Just an FYI the BLM is trying to close Choke Cherry Canyon (Glade) to motorized vehicles. They are going to have a public meeting soon and we need everyone to attend and let themselves be heard.
Daily Times why do you keep deleting this? Why are you not reporting on this?
Phogan wake up this is good news that needs to be put out to the public. STOP DELETING THIS!!!!

Close it to all motorized vehicles. It's obvious that 4x4s & cars of all types are used in the destruction of oilfield equiptment and the environment. Oilfield equiptment is also considered militarily threatened and an issue to national security. Any towelhead could place hundreds of pounds of high explosives in his Polaris UTV or Ford F-150 with little notice, and place them on compressors, wellheads and pipelines, leaving the area in high speed and crippling the flow of vital gas and oil. Yes, the oil/gasfield should not allow 4x4 machines of all sizes in the Glade.

Oilfield Worker wrote:

Close it to all motorized vehicles. It's obvious that 4x4s & cars of all types are used in the destruction of oilfield equiptment and the environment. Oilfield equiptment is also considered militarily threatened and an issue to national security. Any towelhead could place hundreds of pounds of high explosives in his Polaris UTV or Ford F-150 with little notice, and place them on compressors, wellheads and pipelines, leaving the area in high speed and crippling the flow of vital gas and oil. Yes, the oil/gasfield should not allow 4x4 machines of all sizes in the Glade.

So that would mean that you would have to walk to your wellsites as well. You would have to carry the tools needed into you site by hand or use a bike (man powered). Once the equipment was in it would have to stay in without being removed or replaced.
CLOSED IS CLOSED, that would mean for everyone including YOU.

Oilfield worker have you ever been out into the county around Farmington?? There is no way you could close off roads to oil/gas wells heck there's one 1/2 a block from my house here in town. So I guess that would mean putting our whole county under millitary control and martial law?

Back in 2005, the US Forest Service did a survey in all of the US. The results showed that over 26% of all NM citizens over the age of 16, were motorized off-road users. That is 1 out every 4 people over 16. The 4X4 clubs in the Glade area help take care of trails, they clean up trash that others have dumped and are generally good stewards of the Glade. But now a few exclusionists want to shut off the Glade so they can ride their mtn-bikes or hike. But what about those of us that can no longer bike ride or hike. Me for one. But I still can enjoy the Glade by 4X4 or UTV.
The Glade has a viable Travel Management Plan already, it just needs to be used. And the BLM needs to educate the public on the plan. How about posting it in the Daily Times and delivering maps to the ATV, 4X4 and Bike shops around the 4 Corners.
As for keeping vehicles out of the Glade to protect it from vandals and terrorists, get real. If they want to do their damage, they are already breaking laws, do you really think they'll abide by the laws if the Glade is closed. And having more rec users out there actually helps because rec users can report violators...

All Americans have the right to use OUR Lands.
The federal goverment is suppost to be WE THE PEOPLE! Now their are people that destroy things no matter what others do. Those people are called CRIMINALS

I am a Offroad enthustiast who travels at least once a year to Farmington to enjoy your area. Please understand that the Glade are is not just some ordinary plot of land. It is one of the most diverse and enjoyable places to recreate in our country. I only drive 600 miles to get there. I know others that travel from the east coast annually. This is not only a family hobby/sport/pastime, it's also a revenue generator for the town of Farmington.

Please keep it open.

Dave

Oilfield Worker wrote:

Close it to all motorized vehicles. It's obvious that 4x4s & cars of all types are used in the destruction of oilfield equiptment and the environment. Oilfield equiptment is also considered militarily threatened and an issue to national security. Any towelhead could place hundreds of pounds of high explosives in his Polaris UTV or Ford F-150 with little notice, and place them on compressors, wellheads and pipelines, leaving the area in high speed and crippling the flow of vital gas and oil. Yes, the oil/gasfield should not allow 4x4 machines of all sizes in the Glade.

You're a moron. So do you think that "towel head" is going to pull up to the Glade area with his Polaris UTV with "hundereds of pounds of explosives" and see the new "Road closed to motorized vehicles" sign, and say, "Oh man, I was gonna jihad that oil well, but now I guess I will go home instead. Darnit!"

Get a clue. Education, volunteer cleanup crews and enforcement work everytime.

Well stated Lance.

I grew up 3 houses from the entrance to choke cherry canyon on Glade Road. To close this area to anyone would be a huge mistake. PUBLIC LANDS ARE MEANT TO BE ENJOYED BY THE PUBLIC. Teach people proper principles and let them govern themselves. One well educated individual with a desire to protect public lands can do more for the better of a community than any amount of legislation ever could.

DIVERSITY! We are from San Diego and travel to Farmington pretty much twice each year to recreate in the glade. We ride motorcylces, mountain bikes, hike, and 4-wheel over a long span of days each visit and pretty much every person we meet, even if they are doing a different activity at that point, is friendly and respectful. Unfortunately, there are a number of exclusionists that only consider themselves versus the big picture. It is a sad state really but welcome to America, land of the polarized finger pointers. THERE IS ROOM FOR US ALL...Just look at the Glade from Google Earth and it's that obvious!

