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Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/230025
4 www.DesertMessenger.com December 18, 2013 County Supervisors seek extension on BLM comment period Parker, AZ - The following is the complete letter sent to BLM on Dec. 10, 2014 "The Board of Supervisors of La Paz County formally requests that the comment period regarding the La Posa Travel Management Plan (TMP) be extended an additional 60 ("sixty") days to February 21,2014. This request is based upon clearly identifiable weaknesses contained within the Preliminary Environmental Assessment ("EA") where outdated data is cited based solely upon In-State residents' use', thereby greatly understating the economic impacts on the local economies. The EA Team freely acknowledges this deficiency, yet fails to address this matter by considering and/or attempting to extrapolate Arizona State Parks in-state and out-of-state parks users' data on current economic impacts. See La Posa Travel Management Plan, Pre• Old Costume Jewelry liminary Environmental Assessment, • Old Fountain Pens Pages 27 & 28, Section 3.8 Socioeco• Silver & Gold Coins • Sterling Silverware nomic Resources. • Gold Filled Jewelry Obviously, the OHV recreational • Old Watches lifestyle has increased dramatically not • Gold & Silver Jewelry Any Condition only to our year round residents but • Gold Nuggets also our seasonal residents here in La • Dental Gold Paz County because of what we have to Hi Ally Swap Meet ~ Front Row offer. Main St., Quartzsite BUYING Party yourself into shape! Zumba Gold & Toning in Quartzsite Come join the fun now! Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. at the Community Center 515-418-0442 Moreover, there was no consideration or review of the Arizona State Parks, Statewide Motorized and Non-Motorized Recreational Trails Plan (2010); the 2013 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan ("SCORP"); and the La Paz County Comprehensive Plan (2005) as coordinating and planning agencies. These entities cite the need to continue access to public lands for the OHV public. Clearly, an appropriate Travel Management Plan ("TMP") must improve recreational benefits, while reducing social conflicts and environmental impacts by designating areas that are open to motorized uses. Economic value of making such decisions can affect the welfare of the recreational users. The Economic Importance of Off Highway Recreation to Arizona, Arizona State Parks, 2003. The current EA completely omits any analysis of data and specific consideration of the welfare impacts/ effects on OHV recreation users that would result from restricting off-highway vehicle access to public lands. A review of the alternative trails maps clearly discloses the moving of land from "open" or "limited" to "closed" will result in a large loss of welfare. Not to mention, the lack of consideration relating to the demographics of the OHV users, of which a large percentage consists of elderly and handicapped citizens who are physically unable to experience outdoor trail recreation, except by motorized off-highway means. Because of the County's main economy being primarily based upon agriculture and tourism; the "Off Highway Vehicle" community is an important generator of tourism dollars needed to provide essential services to La Paz County residents and visitors. In order to maintain current levels of tourism and attract additional recreation off-highway vehicle enthusiasts the County must ensure sufficient public access to a high quality world class route system on federal land. Furthermore, Public input received by the Board of Supervisors strongly indicates that the trail maps contained within the EA regarding the proposed trail alternatives are difficult to compare as such maps cannot be overlaid. Clearly, the necessity to compare the proposed trail alternatives is imperative in being able to comment adequately. With only a 30 days comment period and an inability to overlay the alternative options to quickly compare routes; there is insufficient time to appropriately comment. Based upon this concern, an extension of time to comment of an additional 60 days is supported. Again, the TMP is of such importance and future impact on La Paz County's general public, business community, and other close neighboring communities in other bordering counties; that an extension for comments is warranted. An extension for an additional 60 days of the comment period is both merited and justified, especially after considering that the Preliminary EA is citing outdated and omitted economic impact data, coupled with the time consuming difficulty of not being able to overlay the maps in order to adequately review the alternative trails. In addition, a significant number of our citizens have come forward with grave concerns about the loss of connectivity of trails and roads between our communities which would likely have a huge negative impact on our tax revenues derived from OHV-related food, fuel and lodging, causing us to make potentially severe budgetary decisions. We are in the process of gathering this connectivity data from SEE BLM PAGE 34 BAD RIVER PACK Stocking Stuffers and Christmas Gifts Our Own Homemade Jerky, Pemmican & Summer Sausage! SAME LOCATION! Tyson Wells Centre Front Row South Dakota Cheese, Chips, Sunflower Seeds, Honey, Popcorn & More! Stop in and see us! Don and Mary Ward 605-280-8818