No representation...
Dec 06, 2012 | 1325 views | 0 0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend | print
With regards to the Outdoor Retailers letter to President Obama: First and foremost, I am an out-of-state visitor to the Moab area. I typically visit, at minimum, twice a year. Once a year for Easter Jeep Safari, and once a year for hiking/biking. So while I am not a resident to the area I do care what happens there and have been following the news on this subject closely.

While reading the article, one comment stood out: Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, was not familiar with the monument proposal, but said he doesn’t see the need. “I’m surprised. I didn’t know there was this terrible problem,” he said. “We work closely with the Bureau of Land Management to keep ATV [all-terrain vehicle] people from going pell-mell across the land. There have been no extraction leases offered in that area for tens of years. Why do we need another layer of public land control for the residents of San Juan County?”

Why are these outdoor companies fighting for something that has not been requested? This same argument can be made with shutting down “unused roads and spurs.” Why close something nobody uses or wants to use? To me it sounds like the issue is already closed? Why waste tax dollars stopping what isn’t happening?

The list of these “outdoor” companies is ultimately suspicious as well. As I said, I am a Jeep owner and do recreate in the area with my 4x4 Jeep, responsibly. Yet, this alliance of outdoor companies is without an active member of the off-road industry. A beer company can make the list, their only tie to being an “outdoor company” is having a beverage named after a bike tire. But still there is no representation from a single 4x4 or ATV group. Without that involvement this movement only furthers suspicions that access restrictions will soon follow. This movement for a national monument is nothing more than a backdoor political move to restrict access. I’ll be boycotting these companies until their support for OHV access is in writing.

—Thomas Yash

Alliance, Neb.
Share This Article |

Copyright 2013 The Times-Independent. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

report abuse...

Express yourself:

We're glad to give readers a forum to express their points of view on issues important to this community. That forum is the “Letters to the Editor.” Letters to the editor may be submitted directly to The Times-Independent through this link and will be published in the print edition of the newspaper. All letters must be the original work of the letter writer – form letters will not be accepted. All letters must include the actual first and last name of the letter writer, the writer’s address, city and state and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be accepted.

Letters may not exceed 400 words in length, must be regarding issues of general interest to the community, and may not include personal attacks, offensive language, ethnic or racial slurs, or attacks on personal or religious beliefs. Letters should focus on a single issue. Letters that proselytize or focus on theological debates will not be published. During political campaigns, The Times-Independent will not publish letters supporting or opposing any local candidate. Thank you letters are generally not accepted for publication unless the letter has a public purpose. Thank you letters dealing with private matters that compliment or complain about a business or individual will not be published. Nor will letters listing the names of individuals and/or businesses that supported a cause or event. Thank you letters about good Samaritan acts will be considered at the discretion of the newspaper.