Indian Creek ATV Trail

The Friends of Indian Creek has recently been sent a notice that the Monticello Field Office of the BLM is considering an ATV Trail through the Creek Pasture Campground. Here are a few of the details:

An Environmental Assessment (E.A. in government-talk) was put out describing an ATV trail, specifically for dirt-bikes and 4-wheelers, that would link the Hamburger Rock Campground to the Creek Pasture Campground. It would then continue on to the Davis Canyon Road and (presumably) on to the Abajos. The trail, as the BLM wants it, will utilize the road that runs through the Creek Pasture Campground. The ATV Trail as a whole, according to the rumor mill, is being pushed-for by San Juan County to increase this segment of tourism.

If you are like the FOIC board, you are probably wondering just how the same people who put money into the Creek Pasture Campground improvements this year could then wish to increase the noise and dust levels to such a degree that none of us would want to stay there. We have no answer for that. We do know that the BLM is giving us a short time (until December 21, 2011) to comment on this.

You can be sure that the ATV community is writing letters that push for the trail in its current location. It would be nice if we could have letters that said our side in as great of numbers. There are other options for this trail, like utilizing the Harts Draw Road or following the highway from Hamburger Rock to Davis Canyon, that do not impact a campground. For what its worth, the FOIC's stance has not been to condemn the idea of a trail for another user group (especially since this trail has been diverted away from the main climbing areas in the canyon), but to simply point out that it should not go through the campground as the noise and dust will ruin the camping experience for everyone.

Here are a couple of points on letters. One, don't use a generic letter and do the copy and paste form of "writing". They see through that and dismiss those. Two, don't be rude... they tend not to listen to that either. For some reason, the page they tell us to send our e-letters to is not accepting letters. We are not sure why. So, here are some addresses you can send to instead:

Bureau of Land Management
Attention Maxine Deeter
Monticello Field Office
PO. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535

BLM_UT_MT_Comments@blm.gov

I sent my letter in last week. I also sent an email to my climbing partners and encouraged all of them to write email to the BLM and tell them that this was a bad idea. If you don't like the thought of an OHV trail running through your campground you need to tell them.

Let your voice be heard! Write a letter!Thanks in advance!

I just emailed a bunch of my friends who all climb at the creek and asked them to write. I will send in a letter as well. There is no reason to run an atv trail through any area where people are camping, let alone that one. It is completely unnecessary. There is no reason sited in the documentation as to why it has to actually go through the campground either. There are many other solutions to this. I hope more people take the time to comment here and send a letter. We are talking about the Creek after all. Talk about a kick ass place to climb and camp...

Long live the Creek, especially with campgrounds free of ATV traffic.

Give your voice and words to help keep the Creek Pasture Campground free of potential ATV dust, noise and hazard.

Keep the climbing on the crags and the 'zooming' out of the campgrounds.

Thanks to the members and BOD of Friends of Indian Creek for bringing awareness to the quickly approaching deadline - DECEMBER 21st end of comment period.

Write now, right now.

Write an email to the Monticello, UT BLM office now:

Bureau of Land Management - Attention Maxine Deeter

BLM_UT_MT_Comments@blm.gov

OR snail mail:

Bureau of Land Management
Attention Maxine Deeter
Monticello Field Office
PO. Box 7
Monticello, UT 84535

More info here:
mountainproject.com/v/india…

6 pages on how Alf is ruining the creek, and this isn't to half of a page! Figure out your priorities, MP community!

Email has been sent. God help us all...

Phil Lauffen wrote:6 pages on how Alf is ruining the creek, and this isn't to half of a page! Figure out your priorities, MP community!

sent a letter.

For years, climbers have gone to the creek to get 'off the grid.'

Now folks even know which intersections and campsites they can go to get the best cell service and tweet something out to all their friends.
We can no longer pretend that THE MAN doesn't know what goes on out there. They are there counting cars and keeping a very regular eye on all behavior.

So let's take this opportunity to make sure that we work with them. Development is inevitable. The sheer numbers of people who complain about the parking lot is the exact reason it needed to be put in.

Make sure they hear your voice and try not to give them any crap. They already do an amazing job with the latter.

Ben F wrote:The ATVs could drown-out both the loud spraying 5 feet from my tent while I'm trying to sleep through my hangover and the drum circle noise. I find engine noise to be more palatable than a gaggle of boulderites engaging in the aforementioned activities.

Letter Sent.

I sent my letter!

Let's keep this on the front page to get the word out.
-J

Indian Creek 4 lyfe

I agree that an ATV trail is totally unreasonable to put through an established campsite and I will be writing a letter to the BLM.

Additionally, it is totally unreasonable for some climbers to drive vehicles through Creek Pastures at speeds like you are on an ATV trail. Seriously.

bump!

Sent.

Bumping - (polite) letter written. A route through the campground would have less appeal to me as a mountain biker than heading down Harts and thereby avoiding civilization (i.e. Creek Pasture). I'd even prefer the 211 route to Hamburger (done it before to bike Lockhart)over a tour of Creek Pasture. The proposal is simply goofy, unless ATVers really enjoy plowing through campgrounds. In which case, perhaps we can point them to some KOAs.

bump for the creek.

Bump.

For those with Facebook (who doesn't have facebook these days), you can/should like these pages for more info on this and other threats to our beloved crags:

Friends of Indian Creek

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance