Government shutdown??

pixie1339 said:
I don't think anyone wants to hate on you Dave.
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That's very kind of you - I appreciate it.

I think the term Sage Brush Rebellion has become sort of generic, and has been co-opted to some degree. No big deal.

I'm on my way out the door to enjoy one of the best white spots left on the map - the Owyhee desert. That type of BLM land, not parks, is what it was really all about.

Anyway - glad Utah parks are opening up, regardless of circumstance.

- DAA
 
pixie1339 said:
The Sage Brush Rebels, or at least the most recent incarnation of them, are trying to get the government to turn over millions of acres of federally owned land to the state. At face value that doesn't sound so bad, but they want the land so they can essentially pillage it. The number one targets? The Uinta Basin and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Why? For oil, of course. The reason that the move to reopen the parks through state funding makes people nervous is that this may help the rebellion gain traction with voters. If enough people decide that the feds aren't capable of managing these lands, and they are turned over to the state you might as well kiss them goodbye.
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Thanks Pixie, that's pretty much what I read in the newspapers here in CA (though have never heard the term sage brush rebels before). When these stories are covered outside of Utah the oil/development interests are prominently featured, so there's not much support outside of Utah for these types of land grabs. I don't think they have much of a case in federal court, and a popular vote means nothing if the government still owns the land. They've tried all kinds of creative ways to get around that, but that's always been the bottom line.
 
Sorry, but you really don't know what you are talking about is happening in Utah.
 
Here are the facts
1. There was/is a shutdown
2. Mostly the Republicans fault whoops getting political ;)
3. Shutdown inconvenienced many (freaking had to cancel my Black Canyon trip)
4. While I dont like most of what the Governor does, I do with Utah footing the bill
5. I hope it doesnt empower the legislature to keep wasting millions of dollars suing the federal government for public land

Now for opinion
1. I dont trust Utah to manage public land and I agree that there would be an emphasis on development over conservation if the land grab ever happened.
 
That editorial is an example of why reporters should not write opinion on the topics they cover. Advocating a cause you are supposed to be impartial toward is unprofessional.

To the topic - public lands are shared by nature, whether managed at the federal or state level. There would be trade-offs involved in any transfer of land on a permanent basis. No agency will ever be a perfect steward of the land because there are too many competing interests, most with perfectly valid claims. We in the outdoor community tend to lean toward conservation for obvious reasons. Others feel differently, and that's okay.

What's not okay is government agencies holding those lands hostage because they can't play nice.
 
Does anyone know if Utah BLM lands are open as well? I was hoping to hike in Water Canyon outside of Hildale this weekend and just read it's BLM land. I know the national parks are open, not sure if that was extended to BLM.....
 
x2 on what Randy said. I backpacked in some prime BLM goodness during the first part of the shutdown - no problems whatsoever.
 
Ok, cool, thanks! I wasn't sure, didn't want some wacko sheriff from Colorado City chasing me off if I legally could be there.
 
IntrepidXJ said:
The BLM never shut down access to their lands....I don't even know if that would even be feasible!
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Definitely not feasible or enforceable, but that doesn't mean they might not try:

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Well, they have closed BLM campgrounds and stopped cleaning/restocking bathrooms, etc....I think that's what that sign means. But they aren't closing access to the canyon.
 
Okay, so hiking is okay just bring your own tp :) (and goes without saying, pack it out).
 
Laura said:
Ok, cool, thanks! I wasn't sure, didn't want some wacko sheriff from Colorado City chasing me off if I legally could be there.
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You could still be chased out of Hildale by wacko Colorado City law enforcement, but it would have nothing to do with the shutdown.

Any developed federal facility (BLM, FS, NPS) will technically be "closed". BLM and FS though have huge tracts of undeveloped land that can't exactly be closed. The road into Water Canyon doesn't have a gate and if it did, the polygamists would tear it down... so you should be fine.
 
ashergrey said:
You could still be chased out of Hildale by wacko Colorado City law enforcement, but it would have nothing to do with the shutdown.
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Spot on!
 
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