Defend Your Ground

Four National Forests in Alabama are proposing new restrictions on various recreation activities. To restrict camping, the Forest Service is looking at length of stay requirements, seasonal closures, and prohibiting alcohol consumption in certain areas. You can learn more about the plans and share your feedback here (deadline July 22): Changes Proposed in Alabama National Forests

The Hassayampa Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management has also released their long-awaited updated travel plan for the Black Canyon Corridor. There are some good changes in this update, and we are still analyzing the full plan. Outdoor recreation users have until August 5 to add their feedback to this plan.

We also need the OHV community to know that the Bureau of Land Management has released 195 mile of trails in the San Rafael Desert in Utah for further analysis as part of a legal settlement with wildness groups, who want to shut down these trails. We need OHV users to document these trails and send feedback to the BLM.

You can support our fight to keep these trails open by joining the 10,000+ Project.

The Tuweep Area of the Grand Canyon has introduced a new reservation system to limit access to this unique, remote way to experience this national park. We discuss some of the problems with this new program. Also, we fill you in on BLM plans to require dogs to be on a leash when you are camping in remote, dispersed camping spots. We end the episode by analyzing a new wilderness bill that was introduced for Oregon. You can join us in opposing this wilderness bill here: https://www.sharetrails.org/help-fight-30x30-and-the-wild-rogue-wilderness-act/

Chris Reed is one of Utah County's most experienced Search and Rescue volunteers. In this episode he recounts the experiences that have left an impression on him. He shares his insights from hundreds of SAR missions in order to help outdoor recreation users be better prepared for the outdoor adventures.

This episode of our "Last Known Position series" was made possible by a generous grant from the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation Off-Highway Vehicle Program, the International Snowmobile Manufacturer's Association, and the Ski-Doo Snow P.A.S.S. Program.

Special Guest Bud Bruening from UTV Utah joins us to discuss the ongoing fight to keep 10,000 miles of OHV routes open in Utah. Become a member of the 10,000+ Project to join us in this fight: https://secure.anedot.com/blueribbon-coalition-sharetrails/10000-plus-action

In the first episode of the Defend Your Ground Podcast, we discuss the camping restrictions and closures being proposed by the Moab BLM Field Office. We discuss the good and bad elements of the plan. We also discuss a letter to the editor of an Arizona publication demanding the Forest Service close all forests. We close by discussing a lawsuit form Earth Justice that is challenging a logging projects based on the threat caused by roads to grizzly bears.