Pirate 4x4 banner

Big problems in Chokecherry Canyon

726 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  landusepbb 
#1 ·
"The Glade", as its known locally is Chokecherry Canyon to all you guys. It has become a real problem. At least this time they're not blaming OHVers.

Farmington Daily Times
Party goers trash Glade, changes on tap
By Darren Marcy/Outdoor editor


Thursday, July 11, 2002 -

FARMINGTON Efforts to establish law and order in the Glade took a step backward over the holiday weekend.

Bureau of Land Management Officer Randy Tracy said a citizen reported a party spot about four miles north of Piedra Vista High School, but what Tracy found when he went to check it out surprised even him.

Trash covered a half-acre of land when the party spot was found, but after several days of wind, the debris was widely scattered.

The amount of trash indicated a big gathering as bottles, cans, plastic cups, bags, empty beer cases and expended fireworks littered the area.

Partyers obviously threw their empties in all directions, including into a fenced-in well location. Glass shards scattered over sandstone is evident that some of the bottles and cans became targets for illegal shooting at the shindig.

The scene angers Tracy and he said the line has been drawn in the sand.

"We're mad as hell and we're not taking it anymore," Tracy said. "If they want attention, they're going to get it. This treating our community with this level of disrespect ... we're not going to take it anymore."

The officer said up to this point, officers have refrained from writing tickets, preferring to try to educate people and turn the area around through peer pressure and positive reinforcement.

"We're asking people to comply," Tracy said.

But he said that as soon as he gets the word from his boss, the gloves come off.

Tracy said he had some ideas, but didn't want to tip his ranger's hat.

"This isn't my first rodeo," Tracy said. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Tracy said the party goers slipped by.

The BLM had three people working the Glade during the Fourth of July weekend and the San Juan County Sheriff's department had two, Tracy said.

Despite the increased patrols, the party went off undetected.

"They beat me clean," Tracy said, shaking his head.

He thinks there were three officers between the BLM and Sheriff's office working the night the party is believed to have been held.

But he vowed to keep fighting.

Tracy estimated the crowd to be at least 50, and judging from the trash, it could have been much larger.

Evidence of shooting, illegal fireworks, drug use and even discarded clothing was found at the site.

Tracy is exasperated at the idea of mixing alcohol and guns. And pointing at the hundreds of bottles, cans and cups, as well as dozens of empty cardboard cases of bear and malt liquor beverages, he wonders about those people who drove home from the event.

"My fear is what we're seeing here is kids 16 to 20 drinking, then driving home," Tracy said. "We're starting another generation where this kind of conduct is acceptable."

The Sheriff's department and BLM doesn't want people taking things into their own hands, but they could surely use more people reporting illegal activity.

"We're their hands," Tracy said. "We need extra eyes, ears and police reports. We'll do something about it."

Tracy said too often people caught at parties or illegal activity in the Glade always say the same thing.

"Well I've been doing this for 30 years," Tracy said is the answer. "But Farmington and the Glade is changing."

The important question now is what kind of a place will the Glade be? Lawless or a place where people can pursue outdoor recreation without fear of running into a rogue element.

"What we want to know is, What do you want out here?'" Tracy said. "I can't believe you want this. We want to turn this around. We're ready to go."

But the BLM needs help, and a local group has sprung to action to potentially fill the need.

Friends of the Glade, a grassroots group organized to begin tackling issues surrounding the Glade will host a meeting tonight at San Juan College to gauge public support and open a dialogue on the issue.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. today in the Henderson Fine Arts Center, Room 9012.

Representatives from the BLM and San Juan County Sheriff's office will be on hand at the event.

"The purpose of the meeting is to seek citizen input for working toward improving conditions in the Glade and to determine how much public support there is for an organized effort to improve conditions," said BLM Spokesman Bill Papich.

Darren Marcy: darrenm@daily-times.com
 
See less See more
#3 ·
They already do. About once a month different 4x4 groups go in with pickups and remove damn near a dump truck or two full of trash each month. When people throw old fridges, washers, and beds, the dump trucks get full pretty quickly. There is absolutely no enforcement currently in the canyon and it wouldn't be a place I would leave my vehicle overnight at. In fact I broke pretty badly there two years back and paid the massive tow truck fee to get my vehicle out rather than attempting to fix it the next day. It is sad that every week before major events that a full crew of four wheelers have to spend time picking up garbage. I mean damn, they already have containers out there for people to throw trash in! Makes you think that only stupid people are breeding sometimes.

Way
 
#5 ·
Fortunately Darren Marcy, the reporter that wrote the article is very supportive of OHV use, so he didn't even mention OHVers in his article. BUT , yes, we usually do get blamed for anything and everything.:mad3:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top