If Tanner and White had their way, trucks coming from the north side of the canyon would use an old BLM road, which needs millions of dollars worth of upgrades and extending before it's ready for traffic. That road is almost directly across from a main access out of the canyon to the plateau. Once trucks access the plateau from one canyon, White and Tanner say a loop road on the plateau could be built to connect Barrett's drill sites without needing to send its trucks back into the canyon and up side roads through the other canyons.

"That's the only thing that will protect the rock art," White said.

But Barrett maintains that building a loop road would impact wildlife and cultural resources, which so far haven't been disturbed by the company's presence in the canyon or on the plateau.

The trucks continue to use the main canyon road and its side roads, with estimates that traffic in Nine Mile Canyon will increase to about 700 trips per day if the company is allowed to drill 800 wells in eight years.

Tanner and White say that if they can't stop the traffic, they at least want to stop the dust or control it in a way that doesn't harm the art or air. They say their fight won't be over until they're satisfied with the solutions the BLM, Barrett and others come up with to protect the canyon, its air and art.

---

E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com