THE ZEPHYRSEPTEMBER 1990 PAGE 6 The Jeep Safari vs. The BLM who's right? who's wrong by Jim Stiles Four months ago, I wrote an editorial about rumors in Moab. This particular rumor suggested that the Bureau of Land Management had a hidden agenda to end Moab's 25 year old Jeep Safari. The annual event, sponsored by the Red Rock Four Wheelers has drawn Increasing numbers of participants with each passing year. In 1990, the Easter weekend crowd approached 1200 vehicles, snd even the Jeep Safari sponsors wondered If the size of the event was getting out of hand. comment by a BLM employee sparked the debate when that person An suggested that the event should be shut down. It was taken to heart by those who overheard the comment and It quickly spread throughout the community. Despite denials by the BLM that the agency had no Interest In closing down the Safari, rumors persisted. Adding fuel to the fire, the BLM snnounced that In preparing a new 5 year permit for the Four Wheelers, the fee for use of the trail might Increase dramatically. In addition, Area Manager Brad Palmer concluded that the Jeep Safari could no longer qualify for a categorical exclusion (CX) from the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act). From now on, a complete Environmental Assessment would be required slong with public hearings. Members of the Four Wheelers charged that the BLM was dragging Its feet In the permit process and attempting to price the Safari right out of existence. The group presented Its case before the Grand County Commission. They asked the county to take the roads away from the BLM and their Jurisdiction. The Commission fee Increase, before tills year, the Jeep Safari was labeled a commercial event by the BLM. Its rules stipulate that 3 of the gross revenues from the event be paid to the BLM. The 1989 Safari generated $750 to the agency. Now, however, because of an tall Into the Special apparently overlooked category, events that Involve 50 or more vehicles Recreational use group. ts rules require that $1.50 per person per day be charged and collected by the group. The same 1989 Safari would have returned $5904 to the BLM. Palmer argues that this cost (which equates to about $8 per vehicle) does not Impose a severe financial hardship on anyone. Also, since 80 of the foes will return directly to the district, that money can be used to deal with Impacts to the area caused by the event Palmer adds that matching grant funds from the state through the vehicle law allows them to double the amount of funds for their Impacts. voted to make all trails part of the Class participants. The real resistance comes from local residents who argue that they can use the trails all year for free, except during Safari week. Palmer compares Jeep use and Safari Week to the golf course. Most of the year, golfers can play 18 holes for a very reasonable price. However, If a tournament Is held, those golfers are required to pay a substantial fee to play on the same course. But McElhaney counters that during a golf tournament, In Is event the If exclusive. That participation Is, you aren't part of the tournament, you cant at all. Is However, there nothing to stop other Jeepers from using the same trails during play Safari Week, although they never registered or paid to be part of the Safori. In fact, every off-ha- nd right-of-wa- D road system, but did not move to actually claim ys. Whos right and who's wrong? What Is the BLMs motivation In all this? Do they truly have a "hidden agenda or are they Just doing their Job? Do the Four Wheelers have d? a legitimate complaint or have they badly Or does the truth lie somewhere In between? To find my way through this fog, I tried to listen to both sides and their best shot at a rational explanation. Brad Palmer, the BLM's Grand Area Resource Manager, made the decision to drop the Safaris categorical exclusion from the NEPA process. The Jeep Safari Initially received Its CX because It began prior to the time the NEPA criteria was established. According to the law, any such event could retain Its CX as long as there was "no substantial Increase In the level of use. Palmer reviewed the statistics and found that the size of the Safari had from 400 vehicles In 1979 to 1200 In 1990. The number of trails tripled In a decade Increased from 10 to 27. According to Palmer, he could not longer Justify a categorical exclusion for the Jeep Safari, and decided that the event must go through the NEPA process, which Includes a complete environmental assessment and public hearings. over-reacte- As for the off-high- How do the Red Rock Four Wheelers respond to all this? Opinion seems to be spilt within the group. Kurt Balling, who appeared before the Commission, Is not convinced that the BLMs motives are Innocent He also believes that the additional cost could have ed a severe Impact on participation and put an unfair financial burden on a traditional If a are rules ask He the others and now, event being changed categorical why exclusion was fair last year, why Isn't It fair now? family-orient- Doug McElhaney believes sn sddftional foe would have little Impact on out-of-to- wn year, last minute "add-o- n" Jeepers tag along behind the official trail groups, having never a Palmer concedes there Is nothing the BLM can do about It paid penny. Kurt Balling argues that the BLM does little or nothing to administer or maintain the trails. He believes that the Red Rock Four Wheelers have done more than anyone to keep the trails clean and In good shape. In fact he can point to a beautification award that his group received from the BLM for their outstanding efforts In that regard. And Palmer agrees completely. He has nothing but praise for the Four Wheelers efforts. He believes that the money raised from the fee Increases should be used for "secondary Impacts such as the camping problems and abuses along the River Corridor. FDR: WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU? My enemies are business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking... organized money. Never before in history have these forces been so united against one president as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me and I welcome their hatred. should like to have it said of my first administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second administration that in it these forces met their I master. Franklin D. Roosevelt October 31, 1936 brought to you by the Main St. Broiler 606 So. Main 259-5908