8 colorado airstrips in jeopardy. 5 mins of your time is needed

[learntolandshort]

We only have till 6/24 to comment please read below and take a few moments to comment. 8 wonderful airstrips depend on your support.

There are several airstrips in Colorado that are in the public comment phase for a RMP with the BLM. While the strips have been given recognition as a whole, there are 4 alternatives to the Travel Management Plan. The Alternatives suggest road closures that could affect some of the airstrips if the airstrip in considered part of the trail. The only alternative that doesn’t affect any of the strips is Alternative “A” which is not the preferred alternative but rather the current alternative that is in place. We desperately need comments to the below addresses stating that you are a pilot that enjoys the outdoors for recreational purposes you support Travel management alternative “A” or you would like to see the following airstrips excluded from the proposed travel management Alternatives since the airstrips are small slivers that coexist alongside the trails but are not part of the trails themselves.

Dolores Point
Hubbard
Little Dolores
West Creek Bluff
Arrow Head Camp airstrip
Calamity Camp Airstrip
Flattop Mesa Airstrip
Blue Mesa Airstrip

Make sure to add that personal touches that include why you like aircraft access to the outdoors. That most pilots are responsible and follow outdoor ethics guides, and that aviation is extremely low impact compared to many other forms of outdoor recreation.

Comment Form:

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/media...ments.Par.25438.File.dat/TMP Comment Form.pdf



· By email: gjfo_rmp@blm.gov
· By fax: 970-244-3083
· By mail: BLM – GJFO RMP, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO, 81506







If you have any questions please feel free to contact Patrick Romano at 5122891989 or by email at promano@theraf.orgs

 

[soyAnarchisto]

I'll mail and email mine in asap.

 

[mountainmatt]

Thank you Patrick!

The airstrips listed above all sit near the Dolores River and are simply breathtaking locations for solitude and camping. I know Patrick has been working hard with the BLM for almost 2 years, and now is the time to take action.

Please, take a moment today to put a letter in the mail and fire out an email. We simply don't want to leave any doubt in the minds of BLM officials that these airstrips aren't cherished.

Matt

 

[learntolandshort]

Thank you Patrick!

The airstrips listed above all sit near the Dolores River and are simply breathtaking locations for solitude and camping. I know Patrick has been working hard with the BLM for almost 2 years, and now is the time to take action.

Please, take a moment today to put a letter in the mail and fire out an email. We simply don't want to leave any doubt in the minds of BLM officials that these airstrips aren't cherished.

Matt

here is a sample letter I wrote. Please don't copy verbatim it will be considered one letter:

I have been following the draft RMP closely and was very excited to see the verbiage of "Backcountry Airstrips" included in the draft. However after close consideration of the Travel management alternatives I have a few concerns. Several of the airstrips sit along routes that have some form of limitation depending on the Alternative. I would like to see the airstrips that do sit along such routes as independent entities. The roads/trails/or routes in most cases travel alongside and do not include the strips themselves as in the case of Dolores Point, Westcreek Bluff, Calamity Camp, Blue Mesa, North Arrow Head Camp, and Flat Top Mesa. Hubbard and Arrowhead camp seem to be unaffected by routes in any form. Perhaps this exclusions of airstrips already exist, but we can't be too careful and I can't find the specific language that does protect these important points of history and access. I am an avid outdoor enthusiast and do support rehabilitation, however I would like to point out that these Airstrips are a very small footprint when considered with the rest of the route system and provide a low impact form of access for a variety of actives. At less than 2000 ft in most case the strips are a fraction of a typical point of access for recreation. In the event that they cannot be excluded from the current routes as their own entities I strongly support Travel management alternative "A"

These strips are also a large part of our western history as rich as the mines and ranches these served. In the process of researching these strips I found that many of them were made for medical evacuation of injured workers, or were used to bring in equipment for rescue in the event of a collapsed mine. Today they are largely used for recreation for access points for camping, hiking, fishing, and historical research. They too could perhaps be uses for points of egress as well if the need ever arose.
In addition to small footprints and reduced wear and tear for points of access, pilots are rigorously trained and are typically very responsible and respect their privileges immensely since they are federally licensed and regulated.
Thank you for your consideration that the airstrips would be their own entity separate from any of the route closures in any of the alternatives if at all possible. In the event that an exclusion cannot exist then I strongly support Travel Management Alternative "A"

 

[mountainmatt]

The following is my letter sent to the BLM.

As a general aviation pilot who enjoys access to backcountry airstrips across Colorado and the Western United States, I strongly support alternative plan A for the Grand Junction BLM Resource Management Plan. I would also suggest including airstrip protection above and beyond what is currently listed in the RMP revision. Defining each airstrip within the Grand Junction BLM district as unique and separate from current trails or roads is a must.

Backcountry airstrips not only serve a purpose of recreation and enjoyment, but are also a safe haven for pilots in distress. The airstrips in question are in a primitive and remote location and could be a life saving alternative to the rugged terrain in the event of an in flight emergency. These established mining airstrips are native to the area and were built decades ago; the historical aspect is also something to consider. Accessing the backcountry by aircraft is a green, low impact mode of transportation and brings a positive economic impact to the local communities. In addition, Colorado has a strong pilot network that would maintain these airstrips via volunteers and donations, resulting in no burden to the tax payer.

Once again, please consider stronger protection and advocacy for the following airstrips: Dolores Point, Hubbard, Little Dolores, West Creek Bluff, Arrow Head Camp, Calamity Camp, Flat Top Mesa, and Blue Mesa.

Best Regards,
Matt S.

 

[learntolandshort]

thank you guys. every letter truly helps and we might not get a chance again for another 25 years.

 

[sj]

Hey folks, take a minute and help out here if you can. It's worth your time!

sj

 

[mountainmatt]

Good work and many thanks to those of you that have already submitted letters and emails.

A few dozen comments will help, but a few hundred will change the entire backcountry here in Colorado. Once the airstrips are written into the RMP we can continue to work with the BLM to start the EIS process and return the airstrips to the their original state. (As you can see in the pictures, some are overgrown and need attention).


This all starts with you supporting our efforts. I a̶s̶k̶ beg you to take five minutes to submit a letter or email to the Grand Junction field office in support of the airstrips listed above and keeping them a separate entity from roads and trails. As Patrick stated, the next few days determines the outcome of these 8 airstrips for the next 20-30 years!

We are committed to see this through to the end, but we need your help!

 

[moosepileit]

Done. I saved and attached the PDF with markup comments rather than just send an email.