Historic Roadways Protection Act

[SolidAxleorBust]

Indulge me for a little political activism here. I know most Ram owners are outdoorsman, and we all know the closures of our favorite places have accelerated the last 4 years. Please consider contributing to Blue Ribbon if you have not and support this critical legislation. Comment HERE.

I added this personal comment to the boiler plate;


As someone ready to retire in the next few years, it saddens me to see the non stop whittling down of access to government lands. These are treasures and resources for ALL Americans, not just extreme environmental groups with deep pockets and there ability to make some politicians "feel good" despite no science or logic going into this land grab. It is essential existing trails and roads be left open, and ones that were closed for political reasons over the last few decades must be re-evaluated for re-opening. We have endured the loss of freedom, access, and the ability to explore this great country since the late 1970s, its time for law makers to look out for its average citizens, and disabled citizens and turn back these terrible closures and losses of freedom. And the title of this bill is VERY appropriate! We are also losing our HISTORY. Ghost towns buried in wilderness areas, historic land marks in-accessible, old railroads, mining camps and so on. Those historic losses are added to the loss of solitude, and the ability to explore and enjoy the beautiful lands of this country. And lets not forget we need these roads to manage lands, do research, conduct CRITICAL fire prevention activities, access desperately needed mineral resources and more. While this issue fall short of the Debt Crisis, Work Force Crisis and threats from abroad the weighty ness of this loss of freedom and quality of life makes it an issue that needs to be near the top of the list for lawmakers to take on.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

As a local living in a very rural region of Western Colorado the decisions to close off vast lands of millions and millions of acres and to release wolves near our home without being informed are made by the folks whom live far off in the big cities and within wealthy resort towns. Signs, gates, and boulders are installed across existing roads and trails with no additional budget for the enforcement.

We own a 2016 Ram Power Wagon to get to and from our home. Purchased a 2024 Ram 3500 4x4 recently due to the Power Wagon lacks the heavier towing and hauling capabilities that we require.

Crossing our fingers that the Dolores River National Monument isn't signed in the next few days. We don't want our home to be Moab.

Dolores Canyon monument designation seeks to solve nonexistent problem | OPINION

Adam Eckman The recent proposal to designate lands in the Dolores River region as a national monument is a flawed initiative that directly conflicts with the interests of both Colorado and the nation. It also faces strong opposition from local communities. Though framed as a means to protect the...

www.coloradopolitics.com

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

I went to a protest for Bears Ears and Dolores last year. The Antiquities act abuse is a huge issue. And the Dolores is important to me. Hoping to be a land owner down there soon and have a stronger voice. Then I can bounce between Silverton and Slick Rock in retirement. Want to focus on these issues more when I free myself of my other business over the next 2 years. You are correct, its special interest groups with unlimited resources sponsoring this crap with law makers out east who could care less about access to western lands and drink the cool aid.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

I disliked reading some of the survey's positive comments for the Dolores NM. They enjoy camping in the canyon along Hwy 141, which only means that they have never been there.

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

I enjoyed reading the survey's positive comments for the Dolores NM. They enjoy camping in the canyon along Hwy 141, which only means that they have never been there.

No surprise to me. Where as I can speak to the extreme carnage at Snaggle tooth at high water, or the Chicken Raper, or miles of 4x4, mountain bike, hiking trails, the birth place of the bomb, the flume...I try to focus on places I know for comments myself. But avid anti access folks know no bounds. My personal favorites from SUWER are where a legal document shows a photo at an angle where you see no trail or road exists,( to show there is no current use) and then later in the petition you see a photo showing a 2 track causing "massive damage" to the landscape at the same location. Yes, in the same lawsuit! So which is it? A trail/ road being used that is hard to see or a visible 2 track that offends them?

 

[steve49]

Where I live I'm surrounded by national forest land, and we've experienced some road closers, with talks of more at times. I'm totally opposed to road / trail closers, it's our forest to use! I camp in these forests and I also have a Polaris sxs utility vehicle, and I/we ride these roads and trails here, as well as other states. We are an old fart group who take in the sites, look for wildlife, and we abide by the Forest Service rules about staying on the roads and trails etc. We even pick up the trash we come across and haul it out. Unfortunately in my 46 years living here surrounded by forest land, I've seen a big change in the forest. I also ride a few forest service roads/trails about a half mile from the house, and these are things I see and is never ending..., folks dump their tree trimmings, manure from cleaning corrals, construction materials, broken furniture, refrigerators, washer/dryers, dead animals, etc. Even saw where a concrete truck had dumped a large load of wet cement! What makes this worse, there is a transfer station just a few miles away, but these folks dump in the forest instead! In areas where we camp the roads become mud from snow and rain conditions in the winter, and young folks around here think those roads are for mud bogging with there 4x4 trucks, tearing up causing deep ruts etc., the forest service quit maintaining them! I've watched folks on atv's spinning brodies in open forest fields, and driving cross country instead of staying on the roads and trails. As I stated I'm opposed to closers, dislike activist groups, I blame them for the bad conditions of our forests. In the end though its the public land users causing the issues I mentioned above, and fuel the government and groups to shut areas down!

