The Bookcliffs are Dead
- Thread starter Roy
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Foreman4x4
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Hard to believe with Democraps in office and all the tree-huggers around that they could get anything like that approved. Did you hear it from a reliable source?
Roy
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LAST EDITED ON Jun-12-09 AT 10:46PM (MST)[p]>Hard to believe with Democraps in
>office and all the tree-huggers
>around that they could get
>anything like that approved.
Not in Uintah County. I guess no one voted against it even.
Did
>you hear it from a
>reliable source?
Yep - TripleK was at the meeting with the County Commisioners - she will post more on it later I am sure. I guess they voted to appropriate $15 Million for it. They plan to pave it from Hwy 40 to P&R Springs, though it will actually cost a whole lot more than that, some estimates put it at a million a mile, but of course Uintah County estimates are much cheaper than that.
It is just sad to see one of the last great open expanses in the west get paved - it is kind of like seeing a wild horse be tamed, a little nostalgic for me I guess. There will be more drilling and exploration out there for sure now. Only time will tell how it will affect the wildlife. Really I am optimistic becuase it is a limited entry unit and still pretty acessible now, so maybe nothing really bad will happen. It is just the principle that bothers me. We shall see - we shall see.
UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)
>office and all the tree-huggers
>around that they could get
>anything like that approved.
Not in Uintah County. I guess no one voted against it even.
Did
>you hear it from a
>reliable source?
Yep - TripleK was at the meeting with the County Commisioners - she will post more on it later I am sure. I guess they voted to appropriate $15 Million for it. They plan to pave it from Hwy 40 to P&R Springs, though it will actually cost a whole lot more than that, some estimates put it at a million a mile, but of course Uintah County estimates are much cheaper than that.
It is just sad to see one of the last great open expanses in the west get paved - it is kind of like seeing a wild horse be tamed, a little nostalgic for me I guess. There will be more drilling and exploration out there for sure now. Only time will tell how it will affect the wildlife. Really I am optimistic becuase it is a limited entry unit and still pretty acessible now, so maybe nothing really bad will happen. It is just the principle that bothers me. We shall see - we shall see.
UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)
southslope82
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I really don't think it is going to make a whole lot of difference there is really only a several mile stretch of rough road on the seep ridge road once you get out far enough you can do pavement speeds anyway. 60 mph is a really not that rare out there you should see some of the oilfield traffic out there its like a freekin baja race. I am not saying that I am for it though cause I am not. Well if they do go through with it though at least it will save on flats that place is hell on tires and when its wet it won't be as big of a mess. I wish they wouldn't pave it but if they are going to they might as well I am kinda gettin tired of hearing about it.
Yep. Reliable source. The commissioner who was very happy about the very easy passage of the price tag in the CIB meeting, was also very excited it passed because, "I can drive out there now and see everything!!" (Imagine that! He can go out there now! WOW!)
The money has been appropriated...15 million...by the Community Impact Board of Uintah County to pave the Seep Ridge Road to the county line, which is PR Springs. So...the money is there, but I think there are still some hurdles to jump, such as the Environmental Assessment. But, seeing as how no one is opposing the paving of the road, it looks like smooth sailing (in more ways than one) from this point.
It's great for oil and drilling companies who are expanding operations out there, and that's putting food on people's tables right now, so not too many people want to oppose it. Especially with the huge slowdown we've experienced in the Basin this year. No one wants to encourage any more pullouts and everyone is all for catering to big oil. The county sees more drilling as a cash cow (and it is) so they really don't mind impacting wildlife and recreation. They'd really like to pave it all the way over to I-70 so they can take a fun Sunday drive and see all the pretty deers and be able to have easy access to shopping in Moab. Yay! Shopping! Moab! Wohoo!!! (can ya sense the sarcasm?? lol)
I'm sure it won't be "dead", but it will impact wildlife in the area greatly.
The money has been appropriated...15 million...by the Community Impact Board of Uintah County to pave the Seep Ridge Road to the county line, which is PR Springs. So...the money is there, but I think there are still some hurdles to jump, such as the Environmental Assessment. But, seeing as how no one is opposing the paving of the road, it looks like smooth sailing (in more ways than one) from this point.
It's great for oil and drilling companies who are expanding operations out there, and that's putting food on people's tables right now, so not too many people want to oppose it. Especially with the huge slowdown we've experienced in the Basin this year. No one wants to encourage any more pullouts and everyone is all for catering to big oil. The county sees more drilling as a cash cow (and it is) so they really don't mind impacting wildlife and recreation. They'd really like to pave it all the way over to I-70 so they can take a fun Sunday drive and see all the pretty deers and be able to have easy access to shopping in Moab. Yay! Shopping! Moab! Wohoo!!! (can ya sense the sarcasm?? lol)
I'm sure it won't be "dead", but it will impact wildlife in the area greatly.
Chesterwyo
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I don't really see the issue with paveing an already existing road.
LAST EDITED ON Jun-13-09 AT 10:26AM (MST)[p]I can see where TK and Roy are coming from, their foot is in the door kinda thing..
but seep ridge is alredy a frikken highway. i'd hate to see it open up all the way to I-70, that would REALLY increase people, but hey, u basonites would have better access to the grand valley for shopping!
but seep ridge is alredy a frikken highway. i'd hate to see it open up all the way to I-70, that would REALLY increase people, but hey, u basonites would have better access to the grand valley for shopping!
LAST EDITED ON Jun-15-09 AT 04:26PM (MST)[p]TK, did they indicate if the BLM EA had passed? I understand it has gotten a lot of scrutiny from several groups.
Big water trucks travel the road now at about 25-35 mph. What happens when they are going 65? Deer are going to be clobbered. The more deer vehicles kill are less that hunters can kill. So if you like to hunt deer in the Book Cliffs, you had better be concerned about this project.
Big water trucks travel the road now at about 25-35 mph. What happens when they are going 65? Deer are going to be clobbered. The more deer vehicles kill are less that hunters can kill. So if you like to hunt deer in the Book Cliffs, you had better be concerned about this project.
I hope someone catches onto that and they set the speed limit at 40 mph and enforce it. I don't think it will be 65 cause its a pretty windy road maybe 50. Well the first part anyways but there are some other pretty nasty turns. How long do you think before someone goes off the willow creek overlook?
They are wanting to straighten all the turns. They want to engineer it to a 55 mph road with that speed limit, paved. People dont drive the speed limit, we all know that. And the water trucks will double their speeds that they travel now. Do you think they will stop for the deer? NO. THis wont just be a paved surface, it will essentially become a highway. Anyone that has driven HWY 40 or HWY 6 knows how bad deer get whacked on these roads. Seep Ridge will be no different. Its going to impact deer herds in the Book Cliffs. If you dont value mule deer in the Book Cliffs, then this project is probably little concern to you. If you like the special deer herd the Book Cliffs has, then you had better be concerned.
