Items of Interest
July 21, 2008: According to a Grand Junction Daily Sentinel article on page 3A, which is attributed to the Associated Press news service, officials in Hinsdale, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties in southwestern Colorado want the State Legislature to pass a law requiring that all ATV riders have a driver's license and liability insurance before they can operate an ATV. The inference in the article suggests that because these four counties have their own ordinance (resolution) requiring driver's licenses and liability insurance, ATV riders are no longer visiting the counties. Thus if the requirements are statewide, there would be no reason to boycott Hinsdale, Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel counties. Kind of like making everyone who rides an ATV anywhere in the state "pay" for the arrogance of a small number of officials who apparently have a belly full of self-importance. DeBeque Wild Horse Days Poker Run: DATE: August 23, 2008. Held in conjunction with DeBeque's Wild Horse Days. REGISTRATION: Register any time between 9 am and 1 pm at the registration booth in the Town of DeBeque. COST: $15.00 per machine (one poker hand); additional poker hands are $5.00 ea.PRIZES: Cash awarded to the top 5 poker hands. T-Shirts and additional prizes to lesser hands. You DO NOT have to be present to accept cash prizes. (Poker Ride help is not eligible for prizes) Open to ATV's and Dirt Bikes. Course is approximately 30-miles long.Unload/load in the town of Debeque and ride your machine in and out of town to complete the course.All machines must have current Colorado Registration or equivalent from other states.Sponsored by:
DeBeque Wild Horse Council, Western Slope ATV Association, All Sports Honda, All Terrain Motorsports,Davis Service Center in Montrose,Grand Valley Powersports, Mesa County Search and Rescue (SARC),Motorcycle Accessories andRidgerunner ATV Trailers and Accessories.More information email dirtuser@bresnan.net or visit www.wsatva.org call 970-241-2409 or 970-434-3586
June 13, 2008: New Links added for "Ride On Dirt" and "Trailsource" web sites.
May 7, 2008: Message from the WSATVA President on the Dominguez North Special Management Area
If you happen to be one of the many that took the time to email, write, or call Senator Salazar's office and/or the Mesa County Commissioners then give yourself a big pat on the back. Job well done by all of you! As most of you know we started this campaign against what was going to be a legislative closure of 12,500 acres (to motorized and mechanized users) known as the Dominguez North Special Management Area, because it was to be closed immediately upon passage of the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, without any public input.
Fortunately for us, our three Mesa County Commissioners backed us up all the way. I am told the Delta and Montrose County Commissioners did also. In an effort to achieve a compromise, Senator Salazar's office notified me they wanted to have a meeting on the issue. Our club vice president and myself met with two members of the group wanting to include the Dominguez North Special Management Area in the Salazar legislation, a representative from Senator Salazar's Office and a representative from Senator Allard's office. They tried all angles to get us to compromise and agree to at least close some of the roads in the 12,500 acre area. They even tried to convince us that commissioner support was not important to making the area a NCA. We refused to compromise and told them there would be no closures without public input in the management plan process. Bottom line we won (on this issue)!!!
They have now vowed to preserve the area in the public process. For those of you that are new to this that means close it (still), but in the public process. When that public process begins, probably next year, we are going to need your help once again to comment and get involved or we will loose the use of even more of our public lands. When all this starts it will involve a lot more than those 12,500 acres, it will then involve all of the Cactus Park area.
May 5, 2008: An Off Highway vehicle group in Mesa County has torpedoed the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area. After contacting Mesa County Commissioners and Senators Allard and Salazar, a local OHV group has raised enough stink to kill legislation that would have protected 12,500 acres of low elevation canyon country. Even with the support of the Colorado Mule Deer Association, several conservation organizations, over 90 local Mesa County businesses and hundreds of local citizens, the proposal has been weakened and Dominguez North Special Management Area will not be part of the NCA bill. Mesa County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting the creation of the Dominguez Escalante NCA but opposed the Dominguez North Special Management Area at the last minute. It seems that a few phone calls from the OHV community carry more weight in Mesa County than hundreds of local citizens and a coalition of conservation and hunting organizations. (from the Western Colorado Congress website)
WebMaster Note: The headline in the paragraph above fails to mention the absolute fact that the 12,500 acre Dominguez North Special Management Area would have become off limits to motorized vehicles and bicycles immediately upon passage of the legislation enabling the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area. No public input would have been allowed, completely circumventing anyone's opportunity to object to a sweeping inclusion of public land into what most would believe was only the enabling legislation for the Dominguez Escalante Conservation Area itself. Aside from objecting to the inclusion of the '...Special Management Area', the other objection is to the surreptitious (sneaky and underhanded) way inclusion of the 12,500 acres was attempted.
April 29, 2008: The Side-by-Side Issue
Here is the situation regarding legal access by UTV's, including the 50 inch wide Polaris RZR. No side-by-side UTV, including the RZR, will be allowed on ATV trails in the Grand Mesa National Forest, the Uncompahgre National Forest, the Gunnison National Forest or the White River National Forest. They are allowed on other OHV routes that are open to jeep type vehicles. There will be other forests where they may be allowed but not in the ones mentioned above. Anyone using any vehicle other than ones that fit the national definition of an ATV will be subject to the increased fine level and the increased enforcement level by DOW and other law enforcement.
The National definition of an ATV is: A Motorized vehicle used for driving off-road. They are not street legal and 50" or less than 50" in width and has a seat designed to be straddled by the operator. The reasoning for this policy is directly related to enforcement, width and weight. The Forest Service decided enforcement is easier if all side-by-sides are banned from these trails, not some allowed and others not allowed. Also, in order to preserve the narrow ATV trails, a line had to be drawn and weight considered. Although the RZR is 50" wide, what happens when another manufacturer comes along and designs a 50" wide Nissan or Toyota or who knows what, weighing possibly 2000-3000 pounds. Then there are real problems, as we all know the ATV trails take a beating now, put heavier vehicles on them and they will deteriorate to the point of closure. Put wider vehicles on them and they will become jeep type routes.
As of press time we do not yet have a definitive answer from BLM about the few ATV routes in this area on BLM land. It is sounding as though it may be only a width issue. In other words anv vehicle 50" or less in width may be allowable for BLM. When we find out for sure we will publish it here. We will make every effort to advise people whether or not different rides allow side-by-side vehicles or not. I would say that well over 50% will allow the UTV's. (from the April issue of the WSATVA News:)
April 16, 2008: from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Editorial Page:
Protect Dominguez - Now that the Mesa County commissioners have officially joined the chorus of support for the proposed Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area — and a critical agreement has been reached on water language — congressional action to protect the area may finally proceed.
That action is certainly merited. We urge Sen. Ken Salazar, who has been working on this project for more than two years, to proceed with legislation. And we hope other members of Colorado's congressional delegation will eagerly get on board.
The 210,000 acres encompassed by the proposal represent a diverse Western landscape, from the isolated mountain stream habitat in Dominguez Canyon, to the high, open desert of Cactus Park.
The proposed national conservation area would include 65,000 acres of wilderness, as well as many thousands of acres that are open to motorized vehicles and bicycles.
One quibble: Boundaries may need to be redrawn for the proposed Dominguez North Special Management Area, which runs from the Gunnison River to the edge of Cactus Park. No motorized vehicles would be allowed in the special management area, but as it is currently mapped it appears to include many roads that have been used for decades.
The idea of offering additional protection to Dominguez-Escalante area has been discussed for years, and previous Mesa County commissioners endorsed the concept back in 2001.
But as Salazar and his staff have worked on the issue with officials from Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties, along with ranchers, environmentalists and others, some problems have developed.
One related to boundaries for the entire area, and wilderness in particular. Another, not surprisingly, was water. That was alleviated early this month, when the Colorado River Water Conservation District, state officials and the Wilderness Society agreed to water language for the area. It requires the state — with federal backing — to obtain minimum stream flows through the planned national conservation area but it would not establish any federal water right.
We're pleased to see so many things coming together now for the Dominguez-Escalante area, and we hope Salazar is able to push legislation forward quickly to protect it.
April 10. 2008: Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area/Dominguez North Special Management Area proposed legislation
Upon reviewing proposed legislation from our own Senator Ken Salazar, that is designed to make the Dominguez-Escalante Wilderness Study area and surrounding area into a National Conservation Area, the Western Slope ATV Association discovers that an obscure passage buried in the 21 page draft contains a provision that would create a 12,500 acre Dominguez North Special Management Area. The language describing the Special Management Area creates what is virtually another section of wilderness, without anyone having been aware of it or having the chance to comment on it, and it becomes effective immediately upon enactment of the National Conservation Area legislation. The provision specifically excludes mechanized (bicycles) and motorized (ATVs, Motorcycles, Jeeps) travel in an area that has long been used by locals. The provision has a very underhanded appearance to it and does nothing to enhance the Senator's reputation as representing ALL of his constituents. It reeks of favoritism toward those who would prefer to see all public land 'specially managed' so that motor vehicle travel, logging, energy exploration, mining and the like are locked out. WSATVA members are urged to contact Trudy Kareus at 241-6631 or email her at trudy_kareus@salazar.senate.gov with your comments.