 

[Poolmonkey]

Since Gold Butte was designated NM, the entire region has become rotten with SxSs and trashed.
They will someday have to make it wilderness area to save it from the SxS crowd, IMO.
It used to be an awesome area for hunting etc. before it got screwed up, I couldn’t care less about it now.
Shut it down completely afaic.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

We live right up against the GMUG National Forest. Not enough budget for the Visitors Center to open during 2024. Volunteers would have, but there's no budget for the infrastructure. Over 3 million acres in GMUG to maintain and there's a hiring freeze which makes it difficult to keep the lights on.

Forest Service seasonal hiring freeze to result in on-the-ground impacts

The U.S. Forest Service has suspended hiring for many seasonal positions this year due to anticipated limits on its budget, which is expected to affect services and programs in forests

www.gjsentinel.com

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

You guys are identifying another issue, specific to monuments. While Monuments are primarily a vessel to lock up government lands, we are a country in the throws of bankruptcy, hence DOGE. We have no money for these places, and on top of that you bring crowds via marketing and infrastructure to places that never saw that traffic prior. Combine that with shrinking opportunities and impacts dramatically increase over what they once were. Its a vicious cycle with these hellish monuments.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

The Dolores River National Monument presidential signature passage will require someone else to fill in the "appropriate" date, like was recently done with the Chuckwalla NM and the other NM that I can't pronounce. The President intentionally left the date of his signature blank. With Chuckwalla NM that locks up 18 million continuous acres all the way to Bears Ears NM. About the land size of South Carolina. Dolores will continue the water grab further Northeast along the Colorado River tributaries. 40 million people use the water downstream.

Other than the 20 year old Gateway Canyons Resort and Spa the locals won't benefit with a new NM due to tourism in the other small towns is not their economy. Most would leave and go elsewhere for their mining, forest, and agricultural jobs.

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

Right on target Bull Creek. I know those who do not get to the West much probably struggle understanding the grave situation the west is in with the locking up of lands. The Gateway stuff was started by the Discovery Channel Founder, so I am guessing he supports this.

 

[Poolmonkey]

You guys are identifying another issue, specific to monuments. While Monuments are primarily a vessel to lock up government lands, we are a country in the throws of bankruptcy, hence DOGE. We have no money for these places, and on top of that you bring crowds via marketing and infrastructure to places that never saw that traffic prior. Combine that with shrinking opportunities and impacts dramatically increase over what they once were. Its a vicious cycle with these hellish monuments.

No place is safe from the mindset that rides in SxSs, the point of the things is to burn gas all day.
Instead of a group of guys rolling a truck into a quail field, getting out and hunting, getting back in and leaving…a train of SxSs roll in, tear it up, go out the other side to tear up what is beyond.
A few weeks ago, we found two SxSs stuck in my duck hunting river. There was no reason in driving into the river except rowdy stupidity.
A wet doofus came up and upon seeing the PW, asked us if we could winch them out. I asked him if he had a shovel and he said no. I asked if he had toilet paper and he said yes. We left laughing…

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

And if sxs are the issue, and its not in the grand scheme, their abuse is just an excuse for closures. They should be dealt with differently. When picked up our Grenadier in July we shook it out on Hackett Gulch since it was close to the dealer, and we encountered that modern SXS group that did not really do anything wrong, but seemed more focus on loud music, blinking lights and party time then the wilderness. When we reached the river at the end which you can cross on the trail to a camp site there were mountains of trash. ( not from them) After barely making it across because lockers are for whimps. (they went on for the trip back across) All the SXS began to get suck, and we purposely filled our brand new 90K SUV full of trash in front of them. I am going to be working on a unique pilot program next for next summer creating a civilian trail ambassador program with the BLM for the San Juans. With a small amount of authority, but not LE I hope to try a new approach at connecting with folks new to the sport, and SxS specifically. Wonder if there are some SXS stay the trail brochures specifically geared toward them I could use. Should be discussing this soon. I also see an expansion of affluent Hispanics in these groups, so there are some cultural differences that make communication a challenge.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

Stay The Trail has brochures for side by sides.

