In an unexpected and surprising announcement, a proposal out of the St. George office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the United States has come to light, offering the sale of two oil and gas leases on parcels of land that include the original Rampage event site.
Local residents are concerned about the proposal, given its proximity to the town of Virgin and of course, Zion National Park, which sees over four million visiting tourists every year who arrive to take in the unique landscape.
Former Chairman of the Virgin Planning and Zoning Commission and a town resident, Steve Masefield, said in a discussion with the
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, “drilling on these leases would not only degrade the scenic vistas enjoyed by visitors driving to Zion. Nearby rural neighborhoods would be devastated by industrial smells, noise, lighting, and traffic. Our water—and the water used by communities downstream—could be polluted.”
Louise Excell, a lifetime resident and former owner of several tourism and hospitality businesses said that she, “cannot imagine how visitors will feel as they discover pump jacks and flares from oil and gas drilling are visible from both inside and outside the park. Not only will the sight be jarring for visitors and residents, but other important natural resources and quality of life will be affected, including diminished air quality, loss of natural soundscapes, and night skies.”
Update: We reached out to BLM and their representative had this to say:
"After multiple years of interest by the nominator in relation to these specific parcels, the Bureau of Land Management initiated the process, which includes an environmental assessment and seeking public input, to determine if these leases will be offered or not, and to determine if the stipulations are sufficient to protect the resources. If they are not, the parcels will be deferred until the resource management plan can be amended. We have notified and tried to work with the Park Service throughout this process and will continue to do so.
It should be noted that the final Notice of Competitive Lease Sale has not been finalized and that this is just the leasing stage. Additional NEPA will have to be conducted before any potential surface-disturbing activities can begin.
The draft Environmental Assessment that is out for comment considers recreation and mountain biking, specifically noting the Flying Monkey mountain bike trail. Once the comment period ends in February, the comments will be analyzed and the final report completed. The sale is expected to occur in June."The original Rampage site is the location of a number of ground-breaking milestones in the world of mountain bikes. It was the location that first launched the sport in front of millions of people the world over. The site under threat also includes the popular Flying Monkey trail among others, and if this sale were to go through after all of the necessary processes have been dealt with, this trail as well others in the area could be negatively affected, or worse, lost.
Cam Zink's 360 Off the Oakley Icon Sender There is a 30 day comment period open to the public, through February 10, 2017, for those that wish to voice their opposition to the proposal. More information for this can be found
here. The sale of the lease is scheduled for June 2017.
his Di2 wasnt set up properly and it downshifted on the run up
Poor biker man barely kept his family fed
Overshot a jump and broke his top tube
And up through the ground come a bubbling crude
(Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea)
HAHA CLAMPETT YOUTH 4 LYFE!
.....so they loaded up the truck and they to moved to Bee-Cee.
Whistler, that is.... swimmin holes and cougar bars.
Seriously, folks, if you are going to ride your bike all the way from your house to go visit this area, complain. If you are going to drive, you only have yourself to blame for any reduction in enjoyment. There's a process they will have to go through and, if they are allowed to drill, I am sure they will be required to minimize the local impact. Remember, the evil corporations don't exist unless WE don't demand their product. I don't care if you ride your bike to work down the block, that has minimal impact. This place is remote, there's no way anyone sees it without figuring out a way to get there.
That said, there's still hope for us. Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are now available in SoCal with fueling stations!
I know one site: The official forum of Church of Scientology. They will listen to you like no one else.
Again, a nice name foro a super Hero: POLITOXIC-O-MAN
Perhaps with your following you could make a bigger difference than me by posting something relating to this to encourage divestment:
www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/23/a-beginners-guide-to-fossil-fuel-divestment
A fact everyone should acknowledge: physics - moving one thing from one place to another requires similar amounts of energy. By going electric you move the problem elsewhere. Yes there are inefficiencies of certain means of transport over another, yes it will be cleaner air in city centers, but we live in a closed system called planet Earth. It will mean more power plants. Batteries, harnessing solar, wind power requires using complex chemicals, creating new challenges. The problem with fkng Greenies is, that they broadcast so much anger and bullsht that it repells many people and causes counter reaction, and their preaching makes them inefficient themselves. They spread that bullsht as if going eco will make us better. No it will make it all different. Their political agenda avoids the main issue: our quality of life must go down. It's a freaking fact. Life style everyone loves has to decrease in quality. Diesel cars in Paris are not the real problem. Cars themselves are the problem. Using a 1.5 ton object from one point to another. Can we get rid of cars? Aren't we using public transport in Europe? Aren't we good at it? Same in China. A house is a problem, it doesn't matter if it's warmed up by wood in fireplace or with heat pump, algae and compost (whatever hippie sht you can come up with). Should we all live in large scale housing? There are no simple solutions like cutting this and changing to that over night.