January 30, 2008: Colorado House votes for tougher rules on off-road vehicles
Colorado lawmakers voted to tighten the rules for off-road vehicles Tuesday despite objections that the stte is taking away access to federal lands. "This is not a privilege, this is a right to use your land, and it's being turned into a privilege," said Rep Ray Rose R-Montrose. The measure (House Bill 1069) would prohibit motor vehicles from using public lands, trails or roads unless it's authorized by a sign or other means. Supporters defeated an amendment that would have made the trails open to use unless they are specifically closed. Instead people would be given maps to tell them which ones are open or they could check the signs. "We feel the responsibility is on the riders," said Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, who sponsored the bill. (excerpted from the Grand Junction, CO Daily Sentinel)
January 16, 2008: Bill would stiffen fines for driving on prohibited lands (excerpted from the Grand Junction, CO Daily Sentinel)
Drive your ATV into a wilderness area or onto other restricted federal land and you could face a stiff fine not only from the federal government but also from the state if a proposed bill clears the Colorado Legislature this year. Get caught hunting while operating an unauthorized motor vehicle on state or federal public land, and your hunting license could be at risk, too. House Bill 1069 would strictly prohibit operating any motor vehicle on state or federal public lands, trails or roads unless there are signs saying vehicles are allowed there or the agency managing the land otherwise authorizes vehicle use there. A violation would be a misdemeanor with a fine of $100. If you're caught with a vehicle in a federal wilderness area, the state would double the fine to $200. If hunting was involved with the violation, a hunting license would be docked 10 suspension points, or 15 points in a wilderness area. Local law enforcement would have the right to enforce the proposed law, even on federal land. The sponsor of HB1069 said the bill was written with the support of the off-road vehicle community.
"I don't see anything wrong with (the bill) as far as keeping people out of wilderness areas," Western Slope ATV Association President Steve Chapel said. "It's probably a good tool." He said if the bill is designed to aid law enforcement; "then I don't see anything wrong with it."
Also concerning motorized vehicles in Colorado, Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, and Rep. Dorothy Butcher, D-Pueblo, introduced legislation last week that would create a noise standard for off-road vehicles. The legislation would place a noise standard of 96 decibels for the vehicles. The Western Slope ATV Coalition supports the bill. E-mail Bobby Magill at bmagill@gjds.com.
August 25, 2007: De Beque Wild Horse Days Poker Run took place on Saturday August 25, 2007.
August 6, 2007: Working with USFS personnel, John Hesslink and other WSATVA volunteers erect a bridge over West Leon Creek on Grand Mesa.
June 11, 2007: Editor: The Daily Sentinel and other local media had the opportunity to cover or at least report on the largest event taking place in celebration of National Trails Day, June 2, 2007, and all five passed it by. Kudos to the Delta County Independent for at least printing the press release issued by the U.S. Forest Service.
The event, hosted by the Western Slope ATV Association, was in celebration of the club's past 20 years of public service to community and trails, its preservation of public lands for the public - not from the public - and its recognition of partnerships with government agencies, businesses and fellow members.
The event was held at the Divide Forks ATV Complex on the Uncompahgre Plateau. More than 140 people attended, including representatives from the U S Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Parks, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Mesa County Sheriff's Department and Search & Rescue. Retired Forest Service employee Dale Bittle spoke about how many area trails came into existence. District Ranger Connie Clementson and BLM Recreation Planner Jim Cooper thanked club members for all the past work performed on public lands.
The club's accomplishments over the past 20 years were highlighted, some of which include acquiring grant funds totaling $350,000, designing, building and installing four bridges for the Forest Service, 19 years of search and rescue assistance to Mesa County, multiple trail adoptions and dozens of work projects and clean-ups on local public lands.
All local media outlets would be the first to give great attention to an individual abusing our public lands, but when given the opportunity to highlight those who make a difference in promoting responsible use, saving lives and cleaning up after others, they failed miserably.
