Editorial: Culture of the past

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is rightly asking the Bureau of Land Management to take another look at its Bush-era decision to allow ATVs to roam through unique archaeological sites and ecologically sensitive lands. The BLM should comply.

 

SUWA has been vocal and litigious in trying to overturn portions of the six land-management plans adopted by the BLM during the last term of former President George W. Bush. But its voice is not the only one raised in opposition to the BLM’s opening up of 20,000 miles of ATV trails through public lands without first locating and taking steps to protect irreplaceable cultural sites. Other groups, including Indian tribes, have tried to intervene, but all six plans were rushed to approval during the final months of 2008, as Bush was packing up to leave the White House.

Indian ruins, artifacts and pictographs are being destroyed or hauled off by people who find them while exploring on their ATVs.

Some of the trails approved in the BLM plans senselessly take riders directly through places that were once the homes and villages of ancient peoples. And then there are the irresponsible ATVers who make a habit of leaving approved trails and riding roughshod over fragile lands and important wildlife habitat and who literally run across ruins by accident.

We agree with SUWA that the BLM, now under the authority of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, should undertake more thorough assessments of the regions addressed in the plans. If that requires further public comment and hearings, so be it. These historical treasures deserve protection.

SUWA points to 10 areas most in need of designation as wilderness study areas: Cedar Mesa-Comb Ridge, Vermilion Cliffs-Upper Kanab Creek, Moquith Mountain, Dirty Devil Country, Glen Canyon-San Juan River, the Canyonlands basin and rims east of Canyonlands National Park, Labyrinth Canyon, Upper Desolation Canyon, Factory Butte and Price River-Long Spring Wash.

Even if these areas, or parts of them, were made off-limits to ATVs and other vehicles, there would still be many thousands of miles of trails open to motorized recreation.

These ancient relics are at risk of disappearing, and once gone, will be gone for good.

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Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/49903164-82/blm-ancient-plans-trails.html.csp