Pain is inevitable, it is a part of life. We can try to make it better, one step at a time and in fact we are doing it. I am sick of greenie agitation. People don't want oil drilling on Rampage site, but they do want to drive their cars, they do like sick edits wth big trucks shuttling bikes. For fks sake.
Signed: ex greenie, tired of evangelizing people straight out of his arse.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=105719
THIS IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PAGE
Which action do you think was more worthwhile?
We do this all the time and by caning our habits and desires we can influence capitalism. We can do this quietly for ourselves, or we can talk to people. But I agree that we should leave the evangelists out of it. Facts should be sufficient.
Were you actually being SERIOUS when you wrote this?
I mean - REALLY?
Just as true of e-bikes, of course...
(I'd have made the jump on mine...)
We have our own shit to deal with.
I'm not necessarily taking sides, I'm just trying to say its a lot more complicated than just "industry bad, tourism good"
This is just the start of the process, and the concerns of the community as well as the environmental concerns of being near a waterway will be taken into account in any approvals and subsequent plans. I think it is good to get the word out so people can voice their concerns, and I am certainly not in favor of them drilling there.
But again, I have to point out the irony . . .
Both are made of up many individuals all seeking their own best interest, not the interest of the organization they are a part of, be it a government or large corporation.
Libertarianism doesn't say that life is perfect with limited/no government, only that overall less government and more competition will product better outcomes.
You can choose not to interact with a corporation. You can choose not to buy their products. You can't do that with government. You vote every 4 years means nothing. Nothing changed when Obama was elected. He dropped even more bombs than Bush- 26,000 in 2016 alone (whats the environmental impact of a smart-bomb?). There are millions of people in the US government, 99% of whom are not elected. The heads of every agency and the top managers are not elected. The enforcers of the agencies are not elected. The police who enforce compliance are not elected.
On another note, if you reduce gov, who takes care during environmental catastrophes, such as Katrina? Private companies? Will I pay into a fund that then pays for this? Will only people that paid be saved?
Its 100% true- the line between government and companies that use government for their own ends is very slim. The solution, however, is to limit government. If a government can't hand out favors to anyone, how much money is it worth my company to lobby for favors? $0. If a government can hand out favors, then its not only worth my time to lobby, but essential for me to stay ahead of the competition. An example of this in the USA is occupational licensing. It takes more hours of very costly training to get a license to braid hair than to become an EMT (emergency medical technician). Who lobbies for such insane laws? Existing hair braiding companies since it keeps out new competition in the name of "safety". Government is no more capable of keeping you safe or informed as a private business, since you two correctly stated that government is often a tool of business. If you remove the power for government to regulate, individual firms now have to stand on the merit of their own product, rather than a government regulation.
So what you want to do is to introduce a regulation to separate state and private. Good luck with doing that without making a... revolution?
You argue that government agencies are too big to change. I am sure we will see lots and lots of changes in the coming 4 years with the new administration in the US. Despite the heads of agencies not being elected, but only the main puppet. Whether these changes will be for the good or worse, we will see, but I am concerned about the environment with the new administration. I already was with the old one.
Nick
that being said, public land is a hard one. It's been held so long and its management and sale is so far outside the free market, that's it's difficult for me to say "yes privatization is the best way", even as a free market capitalist. My view is essentially that we should figure out how to make as much of this land as possible managed by state and local trusts, and the feds shouldn't have to be paid for it, cuz f*ck the feds, they take enough.
There is some new tech coming from the US which looks super promising, but it is still 10+ years out before it could scale. Shutting down existing plants that are safe makes no sense, but new nuclear is relatively expensive and risky due to massive investments and construction times.
Yes nuclear power is 'clean' in production, certainly a lot cleaner than coal. But does that make nuclear energy clean? f*ck no. You must be seriously ignorant to believe that.
@owlie 'the best product to produce energy is coal right now' -- lol. Are you a troll? A comment like that is not even worth to be discussed. Have you ever thought about the fact that price is not the only variable to consider when judging if something is good or bad?
About your argument about humans not being dumb and always choosing the right product long-term:
Have you ever seen a human smoking a cigarette? Because that is how dumb humans are (in general; no personal offense).
Paying a million $ over the cycle of life for getting nothing out of it but increasing the likelihood of dying a horrible death. Man you are full of shit with your statements.
Promoting nuclear or coal energy goes right in line with the privatization of drinking water or essential infrastructure qualifying as being the dumbest idea ever. It is empirically proven, that the human does not have the ability to act rational in a wide range of issues, that is why there needs to be a state that regulates.
We are very adaptable. Certainly adaptable enough to continued survival through climate change, global warming, famines, nuclear meltdowns etc. Still, we are not going to be here forever.
I say, enjoy it while it lasts. Fossil fuel is there, it can make cars and motorbikes go fast. It can power my house. It can keep me warm. Why wouldn't I want to use it? It might help make Earth a bit warmer. It might cause the human race to become extinct in a few hundred thousand years, and it might not.
