Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
|
|
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/bears-ears-national-monument
Check it out. Grazing and Hunting will still be allowed.
I have seen very few cattle in that area around the Bears Ears. I have seen some signs of cattle on trail out of Salt Canyon, in Canyonlands.
As for the Outdoor Retailer Show:
On February 3, 2017, Utah Governor Herbert signed a resolution passed by the Utah legislature asking President Trump to rescind the designation of Bears Ears as a National Monument. There is uncertainty about the authority for a president to rescind a monument designated under the Antiquities Act, as it has never been done before.[16] On February 7, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia announced that it would not be attending the Outdoor Retailer Market in Salt Lake City in 2017 or subsequent years due to the Utah government's opposition to Bears Ears. Patagonia urged other retailers to join it in moving to a state that "values our industry and promotes public land conservation."[17] On February 16, the Outdoor Retailer Market announced that, after talking to the Governor, it would no longer schedule its annual trade show in Utah (as it has done for 20 years) due to the Utah government's opposition to Bears Ears National Monument.[18] The Outdoor Retailer show has 50,000 visitors and generates $45 million in local spending annually.[19]
After the pullout from Utah, Colorado attempted to become the host of upcoming Outdoor Retailer shows. The organization Colorado Conservation put advertisements in Utah papers stating, "We have stronger beer. We have taller peaks. We have higher recreation. But most of all we love our public lands."[19]
On February 21, 2017, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance announced that it will begin a statewide television advertisement campaign to build support for Bears Ears National Monument.[20]
|
|
Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
|
|
Yep to all.
Angie looking for more petroglyphs in the above, least-claustrophobic cave site.
It was a pretty airy cave & I did not enjoy the first 100 or so feet of the down-climb.
|
|
GuapoVino
climber
|
|
Most Mericans are completely in the dark about public lands. They live in areas with virtually no public lands and don't go to places to access them. I have a friend that is planning a family summer vacation to Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone and Arches - not sure why he picked those three. I was giving him some suggestions on places to go and things to do around Moab. He likes to fly drones so I was explaining to him the rules in national parks vs BLM and USFS land. Of course he instantly started in on the BLM, the Bundys, the tyrannical government, etc. I've been trying to educate him and the last time I talked to him he was thinking about ditching Mt Rushmore so he could spend a lot more time around Moab - mostly on BLM land. He's starting to see things from a different perspective and I'm sure his view will be different once he's back from his trip.
|
|
BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
|
|
Moab is largely desert. Yellowstone is awesome, especially in the fall and winter.It is filled to the gills with wildlife.
|
|
Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
|
|
Both Yellowstone and Moab/Arches are beautiful and fascinating in their own unique ways. Rushmore is...well Rushmore, but the Black Hills in general are also a wonderful place to visit. Your friend really won't go wrong visiting any of them and seeing all three will present an amazing series of contrasts.
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
Moab is largely desert. Yellowstone is awesome, especially in the fall and winter.It is filled to the gills with wildlife.
certainly if you include only the charismatic mega-fauna, but Moab is chock full of "wildlife" too, you just have to look more carefully... and watch where you step!
an example:
this stuff is absolutely fascinating
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_soil_crust
and interesting if you ever wondered where the first soils came from.
|
|
Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
|
|
You can imagine the impact of cattle on the cryptobiotic soil.
|
|
Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
|
|
After numerous visits in the past to the general area of The Bear's Ears, I've been amazed how quickly the cryptobiotic soils in the pinyon-juniper forest heal after disturbance. I've noticed cryptobiotic soils healing from still discernable tire tracks, that can't be more than 40 years old & are likely more recent.
However the large drainages on either side of Comb Ridge are dryer & the cryptobiotic soils are mostly gone & the drainages have in places downcut deeply into the now loose sands.
The most hurtfull, to me, cattle damage is the large number of canyon-side ruins cows have destroyed seeking shade. It's a logical progression, since many of those ruins are close to seasonal water holes, where the cattle gather. The overhangs that protect the ruins from rain, also offer mid-day summer shade to cows, who slowly grind the ruins into rubble while seeking shade on hot days.
Much of The Bear's Ears has been off-limits to cows for a few years, but I'm sure the local ranchers expect that to change in the favor of grazing, when the National Monument status is negated.
|
|
Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
|
|
There are thriving cattle operations up on Cedar Mesa (including the rims and side canyons of Grand Gulch) doing exactly what Fritz describes above. There are also cows all over the Valley of the Gods, and sometimes down in John's canyon.
I'm personally in favor of removing cattle operations from the the new Monument.
|
|
Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
|
|
Has the loss of cryptogamic soils on the Colorado Plateau been a contributing factor to the red dust that blown onto the spring snowpack of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for the last couple of decades?
Tom Painter, please discuss?
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
|
|
I'm personally in favor of removing cattle operations from the the new Monument
Me too!
|
|
AP
Trad climber
Calgary
|
|
Has anyone read David Roberts' book Sandstone Spine about traversing the entire Comb Ridge?
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
Yes.
Like most of Dave's books, this one is good too!
|
|
Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
|
|
AP! Re your Sandstone Spine question:
I enjoy Roberts' writting & I especially enjoy his books that include the Bear's Ear's area.
Sandstone Spine was the least enjoyable to me, since Roberts spends too-much time whining about one of his partners on the adventure, who is also an old friend. Unfortunately, I recall the book as a description of the hike & a lot of bitching.
|
|
Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
|
|
|
Feb 12, 2019 - 04:18pm PT
|
I don't expect this new legislation will help The Bear's Ears, but it seems like one hellava bipartisan effort with 92 Senators voting for the bill.
WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a bill that revives a popular conservation program, adds a million acres of new wilderness, expands several national parks and creates four new national monuments.
The massive measure combines more than 100 public-lands bills that add more than 350 miles of wild and scenic rivers and 2,600 miles of federal trails. It designates nearly 700,000 acres of new recreation and conservation areas. The bill also withdraws 370,000 acres in Montana and Washington state from mineral development.
The Senate approved the bill, 92-8, sending it to the House.
The bill permanently reauthorizes the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the country. The program expired last fall after Congress could not agree on language to extend it
Of course, there are likely parts of this bill that give other benefits to people or corporations. That is the way things work in Congress. Take your fuking along with the good things, to pass the legislation.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!