The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a new plan for trails around Silverton that sacrifices backcountry quiet and wildlife viewing in favor of more motorized trail use.
Most dramatically, BLM wants to open an additional motorcycle route through the pristine upper reaches of Minnie Gulch to the Continental Divide and open dozens of miles of foot, horse and mountain bike trails to e-bikes.
If backcountry quiet, wildlife habitat preservation and traveling on trails free of motorized use are important to you, then NONE of the BLM’s five Alternatives are acceptable. BLM has thus far ignored the explicit requests of the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners for “no more” motorized routes. It has also ignored the input of Ute tribal elders asking BLM to leave the cultural significant traditional Ute trail through Minnie Gulch closed to motorized use.
To preserve areas in the Silverton area as motor-free and and wildlife-friendly, your input is more important than ever! YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR OPINION KNOWN by February 22!
Personalize Your Comments
Our recommended comments are detailed below. Communicate these in your own words on the BLM’s e-Planning Website – please remember that “non-substantive” comments such as “no” or “yes” are disregarded. Note: you do not need to fill in the “chapter” or “section” reference fields in the BLM form.
Most of us either live in or visit the Silverton area- base your comments on your personal experiences for greater impact.
You have to make your comments by clicking on the red button below- if you comment on this page the BLM will not see it.
Talking Points:
- Preserve Minnie Gulch as a non-motorized trail. Minnie Gulch is culturally important to the Ute Tribal Nation both as a trail and a landscape of significance. It is also an important wildlife corridor and one of the few watersheds on the east side of San Juan County that is free of motorized use.
- Allow e-bikes on existing motorized routes only. With hundreds of miles of existing motorized route opportunities for e-bikers in San Juan County there is no need to open foot, horse and mountain bike trails to e-bikes with designated speed ratings up to 28 mph.Specifically, the proposed trails in the Molas Lake area and in the Baker’s Park area (Hancock Gulch east of 110) must NOT be opened to e-bikes. Four of the five Alternatives would allow e-bikes on ALL trails that allow mountain bikes – these are unacceptable scenarios that would increase user conflicts with fast-moving e-bikes. Now is the time to say “NO” to allowing e-bikes on all routes.
- Support wildlife habitat and migration corridors. An increasing amount of research indicates that recreational use (especially noisy and fast-moving motorcycles and e-bikes) is detrimental to numerous species including San Juan County’s resident elk herd. Advise the BLM that neither new trails nor changes of designation from quiet-use to motorized in significant wildlife zones should be allowed. Specifically, in this trails plan, we recommend:
- Not constructing the southeastern trail segments of the proposed Baker’s Park trail system (1 TP, 2TP & 13TP)
- Preserving Minnie Gulch (2TE) as a non-motorized trail.
Please keep our hiking trails for people on foot only. Please no motorized vehicles.
Thank you
Hi Janet! Thanks for taking action. In order for the BLM to see your comment, you have to click on the red button above that says “take me to the comment portal” and make your comment there.
The whole point of driving somewhere to vacation and hike or backpack is to escape pollution. That includes especially noise pollution. Focus on healthy recreation and don’t allow one group of people to ruin these public lands for everyone.
Hi Susan! In order for the BLM to see your comment, you have to click on the red button above that says “take me to the comment portal” and make your comment on that form. Thanks for taking action!
Motorcycles, bikes, and e-bikes are taking over more trails all the time. In order to protect wildlife corridors, and the wildlife itself, we need to keep more areas vehicle free.
Hi Michelle! The BLM can’t see your comment if you make it on this page-you have to click on the red button above that says “take me to the comment portal” and make your comment on that form. Thanks for taking action!
I could not find it on your website. Can you post a copy of BLM’s press release regarding this proposal? Or, point me to where it is in your website? Thank you.
Hi James, if you click the red button at the bottom of the post it will take you to the BLM’s comment portal
Done. Thank you for all you do.
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. THESES COMMENTS GO NOWHERE, YOU HAVE TO REPLY TO BLM USING THE RED BUTTON.
When submitting response, what Chapter and Section do I reference?
You don’t need the chapter and section. Thanks for taking action!
I was redirected to a BLM site with this message: “ePlanning Outage
ePlanning is currently down for maintenance on Saturday, October 19th, from 9AM-6PM. Sorry for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience. We apologize for the inconvenience, and please visit this site again after the scheduled maintenance window. ” — ???
Hm, I’m not sure what’s causing that. The website seems to be working now: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/comments/commentSubmission.do?commentPeriodId=8000955