Why dwell on what might happen to us in a few hundred thousand years when there is statistically a much higher risk of us getting killed off much sooner than that by our own race?
Is it a bummer that another oil site pops up? Yes. Do we need to drill more if Arabs have plenty of it and US has enough firepower to obliterate every living human being in the area? Would I care more about some MTB cool fkng place disappearing over a new oil rig being built in the ocean? Fk no. I was born in mountains covered with forests all the way to the horizon. Most of it is gone due to massive die out (and then some sneaky cutting of good ones). What can I do? Post moralistic sht from the top of my high horse? I can just move on and try to be better and keep my eyes open.
It's about 11% more expensive, which adds up to about $1-$2 per month on my bill.
It's not capitalism you mean, it is evolution. Efficiency and mutations are written into it. Right mutations happening at a right time survive and prevail. Sometimes dominate, only to die abruptly. Doesn't matter if it is a tooth shape of a crocodile, ape coming down from tree, type of weapon used in a war, type of car engine or a particular law. We are on the way to get rid of religion, so will we be done with blind use of ideologies.
I pay for my healthcare, and no I dont believe it should be "free" because free means someone else pays for it.
Socialist ideologies and how great it is coming from a country with very close to the highest income tax in the world. Yea its working alright. LOL
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=105719
THIS IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PAGE
There are some smart people with ideas about how to handle the current nuclear waste stock. Are they enough? To early to tell, but its not like we are completely clueless about how to deal with it. The big uncertainty is the sustainability of human institutions to maintain their storage and safety.
And screw you straight, deep up your angry arse with a broken wooden stick covered in Tabasco(R), if you think I get my info from Pinkbike and CNN. Tell me... does Swedish flag next tomy username disturb you on it's own?
@Earthmotherfu
Nuclear energy already had its place in the energy system, but now it is time to reduce its role consistently instead of building new nuclear power plants.
There is enough atomic waste to worry about already and there has been for 50 years, without any ideas other than putting it in a big hole with a lot of steel and concrete around it. And given the fact, that we already have all the technology required to satisfy the demand by using 100% percent green energy, it is just batshit crazy to invest in nuclear energy anymore. Especially if you consider that the actual cost of dealing with the nuclear waste is in the end much higher than only using green energy in the first place!
@owlie don't blame the messager, dear Sir. What you are saying is utter bullshit.
Coal is the dirtiest and ecologically most harmful way to produce energy at all and and the so called green energy is affordable and has been for a long time. All you need to do as a consumer is make the choice for it like @enicma did it and every sane person should do.
Punishing VW with a 21 billion $ penalty for ecological reasons while promoting coal as the best way to produce energy (like Trump does) is not only f*cking dumb and ridiculous, it's also a moral double-standard.
The fact that humans do smoke cigarettes (whether there is an e- in it or not) is proof that humans make unsustainable, irrational and incompetent decisions, which makes your argument completely invalid - whether you call it a lifestyle choice or not is completely insignificant. Also your statement about the Tobacco industry is just a plain lie. The international revenues of the Tobacco industry are still rising, the sales only declined a bit and fact of the matter is that this can in no way be attributed to humans getting smarter BUT the higher regulations i.e. taxes, local prohibition and advertising restrictions. Which exactly proves my point, that there is a range of topics in which humans are not able to act rationally and therefore need governmental regulation. It's basic behavioral economics.
Privatizing is a very significant and certainly needed economic instrument when it comes to industrial specialization, but it was proven in many occasions that privatizing things like infrastructure or freshwater supply is a bad idea because private companies tend to under-invest systematically to make a profit, which ultimately leads to ailing infrastructure and inadequate supply. The City of Paris in France took back the water supply from private companies, after the water was contaminated and caused several illnesses and even deaths. And that is just one of the countless examples I could give you.
That was a joke, right?
You're not REALLY equating capitalism to natural selection - NOBODY is that deluded...
However, people tend to be shortsighted and therefore mistake something like nuclear energy or coal energy for cheaper, even though calculating the cost of dealing with its waste (nuclear) or pollution (coal) proves this line of thinking wrong (in the LONG-TERM, which people don't take into account! Get it? Got it? Good!).
VW got fined for producing HIGHER EMISSIONS than they (and all other Automanufacturers) said their cars would produce. The EMISSIONS of using coal for energy production, however, are more than twice as much as all car emissions. That is the double-standard. Maybe this helps you to connect the dots. I sure hope so.
Are you really criticizing investments in infrastructure? I mean... really? Delaying investments in necessary infrastructure into future times is exactly the point of being shortsighted, because the costs of increasing the coal-energy will cost us way more in the long-term due to pollution. Man, you really don't get it, do you?
