In Moab, Outdoor Businesses Still Using Federal Lands to Sustain their Businesses

The outdoor recreation industry emerged as one of the biggest potential victims of the government shut down last week, when federal agencies closed thousands of camp sites and suspended hunting and fishing at wildlife refuges.

 

The National Park Service (NPS) closed all park grounds, visitor centers, hotels, campgrounds, and park roads – except for thru ways such as the Blue Ridge Parkway. “All programs are canceled and permits issued for special events on park grounds nationwide are rescinded,” the agency announced Oct. 1. Park visitors were given until 6:00 p.m. EDT Oct. 3 to vacate overnight campgrounds and lodges. The National Forest Service (NFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USF&WS) also closed all recreation areas, including campgrounds, visitor centers and concessions. BLM said outfitters with BLM-issued permits will not be able to operate on its lands, while USF&WS said all fishing and hunting activities were canceled within the nation’s wildlife refuges.

The closings had an immediate impact in Moab, Utah, where Rim Tours co-owner Kirsten Peterson had to reroute a five day/five night $1,395 bike tour after the NPS closed access to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

“We are trying to reroute those tours into areas that are not national parks and we are offering discounts for next year,” said Peterson. “We are doing everything we have to keep clients happy so it does not cut into next year. I think we can pretty easily absorb an inconvenience like this if it goes on another week, but after that, I‘m not sure.”

“It does not make sense to shutdown funding for programs that generate a return for the local and national economy,” said Outdoor Industry Association in a statement released Oct. 3. “Fall is a peak season for businesses that depend on the outdoors. Visitors who have traveled from near and far are being turned away from our national parks”

In Moab, the closing of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park was bein somewhat muted by the availability of vast tracts of BLM and USFS lands. While those agencies also said they had closed campsite and other recreational amenties, there was apparently nothing to keep mountain bikers from accessing those public lands.

 

At Poison Spider, a bike shop that manages a rental fleet of 100 mountain bikes, bike mechanic Tyson Swasey said the immediate impact was slighly positive as people turned away from the parks were still able to ride bikes on BLM And USFS lands.   

“All the riding here is BLM,” said Swasey, a Moab native. “They can’t shut down the dessert and you can still mountain bike in the national forest.”

In Durango, CO. an employee of Pine Needle Mountaineering said the much the same, noting people can still access the San Juan National Forest.

Still, Swasey said if nearby Arches and Canyonlands remain closed beyond next week, Moab will suffer.

“The fall season is very limited and October is our busiest time of year,” said Swasey. “If people start canceling trips that would hurt this area.”