Grand County commissioners have voted to classify all trails used during the Easter Jeep Safari as Class D county roads to prevent the Bureau of Land Management from shutting down the annual event.
But a BLM official, while denying any plans to stop the trail ride, said the county's action was non-binding on the federal agency.The request for the new classification came from members of the Red Rock 4 Wheelers, sponsors of the safari, who say they can no longer work with the BLM.
"We've been trying to get our permits to run the 1991 Jeep Safari, and we've seen nothing but a roadblock," club member Kurt Balling said.
"They want to increase fees almost 1,300 percent. They want to have public hearings on the trails. After 24 years of having the event, now they want to have public hearings," he said.
Balling told commissioners he had heard the BLM was trying to stop the event, which last year drew more than 1,000 participating vehicles for a week of trail riding.
"We would like to fight them any way we can on this, any legal way," he said.
The club's request won the county's support on Monday, as commissioners accused the BLM of threatening the event through "foot dragging, prohibitive fee-gathering and public hearings."
"What's happened here is that we've had a highly successful program in Grand County for many years," said Commissioner David Knutson. "Now we have trails from BLM jurisdiction," but BLM Moab District Director Gene Nodine disagreed.
"They can go ahead and do that, but those are state regulations and we have to deal with federal rules. We have never recognized Class D roads," Nodine said.
The county may apply for a right-of-way under the federal Land Policy and Management Act to take over responsibility for the roads, he said.
"If that's what they want, then we'll be out of it," Nodine said. "The county can collect the fees for the Jeep Safari, or they can decide to let them use the trails without charge."
He denied that the BLM has stalled issuance of a 1991 permit or that it wants to permanently shut down the safari, which critics contend has caused untold damage to trails and foothills.
The agency is studying impacts of the event before deciding whether to issue another 5-year permit, but Nodine said he expected "no problem" for the county.
He acknowledged mentioning at a meeting earlier this year that the BLM may be forced to close certain trails for safety reasons and other considerations but said there are no plans to that effect.
"We want the Jeep Safari to go on, to be successful," he said.