@mazze - with all due respect, what German government did after Fukushima was plain ridiculous. Politicians blown by coal companies got an opportunity to push coal through. It had NOTHING to do with ecology. Money is not a problem with storing nuclear waste. How bad is that compared to storing sht in atmosphere? Look I have no knowledge to back it up, but if you have a gathering of scientists like Great Debate and they are divided rather evenly on the subject of Nuclear Energy then I say something's up. Renewables already providing enough, well in the perfect world yes. But it smells a bit like marxists, capitalists and other ideologs. If we only got what we need... Scientists say we are close to fusion. I think the last date was 2035, factoring in the delay caused by oil and coal lobbying. The fascinating question is: if we get the great source of energy, if we got one or two other habitable planets, would we still care for environment of Earth? How would post scarcity ecnomy influence care for environment. Positively or negatively. Cheers!
Of course everybody hops on the train when it is the cheapest method available... but it could've never come thus far without subsidies. And Trump publicly announced to cut exactly those and even shut down Tesla´s plans of solar plants and promote coal energy instead. In other words he is willing to kill technological progress and is protectionist of old business partners and friends instead. And people like owlie are all for it. LOL.
But to make it clear: the pre-Merkel government already decided the nuclear phaseout years before she got elected.... Merkel was just sucking lobbyists dicks and decided to exit from the nuclear-exit!
In this bilateral discussion of ours there was only one trying to educate the other based on scientific facts, real world examples and statistics - and let me assure you, it was not you.
The difference between you and me is, while I insulted ONLY the quality of your arguments, you on the other hand are generalizing and insulting me for my origin. And not only as a German but as a European.
Congratulations on proving your (individual!) inferiority.
Privatized utlities mean a win win for us as consumers. Only then will companies (not governments) vastly improve the product. Because they want to be the cheapest and the best. Governments have NO incentive to do that.
@mazze your first post in here showed your true colors. You have no idea what Im talking about when I say people are smart consumers. You need to look past your liberal ideologies.
On that note I will resume using pinkbike for what it should be.
Spot on, in Nevada they are now allowing energy companies to charge people with solar more for their electricity and pay them less for surplus than market rate.
[url]https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/13/solar-panel-energy-power-company-nevada[/url]
vballard@blm.gov; nblanks@blm.gov; tsburke@blm.gov; dcorry@blm.gov; bdouglas@blm.gov; d8ferris@blm.gov; lhunsaker@blm.gov; jkellam@blm.gov; dkiel@blm.gov; tlilly@blm.gov; gvmcewen@blm.gov; s5mullin@blm.gov; mnewton@blm.gov; rdreyes@blm.gov; lscott@blm.gov; klthomas@blm.gov; btritle@blm.gov; kvoyles@blm.gov
I'm more than happy to send it but I don't won't to send the wrong message that might effect you adversely.
Hello,
I would like to briefly discuss the June 2017 Oil and Gas Lease Sale by the Bureau of Land Management.
It is stated on page 69 of the proposal that the parcels of land only affect one single mountain biking trail, however, there are several trails and sites that are used by thousands of bikers within the proposed parcels. Every year, thousands of mountain bikers flock to this specific site that is revered as the mecca of our sport. Mountain biking’s influence in these hills isn’t difficult to spot. Within the parcels of land that are currently for sale is the original site of the Red Bull Rampage event. This site contains hundreds of public trails that are used on a daily basis year-round. During the Red Bull event, this site is visited by thousands of mountain bikers and tourists alike. This year while at the parcel which contains the flying monkey trail, (which actually branches off into SEVERAL different trails) as well as the original Red Bull Rampage site, I met mountain bikers from 10+ different countries, I rode with kids younger than 10 years old, and men in their 50s. What I am trying to point out is the extent of recreational opportunity that exists within the proposed parcels of land.
I understand that we (mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts) are a very small fish in the big gas and oil sea. I understand that my love for his area may not trump the value that these grounds will be sold for. I do however, hope that you would consider our plea to keep this land preserved as a public parcel both for its beauty as well as recreational value.
Thank you for your generous consideration.
This document seriously undermines the recreational value of the lands in question. The only reference I see is in Appendix D and says the following:
All of the proposed lease parcels are used for dispersed recreation activities, primarily hiking, hunting, and other human powered pursuits. It is difficult to quantify impacts to dispersed recreation, but it is safe to say that those parcels with nearby housing developments receive the most use and those individuals would be displaced by any development activities. The Flying Monkey mountain bike trail is within parcels UT-0517-042 and UT-0517- 043. This is an expert only, double black diamond, downhill specific trail.
This site is of particular importance to the mountain biking community. The very first, and most historic freeride mountaing bike competitions (Redbull Ramgage) was held on the proposed land, and riding in this area has become a 'meca' for mountain bikers across the world. Every year this event draws thousands of tourist, who almost all visit the proposed land to ride after viewing the event. I have met bikers in this area that have flown in from the UK, Australia, Scotland, Germany and S. America, and all come to ride the most popular site in Utah mountain biking history. Additionally every year hundreds, if not thousands of people visit this site for mountain bike vacations, stay in the area, and provide a valuable tourism opportunity for the nearby communities. The destruction of this public land will eliminate this historic mountain biking landmark, and seriously damage Utah's image as a recreation-friendly state. Additionally, it is specualted that the Redbull Rampage could pull the event from Utah if we continue to support the destruction of public recreation lands, costing the state valuable tourism and economy.
As a Mountain biker I am strongly opposed to the sale of this public land, whose historic significance has been noted in countless films, documentaries, magazine and news articles. The development committe seriously overlooked an important economic resource that this land provides to the nearby communities.
As a Utah resident, I am deeply saddened to see our public land offered up for destruction. There need to be an actual inquiry into the public value of this land.
You say in your other post about how you wouldn't be able to live or ride mtb etc without fossil fuels...but you do realise, the more this happens..the less areas you will have to ride your bike on such incredible trails. It's happening over here too, the Surrey Hills (which most people here know about and would love to ride) have areas being proposed for similar.
Yes, it's hypocritical for us all to be saying it shouldn't happen whilst we sit at our computers in out heated homes etc etc...but, aside from a few substitutes (solar, using cars less etc) there isn't much we can do about that. It doesn't mean we wouldn't rather the people with the authority and money used it to progress in more friendly solutions for power.
Not least this would be a truly shitty thing to happen just because of the area, having visited last year for a week during Rampage, I can say I have never been so blown way by it/it's surrounding areas beauty. The drive all the way to the other side of Zion is incredible, because it's so unspoilt and you feel so far away from all the industrial shit you're used to.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94973/114831/SGFO_Oil_and_Gas_FONSI.pdf
the contact list is hereA!!!
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
Also, have you ever been to Zion? It has the highest peaks and rim country around, so yeah you'll be able to see the smog, lights, road and pipe grid, and hear trucks and pumps all night long.
This shit is going on all over the UK - there's barely a national park here that some ball-bag or other hasn't applied for a fracking licence in...
What the oil industry wants, the oil industry gets.
Meanwhile on the other side of La La Land, MTBs destroy wilderness & parks at alarming rates. :/
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
vballard@blm.gov; nblanks@blm.gov; tsburke@blm.gov; dcorry@blm.gov; bdouglas@blm.gov; d8ferris@blm.gov; lhunsaker@blm.gov; jkellam@blm.gov; dkiel@blm.gov; tlilly@blm.gov; gvmcewen@blm.gov; s5mullin@blm.gov; mnewton@blm.gov; rdreyes@blm.gov; lscott@blm.gov; klthomas@blm.gov; btritle@blm.gov; kvoyles@blm.gov
It's unlikely we'll see extensive drilling in this area at current oil prices.
Only the flatter portions of the Rampage area would be suitable for drilling.
After the wellpad is completed the only traffic/activity to it will be a pumper truck every day or four.
As long as you aren't on the wellpad stealing equipment oil field workers won't say anything to riders.
#NotWorried
It would have to be a huge find/ez extraction to make it all worth it with todays cheap oil market.
"Cheap" unless you live in California where the state makes more per gallon than oil company.
Even if it is unlikely that they drill our voice needs to be heard by the St. George Field office of the BLM that we care about the area and its trails!
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
Honest question: why sell all these leases now? I'll take any answer that isn't "energy independence".
From their point of view...
What the page doesn't say is that these oil and gas leases will limit all access to the area. Once the roadways become part of the lease no one will be able to drive through the lease. This will turn out just like western Colorado where the public cannot access the lease property. No driving, hiking, biking, hunting, etc... Leases last for an extended period of time (20-100 years). Can people afford to give up access to public land for that long?
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
You can also read the whole impact assessment here!
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
and here is the map of the affected areas!
suwa.org/app/uploads/St.-George-Lease-Parcel-Map.pdf
Do your part to protect the places we go to play and do what we love!
DONT BE SHEEP!! If enough people start blowing up the St. George field office we can save OLD RAMPAGE SITE and the beautiful creek that runs down the canyon!
vballard@blm.gov; nblanks@blm.gov; tsburke@blm.gov; dcorry@blm.gov; bdouglas@blm.gov; d8ferris@blm.gov; lhunsaker@blm.gov; jkellam@blm.gov; dkiel@blm.gov; tlilly@blm.gov; gvmcewen@blm.gov; s5mullin@blm.gov; mnewton@blm.gov; rdreyes@blm.gov; lscott@blm.gov; klthomas@blm.gov; btritle@blm.gov; kvoyles@blm.gov
That's the way to get them on board...
