H.R. 1925 - Utah backcountry closure?

Hi Everyone,
Does anyone know if this bill, which I heard that a house subcommittee is taking up tomorrow, close any Utah backcountry airstrips? It apparently designates over 9 million acres as "wilderness", including all of the Moab mountain biking areas, closing off access for everyone except backpackers and maybe horseback riders. What does it do to the Utah backcountry airstrips?

Here is the list of affected areas:

(1) Cane Spring Desert (approximately 18,000 acres).

(2) Dark Canyon (approximately 134,000 acres).

(3) Dirty Devil (approximately 242,000 acres).

(4) Fiddler Butte (approximately 92,000 acres).

(5) Flat Tops (approximately 30,000 acres).

(6) Little Rockies (approximately 64,000 acres).

(7) The Needle (approximately 11,000 acres).

(8) Red Rock Plateau (approximately 213,000 acres).

(9) White Canyon (approximately 98,000 acres).

(1) Allen Canyon (approximately 5,900 acres).

(2) Arch Canyon (approximately 30,000 acres).

(3) Comb Ridge (approximately 15,000 acres).

(4) East Montezuma (approximately 45,000 acres).

(5) Fish and Owl Creek Canyons (approximately 73,000 acres).

(6) Grand Gulch (approximately 159,000 acres).

(7) Hammond Canyon (approximately 4,400 acres).

(8) Nokai Dome (approximately 93,000 acres).

(9) Road Canyon (approximately 63,000 acres).

(10) San Juan River (Sugarloaf) (approximately 15,000 acres).

(11) The Tabernacle (approximately 7,000 acres).

(12) Valley of the Gods (approximately 21,000 acres).

(1) Bridger Jack Mesa (approximately 33,000 acres).

(2) Butler Wash (approximately 27,000 acres).

(3) Dead Horse Cliffs (approximately 5,300 acres).

(4) Demon's Playground (approximately 3,700 acres).

(5) Duma Point (approximately 14,000 acres).

(6) Gooseneck (approximately 9,000 acres).

(7) Hatch Point Canyons/Lockhart Basin (approximately 149,000 acres).

(8) Horsethief Point (approximately 15,000 acres).

(9) Indian Creek (approximately 28,000 acres).

(10) Labyrinth Canyon (approximately 150,000 acres).

(11) San Rafael River (approximately 101,000 acres).

(12) Shay Mountain (approximately 14,000 acres).

(13) Sweetwater Reef (approximately 69,000 acres).

(14) Upper Horseshoe Canyon (approximately 60,000 acres).

(1) Cedar Mountain (approximately 15,000 acres).

(2) Devils Canyon (approximately 23,000 acres).

(3) Eagle Canyon (approximately 38,000 acres).

(4) Factory Butte (approximately 22,000 acres).

(5) Hondu Country (approximately 20,000 acres).

(6) Jones Bench (approximately 2,800 acres).

(7) Limestone Cliffs (approximately 25,000 acres).

(8) Lost Spring Wash (approximately 37,000 acres).

(9) Mexican Mountain (approximately 100,000 acres).

(10) Molen Reef (approximately 33,000 acres).

(11) Muddy Creek (approximately 240,000 acres).

(12) Mussentuchit Badlands (approximately 25,000 acres).

(13) Pleasant Creek Bench (approximately 1,100 acres).

(14) Price River-Humbug (approximately 120,000 acres).

(15) Red Desert (approximately 40,000 acres).

(16) Rock Canyon (approximately 18,000 acres).

(17) San Rafael Knob (approximately 15,000 acres).

(18) San Rafael Reef (approximately 114,000 acres).

(19) Sids Mountain (approximately 107,000 acres).

(20) Upper Muddy Creek (approximately 19,000 acres).

(21) Wild Horse Mesa (approximately 92,000 acres).

(1) Bourdette Draw (approximately 15,000 acres).

(2) Bull Canyon (approximately 2,800 acres).

(3) Chipeta (approximately 95,000 acres).

(4) Dead Horse Pass (approximately 8,000 acres).

(5) Desbrough Canyon (approximately 13,000 acres).

(6) Desolation Canyon (approximately 557,000 acres).

(7) Diamond Breaks (approximately 9,000 acres).

(8) Diamond Canyon (approximately 166,000 acres).

(9) Diamond Mountain (also known as `Wild Mountain') (approximately 27,000 acres).

(10) Dinosaur Adjacent (approximately 10,000 acres).

(11) Goslin Mountain (approximately 4,900 acres).

(12) Hideout Canyon (approximately 12,000 acres).

(13) Lower Bitter Creek (approximately 14,000 acres).

(14) Lower Flaming Gorge (approximately 21,000 acres).

(15) Mexico Point (approximately 15,000 acres).

(16) Moonshine Draw (also known as `Daniels Canyon') (approximately 10,000 acres).

(17) Mountain Home (approximately 9,000 acres).

(18) O-Wi-Yu-Kuts (approximately 13,000 acres).

(19) Red Creek Badlands (approximately 3,600 acres).

(20) Seep Canyon (approximately 21,000 acres).

(21) Sunday School Canyon (approximately 18,000 acres).

(22) Survey Point (approximately 8,000 acres).

(23) Turtle Canyon (approximately 39,000 acres).

(24) White River (approximately 24,500 acres).

(25) Winter Ridge (approximately 38,000 acres).

(26) Wolf Point (approximately 15,000 acres).

Christina, I have no answer as to landing strips affected. I would be surprised if the vocal, green, and large mountain bike community would allow Moab to go to foot and hoof traffic-only through 'wilderness' designation.

I would hope the flying community were as vocal.D

Being one of those crazy mountainbikers I don't see this getting out
of subcommittee at all, Moab is haloed ground to not only mountainbikers
but also to the entire offroad community. Not to mention the millions if
not billions that it pumps into the state of Utah. The congressional delegation from Utah is almost as liberal as the one from alaska
I don't see them sitting by and letting this happen.

I hope the 'thread hijack police' don't get me for this, but anyone who likes bikes oughtta check out this link:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=21337502001

Brad Thornberg aka Cubus Maximus sent me this link. Watch the whole thing, unbelievable stuff near the end, and sweet tune also.

DAVE

Can't take credit for finding that one Dave. "Flip Flop" sent me the link first. 8)

Awesome riding! Still not sure about the physics involved

Brad

(if you don't have Moab you can ride Edinburgh... Music was "The Funeral" by Band of Horses. Seattle group.)

Utah Backcountry Pilots is watching this one, says it is a long way from becoming law... 8)

Brad and Dave, That video is nothing, you should see the owner of this site with his motorcycle

Tim

Dave Calkins said:

I hope the 'thread hijack police' don't get me for this, but anyone who likes bikes oughtta check out this link:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=21337502001

Brad Thornberg aka Cubus Maximus sent me this link. Watch the whole thing, unbelievable stuff near the end, and sweet tune also.

DAVE

Click to expand...

People with that much talent make me sick.