Utah Call To Action:
Help keep aviation in BLM’s
Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan

RAF Utah Liaison and Utah Back Country Pilots Board member Wendy Lessig announced that the BLM is accepting public comments on the Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan. Wendy estimates that 27 airstrips could be affected. Some of these airstrips are in rough condition, but it is worthwhile to advocate for keeping them open. “It would be a shame to lose them forever,” she emphasized. Travel Management Plans establish motorized access policy, and it is critical to be included early in the planning process.

What is needed:
All RAF members are asked to respectfully request that the BLM include aviation in the Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan. If appropriate, in your own words express how you use aviation to enjoy the Utah backcountry.

Additional talking points:
Aircraft access is a light environmental impact;
Aircraft access allows dispersion of recreation activities;
Existing airstrips, whether open or disused, should be considered as existing access points and possible additional access points;
The RAF supports State Pilot groups like Utah Back Country Pilots who provide ongoing care of airstrips.
Comments must be received or postmarked by July 8.
Simply use the BLM’s ePlanning website, email, or mail a hard copy.

Please reference “Book Cliffs TMP” in your comments.

ePlanning: http://go.usa.gov/xNKuZ
Email: [email protected]
Postal mail: 170 South 500 East Vernal, UT 84078

Your public comments count.
Thank you for helping preserve these unique and priceless
backcountry aviation assets.
Donate to the RAF

The Recreational Aviation Foundation preserves, improves, and creates airstrips for recreational access.
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Our mailing address is:
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Does RAF, the Stare aeronatics organization, Utah Back Country Pilots--or someone else have maps and assessments of the airsrips included in the TMP area?

yes, they are on the UBCP website. They are not designated as being in this TMP. It is the area to the north of Interstate 70, between the green river and the CO state border.

https://utahbackcountrypilots.org/airstrips/map

Last chance to comment. These are due tomorrow the 8th

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ ... 83/comment

All-

The BLM has extended the comment period until 23 July. As of today there have only been 30 or so comments. PLEASE email or use the link in the thread to share your opinion and help prevent the loss of access to these strips.

Regards,

MW

Thank you for the alert!

1. It is BOOK Cliffs, not plural "books"; searching for the latter will yield no results on the BLM site. OP and/or Mods, would you please correct the title?

2. From what I can determine courtesy of both
https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/79313/200177086/20040804/250046999/VFO_BCTMA_ScopingMap_8511.pdf
and
https://utahbackcountrypilots.org/airstrips/map,
the following ELEVEN backcountry airstrips may be affected under this proposed Travel Mgt Plan (TMP):
- Archy Bench
- Atchee Ridge
- Boulevard Ridge
- Buck Canyon
- East Bench
- East Seep Canyon
- Olsen Corral
- Seeley Cabin
- Seep Ridge
- Twin Knolls
- Winter Ridge
(I am not a Utah resident so local experts please feel free to correct me)

3. Edit Tue 20 July. Submitted comments to BLM:
"Please include Aviation in the Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan.
My family resides in California and uses a small, 4-pace airplane to access many public lands. Small, private aircraft access is a light impact.
The existing eleven airstrips (Archy...etc) in the TMP are well-disbursed access points and should be retained...."

4. Commenting is VITAL to have aviation access considered, let alone approved. Step up, pilots, and practice your typing & PR skills!
Direct link to TMP comments: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/79313/595/8002283/comment

pat

I just added my comment via the website link. Really easy and something all of us on BCP should do.

Thanks for including the suggested talking points in the call to action and bringing this to everyone's attention.

A suggestion for the RAF in the future is to provide a pre-written letter that we can copy and paste into comment, then edit as each person sees fit. I'm sure that a lot more people would submit a comment. Some of the other advocacy groups I'm part of, OHV access for example, will include a link to the comment page which will automatically populate the comment section with a pre-written letter including all talking points. This removes the obstacle of someone saying they "just didn't have time to write a letter."

Here's the comment I posted on the comment website. Very little change from what was included in the call to action, and took me very little time to write/copy paste onto the gov website. Anyone please feel free to copy and paste it as your own.

"As an avid outdoorsman, pilot, and member of the Recreational Aircraft Foundation (RAF) I urge the BLM to include aviation in the Book Cliffs Travel Management Plan. The backcountry airstrips are a vital piece of infrastructure to allow access by the public to public lands.

- Aircraft access is a light environmental impact;
- Aircraft access allows dispersion of recreation activities;
- Existing airstrips, whether open or disused, should be considered as existing access points and possible additional access points;
- The RAF supports State Pilot groups like Utah Back Country Pilots who provide ongoing care of airstrips.

Thanks for your consideration,"

Thanks all!

The RAF is very involved with this matter. It does help tremendously when commenting on these issues as individuals rather just a "boiler plate" response. BLM and many other entities look for individual comments on such matters from what I've learned.

Thanks for the support all. We need to keep access to these strips.

MW

I agree that a unique comment is best, but a generic one is better then none.

submitting a comment thru the website is the best way I believe.

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ ... 83/comment

Email sent