What does drilling look like? It starts with a drill pad which is 3 or more acres that are cleared and flattened for all of the equipment to be installed. It also includes a road to get all of the heavy equipment to and from the pad and pipeline construction for the oil. The pad operates for a few decades or until it becomes unprofitable. At that time the oil company reclaims the land which means removing equipment, capping the well, and redistributing the topsoil they removed to make the well.
What happens if they go bankrupt? Will the topography match what was there before? Maybe your kids can answer that. One more interesting note from the report: "Primitive recreational opportunities in this area include, but are not limited to hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, off-trail exploration, photography, sightseeing, bird watching, and hunting."
They didn't freaking include mountainbiking!!!
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
and if you want to protect the area you can contact the St. George BLM field office and let them know you want to save the Rampage site!
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
YOu can read the map here!!!
suwa.org/app/uploads/St.-George-Lease-Parcel-Map.pdf
I say ride your E-bikes and poach your trails. There's too much hypocrisy within the land management agencies in the US.
vballard@blm.gov; nblanks@blm.gov; tsburke@blm.gov; dcorry@blm.gov; bdouglas@blm.gov; d8ferris@blm.gov; lhunsaker@blm.gov; jkellam@blm.gov; dkiel@blm.gov; tlilly@blm.gov; gvmcewen@blm.gov; s5mullin@blm.gov; mnewton@blm.gov; rdreyes@blm.gov; lscott@blm.gov; klthomas@blm.gov; btritle@blm.gov; kvoyles@blm.gov
This document seriously undermines the recreational value of the lands in question. The only reference I see is in Appendix D and says the following:
All of the proposed lease parcels are used for dispersed recreation activities, primarily hiking, hunting, and other human powered pursuits. It is difficult to quantify impacts to dispersed recreation, but it is safe to say that those parcels with nearby housing developments receive the most use and those individuals would be displaced by any development activities. The Flying Monkey mountain bike trail is within parcels UT-0517-042 and UT-0517- 043. This is an expert only, double black diamond, downhill specific trail.
This site is of particular importance to the mountain biking community. The very first, and most historic freeride mountaing bike competitions (Redbull Ramgage) was held on the proposed land, and riding in this area has become a 'meca' for mountain bikers across the world. Every year this event draws thousands of tourist, who almost all visit the proposed land to ride after viewing the event. I have met bikers in this area that have flown in from the UK, Australia, Scotland, Germany and S. America, and all come to ride the most popular site in Utah mountain biking history. Additionally every year hundreds, if not thousands of people visit this site for mountain bike vacations, stay in the area, and provide a valuable tourism opportunity for the nearby communities. The destruction of this public land will eliminate this historic mountain biking landmark, and seriously damage Utah's image as a recreation-friendly state. Additionally, it is specualted that the Redbull Rampage could pull the event from Utah if we continue to support the destruction of public recreation lands, costing the state valuable tourism and economy.
As a Mountain biker I am strongly opposed to the sale of this public land, whose historic significance has been noted in countless films, documentaries, magazine and news articles. The development committe seriously overlooked an important economic resource that this land provides to the nearby communities.
As a Utah resident, I am deeply saddened to see our public land offered up for destruction. There need to be an actual inquiry into the public value of this land.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
Do you really think that's likely?
The head catfish runs the banks
and all the other parasites.
Oil is like cancer (consumption)
Free energy is as real as the catfish rule.
Prison or paradise ya got a choicE
DUMB OCRICY
Free dumb. Where giving it away !
You'_all get dumb now ...yea'hear
have another glass of fluoride or some vaccines .
You are what you eat !
Unsure. What Trump will do. BUT
Connected is the pantsuited one to Oklahoma courthouse
Whitewater records were in that building
children dead ,case dropped
Look deep into the Clinton foundation
The BLM is a tool.
We WERE given our choices
Bernie. Classic bait and switch
TV media disinformation.
There has not been a war that the bankers did not WIN !
Who do YOU OWE.
The fatheaded whiskered fish .that's who
The wind in our face .
The breeze In our knees
The good earth under our tires
As we weave thru the trees.
As the great screening Tree Weasel once said...
"Damn missed the turn !"
We need to find that turn, and get on the path of truth.
And do some much needed trail work brothers and sisters
Is anyone here from virgin, springdale, la verkin, etc and can speak to if the blm has been telling residents about this?
The link (again): eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=105719
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
and then contact the BLM ST. GEORGE field office and let them know you care about the trails in the area!
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
the map of where they want to drill exploratory wells is here!
suwa.org/app/uploads/St.-George-Lease-Parcel-Map.pdf
DO your part and speak out if you want to save trails and clean water in the area! We dont want massive drill equipment where we ride and camp!
