317 miles of MOAB trails have been closed [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS]

[TwelveSoldier]

<https://jalopnik.com/bureau-of-land-management-closes-317-miles-moab-trails-1850963120>

Interesting read for some of us who use it. It usually starts off small then expands to other areas. Over 300 miles is a lot of loss for us who use(d) it.

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[kevman65]

The only constant is change, nothing is ever permanent.

 

[Sweetums]

This really sucks. These types of closures are going to keep happening because visitors to Moab (not capitalized, it's not an acronym) can't seem to follow the rules and stay on the trail. Over the last 20 years I've seen more and more destruction of people driving and walking off-trail both inside and outside the national parks.

I'm for open land access, but people destroying the fragile desert ecosystem is killing our past time. If you want to drive off-trail you can go to Sand Hollow and drive literally wherever you want on rocks or dunes.

Stay on the trail or stay home.

 

[kingsize]

I think education is a large part of the issue. Anyone can hop in a sxs and take off on a trail with little to no instruction. It's unfortunate.

 

[Sweetums]

I think education is a large part of the issue. Anyone can hop in a sxs and take off on a trail with little to no instruction. It's unfortunate.

Education is only part of the problem, there are a lot of people who are of the "HurrrDerp, 'public lands' mean I own it and I can do what I want!" attitude. There are also a lot of people out there intentionally driving closed bypasses and trails as some "libertarian" dickhead act of protest.

I'd be in favor of a licensing scheme that requires any vehicle operator in Utah to display a sticker or plate; getting one would require a class on off road and back country travel. It would allow morons to be ticketed and barred from continually destroying our state.

 

[BigLizzard]

If someone finds a list of trails closed I hope they'll post it here

 

[Orange01z28]

https://www.sharetrails.org/current-issues/10000-project-keep-utah-open/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/feds-...-trails-around-moab-and-off-roaders-are-livid

Understanding and somewhat agreeing with the closures, like @Sweetums is doing, is not helping our cause. We need to police ourselves, of course, but the preservationists are out to close all access to all public lands, and we need to fight them first. They are the real enemy

 

[DylanM]

Here's another thread that's already been discussing this for close to a month: https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ts-please-stick-to-those-if-commenting.73314/

 

[Scott0700]

I’m in upstate NY. We have the same problem with our snowmobile trails. Losing more trails every year. Our pastimes are the victim of increasingly selfish people.

 

[NoDoorsNoProblem]

https://www.sharetrails.org/current-issues/10000-project-keep-utah-open/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/feds-...-trails-around-moab-and-off-roaders-are-livid

Understanding and somewhat agreeing with the closures, like @Sweetums is doing, is not helping our cause. We need to police ourselves, of course, but the preservationists are out to close all access to all public lands, and we need to fight them first. They are the real enemy

Bad take….the “preservationists”, the professionals in the BLM who’s job it is to maintain the land, are there to….maintain the land. Ensure that the general public is not messing it up beyond what it is capable of being naturally repaired, or feasibly by them/other people. That’s what is happening here….the “enemy”, if you have to point to someone and label them as an enemy, are the ones blazing their own trails with wonton disregard for the environment around them.

 

[kingsize]

Education is only part of the problem, there are a lot of people who are of the "HurrrDerp, 'public lands' mean I own it and I can do what I want!" attitude. There are also a lot of people out there intentionally driving closed bypasses and trails some "libertarian" dickhead act of protest.

I'd be in favor of a licensing scheme that requires any vehicle operator in Utah to display a sticker or plate; getting one would require a class on off road and back country travel. It would allow morons to be ticketed and barred from continually destroying our state.

30 years of desert racing and rock crawling. I'm not surprised at anything these days. I've watched the Sierra Club do more damage in an hour to a trail then a full race field of 1000hp trophy trucks.

 

[NoDoorsNoProblem]

If you look at the map of trails that are closed, and overlay that with OnX or another map, you’ll see that the majority of the classic, widely known trails and all badge trails are still intact. Most of these closures are smaller, unnamed, but lettered/numbered trails that have gotten too trafficked to reasonably maintain the environment around them. Others are trails that should not even exist and are trails that were blazed by drivers who shouldn’t have even been there.

It looks like more than anything, this affects locals, and Utahns that frequent this area often, not the majority of us who take an annual pilgrimage to hit all of the famous trails. These are mostly smaller trails probably more well known to locals and those staying away from the traditional famous full-size Jeep trails.

 

[Sweetums]

Moab has been my proverbial back yard since before I could legally drive. The first miles I ever put under me were behind the wheel of Dad's Land Cruiser over red Moab dirt and sandstone.

https://www.sharetrails.org/current-issues/10000-project-keep-utah-open/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/feds-...-trails-around-moab-and-off-roaders-are-livid

Understanding and somewhat agreeing with the closures, like @Sweetums is doing, is not helping our cause. We need to police ourselves, of course, but the preservationists are out to close all access to all public lands, and we need to fight them first. They are the real enemy

I agree, but part of that is not giving them ammunition to take to BLM and legislators. Photos of off-trail damage, trash, vandalism, and "art installations" like the Utah Obelisk only provide proof that we cannot be trusted with land stewardship.

 

[Mbryson]

Bad take….the “preservationists”, the professionals in the BLM who’s job it is to maintain the land, are there to….maintain the land. Ensure that the general public is not messing it up beyond what it is capable of being naturally repaired, or feasibly by them/other people. That’s what is happening here….the “enemy”, if you have to point to someone and label them as an enemy, are the ones blazing their own trails with wonton disregard for the environment around them.

I spend A LOT of time (headed there in the morning at 4:30am for 2 more days) in this exact area. For the last 30+ years we have worked side by side with the BLM. Closing spurs, maintaining trails, sometimes just taking them places their .gov vehicles shouldn't go. We got sh!t on in this deal. No other way to say it.

The folks you mention that are "blazing trails" are the enemy. There is not a LOT of that going here but some. Issues are addressed. Things are fixed. Awkward conversations are had from other trail users to other trail users.

The "enemy" is the folks that think we need wilderness everywhere to "protect" the land. There are MANY national parks, national monuments, state parks, and actual designated wilderness areas, etc in the area that are preserving the most spectacular of these areas within this area of Utah. The 317 miles of trails that are up for closure are 80+ year old trails and actual improved roads that will be lost. Again, we got shit on big time by this closure.

Word of caution: This exact type of "inventory" is happening or will be happening in EVERY BLM district. Closure is the goal. Elimination of motorized/mechanized use the goal of SUWA, Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, etc. Check out the Rock Springs inventory. https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510

https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development

 

[Elff]

I think education is a large part of the issue. Anyone can hop in a sxs and take off on a trail with little to no instruction. It's unfortunate.

I think it goes way beyond that. People are just down right selfish and inconsiderate. And then there are the attentionwhores ruining crap for likes.

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