Over August 25-26, I had the privilege of being invited to and attending Lavapalooza 2023. This event is hosted by the Snake River Offroaders. This event is still in its infancy with this being only the second year SRO has put this together. Between all the hard work of the volunteers and the organization of the trail runs, I genuinely thought this event had been going for years. Kudos to the leadership team of SRO for hosting such a great event!

I was blown away by the generosity and hospitality of everyone I had the pleasure of meeting. Everyone was willing to stop and tell me about their vehicles and answer all of my questions. I did have an ulterior motive behind most of my questions as my Jeep is completely stock and that is something I plan on changing soon.  

Every club member I spoke with was genuinely excited about having a member of BlueRibbon Coalition at their “little” event. Over 70 vehicles were registered to run the selected trails on Friday and Saturday. SRO was very accommodating and found me a seat to ride along with multiple members.

A huge thank you goes out to Cory Aten, Emily Dyrdal, Mike Bailey, Mitch VanDomelen, and Larry Ballard. Larry was instrumental in finding members willing to have a passenger. Cory, Emily, Mike, and Mitch were gracious enough to allow me a chance to enjoy the trails and were fantastic hosts with a wealth of knowledge.

The willingness of SRO to collaborate with BRC speaks volumes about their club and the offroad community as a whole.  I am excited about the future collaboration with SRO and what Lavapalooza will become for the club.

William Schuster

Admin BlueRibbon Coalition

The BLM has released it’s draft plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah. BRC engaged its members in 2022 during the scoping period. Comments are accepted until November 9, 2023.

Tell the Bureau of Land Management that the proposed management plans for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument are unacceptable.

The BLM in Arizona has released the environmental assessment for the Table Mesa Recreation Area.

BlueRibbon participated in the scoping phase at the beginning of 2023. This plan gives the options of the No Action Alternative: current management, Proposed Action Alternative and a Limited Development Alternative. The proposed action will result in the creation of several shooting ranges, it change the management for dispersed camping to limit camping to designated sites in campgrounds that will be developed.

The proposed action also includes changing boundaries of the area to include an additional 3500 acres for the alleged purpose of enhancing recreation. This plan will impact OHV use, dirt bike access, E-bike and mountain bike access, equestrian access, hiking access, target shooting, and camping access.

In the latest episode of the Defend Your Ground Podcast, Will Harris was our special guest. Will has been one of the key players in correcting the scientific record about the dust emissions - or lack thereof - at Oceano Dunes. Agencies often rely on limited scientific findings to pass sweeping policy changes, and this results in false narratives that become very difficult to uproot. We encourage everyone to listen to this episode to learn the truth about dust pollution and Oceano Dunes.

From the show: Here is the link to the SLOAPCD Board, where web-viewing of SLOAPCD Board meetings can be accessed. Their next meeting is September 27, 2023 at 9AM. The agenda for this meeting has not been posted yet, but Scripps' Dr. Lynn Russell will be making a presentation regarding her PM10 investigation at Oceano Dunes and Nipomo Mesa.

We encourage everyone to voice the concern that we need to stop using false scientific narratives to justify closing recreation access to public lands:

https://www.slocleanair.org/who/board/meeting-minutes.php

We also invite you to learn more about Friends of Oceano Dunes and their fight to keep the dunes open for outdoor recreation: https://www.oceanodunes.org/

 BLM is scheduled to make their decision on whether they will close some of the most popular trails in Moab by September 30. We preparing to do whatever is necessary to keep these areas open by running a membership drive. Become a member of BRC to show your support for the fight for Moab's trails! 

Everyone who joins for $5 a month will receive one of these limited edition Save Moab stickers!

The BlueRibbon Coalition is excited to announce that the following organizations have recently joined or renewed their membership:

Boise 4x4

Ride Dog

Ute Pass Iron Goats

As passionate recreation enthusiasts, these clubs and businesses understand the importance of fighting for and protecting our public lands and trails for future generations to enjoy. By renewing their support, they are helping to ensure that the BlueRibbon Coalition can continue to advocate for responsible access to our public lands. We are grateful for their ongoing commitment to our mission and look forward to working together to keep the trails open and accessible for all.