STEVE CHAPEL, President
Western Slope ATV Association
Grand Junction
Grand Mesa Map
October 15, 2006: WSATVA member John Hesslink provides a scaleable map of the Battlements and Grand Mesa ATV Trails and OHV Routes for viewers with broadband internet access and who are using Adobe Acrobat Reader v7.0 or higher.Roadless Area Task Force Meeting
Country Inn Grand Junction, CO
June 22, 2006: The Western Slope ATV Association, along with representatives from the Delta Thunder Mountain Wheelers, the Montrose Uncompahgre ATV Club and many other proponents of Multi Use of our public lands showed up en masse at the Grand Junction Public Comment Meeting held by the Governor's Roadless Area Task Force. COHVCO Chairman Dennis Larratt and Blue Ribbon Coalition Public Lands Director Brian Hawthrone were on hand to lend support to the Multi Use voice. The 13-member Task Force is chaired by Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Russell George. At this meeting he was joined by 10 other Task Force members who spent the first 2 hours and 20 minutes listening to invited panel members from the US Forest Service, State and Local Government and other 'Stakeholders' representing interests from the oil and gas, mining and timber industries to environmental and OHV interests. The meeting wrapped up with the last hour or so being set aside for 'Open Public Comment' for those who had signed up to speak before the meeting began. Each person was accorded one (1) minute to voice their issue, with Mr. George being kind to all who spoke, since most took more than the allotted time. It was an impressive and professional meeting on an important topic. We thank the folks from the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition and the Blue Ribbon Coalition for their support, and also the other folks who share our belief that public lands are for the PUBLIC, which is everyone, not just those special interests who have an agenda to carry forward. Click here to view photos from the meeting June 18, 2006: Bridge Maintenance Completed by WSATVA Members. The work party that John Haley and John Lehman organized today worked to near perfection. We all gathered at the well site on Buzzard Creek about 8:00 am. A covert run to a nearby gravel pit netted about a ton of 3" minus base course gravel to plate the approaches to the Willow Creek Bridge. Kenton Page's trailer and my rock trailer made the slow climb up to the site with most of the material we left with except that which was bounced out along the way. Thanks to all who made this day a success. - John Hesslink
DeBeque Wild Horse Days Poker Run: Date: August 26, 2006. Held in conjunction with Debeque's Wild Horse Days, which includes vendor's food booths, contests for kids and live music in the evening and more. Registration: Register any time between 9 am and noon. Cost is $15.00 per machine (one poker hand); additional poker hands are $5.00 ea.Open to ATV's and Dirt Bikes.Unload/load in the town of Debeque and ride your machine in and out of town to complete the course.Approximately a 40-mile course with 3 remote check points, 1st and last poker card are drawn at the registration area in town next to the fire station.Must draw your last card by 4:00 pm.Cash paid to the top 5 poker hands and winners must be present to accept their prize at approximately 5 pm. All machines must have current Colorado Registration or equivalent from other states.More information email dirtuser@bresnan.net or call 970-241-2409 or 970-434-3586 (download an Adobe Acrobat Reader version of the Wild Horse Days Poker Run)December 1, 2005: Members of the Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office, the Western Slope ATV Association (WSATVA) and Colorado State Parks participated in the installation and dedication of a new trailhead sign at the Bangs Canyon trailhead off Little Park Rd. As part of the dedication and installation BLM thanked the WSATVA for adopting the Tabeguache Trail and securing the State Parks grant, which funded the initial trailhead development. “This sign is a symbol of our partnership,” Recreation Program Manager Britta Laub said. “With all of the energy the ATV Association dedicates to this special place, it’s time to restore the sign to honor those who have worked so tirelessly for their public lands.” The ATV Association adopted the Tabeguache Trail in 1990 and regularly sponsors clean-up projects on the trail. Local ATV dealers, who support BLM public lands through the Stay the Trail campaign, will join BLM in recognizing the efforts of the WSATVA and Colorado State Parks. “The Western Slope ATV Association is made up of a great group of people,” John Summers, owner of All Sports Honda, said. “They’re people who care about the places they like to ride and prove that through their actions.” (excerpted and edited from the BLM Office Website news release). www.co.blm.gov/news/2005/TabeguacheTrail.htm
GMUG Land Use Plan Public Comment Meeting
Novermber 2, 2005: The OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) community packed the meeting room at the Bill Heddles Recreation Center in Delta, CO on Wednesday November 2, 2005, their purpose being to provide the 13-member Roadless Task Force there with an alternative to the usual 'lock everybody out' rhetoric from the No-Access to public lands zealots. Reports returned from OHV enthusiasts in attendance related that the OHV community was so well represented that the meeting room was filled with OHVers before the bus loads of No-Access zealots had a chance to unload, forcing many of the No-Access crowd to stand outside the already filled-to-capacity room. Club president Steve Chapel spoke on behalf of the WSATVA.
