BLM, governor called too lax on ORV use

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance criticized both the Huntsman administration and the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday for being too lax on off-road vehicle users.

The comments came as the organization released a study conducted for SUWA by Dan Jones & Associates that showed the vast majority of Utahns are concerned about the way off-roaders are impacting the landscape and favor stricter rules for the popular vehicles.

The study found that Utahns believe the governor should be keeping a close eye on wilderness areas. When asked how high a priority Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. should put on protecting wilderness lands, on a scale of 1-5, the mean score was 3.86, with 65 percent of respondents recommending it be a 4 or a 5.

And he's not doing that, said Heidi McIntosh, the environmental group's spokeswoman. She said his involvement in lawsuits meant to keep dirt roads in BLM lands open to off-roading vehicles shows that he's out of touch with Utahns, 72 percent of whom said they were either somewhat or very concerned with the impact those vehicles are having on southern Utah's wilderness areas.

But Lynn Stevens, state public lands policy coordinator, said the governor has not tried to increase the amount of land used by off-roading vehicles. The lawsuits, he said, are aimed at maintaining the right of Utahns to use existing roads.

And he said that, like everyone else involved, the governor doesn't support the use of motorized vehicles in wilderness areas, where they're illegal.

McIntosh also said Huntsman should recognize that preserving open space is in the economic interest of the state. When presented with the statement, "Preserving open space is important to Utah's economic vitality," 78 percent of poll respondents somewhat or strongly agreed. Since southern Utah destinations are a major source of tourism, McIntosh said, the beauty of the area should be protected.

The poll also found:

• 70 percent agreed that off-road vehicles conflict with hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders; that's up from 60 percent in 1999, the last time the survey was conducted.

• 78 percent agreed off-roading vehicle use should be managed more closely on public lands.

• 44 percent disagreed when asked if they agreed off-roading rules are enforced well enough; 27 percent agreed and 23 percent didn't know.

• 76 percent somewhat or strongly agreed with the statement, "The protection of southern Utah's wilderness is an important issue that deserves attention now."