Backcountry Pilot • Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

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Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Anyone know what backcountry airstrips are located within the new monument designations announced by the White House today? Any anticipated impact to pilots or the use of those strips? Any experience with airstrips in previously designated monuments?
UT180 offline
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

This was a pretty big land grab by the current administration, and may have an impact on the pilot community.(The Missouri Breaks airstrips are within the boundaries of a Nat Monument?) The coalition had a very extensive website that covered a lot of information, but I see it has now been taken down. (http://www.bearsearscoalition.org/)

I emailed Steve Durtschi about it in July to see if UBCP and the RAF were aware of it. They both were and he assured me they were doing what they could. I expect something from the RAF or UBCP sooner than later as there are popular airstrips inside this new national monument.

Here is a reference map:
Image

Image
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Unreal. Nokai Dome, Fry Canyon, Rustler Canyin...plus about 6 others and I'm sure there are more.


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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Here is the official Proclamation from the White House.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/28/proclamation-establishment-bears-ears-national-monument


Here is the language regarding Motorized vehicles.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretaries shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the roads and trails where motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use will be allowed. Except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use shall be allowed only on roads and trails designated for such use, consistent with the care and management of such objects. Any additional roads or trails designated for motorized vehicle use must be for the purposes of public safety or protection of such objects.

Maybe that means because the airstrips are already in use, their continued use will be allowed. Time will tell I guess.
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

There will be a planning process for these new monuments. When the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument was created, the initial plan was to close all airstrips in that area. A number of pilots provided information and input to the monument manager and the planning process.

End result is that most of those strips are still open. The ones that were closed essentially sit right next to one that's a better strip and still open.

The key is be polite, professional and do your research, but get involved.

MTV
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

So what becomes of the status while the planning process takes place? Do all of those strips become off limits immediately, or does nothing change until the planning process is complete?


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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

I agree with the encouragement to get involved. A good time to support both RAF and the Utah Backcountry Pilots association, and then provide feedback when the comment period begins.
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

That's sure going to make another nice big ol' National Park here in about 20 years![emoji6]
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

UT180 wrote:I agree with the encouragement to get involved. A good time to support both RAF and the Utah Backcountry Pilots association, and then provide feedback when the comment period begins.


Exactly.


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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Is Grand Gulch mine inside the Gold Butte monument?
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

If the monument ends at the AZ border then it's not. It appears to end just north of Pearce Ferry and west of Grand Gulch Mine.


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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

mtv wrote:
The key is be polite, professional and do your research, but get involved.

MTV



These words right here are the key to preserving one's rights to access.
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

I did some research. Here's a list of strips that appear to be within the Bears Ears National Monument (excluding those charted by the FAA, such as Fry Canyon):

Browns Rim
Clay Hills Crossing
Dark Canyon Plateau
Mexican Hat (right on the border, cold be on either side)
Nokia Dome
Piute Canyon
Piute Farms
Red Canyon Meadow
Red House Spring
Rustler Canyon
Valley of the Gods
Wee Hope Mine
Zahn's Camp

The above are all included in Galen's Fly Utah! book.

Following are GPS coordinates that were given to me at one time and from Google Earth, you can see an airstrip or remnants thereof. I know nothing about these other than the coordinates. They may be on private land or unusable. Others may have more details and can elaborate.

CASTLE 37.3995 -110.471333
DARK C 37.82415 -110.090117
DRY FO 38.093333 -109.616
KIGALI 37.684 -109.774667
LOCKHART 38.326833 -109.7055
MULE C 37.47385 -109.709617
POLLY 37.387717 -110.1237

The following are GPS coordinates that were given to me at one time but from Google Earth, appear to be inaccurate. Not sure the origin of these and are likely inaccurate.

BLUE C? 37.608333 -110.35
BLUE S? 37.736667 -110.375
BLUENOTCH? 37.7545 -110.374667
LOCKHA? 38.329167 -109.680833
LOST C? 37.781667 -110.158833
RANDOL? 37.334549 -110.868023
ZAHN U? 37.229717 -110.573883a
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Grassstrippilot wrote:So what becomes of the status while the planning process takes place? Do all of those strips become off limits immediately, or does nothing change until the planning process is complete?


