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Protesters Gather Outside of BLM Office

by KREX News Room
by Danielle Kreutter

Story Created: Mar 8, 2013 at 4:47 PM MDT

Story Updated: Mar 8, 2013 at 4:52 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Community members who are against the proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) put together by the Bureau of Land Management say that it would close more than 2,100 of the nearly 3,300 miles of public access, while BLM officials say there is a lot of misinformation out there.

On Friday, the BLM opened up their parking lot for those who were looking to protest the plan.

More than 100 protesters planted themselves in front of the BLM Grand Junction field office to tell officials just how they feel about the RMP.

"By limited the access, they're limiting our freedom and so my biggest concern is curtailing freedom at all, in any way," said David Justice, a protester at the event.

"The public has a right to get to public lands and the disabled have a right to do that as well," said Don Davidson, another protester.

The RMP is something the BLM has to implement every 20 years.

"[The plan] takes a look at everything from oil and gas management to recreation to grazing and gives us that vision and guidance to make good day to day decisions," said Katie Stevens, the Grand Junction Field Manager with the BLM.

It's the battle over which roads and trails can be used for what, that had the crowd fired up on Friday.

"In the RAP, [the roads/trails] are either closed or they're being changed to administrative routes, and administrative routes mean they're not open to the general public, so that's closed to us," said Brandon Siegfried, a public land access advocate who coordinated the protest.

"Our goal is not to close access, we still want folks to be able to get where they want to go, but we want them to do that on a road and trail system that works," said Stevens.

The BLM has extended the deadline for public input until June 24, they say if community members take the time to give their comments, the BLM will take them into consideration.

"If they like one piece or another, we do have the opportunity to kind of mix and match what we've come up with so far and come up with a plan that's going to work," said Stevens.

The next public open house being held by the BLM is April 6 at Two Rivers Convention Center, that meeting will start at 4:00 p.m. and run until 6:00 p.m.

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Sensible person said on Sunday, Mar 10 at 7:19 PM

Got it. The document - if it exists at all - is irrelevant or doesn't say what you asserted.

More sense said on Sunday, Mar 10 at 5:56 PM

I'm not here to do research for you.

Sensible Person said on Sunday, Mar 10 at 9:55 AM

Link please. I see nothing that supports your assertions.

More sense said on Sunday, Mar 10 at 7:56 AM

Proven by Colorado Parks & Wildlife surveys that found OHV violations insignificant and almost non-existent last year. Get informed and quit making baseless accusations.

sensible person said on Saturday, Mar 9 at 9:56 PM

Proven by whom? Quit making stuff up.

More sense said on Saturday, Mar 9 at 5:55 PM

Get real, there is very little damage or abuse being done on public lands. That has been proven recently. The gas and oil companies are doing no harm either. If not for them unemployment would be at or above 15% in this area.

Sad State of Affairs said on Saturday, Mar 9 at 5:16 PM

This isn't fair, the Amendment 64 people need BLM lands to grow their dope.

Sensible Person said on Saturday, Mar 9 at 2:31 PM

The BLM have a tough job balancing all of the different needs and uses with resource protection. It has been a free for all for too long out there with a lot of damage being done and other values being crowded out. At the same time there is very little funding for policing abuse.It is time to bring some more balance into land management.

Carcinogenic said on Saturday, Mar 9 at 1:28 PM

They're still going to let the gas companies in to kill what's left of the vegetation and animals. Then they will poison the aquifers, the air and leave without any reclamation.

Disgusted said on Friday, Mar 8 at 11:25 PM

Wow. Elections have consequences. How about that?

kevin said on Friday, Mar 8 at 10:50 PM

the hearings arer a joke. They have already made up their mind to take more public land away from us.

Joe said on Friday, Mar 8 at 8:09 PM

The existing road and trail system works just fine.

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