Rock Trailer Gets First Use on Uncompahgre Trail Maintenance
October 25, 2005: Photos courtesy of John Hesslink
Rep. Rose kills bill
by Danie Harrleson
The Daily Sentinel
February 11, 2005: A Montrose Republican said Thursday he'll fight another day for motorized recreationists' blessing on his proposal to title off-highway vehicles in Colorado. Rep. Ray Rose asked the House Transportation and Energy Committee to kill his legislation after learning an amended version of his plan intended to appease naysayers would 
have cost taxpayers between $1.4 million and $2.1 million for the next three years. "I can't in good conscience spend that," Rose said. House Bill 1181 would have required people to title and register their snowmobiles, dirt bikes and other all-terrain vehicles. Rose believes tiling would deter theft of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles and aid in the recovery of stolen off-highway vehicles. He sought to win over off-highway users by expanding the definition of "motor vehicle" in his bill to include all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. The Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition, which represents about 200,000 motoroized recreationists in the state, opposed the original bill and the amended version. The bills critics feared registration fees would no longer go toward programs that promote new trails and other outdoor amenities in Colorado. Rose said he would try again next year tp come up with legislation that could pass muster with the motorized users in the state. Montrose Republican wants ATVs, snowmobiles to be titled
by Danie Harrleson
The Daily Sentinel
January 26, 2005: A Montrose Republican who wants to curb theft and fraud by requiring all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles sold or transferred in Colorado to carry a title is altering his plan to win over off-highway enthusiasts. Off-highway groups oppose legislation by Rep. Ray Rose they say would require them to pay more money to address a problem they don't believe exists. "He's trying to fix something that's not broken" said Steve Chapel, head of the Western Slope ATV Association. Rose said Tuesday he would amend the bill to classify all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles as off-highway vehicles and not motor vehicles. Off-highway groups fear classifying their modes of motorized recreation as motor vehicles would require that their registration fees go into the state's transportation funds and not toward programs that benefit trails and other outdoor programs in Colorado. "In an effort to beneficially accommodate them, I wrote the amendment," Rose said. "I'm convinced it will clear up 99 percent of the opposition or concern." Chapel said he would still not support Rose's plan. "The only thing I'll be satisfied with is no bill," he said. The bill was scheduled to be heard in a House committee today. Rose expects to present the amended bill in a few weeks.Bridges Anyone?
Just a note to let all you who played a part in "our" bridge project on Willow Creek. . . John Haley, Jim Grisier, and I went up Beaver Creek West of Porter Mountain this morning (May 14, 2004). The Trail was clear right up to the Willow Creek Bridge. John and I checked the torque on the 3/4" diameter laminating bolts. Jim took the attached photos. The connectors are all tight and the bridge is all right. It is no worse for the winter, and the beaver family didn't eat it up. There doesn't appear to be any effort by the critters to build a dam under the bridge. We tried to make it up the High Trail to the Plateau Creek Bridge but were turned back by deep snow. John Haley wanted to make a try for the summit of Porter Mountain but despite cutting a dozen quakies out along the way we were stopped a half mile short of the top. Again thanks to all of you who helped on the bridge. -- John Hesslink
Federal Judge Upholds Clinton Establishment of Grand Staircase Monument
On April 20, 2004 the Associated Press reported that a Federal Judge in Salt Lake City, Utah affirmed Bill Clinton's establishment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996 under the 1906 Antiquities Act. A 1997 lawsuit brought by an association of Utah counties claiming Clinton had violated provisions of the Act was rejected. A lawyer for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) was quoted in the Associated Press article as stating, "We're thrilled."Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
On December 3, 2003 President George W. Bush signed into law "An act to improve the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands aimed at protecting communities, watersheds, and certain other at-risk lands from catastrophic wildfire, to enhance efforts to protect watersheds and address threats to forest and rangeland health, including catastrophic wildfire, across the landscape, and for other purposes."The bill expedites the environmental review process so we can move forward more quickly on projects that restore forests to good health," said President Bush. "We don't want our intentions bogged down by regulations. We want to get moving. When we see a problem, this government needs to be able to move. Congress wisely enabled a review process to go forward, but also wisely recognizes sometimes review process bogs us down and things just don't get done. The new law also directs federal courts to consider the risk of forest fires when deciding cases that could result in delays to forest thinning projects. "You see, no longer will essential forest health projects be delayed by lawsuits that drag on year after year after year," said the President.