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Generally, a planning process is required prior to implementing any more restrictive policies.

Also, note that these are NOT National Parks, they are Monuments. A lot of stuff that's prohibited in Parks may be permitted in monuments.

Finally, the news has not yet noted what agency will manage these monuments, at least that I've see . BLM operates some different than NPS. The Missouri Breaks Monument is managed by BLM.

MTV
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-of ... l-monument

"The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior (Secretaries) shall manage the monument through the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), pursuant to their respective applicable legal authorities, to implement the purposes of this proclamation. The USFS shall manage that portion of the monument within the boundaries of the National Forest System (NFS), and the BLM shall manage the remainder of the monument. The lands administered by the USFS shall be managed as part of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The lands administered by the BLM shall be managed as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, pursuant to applicable legal authorities.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretaries shall jointly prepare a management plan for the monument and shall promulgate such regulations for its management as they deem appropriate. The Secretaries, through the USFS and the BLM, shall consult with other Federal land management agencies in the local area, including the National Park Service, in developing the management plan. In promulgating any management rules and regulations governing the NFS lands within the monument and developing the management plan, the Secretary of Agriculture, through the USFS, shall consult with the Secretary of the Interior through the BLM. The Secretaries shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of that plan including, but not limited to, consultation with federally recognized tribes and State and local governments. In the development and implementation of the management plan, the Secretaries shall maximize opportunities, pursuant to applicable legal authorities, for shared resources, operational efficiency, and cooperation.

The Secretaries, through the BLM and USFS, shall establish an advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) to provide information and advice regarding the development of the management plan and, as appropriate, management of the monument. This advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State and local governments, tribes, recreational users, local business owners, and private landowners."

"To further the protective purposes of the monument, the Secretary of the Interior shall explore entering into a memorandum of understanding with the State that would set forth terms, pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, for an exchange of land currently owned by the State of Utah and administered by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration within the boundary of the monument for land of approximately equal value managed by the BLM outside the boundary of the monument. The Secretary of the Interior shall report to the President by January 19, 2017, regarding the potential for such an exchange.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to interfere with the operation or maintenance, or the replacement or modification within the current authorization boundary, of existing utility, pipeline, or telecommunications facilities located within the monument in a manner consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above."
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

I received the following email a few days ago from a land use group in Utah. Not sure how this will play out...

There may be hope for rescinding the Bears Ears debacle. . .!

Legislation to allow Congress to repeal in a single vote any rule finalized in the last 60 legislative days of the Obama administration sailed through the House Wednesday, the second time in less than two months.
The GOP-backed Midnight Rule Relief Act, which passed the previous Congress in November, was approved largely along party lines by a vote of 238-184 on the second day of the new Congress, despite Democratic opposition.
If passed by the Senate and signed by President-elect Donald Trump, the legislation would amend the Congressional Review Act to allow lawmakers to bundle together multiple rules and overturn them en masse with a joint resolution of disapproval.
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

=D> We can only hope.

(edit: I shouldn't post with tequila on board)
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

It would just move forward any controversial actions to 61 days. Both sides are guilty of getting their last shots in.

Please join, support and get involved with the RAF:

http://theraf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

Anyone know how many backcountry airstrips are affected by this public lands giveaway?
http://www.outdoorlife.com/house-bill-w ... ublic-land
I haven't seen anything on RAF website and wonder what is their position on it.
It seems like this is a lot more impactful to backcountry flying than the recent National Monument designations.
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Re: Bears Ears / Gold Butte Monument Designations

I am personally excited about the designation of the Bears Ears Monument. I have backpacked all over there and its is an incredible area. I'll be donating my time and money to keep access to the strips, but not to change the monument status. There are plenty of examplesaround the west of continued, respectful access for aircraft despite the designation of public land changing.

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