The big race across southern Utah is on.
Federal land managers have given the green light to California-based Eco-Challenge Lifestyles Inc.'s request to send 250 people on a 370-mile endurance competition from Emery County to Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell.Kate Kitchell, Moab district manager for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, said the race course has been modified to protect fragile desert ecosystems.
"Our analysis concludes that during the event, 50 teams of five competitors each will be able to hike, bike, (horseback) ride, climb and paddle over desert roads, trails and waterways without causing significant harm to the environment," said Kitchell, who received more than 700 letters during the six-week public-comment period.
The event will begin April 25 and end about 10 days later.
Despite Kitchell's assurances, environmentalists are not convinced that the event will not have an impact.
"We've got some wildlife concerns," said Scott Groene, an attorney for the Southern Utah Wilder-ness Alliance. "We'll have to take a hard look at it to make sure they take care of things like bighorn sheep."
Groene said his group is also concerned that the race course is going through some proposed wilderness areas.
SUWA will likely appeal Kitchell's decision to the Department of Interior, he said.
When the Eco-Challenge race idea was first proposed, environmentalists were adamantly opposed because of the course and because of the publicity that would follow as a result of press coverage and MTV's filming of the event.
Kitchell said the course, except for a small section over lands already open to off-road vehicles, will be moved to existing roads, trails and washes. Publicity will be kept to a minimum.
Numerous other environmental stipulations have been placed on the event. For example:
- All racers and support personnel must adhere to strict low-impact practices, including packing out human waste, recognizing and avoiding cryptobiotic soils and sensitive riparian vegetation.
- Competitors must climb "clean," meaning they cannot drill, bolt or place pitons in the rocks.
- Film crews must use hand-held cameras or shoot from helicopters. No filming structures may be built.
- Helicopter flights will be limited to a total of 36 hours and cannot dip below 2,000 feet above ground level.
- Archaeological sites cannot be filmed, and, to protect the identity of the desert areas, the race locations cannot be identified in subsequent broadcasts.
Eco-Challenge must also post an $80,000 performance bond and pay for federal and private personnel to monitor the course.