PRESS STATEMENT

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Utah Chapter

Friday, May 9, 2014

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, including its Utah Chapter, condemns the illegal ATV protest ride at Recapture Canyon as destructive, misguided and counterproductive.

The Bureau of Land Management faces a complex task of balancing multiple uses of our public lands, including recreation, wildlife, clean water and grazing.  Many members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers own ATVs, and realize that reasonable limits are critical to protecting irreplaceable resources and respecting the rights of others.  No one is above the law, simply because one disagrees with the law.

“Public lands in Utah provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for a diverse array of users.  It is critical that we ensure that the voice of all are heard in an appropriate manner to ensure that truly wise use of these lands is accomplished in a fair and equitable manner,” said BHA Utah Chapter Co-Chairman Jay Banta, of Torrey.

Utah’s public lands are vitally important both to the people of Utah and Americans nationwide. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers invites all user groups dedicated to our public lands to respectful, constructive efforts to improve management of the land that belongs to all of us. Lawbreakers, whether they are poaching big game or illegally riding in protected habitats, should be prosecuted.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is the sportsman’s voice for our wild public lands, waters and wildlife. www.backcountryhunters.org.