This document seriously undermines the recreational value of the lands in question. The only reference I see is in Appendix D and says the following:
All of the proposed lease parcels are used for dispersed recreation activities, primarily hiking, hunting, and other human powered pursuits. It is difficult to quantify impacts to dispersed recreation, but it is safe to say that those parcels with nearby housing developments receive the most use and those individuals would be displaced by any development activities. The Flying Monkey mountain bike trail is within parcels UT-0517-042 and UT-0517- 043. This is an expert only, double black diamond, downhill specific trail.
This site is of particular importance to the mountain biking community. The very first, and most historic freeride mountaing bike competitions (Redbull Ramgage) was held on the proposed land, and riding in this area has become a 'meca' for mountain bikers across the world. Every year this event draws thousands of tourist, who almost all visit the proposed land to ride after viewing the event. I have met bikers in this area that have flown in from the UK, Australia, Scotland, Germany and S. America, and all come to ride the most popular site in Utah mountain biking history. Additionally every year hundreds, if not thousands of people visit this site for mountain bike vacations, stay in the area, and provide a valuable tourism opportunity for the nearby communities. The destruction of this public land will eliminate this historic mountain biking landmark, and seriously damage Utah's image as a recreation-friendly state. Additionally, it is specualted that the Redbull Rampage could pull the event from Utah if we continue to support the destruction of public recreation lands, costing the state valuable tourism and economy.
As a Mountain biker I am strongly opposed to the sale of this public land, whose historic significance has been noted in countless films, documentaries, magazine and news articles. The development committe seriously overlooked an important economic resource that this land provides to the nearby communities.
As a Utah resident, I am deeply saddened to see our public land offered up for destruction. There need to be an actual inquiry into the public value of this land.
Basically, we're all f*cked.
www.desmogblog.com/2016/09/02/obama-administration-online-auctions-oil-gas-public-lands
Irrelevant. This is HAPPENING on Trump's watch, not Obama's.
Meanwhile, Donald is selling off the rights to known mountain biking spots while the so called "Mtb community" tosses the day off.
Another productive day of internet based inanity then.
www.saveredrock.com
EVERYWHERE is dealing with a similar situation.
That's capitalism for you...
Good article on how we can all help the divestment of fossil fuels:
www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/23/a-beginners-guide-to-fossil-fuel-divestment
hell yeah they love they v8's keep them running 21mpg=33,6 km=9,08km/l i had a vw golf mk2 1.8 gti 18 years ago had the same mpg or km/l then,now the average us car owner has but i drove it like i stole it all the time my alfa does 15km/l and 12km/l flat out pedal to the metal auf die autobahn
Waki has a valid point. long winded but valid.
It was put forward by the BLM for auction, it was not nominated by industry. BLM puts lands up for auction all the time knowing that it has no oil and gas potential in order to meet statutory criteria.
This does not mean you shouldn't write a nice letter to the BLM office and let them know the value of mountain bike recreation in the area. That can help future decision making, particularly in light of the Wilderness advocates' desire to see this area designated Wilderness(not likely in this Congress) or more significantly Wilderness Study Area, which does not need an act of Congress - just a decision by a land manager.
Ironically, it appears that much of the text of the Pinkbike article was cut-and-pasted from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's website. suwa.org/press-release-blm-announces-proposal-sell-oil-gas-leases-doorstep-zion-national-park
These folks are not fans of mountain bikes. They would rather see the area designated as Wilderness.
Pinkbike apparently did not cut and paste this paragraph from the SUWA article:
"The proposed lease parcels overlap lands identified by BLM as possessing wilderness characteristics (i.e., outstanding opportunities for solitude and recreation) and which are proposed for Wilderness designation in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, H.R. 2430, S. 1375 (114th Congress)."
Note that SUWA's definition of recreation does not include bicycles.
Even if it were ever bid on and developed, that does not rule out mountain biking. For example, one of the best newer networks of MTB trails in the Utah, Mag 7/Navajo Rocks/Horsethief in Moab, was enabled by oil and gas development. The offset required of Fidelity when it drilled those wells which, was that they devote hundreds of thousands of dollars to recreation. I do wince when I see some of the drilling infrastructure from the road as I drive up Hwy 313 to these trails, but it's actually fairly difficult to notice once you are actually riding.
Aaaand members who don't live in the US should put their hands in their pockets WHY, exactly?
Also do you ride bikes or just comment on pinkbike? It sort of looks like the later to me.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=105719
This document seriously undermines the recreational value of the lands in question. The only reference I see is in Appendix D and says the following:
All of the proposed lease parcels are used for dispersed recreation activities, primarily hiking, hunting, and other human powered pursuits. It is difficult to quantify impacts to dispersed recreation, but it is safe to say that those parcels with nearby housing developments receive the most use and those individuals would be displaced by any development activities. The Flying Monkey mountain bike trail is within parcels UT-0517-042 and UT-0517- 043. This is an expert only, double black diamond, downhill specific trail.