Bridge Installed Over Willow Creek on Monument Trail
Thanks to the efforts of the following people, a bridge was installed over Willow Creek on the Porter Mountain end of the Grand Mesa Monument Trail in September 2003.WSATVA Members: John Hesslink (Designer), Paul Nichols, John Haley, Jerry Cain, Don Christlieb, Gene Gilliam, Jerry Haberland, Harley Jackson, Jim Malapanes, Gary Pennay, Ron VesseyNon-Club Members: Brad Davenport, B.J. Ohm, Sandy Stickney, Alan WorkmanUSFS Employees: Mike Brown, Forrest Hammet, Eric Myers, Tim DrummNational Wilderness Opinion Survey
Backpacker magazine has mailed a Wilderness Opinion Survey asking for its subscribers opinion on whether they 1- Agree, 2-Disagree, or 3-Don't Know to four statements, one of which is;"All-terrain vehicles should be permitted on all hiking trails"
It's hard to imagine what the editors of the magazine hope to gain with the responses they will get back except a resounding 'Disagree' from virtually anyone who takes the time to fill out the survey. I would say that most ATV riders would also Disagree with that statement. Multiple Use of public lands was never intended to mean multiple use of every inch of the same ground, so one can only wonder where they intend to go with the results of the opinion poll?
Beaver Creek Trail Update
With the help of WSATVA members John Haley and John Lehman, the northern section of the Beaver Creek Trail was GPS'd and then plotted and printed as part of the next step in re-opening this recognized ATV trail, which has been closed by a landslide for more years than most folks can remember.The Grand Junction Free Press
There's a 'new kid on the block' in the news publication industry called the Grand Junction Free Press. In the last couple of issues the staff at this newspaper have chosen to inform the community about our club (June 3, 2003 issue) and about our monthly meetings (June 5, 2003 issue). We appreciate that kind of exposure, and appreciate the opportunity to get our local news from more than just the 'only game in town'. Welcome Grand Junction Free Press! Young wildlife at mercy of off-road vehicles
So reads the headline of an uncredited piece of yellow journalism appearing in the May 25, 2003 issue of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel on page 8D. The article is by-lined "Special to the Sentinel", which does a wonderful job of allowing the anti-OHV propagandist who created this dribble to hide behind a cloak of anonymity. A quick perusal of the article reveals that it reads more like a letter to the editor than it does anything even remotely based on fact, data or statistics. The input (in or out of context) of two 'officials' is used in the article, who we are supposed to assume are the "Wildlife biologists" mentioned in the opening sentence. Their quoted verbage is highlighted in red, just so you can see how much editorial license has been taken and how much writer-bias has been added to reach the extraordinary conclusion that the wildlife biologists believe "young wildlife (is) at (the) mercy of off-road vehicles. Jim Karpowitz, big game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesSteph Durno, a district wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of WildlifeWildlife biologists are worried that late May, already a critical time for deer and elk as female animals are giving birth to and caring for fawns and calves, also means a rise in off highway vehicle use. Disturbance, including that caused by off-highway vehicle riders who take OHVs off of roads and trails that are open to their use, is one thing the animals don't need.
"Deer and elk seek seclusion to have their young, and we need to give them that," said Jim Karpowitz, big game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "If we don't, we're causing them stress they don't need." Karpowitz ,says disturbance can frighten mothers away from their young when the fawns and calves need them most. "For the first few days after being born, fawns and calves can barely stand up. They're basically helpless. They need regular visits from their mothers to get the nourishment they need to help them grow."
In addition to stressing animals, taking OHVs off designated roads and trails causes serious habitat damage that can take years to repair.
"During the spring, many plants are just starting to grow and are very susceptible to damage by OHVs," Karpowitz said. "Soil erosion is another big concern." Another concern Karpowitz has are OHV riders finding fawns and calves and bringing the animals home with them, because they think they've been abandoned.
