This makes me sick.  I try not to be political here, but our Federal Government is out of control.  Every day, another 'right' is taken away. 

What's next?  Limiting what I can eat and drink?  Oh yah, that's already starting.

I'm so sick of this garbage.

Yes, the woman in charge of the whole of BLM in SE Utah told the Blanding City Councilmen that there is no way to reverse the directive from Washington DC. It is written in stone as of now and they are preparing to close them soon.

A very good friend of Calvin's works the counter at BLM Monticello and gave us his used set of maps and said to drive the trails until the hammer falls. The only roads that are shown open on the maps are the San Juan County roads. All of the other roads are closed to vehicular traffic as of now but they are allowing a grace period to finalize everything.

The woman manager from Moab agreed to meet with the Blanding City Council to discuss the roads but she told them it won't change anything and only the County roads will be open for travel. I do believe the Native Americans will still have the right to go any where they want but I am not sure about that because I forgot to ask them about that. They may not be allowed to use vehicles on the BLM lands either.

This may also lead to mine minerals or drill for oil because of no vehicle traffic allowed. It's hard to tell how far they will go to stop everything.

The only hope we have is if the 5 BLM states continue their fight to get the land under their control. The BLM owns 90+% of the land in Nevada, think about that a while. Look up how much land the BLM owns in those 5 states. I say BLM owns the land because after you hear the manager talk it's obvious they think THEY own the land, not the citizens of the USA or the government of the USA.

At the end of last Tuesdays meeting to say I was pissed is saying it mildly.

WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE DEPT OF INTERIOR AND ALL IT'S SUB GROUPS.

EDIT: Fellows, I too hate to get a political thread started BUT, this is a very important topic to us that like to drive OUR lands the BLM thinks they own. I am sorry it this topic offends anyone but it needs to be discussed. AND, don't take the threat of fines and jail time lightly.

The BLM is using San Juan County Utah as a steeping stone and an example of the rest of the states what is going to happen to them. This directive is for San Juan County now and the rest will follow latter.

As further proof Upper Recapture was temporarily closed for 90 days evaluation 5 YEARS AGO and is still closed. They promised at the meeting to look at it again by March 2013. It will probably remain closed. The Grand Old Broads were the ones that caused Upper Recapture to be closed.

Wow this is a disturbing topic.... First of all to Carl, Calvin, and crew thank you for sharing with us the pictures of your ride. The scenery in your pictures should be in an art display, the jeeps gave it life and purposeful intent. I think that Carl is sadly correct when he states that we have lost. What was a seemingly good idea here in Maine 20 years ago, The Lands for Maine's Future, is now a very well funded (with our tax dollars) environmentalist group that is killing everything from logging to snowmobiling.
In deference to Bill I had better cap it here as I find myself deleting much that I am typing.
I guess it is a common thread that we share in trying to preserve a 60 year old machine that under goverment regulations could not be built today.
Make your vote count in November!!!

Go to this link for the official Monticello Field Office Travel Plan Maps.  There are over 2,820 miles of Class D roads (two –track) open for motorized use within San Juan County. 
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/maps_11__by_17_.html

Tom Heinlein
Monticello Field Office Manager
Bureau of Land Management
Visit the Monticello Field Office at:  http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello.html

Well Carl, you have opened the door...the above email was sent to me today after I inquired re: your allegations about all roads being off limits and that all BLM lands would be closed in the near future.  If you click on any one of the maps, you will see the many roads that are open.  If Mr. Heinlein has given me bad information, please tell me so I can inquire further.


The BLM manages many square miles of public lands - 22.9 million acres in Utah alone.  They manage to the principals of "multiple use" and cannot please everybody.  I know people who work for the BLM and USFS and they are good people.  Doing a difficult job as best they can with everybody and their brother screaming at them.  I would expect that there are some clerks in their employ who do not really understand all of the issues around road closures and such, and give out misleading or ambiguous information.  This is unfortunate.  Maybe Carl and Calvin were given some bad information, I don't know.  But to allege that all BLM lands are to be off limits to the public defies credulity.  To allege that there are no BLM roads open to the public in San Juan county is absurd.  To allege that mining and any other resource extraction will become off limits on BLM lands is just fear mongering and has no basis in fact. 

Carl, you have made it very clear that you despise "environmentalists".  Well, I'll tell you what...I want clean air.  I want clean water.  I want to have suitable habitat for the wildlife with which we share this planet.  Does this make me an environmentalist?  Well I guess it would, and you are very clear about how you feel about me. 

FBill, are we to understand then, that spewing political bullshit on this site is acceptable as long as you agree with the point of view that is doing the spewing?  Slippery slope, Bill, and I would hope for better from you.  I guess you will be deleting my post.

Tim, you have been a great help to me with my jeep and I thank you, but you seem to have a deep hatred of the government.  Seriously, what "rights" have you lost?  Are you referring to Bush's  "Patriot Act"?  Maybe Bush's "Homeland Security Act"?  Maybe Bush's "TSA"?  Given your comment re: junk food, I guess you feel the Feds should have never regulated or taxed tobacco and smoking or alcohol???