Brochures | Stay The Trail

staythetrail.org

 

[Poolmonkey]

And if sxs are the issue, and its not in the grand scheme, their abuse is just an excuse for closures. They should be dealt with differently. When picked up our Grenadier in July we shook it out on Hackett Gulch since it was close to the dealer, and we encountered that modern SXS group that did not really do anything wrong, but seemed more focus on loud music, blinking lights and party time then the wilderness. When we reached the river at the end which you can cross on the trail to a camp site there were mountains of trash. ( not from them) After barely making it across because lockers are for whimps. (they went on for the trip back across) All the SXS began to get suck, and we purposely filled our brand new 90K SUV full of trash in front of them. I am going to be working on a unique pilot program next for next summer creating a civilian trail ambassador program with the BLM for the San Juans. With a small amount of authority, but not LE I hope to try a new approach at connecting with folks new to the sport, and SxS specifically. Wonder if there are some SXS stay the trail brochures specifically geared toward them I could use. Should be discussing this soon. I also see an expansion of affluent Hispanics in these groups, so there are some cultural differences that make communication a challenge.

This is an example typical of the goofs. I went looking at a chukar spot that I haven’t been to in maybe 25, before SxS infestation, found this.
Read the text…could it be that “farmers” (ranchers) hung beer cans on a fence that a road passes through to make it easier to find in the dark, in their backyard? It’s moronic.
How long do these degenerates think a beer can hung on a fence by the tab will stay hung in a windy canyon? The whole downslope was covered with fallen beer cans.
It’s a “quirky tradition” to waste a place with trash…at least a hundred yards of fence festooned with litter, scumbags imo.

Beer Can Fence, Nevada : Off-Road Trail Map & Photos | onX Offroad

Starting on Cabin Canyon Road, turn on Hen Springs Road. This road quickly becomes a one-lane trail.

www.onxmaps.com

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

Thanks, good to know. I need to reach out soon. I remember they had maps, I just cannot remember on the brochures. If anyone is interested in a volunteer trail ambassador program feel free to PM me. No idea where this is going, but I have ideas. I have seen those, I bet they have them. Mostly I just want to be "forced" to go 4 wheeling all summer

 

[jsalbre]

Don't try to create a new org, work with one of the existing established ones already. "Stay the Trail" as mentioned above, or "Tread Lightly!". Both have programs directly aimed at ATV and SxS.

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

There really is not anything I could find. There is Adopt a trail, which I may do as well, but that is really just direct with the agency. And organizations like Stay the Trail that does events and education, but not patrols. The San Juan Trail association has stuff, but at this time the Current OHV program is LE only. The idea is to add more bodies in personal rigs, and along with more eyes and ears, may some less threatening contacts with the public as a strategy, call in issues, provide advice, not just stay off the Tundra but maybe turn that cross over around before they are stranded. Even the occasional deliver truck As well as do things the agency cannot do, such as maybe an off road recovery, coordinate some repair parts and so on. The San Juan trails are much like Moab, its like Disney land at times and these are places a trail ambassador program could really help. A trail like say, Hole N The Rock that might not see rigs for days, not so great. I guess the Rubicon Trail Foundation is a good example of what can be done. Just wish they had my part at Spider Lake when I broke last time

 

[Deleted member 47449]

Don't try to create a new org, work with one of the existing established ones already. "Stay the Trail" as mentioned above, or "Tread Lightly!". Both have programs directly aimed at ATV and SxS.

Here's another organization...COHVCO. I found it listed on the Grand Mesa Jeep Club website.

Home - COHVCO

The mission of the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) is to represent, assist, educate, and empower OHV recreationists in the protection and promotion of off-highway motorized recreation

cohvco.clubexpress.com

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

I will reach out to them about this once I have some more concrete discussions with the BLM. There is a recovery group in Durango as well. I need to explore working as a team with the agencies first, and then recruit some volunteers. Focused on the education/ trail ambassador part. But for gnarly recoveries I will set up some contacts with these other clubs as well. I also want to way out operating under the local tow company for insurance and such on recoveries. Lots of ideas! Power Wagon is good for recoveries. I do not plan on rescuing street cars for free, to hell with that. Those need to pay.