"If you find, a young animal by, itself, that's not unusual," he said. "The female beds the young animal down and then goes away so she won't attract predators to the baby. The only time she visits the baby is to nurse it." Karpowitz said the best thing to do when finding a fawn or calf is to leave it alone. "Its mother will be back soon to care for it," he said.
Officials from the Colorado Division of Wildlife also warned backcountry visitors from approaching wildlife, even if it appears hurt.
A woman traveling recently near Parker stopped to "rescue" a coyote she saw by the side of the road and was bitten for her efforts.
"Unfortunately, the frightened coyote, which may have been previously hit by a car, did what came naturally and bit the hand of the would-be rescuer," said Steph Durno, district wildlife manager. "When we got there, the coyote had injuries on the back legs consistent with an automobile accident, but might have recovered.
"Once there was a bite involved, we didn't have a choice, we had to put the coyote down in order to have it tested for rabies."
Any person encountering an animal that appears hurt or abandoned is urged to contact the nearest DOW office. The Division of Wildlife operates a program that uses specially-trained volunteers to rescue wildlife.
And by the way, this is a SPECIAL TO THE WSATVA
National Geographic (non-motorized) Adventure
In a May 2003 'Secrets of the Great Parks' article appearing in National Geographic Adventure magazine, either the author or the magazine editor(s) felt compelled to include an inset titled "Parks Under Fire" which listsInadequate Funding, Resource Extraction, Motorized Vehicles and Air Pollution as the most serious problems facing the U.S. National Park System today. According to the inset,
"In desert parks such as Canyonlands and Death Valley,
off-road vehicle drivers who veer off established roads scar sensitive soils".
Note the clever wording, then ask yourself, well by that definition...
Don't on-road vehicle drivers who veer off established roads also scar sensitive soil?Don't people wearing hiking boots who veer off established roads also scar sensitive soil? Don't Deer, Elk, Cattle, Horses, or Desert Bighorns who veer off established roads also scar sensitive soil?Okay. You got the point. Fanaticism and lack of common sense can be carried to the point of absurdity, which is exactly what has happened here. Using the phrase "Scar sensitive soils" is a blatant attempt to charge the emotions of the reader by attaching flesh-and-blood-like qualities to something that is inanimate, without a heart and soul and patently unemotional...soil...otherwise known as DIRT. 'Nuff said!
Diana Demagogue DeGette
According to the May 13, 2003 GJ Daily Sentinel, Front Range Congress "person" Diana DeGette is upset because the Bush Administration changed the rules on existing BLM practices. According to the article, in years past BLM has managed "proposed" wilderness areas as if they were already wilderness areas, thus excluding any bicycle traffic, use by motorized vehicles or any resource development. The Bush Administration apparently does not agree with the practice, which prematurely locks people out of public land based solely upon some politician's proposal, thus circumventing proper legal process. Thank you, Mr. President. Congratulations to Amy Lusby
Congratulations to Amy and Eric Lusby for Amy's successful quest to become the first civilian public information officer for the Grand Junction Police Department. She proved herself the best of 80 applicants for the position. Way to go Amy! Eric Lusby Insurance Agency as you know is a WSAVTA sponsor in the local business community.Cannondale Bankruptcy
The June 2003 issue of Dirt Wheels magazine, which we received May 2nd, reports that American ATV, motorcycle and bicycle maker Cannondale is in bankruptcy court. Dirt Wheels reported, "As we went to press, the company was in the middle of hearings to determine whether it will remain a viable ATV builder or simply liquidate its assets and settle the bills".Sewer - S.U.W.A
Bet you didn't know that only six (6) of the fifteen (15) members of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance board of directors actually live in Utah?EcoFlight
Back in June of 2002 Bruce Gordon, owner of EcoFlight, which is advertised as a 'non-profit conservation organization based in Aspen, CO., that advocates wildlands protection, was part of a failed effort by environmental zealots to obtain wilderness designation for some desert land around Lake Mead in Nevada's Clark County (Las Vegas). We find out in the April 29th Grand Junction Daily Sentinel that Gordon is now flying students over land in Garfield County as part of the anti-gas well drilling movement that seems to have caught the local media's attention of late. Gordon it turns out, is also on the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) 'thank you list' for having flown his Cessna 210 on half a dozen "missions" for them in 2002. What Would Jesus Leave Lying On The Ground?