This site is of particular importance to the mountain biking community. The very first, and most historic freeride mountaing bike competitions (Redbull Ramgage) was held on the proposed land, and riding in this area has become a 'meca' for mountain bikers across the world. Every year this event draws thousands of tourist, who almost all visit the proposed land to ride after viewing the event. I have met bikers in this area that have flown in from the UK, Australia, Scotland, Germany and S. America, and all come to ride the most popular site in Utah mountain biking history. Additionally every year hundreds, if not thousands of people visit this site for mountain bike vacations, stay in the area, and provide a valuable tourism opportunity for the nearby communities. The destruction of this public land will eliminate this historic mountain biking landmark, and seriously damage Utah's image as a recreation-friendly state. Additionally, it is specualted that the Redbull Rampage could pull the event from Utah if we continue to support the destruction of public recreation lands, costing the state valuable tourism and economy.
As a Mountain biker I am strongly opposed to the sale of this public land, whose historic significance has been noted in countless films, documentaries, magazine and news articles. The development committe seriously overlooked an important economic resource that this land provides to the nearby communities.
As a Utah resident, I am deeply saddened to see our public land offered up for destruction. There need to be an actual inquiry into the public value of this land.
And this particular case may not be Trumps fault, but don't expect shit like this to stop under his watch. He's openly talked about gutting the Environmental Protection Agency and named a climate change denier to lead it. He said countless times he sees environmental regulations as wasteful and that part of his plan is to open up federal land to drilling. He appointed the f*cking CEO or Exxon as secretary of state. Last I checked UT voted overwhelmingly for Trump so if this shit goes bad for them perhaps they should pay more attention to what the candidates are saying before they cast a vote.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94973/114831/SGFO_Oil_and_Gas_FONSI.pdf
Read the report and make your voice heard!
Even if I have a gas powered pacemaker it wouldn't make me a hypocrite to want to switch to one with a solar charged battery if it keeps the smoke out of my face!
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
suwa.org/app/uploads/St.-George-Lease-Parcel-Map.pdf
aqicn.org/city/beijing
aqicn.org/city/utah/salt-lake-city
look up SLC and Beijing...f*cking crazy...
As far as goverment tax and regulations never being the cause of inovation. I don't believe you've spent enough time thinkimg about that one. How about space programs and military? Especially true when you think about regulations on safety and the environment. Corporations won't innovate unless there is a profit motive so why would they ever bother giving us safer more environmentally sustainable products.
You can see how a small industry can get squashed by a behemoth (if their interests conflict) before it even becomes feasible/profitable/advantages.
We have the technology... and it's only going to get better.
Plus who cares if we use fossil fuels to forge steel if we can power transportaion and our electical grid from mostly renewables.
This is future shit Im talkimg about but if you think we will be burning a finnite and eventually more and more expensive fossil fuel im the future you are mistaken.
Albeit they did import a reasonable amount of energy (my original % is domestic production), a lot from Denmark since they have an over capacity of wind power (which is not exactly a good thing, and costs them by having to cut prices on export).
The point is, Germany tried to majorly convert to green power, it failed, and they became a net importer of coal, and burn lots and lots of it to this day, so stop telling people they're a leader in renewables, they are not.
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-16/germany-just-got-almost-all-of-its-power-from-renewable-energy
www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-energy-consumption-and-power-mix-charts
And Iam surprised to see how much coal they burn true but it doesnt mean that their push for renewable energy is a failure. Surely they would be burning even more coal if it weren't for renewables.
Really surpised when I looked at Ontario's energy mix. Better than germany. No coal and the roughly the same amount of renewables (thanks to our hydro electric). The big difference being our higher use of nuclear. I'm not against nuclear in the mix for base power.
Whats your point again?
But he could stop it.
If he wanted to.
Do you think he will?
No. He won't.
So it's his fault.
That's how this works.
Doable.
It'd mean storing solar-generated power in large capacitors or similar (or yes, *just* batteries), but doable.
www.saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
Do you know where isn't taken up with this shit?
Where the people making the decisions live...
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
suwa.org/app/uploads/St.-George-Lease-Parcel-Map.pdf
It's got EVERYTHING to do with it - this is happening with Trump in charge. It's on him.
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
saveredrock.com/about/#the-threat
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=105719
Hard to imagine how you could miss the point more than that...
That's just the comment of narrow minded ignorance. But hey, it's money right? That's what matters.
The land in question here is also not immediately visible or part of any regularly frequented trail network or anything of significance... since rampage pulled out, I'd bet less than a few dozen people have even laid eyes on the area. This whole story is nothing but liberal alarmists crying wolf.
eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/69396/94970/114827/DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2017-0010-EA.pdf
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
That's "The American Way", isn't it?
Do your part and speak out!
www.blm.gov/or/BLMContacts.php?RestrictToCategory=LLUTC03
let them know you want to save the trails!
What - buttf*cking other people/the environment in order to make money isn't "American"?
It sure looks like if from the outside...