands if the State of Utah hangs onto its Trust Lands for the time being. We do believe a management plan for Bears Ears will be released any time now, and we will be sure to keep everyone posted. We also supported an effort to protect access to county roads in the Utah Legislature this week. Earlier this week the Utah House Transportation Committee heard SB 67. This bill was brought to our attention by many OHV advocates and our members. SB 67 was originally written to close public right of ways on private roads if they had not had continuous use for ten years. Continuous use was defined as "as frequent as the public finds convenient or necessary". BRC agreed that the language could be interpreted differently and roads could be found to not have "continuous use" and therefore closed to the public forever. With only a few hours notice, BRC put out a call to action to our Utah members to contact members of the committee. Through our tool hundreds of people made their voice heard. It was made note during the committee meeting on February 6th how many emails they had received. After more thorough considerations were made regarding public access the bill was amended to say "if public use of a highway, street, or road across private land has been discontinued for more than 50 years". This is much more appropriate and the bill passed through the transportation committee and will be voted on by the Utah House. We want to thank everyone's help on this bill, it was a great example how access can be protected when we get involved. Additional Action Alerts 1. DEADLINE APPROACHING: Comment on Silver City Travel Management Plan in Southwest Idaho

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 will be accepted until February 12, 2024. Add your voice to this process today. TAKE ACTION​ 2. Help Protect 1250 Miles of Routes in Yuma East/Gila River Travel Management Plan in Southwestern Arizona The Bureau of Land Management in Southern Arizona is starting the process of another travel management plan. You can view the details of the project here.. The BLM has conducted a route inventory showing 1,250 miles of current routes. The BLM is looking for public involvement to ensure they aren’t missing routes and to give feedback on the routes they inventoried and their purpose. This area is located southeast of Quartzite, along the Gila River, next to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge which was put in place to protect Bighorn Sheep. The project area covers over 700,000 acres. This area is accessed for recreation, hunting, grazing, mineral exploration and energy development. Comments will be accepted until February 21, 2024. TAKE ACTION​ 3. Red Rock Wilderness Act: Locking Up More Land in Utah Conservation groups are pushing the Red Rock Wilderness Act which would designate even 8 million acres in throughout Utah as Wilderness. Utah already has extensive miles of land managed as Wilderness, wilderness study areas or land with wilderness characteristics. Besides wilderness lands there is vast land already protected as National Monuments, National Parks, and many other layers of protections. How much land is enough? The answer is not enough. These groups will never be satisfied with the millions of acres that are already protected and restricted for OHV use and recreation use. The Red Rock Wilderness Act is part of the 30X30 push but Utah is already protecting more than its share of 30% of the nations land and waters. We need you to contact your representative and ask them to oppose this legislation because enough is enough. TAKE ACTION​ BRC Featured on Northwest Jeep Cast Our Executive Director, Ben Burr, was recently a guest on the Northwest Jeep Cast. Here's a description of the show: In this episode, we sit down with Ben Burr of Blue Ribbon Coalition. Ben gets us up to date on the Moab closures and the next steps with fighting the administrative state. We go deep into user conflict and how we must fight the legal and legislative battle ALONG with performing stewardship. He also explains how to get wins like with the SEC withdrawing the Natural Asset Company designation. Such a great discussion you wont want to miss. LISTEN HERE​ BRC Is Hiring: Staff Attorney Position Announced As part of our plans for growth in 2024, BlueRibbon Coalition seeks to hire a full-time Staff Attorney. A year ago during our end of year fundraising drive in 2022, we announced our goal to raise enough funds in 2023 to commit to hiring a full-time staff attorney. We worked hard this year, and during our annual Board of Directors meeting in November, we determined that we had exceeded our budget targets to hire a staff attorney. We are confident that this is the next step for growing our impact as we fight for you. We appreciate all the support that has made this possible! If you, or anyone you know, is a potential candidate to fill this position, please spread the word. Now Hiring​ Build Your Dream Rig Sweepstakes - Method Wheels is Our Newest Sponsor >>Watch Our Announcement Video<< We're excited to announce that Method Race Wheels is our newest sponsor of the Build Your Dream Rig Sweepstakes. They are donating a set of wheels to the winner, who will be able to select a set of Method Wheels of their choice up to a value of $2600. This prize just keeps getting better. This is also one of the best ways you can support BRC and our mission to keep our public lands open for recreation. ENTER TODAY!​

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