The Wilderness Society Condemns Closure Violation and Threats to Land Managers at Recapture Canyon in Utah
Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 09, 2014 -- The Wilderness Society (TWS) issued the following statement regarding the closure violation planned for this weekend at Recapture Canyon in San Juan County, Utah:
“Recapture Canyon is open to anyone who wants to hike or horseback in to enjoy its quiet beauty and marvel at the important archaeological sites left behind thousands of years ago by Ancestral Pueblo people,” says Scott Miller, senior regional director with TWS in Denver. “Portions of it are closed to motorized use. The Wilderness Society and many other organizations and individuals have advocated for those portions of the Canyon to remain closed to motorized use so its valuable natural, cultural, and historic resources can be protected for and enjoyed by both current and future generations through lower-impact visitation.”
“As the steward of public lands for all Americans, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a duty to consider a variety of competing uses on the lands it manages and make a responsible decision as to what uses are appropriate on different landscapes; the agency is in the midst of assessing those uses at Recapture Canyon,” says Miller. “Any stakeholder who believes that the BLM is not living up to its obligations can resort to the courts to ensure that all rights are respected and points of view considered.”
“Plans to willfully violate federal law—and to disregard other stakeholders and damage natural and cultural resources in the process—are reprehensible. The BLM has our support in its efforts to protect the special resources of Recapture Canyon.”
The Wilderness Society is the leading wild public lands conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. Founded in 1935, and now with more than 500,000 members and supporters, TWS has led the effort to permanently protect 110 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. http://www.wilderness.org.
Kate Mackay, The Wilderness Society, http://www.wilderness.org, +1 602-571-2603, [email protected]
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