Regarding damage to the land...well, EVERY group has its "10 percenters"...those who are reckless and do damage for the long run. Don't deny it, they are in EVERY group. EDUCATION is the way to help reduce those issues. Even with closures, the 10 percenters will STILL be there and you've accomplished less than had you approached this from a welcoming and educational angle.

Next, Farmington's economy is already depressed enough...reduce recreation at the glade and you take hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the local economy. Work to improve recreation, and you'll add dollars to the economy.

DIVERSITY IN RECREATION!

This seems to be coming around the same time as the tax increases they want to force on people, oh excuse me the oil and gas INDUSTRY not the people. Just another way for them to make more $ to give themselves raises as people try to find places for entertainment etc.

As a long time land use activist and former land use editor for a major OHV magazine I have been fighting this BS for many years. I got burned out a year or so ago and kind of took a breather, but I can't let something like this get by. PLEASE, visit http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/f... , its where you can get information on what is happening. I don't believe the BLM is trying to close the Glade, but it can happen if the eco-nazis shout loud enough and those of us who recreate with our OHVs stay silent.

They cut out JACKSON lake years ago and they only get a few to walk in. It is payed for by TAXERS. How about BLM getting out of the way for say 5 years and see how things go. They are doing a job that is to keep their job going, and do as little work as they can.The land has been out there for a lot of years be for BLM and we got bye with out them. Why do we need them now telling us how we use it now. Do you ever see anyone going to court for any thing like Dumping?? If you do run over a Well Head they go to court and have to pay out to who ran over it.Maybe if they had a good fence to keep you out they may not have to pay. Why is it that AZ. has land open and they stay out of the way.

Oilfield Worker wrote:

Close it to all motorized vehicles. It's obvious that 4x4s & cars of all types are used in the destruction of oilfield equiptment and the environment. Oilfield equiptment is also considered militarily threatened and an issue to national security. Any towelhead could place hundreds of pounds of high explosives in his Polaris UTV or Ford F-150 with little notice, and place them on compressors, wellheads and pipelines, leaving the area in high speed and crippling the flow of vital gas and oil. Yes, the oil/gasfield should not allow 4x4 machines of all sizes in the Glade.

Are you kidding!? You would have to close down the entire San Juan Basin if thats your worry! From Durango to Shiprock. Oh and it's not the "gas and oil fields" land It's PUBLIC LANDS!!
And yes, I work in the oilfield too!

Oilfield Worker wrote:

Close it to all motorized vehicles. It's obvious that 4x4s & cars of all types are used in the destruction of oilfield equiptment and the environment. Oilfield equiptment is also considered militarily threatened and an issue to national security. Any towelhead could place hundreds of pounds of high explosives in his Polaris UTV or Ford F-150 with little notice, and place them on compressors, wellheads and pipelines, leaving the area in high speed and crippling the flow of vital gas and oil. Yes, the oil/gasfield should not allow 4x4 machines of all sizes in the Glade.

I am in the oilfield here. I am also one of the users trying to save the glade and keep it open to offroad motorized use. I am one of so many that works to keep these lands clean, keep the relationship between users in good shape, and teach others the importance of the outdoors. Keeping 4x4 vehicles out of the glade will only hurt those who have grown up out there. With keeping it open you will actually have more people policing the area than if you close it an expect one or two officers to catch someone trying to cause trouble. I think the biggest issue is that we all need to get some kind of group together to try to bring all users together and not seperate one group from another.

cjjeepercreeper,
Have you visited the Glade in the last couple of weeks. The BLM has posted signs all over the Glade closing the area north of Brown's Springs. Even trails that were originally in the RMP are now closed. The sandwashes even have signs in them stating that they are closed.
Don't believe the hype posted on the BLM site, go and see the signs for yourself. It's already happening because of a certain user group in this area that is complaining about not having their own area without motorized vehicles. They are stating that there are "incidents" between off-roaders and non-motorized users and that it's getting worse. But when pressed for incident reports, they aren't producing them. But they are whining to the BLM enough that the BLM is closing off areas and holding private meetings to decide what to do with the other areas.
The so called eco-nazis are here.....and they want the ATV's, UTV's, 4X4's and others out of "their" rec area.

I say leave it wide open.... Open a liqour, ammo/gas station called 'Darwin's' 3 miles up.
It would thin the heard and make for great YouTube clips. We would also need to allow gas producers to set up effective barriers around their well sites ie; trenches with pikes and spiked pits.
Also, rename it Darwin Gulth. Regulations and laws will never keep dumbarses from finding their destiny.

opps forgot a 'c'.

It's too bad it's always the small amount of people that try to spoil it for the rest of us.I have used the GLADE for 30 some years,riding ATVS,MOTOR BIKES,SIDE X SIDES and it's been GREAT.Now the BLM is trying to close it off,as a AMERICAN it's are land too, and we should be able to use it and enjoy as we take care of the land.We all need to work together so we all can enjoy the glade.