For Immediate Release: May 2, 2007
Contact: Mel Lloyd BLM 970-244-3097

Tires dumped off Kokopelli’s Trail

Grand Junction, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management Moab Field Office and McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (NCA) are combining resources with the efforts of local mountain bike clubs on Saturday, May 5, to pick up and dispose of over 200 tires dumped off the world-renowned Kokopelli’s Trail at the Colorado/Utah border.  All too frequently, people use their public lands as a public dump, and BLM is constantly faced with properly disposing of everything from household trash to hazardous materials.   That costs us all and takes away precious resources that could otherwise be put to better use. 

"Trail maintenance and resource stewardship projects are always on our “to do” list," said NCA Manager Paul Peck. "When we have so many essential projects on our list and energetic partners who understand what public land stewardship is all about, it’s unfortunate when we instead spend their time and energy cleaning up after irresponsible folks.”

BLM Moab has agreed to cover disposal costs of $200 per ton for the tires, and transport vehicles are being provided by the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit.

“The public lands between Moab and Grand Junction are some of the most popular and well known in the country—the world actually,” said Maggie Wyatt, Field Manager of the BLM Moab Field Office.  “Our Westwater rangers welcome the opportunity to partner with others in cleaning up an area that’s very special to them.”

If you see anyone dumping trash on public lands, BLM encourages you to write down a license number, a description of the vehicle, the date, time and location, and report this information to their local BLM field office.  This increases BLM’s ability to track down violators and issue citations.  If caught, the penalty for this offense usually involves both a fine and many hours of community service cleaning up illegal dump sites on public lands.  These are your public lands—BLM needs your help in protecting them. 

The 123, 430-acre McInnis Canyons NCA is managed under BLM's National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS).  The NLCS is composed of special public lands, many of which have received special recognition and protection through congressional or presidential conservation designations.  For more information on the NLCS, go to www.blm.gov/nlcs.  For additional information on this project, contact Park Rangers Troy Schnurr at (970) 244-3032 or Chad Niehaus at 435-259-2136. 

-BLM-

Editor’s Note:  Photos available upon request.