Road rules protect Factory Butte

Factory Butte has been enjoyed by photographers, adventuresome motorcyclists, ATV riders and windshield gazers from U-24 for decades — and Bureau of Land Management's new rules for off-highway vehicle use will keep it that way.

The new rules for motorized recreation are being put in place to protect two threatened cacti species that are only found in the Factory Butte area. To protect the cacti, riders will have to stick to a network of 220 miles of roads, except in the 2,600-acre area Swing Arm City where cross-country travel is still permitted.

Off-highway use continues to grow exponentially in Utah — registrations have more than doubled in the past 10 years. By taking these actions now it will protect riders' opportunities to enjoy this area for years to come. And, while this means some changes, Factory Butte has not been "closed" to OHV use. The implementation of some common-sense rules will prevent damages to the ecological resources of this area so Factory Butte can remain open to recreational use into the future.

As one of the most prominent land features in Wayne County, Factory Butte has also become a symbol. The striking landscape typifies the rural West, but it also represents the all too common battles that emerge from opposing opinions about public land use. As usual, the BLM has become the designated pinata.

Competing public land stakeholders are never shy about letting us know what they think. Spirited dialogue seems to come with the multiple-use mission, and we are happy to have the public become a part of the process — even if it does mean we take a few hits.

But in this case we are hoping that rather than becoming another battleground, Factory Butte can become a symbol of public land management cooperation and common sense compromise. This will be a "win-win" situation for both the cacti and the OHV users.

The lead-up to the decision to designate routes and limit cross-country travel began with BLM field work that found OHV use was affecting endangered cacti. Fifty-seven percent of the known cactus plants declined in population during the seven years of monitoring. We found that the cacti species at Factory Butte simply could not handle unrestricted OHV use.

After BLM recognized the problem, it drew upon the input of various stakeholders, including local government, OHV groups and environmentalists through the BLM's Resource Advisory Council. BLM listened to their input, and it was an important part of the process as BLM tried to reach a solution.