Grand County commissioners voted to send a formal letter to the Bureau of Land Management asking that certain route designations within the Labyrinth Rims and Gemini travel management area be reassessed.

The move follows the BLM's 2023 travel management decisions that closed or limited a set of previously available routes and a subsequent reassessment announced this fall. The county letter asks the agency to re-evaluate specific routes the commission and local stakeholders consider important for motorized access and local recreation.

Why it matters: The Labyrinth Rims and Gemini area is a popular mix of motorized and non-motorized recreation; decisions about route designations affect access, trail-based businesses and user conflicts. Public comment at the meeting was strongly divided: several user groups urged reopening of targeted routes, while conservation and river-access advocates urged maintaining closures to protect sensitive riparian and cultural resources.

Public comment and staff input: Dozens of speakers addressed the commission during the public comment period. Speakers for reopening included representatives of the Red Rock 4 Wheelers and other motorized recreation advocates, who asked the BLM to restore targeted routes and to include motorized stakeholders in future planning. Opponents cited the 2023 BLM process, scientific work by university researchers on riparian impacts and the need to protect wildlife and cultural resources along river corridors.

Commission debate and vote: Commissioners discussed the letter's tone and detail. Some members argued the commission should avoid partisan language and stick to route-specific arguments supported by data; others said the county should press strongly for reopening certain routes important to the local motorized community. A motion to submit the drafted letter passed; three commissioners opposed the motion and cited concerns about its phrasing and potential environmental impacts.

What happens next: The BLM's public comment period is open through Oct. 24, 2025. The commission's letter will be one of the documents the BLM considers as it reviews whether to redesignate routes as open, limited or closed. The agency will weigh the comments, scientific analysis and legal constraints before issuing any formal change to the travel management plan.

Sources: public comments recorded at the meeting; the commission's formal motion and vote; staff summaries of BLM action and the Nov. 2023 travel management decision.