Recreation

Out-of-staters say they’re OK with paying more in states like Wyoming, if that means trails are groomed well.

As Wyoming’s recreation industry continues to grow, new trails and outdoor facilities are popping up all over the state to give mountain bikers, skiers, snowshoers and hikers more options for basking in the wilderness. That includes the Happy Jack Recreation Area near Laramie.

The Bureau of Land Management recently released its updated draft plan for overseeing energy development and conservation goals for the area. It comes one year after the initial draft was released that sparked outrage among many. We look at what’s in it and what’s to come.

A dozen agriculture, mining, oil and gas organizations filed a lawsuit this month to overturn the rule, which elevates conservation in land-use decisions. They argue it undermines traditional uses.

A new report commissioned by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable looks at current levels of federal support for the recreation economy. It identifies several challenges, like the dependence on fossil fuel taxation and expected declines in that stream, and ways to adequately support the outdoor recreation economy.

Having tough conversations about responsible recreation is a big part of working in the world of public lands. Linda Merigliano has had a lot of practice doing just that. She is the Recreation Program Manager for the Jackson and Black Rock areas of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) and has been working on land stewardship issues in the highly-trafficked area for more than three decades.

The Bureau of Land Management is hoping to implement what it calls the Blueprint for 21st Century Recreation, and a new report identifies ways to achieve those goals.

The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service are proposing new guidelines to manage climbing in wilderness areas. Much of the focus is on fixed anchor installations, and that has sparked frustration in both climbing and conservation communities.

There’s concern about whether roads and trails will be closed if a new plan for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs Field Office is approved, and the agency is trying to clarify.

The energy drink company Red Bull hosts one of the top mountain biking competitions in the world every year in Southern Utah. But the event has never invited women, and the female freeriding community is trying to change that.