Will illegal Utah trail become legal?

A southeastern Utah ATV trail illegally built by two Blanding men may yet become a legitimate motorized route for people who want to view ancient cliff dwellings. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is considering a San Juan County application for the right of way in Recapture Canyon. Such a prospect outrages people who prefer to protect archaeological sites by keeping them remote. They can’t understand why the BLM would reward a criminal action that last month resulted in $35,000 in fines to the trail builders. But many residents in Blanding and San Juan County see reopening the illegal trail — and making it legal — as key to unlocking the region’s historic wonders for locals and tourists. The key attractions are the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, well away from the trail, said Bob Turri, a Monticello off-roader who represents the county in occasional negotiations with the BLM and competing groups. He doesn’t see the risk of much looting or vandalism, because few ever climbed to the sites before the government closed the trail in 2007...more