A good citizen of Loma, CO wrote a letter to the editor of the GJDS recently stating that if the Ten Commandments were written today, she was sure there would be an additional one stating that "...thou shalt not litter", painting the state of the environment (in her singular view) with the same kind of religious fervor (and nonsensical logic) as the "What Would Jesus Drive" anti-Sport Utility Vehicle campaign.It's NEVER Enough
Per an April 23, 2003 article in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Environmental-Mouths, all in the name of protecting public land from the public, have recently decided that 701,000 acres of public land should be designated as 'Wilderness', over and above the 82,000 acres already earmarked in the White River National Forest Management Plan as wilderness. Colorado OHV Program Offers $700,000 to State
According to an article published in the April 22, 2003 Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, the cash-strapped state grabbed $700,000 from the off-highway vehicle program - after the recreational riders suggested the idea - as the Legislature gave final approval to the 2003-04 budget. "This is the first time anyone in this body has ever heard of anyone stepping forward to do something like this, everyone else has whined and complained about being cut." said Senator Ron Teck of the OHV offer. The Bangs Canyon Trail
Note that the Bangs Canyon Staging Area off of Little Park Road is no where near Bangs Canyon. It is actually much closer to Ladder Canyon and the Quartz/Mica Mine, or even Rough Canyon than it is to Bangs Canyon?Want your own copy of the Bangs Canyon Trail system (which is where the map section below came from)? Visit the Grand Junction office of the Bureau of Land Managment. It is available without cost.
Rough Canyon cuts across the flank of a large faulted monocline, and the structural complexity exposed in the canyon provides clues to the history of the Uncompahgre Uplift. The canyon also supports populations of the rare plants Astragalus linifolius (Grand Junction milkvetch) and Lomatium eastwoodiae (Eastwood's desertparsley). Pools sheltered under the vertical canyon walls contain populations of the canyon tree frog (Hyla arenicolor).For Immediate Release: April 9, 2003 Contact: Steven Hall, 970-244-3052Billings Canyon Jeep Trail to replace closed routes in Bangs Canyon
GRAND JUNCTION—the Bureau of Land Management has released a finding of "no significant impact" for the Billings Canyon Jeep Trail. The March 31 decision was the result of a supplemental environmental assessment to determine the impacts of developing the trail. No motorized use of the route will be allowed until the trail is built and officially open.
The Billings Canyon Jeep Trail is located one mile west of Little Park Road and follows a side drainage of Billings Canyon along 1.2 miles of challenging terrain. The route was recommended by the Grand Mesa Jeep Club, which will be involved in maintaining the trail. The jeep club has agreed to weekly monitoring as a condition for approval.
"The creation of this trail is not without controversy, since some people believe no motorized use is appropriate while others feel that motorized use is a valuable recreation activity," said Grand Junction Field Office Manager Catherine Robertson. "This trail provides an appropriate setting for motorized users who have lost access to other routes and trails where motorized use was not appropriate in the Bangs Canyon area."
The Billings Canyon Jeep Trail will be similar to routes that were closed to protect natural and cultural resources, particularly in the Rough Canyon area, under the 1999 Bangs Canyon Management Plan. The rocky terrain of this new route will minimize motorized impacts to natural resources, according to the environmental assessment. The Bangs Canyon area is increasingly popular for all forms of recreation, due in part to its proximity to Grand Junction.
The Grand Junction Field Office manages 1.25 million acres of public land, including the 122,300-acre Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area.
For Immediate Release: April 9, 2003 Contact: Steven Hall, 970.244.3052Vandals shoot up recreation facilities north of Fruita
A BLM gazebo located north of Fruita in a popular mountain bike area was repeatedly shot by vandals during the weekend. The vandals blasted holes in the roof as well as maps and travel information posted inside the shelter.
The north Fruita desert has become one of the most popular mountain bike destinations in Colorado. The area the vandals struck is near the site of the annual Fruita Fat Tire festival. The Colorado Plateau Mountain Biking Assoc. and the Mesa County Cycling Assoc. helped raise grant money to fund construction of the gazebo. Damage was estimated at more than $400.
"Unfortunately, the vandals damaged a site that had benefited from a lot of local support and local volunteer efforts, which has to be disheartening to all of the people who enjoy this area," said Phil Gezon, BLM Senior Outdoor Recreation Planner.
The vandals face up to $100,000 in fines and/or up to one year in jail. Anyone with information should call the BLM Grand Junction Field Office at 244-3000.
June 9, 2001 Mesa Mall Community Fair
