At least a third of the region is now out of bounds.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has picked a serious fight with off-roaders across America, as it recently approved the closure of 317 miles of off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes in Moab, Utah. The BLM’s full ruling, including maps and how this decision was policed, was discovered by The Drive.
The route closures include Labyrinth Canyon, the Gemini Bridges area, and even OHV routes used by the annual Easter Jeep Safari, where the brand loves to show off new concepts to a dedicated off-road crowd. Why take such drastic measures, especially since Jeep Wrangler owners tend to be the kind of people you don’t want to mess with?
In short, the BLM’s hand was forced by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), who filed a lawsuit against the Feds for not properly managing access to federal lands. According to SUWA, this caused damage to sensitive ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
CarBuzz “Visitors will finally be able to experience stunning Labyrinth Canyon without the noise, dust, and damage that accompanies motorized recreation,” said Laura Peterson, staff attorney with SUWA. “For too long, the BLM has prioritized off-road vehicle use at the expense of Utah’s incredible natural and cultural resources. The Labyrinth Canyon plan represents an important step forward to guide the management of Utah’s public lands and reduce the impacts of off-road vehicle routes in this area.”
There are currently just over 1,000 miles of OHV roads across the 300,000-acre region. By closing down these routes, the BLM is removing a third of off-roading options.
The closures will already be in effect this weekend, so if you had plans to take your Wrangler on an overland trip, you best get that deposit back.
Jeep Our Take
We don’t doubt for a second that some individuals spoil the various routes along the Moab for everyone else who wants to enjoy the region’s beauty. But this is a small group of people, and we don’t think an entire group deserves to be banned because of their bad behavior.
This blanket ban punishes innocent parties, not to mention the effect it will have on the income of local towns that exist purely because of tourism.
Every off-roader knows the two golden rules of driving off the beaten path. The first rule is if you might do damage to yourself, your car, or the environment, don’t do it. The second rule is to leave an area as you found it.
We’d say roughly 90% of off-roaders are decent people wanting to partake in the lifestyle their vehicle affords them. The other 10% are guilty of reckless damage. Surely there’s a better way of policing lousy behavior?
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