San Rafael Swell and Desert TMP comments

In a June 7, 2026 letter to the BLM Price Field Office, a coalition of motorized recreation groups (including United Four Wheel Drive Associations, One Voice, COHVCO, CORE, and others) strongly supports reopening the proposed routes in the San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Desert Travel Management Plan reassessments, but insists this is only a first step. They argue the underlying plans remain fundamentally out of balance—citing “minimizing impacts” hundreds of times while never addressing the statutory mandate for “adequate roads and adequate trails” under the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act and 16 U.S.C. § 538a—especially after President Trump’s May 29, 2026 removal of the old minimization criteria, passage of the Explore Act, and new executive and secretarial orders requiring expanded access, emergency-response capacity, and high-quality recreation opportunities. The groups call for an immediate reopening of all routes not clearly prohibited, followed by a full multi-phased inventory and revision that accounts for post-2019 congressional wilderness designations (which closed nearly 20% of the area), road-to-trail conversion analysis, and the full suite of current legal standards. Read the full comment HERE.