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Show Page B2 - tEfre Eimgg-nbgpcnbc- - Thursday, March 17, 2005 nt Volunteers put up fences to keep the jeepers on the trail by Lisa Church contributing writer Each year, thousands of enthusiasts converge on Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari. They head to the backcountry to take in the scenic vistas and take on g the challenge of navigating tough drive trails. The passion to discover new obstacles that put man and vehicle to the test draws many drivers to one of the most popular and technical routes -trail Hells Revenge - a that winds along the eastern off-roa- d ever-popul- ar bone-rattlin- four-whe- el 12-mi- le slickrock rim above Moab, with access to numerous technically difficult side routes including climbs through The Escalator," a series of deep potholes worn into a sandstone crevice, and Hells Gate, a narrow sandstone crack that requires nerves of steel and cautious tire placement to ascend. For every driver willing to give these obstacles a try, doz and power tools, and hauled heavy logs, which had been delivered to the site by three Moab Humvee rental and tour off-roa- use. that The and Hells Gate, Escalator along with many other popular side routes, are not part of the Hells Revenge trail and travel in those areas has never been officially authorized. He pointed out Sering acknowledged that fences might' annoy some off- road users, but he said the move is a compromise designed to meet the needs of public lands managers as well as public lands visitors. is that the The trade-of- f fence will be constructed and it will be maintained by the users. In exchange, they get the privilege of using The Es- by Grand County, the BLM and the states Schools and Institutional Trust Lands Administra- O d tion, Englbrecht said. The trail that passes through vehicles has surge in management presented many challenges to the area best known as the home to the famous Slickrock bicycle trail. Officials are constantly strugoff-roa- f worker Daron Hayes (left) and Joe Englbrecht, an employee of the Sand Flats Recreation Area near Moab construct buck and d trail. Offrail fencing Saturday along the Hell's Revenge icials hope the fencing will keep spectators from parking vehicles BLM off-roa- USDA Approved Affordable Housing Retailer the area. Photo by Lisa Church and trampling sensitive desert soils and vegetation , SITLA lands south of the Lions Back is now posted for travel. The end of the trail is still open through this parcel, but the beginning of the Hells Revenge trail is only accessible at the Sand Flats Recreation one-wa- y (tans? CiePfc Ppegce area, SITLA officials in of buck and rail fencing in areas surrounding The Escalator and Hells Gate. Volun off-roa- iFoSr Cincfs Center Sfreet yJ'i 98OrEast call 259-613- 1 d posted, SITLA officials said. Deadline April 15,2005 Sand Flats, visitors this year will receive a new color brochure that includes detailed trail maps. On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers installed 1,100 feet MMEffiilSMHneFUN! calator and Hells Gate, he said. As long as they maintain the fence, they maintain the privilege. If this falls into disrepair and the surrounding area is not protected, then the gling to find ways to balance multiple uses with protecting the areas natural resources. Fencing some areas is a start, BLM officials say, but the privilege would end. welcomes nounced in a news release this week. $ d Allen Memorial Hospital an- SITLA has also posted signs prohibiting camping and travel at the trust land parcel south of the Lions Back commercial campground on Sand Flats Road, and motorized travel is banned at the Proving Grounds, a SITLA parcel near Kens Lake in Spanish Valley. Both of these parcels have been fenced and d manage this for everyones off-roa- Lands Administration have also closed two sites in the Moab area due to damage from vehicles and over use. A section of the Hells Revenge Tcensc5B3l2;15 might be prohibited, said BLM ranger Jon Sering. This is an experiment, Sering said. Weve talked with the groups and were that putting up fences hoping will put a stop to the major damage. Were just trying to use a positive approach to People are seeking out obstacles and testing their machinery. Were trying to allow them to use the places that arent going to be impacted as much, and get them to stay off the more fragile desert areas," said Sand Flats employee Joe Englbrecht. The damage is not from people driving The Escalator, its from people gathering to watch. Were trying to contain this to one route and not let it become a huge gathering place for spectators. d In recent years, use has increased exponentially in Sand Flats Recreation Area, a swath of county and public lands managed jointly off-roa-d If dont, travel in some areas companies. vedesigned to keep hicles on the designated trail. The Escalator and Hells Gate will remain open, but some other changes have been made in the area. Officials from the states School and Institutional Trust off-roa- success of the effort depends largely on the willingness of users to follow the rules. If they teers brought in generators ens more pull off the road to watch. In recent years, public lands officials say the traffic from spectators has turned much of the surrounding desert landscape into a dust bowl, destroying natural vegetation, and trampling fragile desert soils. This year, U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials have joined forces with Sand Flats Recreation Area employees and volunteers from the offMoab Friends road club to construct barriers Dr. an Affiliate of Rural Health Management Jean-Mich- el Hassan Emergency Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, Neck & Head Plastics Corporation Allen Memorial Hospital is pleased to have on staff Dr. Jean-MichHassan. Dr. Hassan and his family relocated to Moab from Cullman, Alabama where he had a private practice for eight years. In addition to years of experience in the emergency room, Dr. Hassan is also licensed in otorhinolaryngology. This branch of medicine deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the ears, nose, throat and adjacent structures of the head and neck. Dr. Hassan is excited to be in Moab and looking forward to serving this community with his specialies. His office hours will be 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. each Wednesday. el Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Allergy Testing Cosmetic Laser Surgery For appointments please call Canyonlands Medical Center (435) 259-277- 2 630 West 400 North, Ste. B Moab, Utah 84532 ision MARCH 17. THURSDAY EVENING 6:30 6:00 7:00 7 - 30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 2005 11:30 BROADCAST STATIONS TKMo im Developing Check out our selection of picture frames & photo albums! 290 South Main St. . 259-595- 9 We print Smartmedia, CompactFlash, Diskette, CDs on Photo Paper! Memory Stick & Multi-medi-a Attention FlMfterr Due to satellite feeds. the company that suppliea this service may publish incorrect information. ' Pleas alert Tribune Media Services of any errors at mcushingetribune.com. FYI: Only asmall percentage of area real-- " dents subscribe to premium channels, that is why those channels do not appear in these listings. , . MARCH 18, FRIDAY EVENING 6:00 I 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 MASH 2005 11:30 Y, Dear |