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The riders who chose to break the law and drive ATVs on a remote trail in Utah's Recapture Canyon did so at the risk of federal prosecution. The ride was organized by San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman to protest the closure of a trail after ancient American artifacts were discovered.
While the county commissioner in the end urged riders not to go onto the trail, several armed riders — many of them from out of state — chose to ride the trail anyway. Off-roaders included Ryan Bundy, the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. Ryan was seen on an ATV, waving the American flag and carrying several children without helmets.
Commissioner Lyman wisely urged caution once it was clear an armed militia presence from outside Utah was in attendance. While passions are high over public land access right now, no one is looking for violence.
KSL urges the BLM and state governments alike to hear the concerns of rural Utahns — who are most impacted by BLM land policies — while finding solutions which at the same time protect the environment and other interests.