Bob W.,  the "Blue Ribbon Coalition" sucks!  They are not our best ally - they fight all reasonable remedies to the very contentious issues re: motorized recreation on public lands.  Dig deeper.


C'mon guys...this is a site for those of us who like old Willys jeeps.  I come here to escape - not to be preached to about all that is wrong with the world.  Bill, if your intention is to have this site be only used by the far right on the political spectrum - if we have to hate the government, and go through life as victims of the government and blame the government for all that is wrong in our lives, then you should state that clearly under "members information" or somewhere. 

When I first started using the CJ3A page four years ago I only used the "Tech" section as that is what I needed help with while building my 3a.  As I got to "know" many of you (and like many of you), I started to read all of the other sections, including the "rants" section.  But sometimes it is a challenge to suffer through some of the BS.  Sorry guys, I know I'm all alone here out on this limb and you can "black ball" me if you want to, but I just can't suffer you're bullshit anymore.  Every time there is a holiday of some sort (especially a military holiday) you have to get in your licks against the government.   I think it is time to "nut up" - if there are things wrong in your lives, change those circumstances.  Stop whining about how you are victims of  "the government".

Well, that is true, the people here tell me that all the ruts and trails are smoothed over with the winter and spring rains. The County highway dept has to go out and reconstruct the roads nature has obliterated. They tell me that if a Jeep trail on dirt in the BLM lands isn't used every year then in two years it can seldom be found on the ground and the only way to find it is by flying over and looking for the open tree path. It is almost invisible on the ground.

The weather causes more erosion problems than Jeeps, ATV's or motorcycles. I was told and saw for myself that storms will wash out a road so what was a slight dip in the road is now a gully and can't be crossed.

At the meeting of the BLM and Blanding city council Tuesday night. The head of the local BLM told the council all the roads on BLM land in San Juan County are closed except the county roads unless marked open. She later said that the roads are all open unless marked closed. The council members said, you can't have it both ways, your policy statement says the roads are closed unless marked open and your telling us it's both ways so which is it? She told them the roads are open unless marked closed and that is not what the BLM policy statement she presented said.

After the meeting closed I confronted Shelley Smith, Canyon County District Manager, and Tom Heinlein, Field Office Manager and told them I had just trailered my Jeep 1700 miles to drive the Jeep trails on the BLM land and now your telling me they are closed. She said no you can drive on them unless there is a closed sign. I said but you just said in the meeting they are closed unless marked open so which way is it. She said they are open, drive on them.

That is against the Federal policy that she and Tom are hired to enforce so she is telling be to break the law. Calvin and I then contacted the County Sheriff and he came by Calvin's home and after some discussion gave us his cell phone number and told us to do as she said and if we are stopped to call him or tell them to contact him by radio and he will take care of it.

So far I have driven on several BLM roads and nothing has happened and I hope it doesn't but my thoughts are this is the last year anyone will be driving on BLM lands in San Juan County. San Juan County is a test bed and when they close the roads here it won't be long before ALL BLM roads in all 5 BLM states will be closed.

The Grand Old Broads are coming to San Juan County Sept 27 to Oct 1 to celebrate their success in getting the BLM lands closed.

If you think any policy directive of the BLM can be changed your wrong. About 5 years ago the Upper Recapture Canyon was closed for a 6 month test period by efforts of the Grand Old Broads. The BLM promised to review it at the end of the 6 months. It has not been reviewed for 5 years and at the Monday meeting Tom Heinlein promised to review it and have a decision by March 2013. No one at the meeting believed him because it's been promised before. The problem is, he is leaving this office this November.

I am going to enjoy all the trails I can because I don't expect them to be open next year.

aboyandhisdog wrote on 09/07/12 at 03:23:31:


Help me out here. Who is our best ally for responsible use of off pavement  roads on public land?

Is there a national level off-road organization that can deal with the federal government?
I guess we're talking a group able to lobby in DC like all the other special interest groups.

I understand how emotions can get hot over issues like this. It's best for all of us to try to moderate the rhetoric and stick to facts and personal witness. This is a very important issue for all of us - and not just off-roaders. I'm an active paddler as well (canoe and kayak) and am seeing the same thing happening in that arena. There are battles going on over paddling access to stretches of certain rivers. The sad thing is that some of the battling is between users, not between the users and the government. There are some rather dirty fights going on over parts of rivers between paddlers and fishermen. That's very sad, as we should all be cooperating to retain access to the "wilderness" rather than fighting over it.

If there is a national group that can be our advocate in DC, we need to know who it is and support it. And we need to be active at the local level as well, supporting our local law enforcement and especially working with them to clean out the bad apples who, in many cases, have started this whole mess by abusing the access privileges we've had in the past. Every off-road area has jerks who think they can drive wherever they want with no consequences. We need to work with local law, and the Feds, to police our own.

But the real work is at the Federal level.

My $0.02 worth.