{"id":23307,"date":"2022-08-30T13:29:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T13:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=23307"},"modified":"2022-08-30T13:29:08","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T13:29:08","slug":"raf-issues-call-to-action-to-preserve-utah-backcountry-airstrips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/utah\/raf-issues-call-to-action-to-preserve-utah-backcountry-airstrips\/%20","title":{"rendered":"RAF Issues Call to Action to Preserve Utah Backcountry Airstrips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has released a\ncall-to-action, noting that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has begun the\nPublic Scoping process to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and\nResource Management Plan (RMP) for Utah\u2019s Grand Staircase &#8211; Escalante National\nMonument (GSENM). The BLM scoping process is to gather topics that the public\nthinks should be considered in the EIS and RMP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The RAF is seeking help to encourage the BLM to include\naviation and retention of the nine Utah backcountry airstrips in the EIS\/RMP\nstudy area. The deadline to submit public comments is SEPTEMBER 27, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may comment at a BLM virtual public scoping meeting via Zoom at 1:00 pm MDT on August 30. You must pre-register <a href=\"https:\/\/empsi.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_aJBSSu7uRbOO6poLbsABmg\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OR<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please submit your public comments using this link: <a href=\"https:\/\/eplanning.blm.gov\/eplanning-ui\/project\/2020343\/510\">https:\/\/eplanning.blm.gov\/eplanning-ui\/project\/2020343\/510<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RAF suggested talking points: Please submit your own\nindividualized comments in your own words based on the below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Aviation should be included in the RMP as an\nallowable use.<\/li><li>Most Utah backcountry airstrips have been in\nexistence since the 1950s, predating the 1964 Wilderness Act. Access and use of\nthese airstrips should be retained.<\/li><li>Aviation has a very small environmental\nfootprint, the lightest footprint form of access to these lands. Airstrips do\nnot have driving wheels and once landed, do not go \u201coff trail.\u201d Noise from\naircraft is transient and of short duration.<\/li><li>Airstrips are situated on natural flat land\nfeatures, such as level, open meadows with little occurrence of soil\ndisturbance or erosion.<\/li><li>Airstrips provide vital access to aid Search and\nRescue, emergency response, and firefighting.<\/li><li>Airstrips offer possible life-saving options\nwhen small aircraft encounter mechanical problems or deteriorating weather\nconditions while flying over the relatively hostile terrain in southern Utah.<\/li><li>Airstrips are an excellent resource to the\nadministrative needs for supervising the lands.<\/li><li>Airstrips transcend the need for roads and offer\nwidely dispersed recreation activities.<\/li><li>Peer-reviewed research substantiates that small\naircraft noise has no detrimental impact on wildlife.<\/li><li>Backcountry airstrips offer recreational access\nto the disabled and those with limited mobility and without the need for\nstrenuous physical activity to enjoy our public lands.<\/li><li>Airstrips are trailheads: aviators are\nnon-motorized recreationists, participating in hiking, camping and other\nlow-impact activities.<\/li><li>Backcountry aviation offers a positive economic\nimpact, with aviation fuel sales, food and lodging, sale of provisions and\nsupplies, and other tourist-related support for the surrounding communities.<\/li><li>The Recreational Aviation Foundation and the\nUtah Backcountry Pilots have successfully renewed MOUs in place with the BLM to\nprovide cooperative maintenance of backcountry airstrips.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your public comments count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for helping preserve these unique and priceless\nbackcountry aviation assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the nine airstrips affected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Boulder &#8211; 37.88548 N \/ 111.46342 W<\/li><li>Bowington &#8211; 37.77606 N \/ 111.39434 W<\/li><li>Cedar Wash &#8211; 37.66053 N \/ 111.54239 W<\/li><li>Collet Top &#8211; 37.45633 N \/ 111.467 W<\/li><li>Colt Mesa &#8211; 37.74 N \/ 111.08834 W<\/li><li>Escalante Canyon &#8211; 37.5323 N \/ 111.7063 W<\/li><li>Grand Bench &#8211; 37.27334 N \/ 111.195 W<\/li><li>Pilot Knoll &#8211; 37.24317 N \/ 111.491 W<\/li><li>Squaw Bench &#8211; 37.36817 N \/ 111.66333 W<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has released a call-to-action, noting that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has begun the Public Scoping process to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Utah\u2019s Grand Staircase &#8211; Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The BLM scoping process is to gather topics that the public [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-utah"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23307"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23308,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23307\/revisions\/23308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}