“There’s a group called the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and they’ve wanted this area to be designated as wilderness by Congress for decades now. And the problem with a wilderness designation by Congress is that, really, a land needs to have a certain amount of road density to be eligible for wilderness. If you have more than 5,000 contiguous acres without a road then you have something that’s eligible for wilderness. If you have roads traversing the landscape, even really primitive to tractor Jeep roads, that impairs the wilderness values and it makes so they can’t designate the wilderness. And in order for them to create that wilderness, they have to shut the roads down. I call it wilderness laundering.” Benjamin Burr, executive director of BlueRibbon Coalition
In Episode 395 of District of Conservation, Gabriella brings on Blue Ribbon Coalition executive director Benjamin Burr to discuss public lands access closures across the U.S. Ben and Gabriella also touch upon off-road/trail closures in Moab UT, conservation areas, 30 by 30, broad film permit standards, First Amendment threats, and more. Tune in to learn more.
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SHOW NOTES
BlueRibbon Coalition | BRC Staff
Help Us Fight Against Unlawful OHV Bans in Moab
Fight for Every Inch Against 30×30
Proposed Missouri Headwaters Conservation Area
If BLM OKs Controversial Rock Springs Plan, Don’t Expect Local Cooperation
PUBLIC LAND COMMERCIAL FILMING PERMITS ARE DISCRIMINATION
America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023 – What it means for Filming & Public Land Access
Photo Credit: ELI MABLI PHOTOGRAPHY