From Deseret News archives:
Some sites may close to off-road vehicles
The Wayne County controversy is the hotter one as it involves the possible restriction of travel to established routes in an area of 166,900 acres, more than 260 square miles, near Factory Butte. However, according to the BLM, cross-country use is concentrated in a few thousand acres.
The well-known Factory Butte formation, not far from the Dirty Devil River, is about 15 miles northwest of Hanksville. Environmentalists are asking that the restrictions extend to close to the town.
In a separate matter, an emergency closure announced Monday covers 1,835 acres (nearly three square miles), south of Bluff.
Factory Butte
Lola Bird, a public affairs specialist in the BLM's state office in Salt Lake City, said the BLM has received a package of information concerning the Factory Butte proposed closure. "No determination has been made yet" on the petition for closure, she said.
Ray Bloxham, field inventory specialist for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance in Salt Lake City, said SUWA is among those seeking limitations to off-highway use in the Factory Butte region.
"Overall, you definitely have visual destruction of the area" from vehicle tracks off the roads, he said. Also, "the vehicle users that are out there are going into new regions and impacting new areas, including streambeds" and other sites.
SUWA is not seeking a total closure of the region but to have use limited to existing roads. Also, an area near Factory Bench Road would remain open to cross-country driving, he said.
"It protects that type of recreation experience in that area," and the region becomes more manageable for the BLM, he said. The Emery-Wayne county line runs through the vicinity, and on the Emery County side, BLM land is already closed to cross-country driving, he added.
Restrictions should reach to the vicinity of Hanksville to ensure that off-road vehicle use doesn't shift there once the immediately vicinity of Factory Butte is closed, he said.
Comments
- Patriots, Colts tied after 1st quarter 7:28 p.m.
- Abdul-Jabbar surprised by reaction 7:12 p.m.
- Packers defense big in win 7:01 p.m.
- Nowitzki leads Mavs past Pistons 6:51 p.m.
- Cardinals rally for 31-20 win 6:31 p.m.
- Layton home has $100K in damages 6:24 p.m.
- TCU stuck at fourth in BCS 6:21 p.m.
- It was past time for Dobbs to go 6:11 p.m.
- Lessons from tempting the universe 6:11 p.m.
- Web surfers spill their guts on Net 6:11 p.m.
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
363 - BYU happy to escape with victory
226 - TCU creams U.
219 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
203 - Will state consider gay rights law?
149 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
133 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
130 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - RSL heads to MLS title game
119 - Celtics crush Jazz
104
Sears is holding a special VIP night Sunday, Nov. 15, in stores and online.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
Good thing the Utes won't be facing a superior opponent on the road in 2 weeks.
I will never understand why Republicans insist on eating their own.
Even though this article highlighted research about Former-Governor Palin's...
Thanks be to God! I am encouraged to see the Church embracing social justice....
hee hee Locke is "21st century" "jazz by 7" "jazz by 9" I am going...
Actually the LDS church didn't start saying or writing that homosexuality was...
@Chisty, You need to stick you head out of Utah, and realize 5 states have...
I suppose few people, especially from the left, will pay any attention to...
Have those people that criticize federal stimulus spending ever taken...
Re: Huh, why do you have to throw a wet blanket on such a great moment? That...

You can be the first to comment on this story.