andymstevens
Member
- Mar 10, 2000
- 87
- 0
I made it to one of the meetings the other night.
If any of you have any interest in the Phoenix area, this is for you.
It was good to meet Thomas B. from the Phoenix office. He's the access/rec planning guy and he will also be putting on the Tread Lightly training in Tucson soon.
At our table there were 2 blm folks, 5 members of the Rough Riders 4WD Club, myself and a lady from the Center for Bio Diversity. There were alot of sportsmen there also - AZ Bighorn, AZ Sportsman's Journal, Rocky Mtn Elk, and S. AZ. Sportsmen's Alliance were represented.
The conversation at our table centered on recreation opportunity and the lady from the CBD soon got up and changed tables. (this is after one of the Rough Riders, a guy named Vaughn who's lived here for over 50 years, asked what was so special about the Sonoran Pronghorn and then proceeded to tell the BLM folks that there had been no proven impact on the desert tortoise by recreation.) Well, you just had to be there for that one. He got a good answer though and the Sonoran Pronghorn is in trouble.
These meetings are held to discern what is to be the agency preferred solution. You have A which is what is happening now, all the way to D, which is a whole lot of new wilderness. Go out to the site and look at the maps. I am not familiar with the areas and could not offer much in the way of comment other than the fact that based on road closures a mix of A and B seemed to be ok as the BLM will increase active mgmt of the areas and put in kiosks and such. There are many maps that have alot of different info, please look at each map in each category. This isn't like a primary election where you pick and choose A or D all the way across the board, you can pick and choose which plans that you want based on how you feel about each aspect of the management plan.
The comment period ends on March 11th. What Thomas seemed to need are comments on specific uses and use areas that we would like to see kept open. He couldn't come right out and say get your a$$es in gear or this will be shut down, but that appeared to be what he was politely getting at.
So, if any of you guys have comments on specific areas or know this area please let the BLM know or send me the info so I can get it to them. It is imperitive that this be done because I assume that the agency preferred alternative will have more wilderness since the hikers have REEEALLY got their stuff together on this one. This stuff started last year and we're just now getting involved.
http://www.az.blm.gov/LUP/sonoran/prelim_alts/prelim_alts.htm
http://www.az.blm.gov/LUP/sonoran/son_des.htm
PLEASE DO THIS NOW !!!!
If any of you have any interest in the Phoenix area, this is for you.
It was good to meet Thomas B. from the Phoenix office. He's the access/rec planning guy and he will also be putting on the Tread Lightly training in Tucson soon.
At our table there were 2 blm folks, 5 members of the Rough Riders 4WD Club, myself and a lady from the Center for Bio Diversity. There were alot of sportsmen there also - AZ Bighorn, AZ Sportsman's Journal, Rocky Mtn Elk, and S. AZ. Sportsmen's Alliance were represented.
The conversation at our table centered on recreation opportunity and the lady from the CBD soon got up and changed tables. (this is after one of the Rough Riders, a guy named Vaughn who's lived here for over 50 years, asked what was so special about the Sonoran Pronghorn and then proceeded to tell the BLM folks that there had been no proven impact on the desert tortoise by recreation.) Well, you just had to be there for that one. He got a good answer though and the Sonoran Pronghorn is in trouble.
These meetings are held to discern what is to be the agency preferred solution. You have A which is what is happening now, all the way to D, which is a whole lot of new wilderness. Go out to the site and look at the maps. I am not familiar with the areas and could not offer much in the way of comment other than the fact that based on road closures a mix of A and B seemed to be ok as the BLM will increase active mgmt of the areas and put in kiosks and such. There are many maps that have alot of different info, please look at each map in each category. This isn't like a primary election where you pick and choose A or D all the way across the board, you can pick and choose which plans that you want based on how you feel about each aspect of the management plan.
The comment period ends on March 11th. What Thomas seemed to need are comments on specific uses and use areas that we would like to see kept open. He couldn't come right out and say get your a$$es in gear or this will be shut down, but that appeared to be what he was politely getting at.
So, if any of you guys have comments on specific areas or know this area please let the BLM know or send me the info so I can get it to them. It is imperitive that this be done because I assume that the agency preferred alternative will have more wilderness since the hikers have REEEALLY got their stuff together on this one. This stuff started last year and we're just now getting involved.
http://www.az.blm.gov/LUP/sonoran/prelim_alts/prelim_alts.htm
http://www.az.blm.gov/LUP/sonoran/son_des.htm
PLEASE DO THIS NOW !!!!
