News: Oil Drilling Stopped in Moab

Chris Dannen

Photo by Alan Davis

In December, we reported that the Porcupine Rim and Amasa Back trails in Moab, Utah, had narrowly averted being leased to oil companies for drilling. Thanks to protest by IMBA and the Outdoor Industry Association, as well as concerned locals like Western Spirit owner Ashley Korenblat, the Bureau of Land Management delayed the auctions indefinitely. But despite that victory, other areas like Tusher Canyon remained in danger.

Then came the crucial intercession that many riders had hoped for. According to the New York Times, President Obama's interior secretary, Ken Salazar, has cancelled auctions to drill for oil and gas on 77 parcels of public land in Utah, including those that abutted beloved mountain bike trails.

Mr. Salazar said in a news conference that after reviewing the Bush administration's midnight attempts to lease the land, he had found the BLM had “rushed ahead to sell oil and gas leases at the doorstep of some of our greatest national icons, some of our nation’s most treasured landscapes” without properly reviewing the environmental and economic impacts to the area. The local economies around Canyonlands and Arches National Parks revolve around outdoor tourism, much of it mountain bike-based, that could have suffered greatly if drilling were to begin.

Several of the auctions in question had already occurred, meaning the government will have to return about $6 million in fees paid by winning bidders. One of those auctions was subject to the sabotage of a Sugar Hill, Utah, protestor, who entered bogus bids for drilling rights. Tim DeChristopher, 27, may face federal charges for winning $1.8 million in federal leases while having no intention or ability to pay for them.

DeChristopher's actions underscore the urgency of the situation, which threatened to render one of the nation's most beautiful backcountry reserves pock-marked by surveying equipment and drilling rigs. "What the environmental movement has been doing for the past 20 years hasn't worked," DeChristopher said in December, according to CommonDreams.org. "It's time for a conflict. There's a lot at stake." Secretary Salazar has said that he may revisit Utah drilling auctions once he has properly evaluated the environmental impacts.

Barring any future reconsiderations, cessation of drilling leases for Utah's public land is effective immediately, and comes as a part of the Obama Administration's broader reconsideration of many Bush-era environmental initiatives. According to the Times, Secretary Salazar is also revising decisions on offshore drilling and endangered species listings. Yet environmental advocates aren't wholly relieved—despite this major victory, there is still no little federal legislation that protects recreational resources the way endangered animals or Wilderness areas are protected.

Reader Comments

Posted Fri Mar 6, 2009, 6:35 PM — By Craig Topp

Yahoo! Thank goodness the Obama administration has stepped in with some common sense. And kudos to Tim DeChristopher. I applaud his bold action. If he does face charges, I hope some lawyer offers his/her services pro-bono. If not, I'll be glad to make a donation to his defense fund.

Posted Tue Mar10, 2009, 10:54 AM — By Eddie

I'm sorry I have to disagree with this as an avid mountain biker. There are plenty of ways that, if there were oil drilling sites that take up very little space, we could re-route the trails. At this point with our country, we import almost 75% of the oil and natural gas that we use when we have more than the etire world right here in these United States under our own feet. Everybody cries about being energy independant from other countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, but aren't willing to use our own resources. We'll have plenty of trails and square miles left to ride on. Let's stop using our mountain bikes as an excuse to get in the way of our nation's progress.

Posted Wed Mar11, 2009, 5:25 PM — By Charles

I agree with you Eddie.This country needs to use its own NATURAL resources and get off of our addiction to foreign oil.The enviromentalists have hijacked the debate about how and where we get to drill and allow no compromise what so ever.

Posted Sun May 3, 2009, 8:22 AM — By dekorasyon

thank you

Posted Thu Jul 2, 2009, 9:11 PM — By Eurolive.com

I love your picture :) Where is it ?

Posted Sat Dec12, 2009, 9:09 PM — By Joe

Guys: Without resource extraction there would be no Moab. This is a job killer and will economically hurt Moab. Good Job.