Please feel free to use any of the following you may find useful in creating a letter of your own.
Bureau of Land Management
Farmington Field Office
1235 La Plata Highway, Suite A
Farmington, NM 87401
Glade Run Recreation Area Management Plan
Dear Glade Run Planning Group,
I am writing you today to voice my concern and strong opposition to proposed closures and reductions in OHV recreational opportunities in the Glade Run Recreation Area. Specifically, we in the OHV Community strenuously object to restrictions being placed upon specific types of OHVs and their users various recreational access opportunities in the Glade Run trails area.
Although my family resides in California we have many relatives in the Farmington area who have informed us of the proposals made by the BLM. We spend several weeks a year visiting them and spend most of our time in the vicinity of Farmington.
My family and I enjoy the high difficulty 4x4 trails that are unique to the area, the areas designated as open for cross country use and the other designated roads and trails. It is more important than ever that the general public be able to access these areas given that our motorized recreational opportunity has been significantly reduced throughout the region. Through the past several decades, there have been literally thousands of miles of roads and trails closed to motorized use in Southern New Mexico and Arizona.
The BLM is required to develop land use plans based on existing law and regulation. We in the OHV Community generally support the idea of travel being limited to designated roads, trails and areas. We are also in support of a thorough environmental review and analysis during the route designation process, as well as ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the OHV infrastructure.
In many cases we have voluntarily taxed ourselves in order to provide funds to agencies so they can actively and effectively accomplish these tasks. What our family and the OHV community in general cannot support is being presented with Alternatives that fail to adequately address the need to provide for motorized recreation. Our methods of travel are a legitimate use of BLM lands. If there is an obvious opportunity to re-direct a hiking or equestrian trail where it may coincide with an established motorized route then we believe there could be an opportunity to enhance the experience for all parties concerned.
Additional closures and drastic changes to historic OHV access are being proposed by BLM and adjacent land managers. The amount of closures has reached a critical mass. Every single mile of motorized route that is open today is extremely important. Further closures will have a larger impact than those in the past.
The cumulative loss of motorized recreational opportunity should be brought into the analysis and incorporated into the decision making process. Significance criteria could include number of miles closed, number of acres closed or other similar quantifier. Please incorporate the issue of "Cumulative Loss of Motorized Recreation" into the final planning issues and concerns.
Given the popularity of OHV use in the region, as well as the significant closures in the past, I think it is appropriate for the BLM to consider maintaining the existing rules, regulations and recreational motorized and mountain bike trails via this planning effort.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
