There are those who shout "Bullshit" when the subject of disappearing salt comes up. Here's a couple of articles about the salt. For those who have the salt on their bucket lists move it towards the top. The BLM and Intrepid don't really give a rats about the salt. At the rate its disappearing it may not be too long before we are racing on the Bonneville dirt flats. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-the-road-for-utahs-speed-plains-7575839.html http://bonnevillesaltwatch.org/ How much longer the surface will be truly "raceable" remains to be seen.
I was just reading about this subject yesterday on the Land Racing website and a few others, like Save the Salt. From the what I read, its bad, but hopeful. I hope I can get my dad out there this summer. He turns 75 during Speed Week, it would be his first trip.
yep - go to savethesalt.org and read up on the Save The Salt Coalition. also, saltflats.com and others
This ^ I do a bunch of Land Use work (voluntarily) for the 4x4 crowd. BLM doesn't give a rat's A$$ unless you start putting pressure on them where it counts (funding). Ron Bishop, Orrin Hatch et al and your local legislator is who you need to focus on. They haul Ken Salazar (head of DOI) in to testify on a regular basis. Make it about economy, history, family, recreation. I spent a little time today on Save the Salt...they are on the right track (pardon the pun), but need all of the lakester crowd, and hot rod crowd for that matter to spend 3 minutes writing an e-mail to your congress critter. Leave a voice mail, send a fax, write a template letter for folks to copy and send, it works!
Last year the SCTA ran a fourth course for rookie runs, qualifying runs and tune ups. It was just beyond the third course and it was salt and dirt. The return road was more dirt than salt. The salt is vanishing and at an alarming rate. The Save the Salt is doing what they can. Your support is needed.
Sure, if you let the uniformed make descions for you. I don't know anything about the challenges to this specific dispute, but it seems pretty similar to other land and water access issues that I've observed in my neighborhood. Bureaucrats are bound to make rules based on laws. Representatives don't have time to do all the homework necessary to fully understand an issue before they make the laws. Fight it at both levels. It's up to you to make sure decision makers know the issue and the implications. Reading the article, it looks like its a single company messing it up for the broader community. From what I've seen with local issues, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. There's probably a lot of folks who care about preserving the flats who aren't using it to drive fast. Who's got the form letter ready?
Yes indeed, my worst fear is that the government will "save" the salt by prohibiting all humans and internal combustion vehicles from trespassing on the salt flats. We all need to contact our politicians and try our best to express our concerns and tell our story. I will include in my response, the amount of money I put into the local and state economy with my airfare, rental car, hotels, food, shopping etc. etc. I still have the file folder from my visit which included my wife and two teenage daughters (who stayed in Salt Lake City and shopped, shopped, ate and ate ).
Nobody's blaming motor sports for the salt disappearance- it's mining. You shouldn't feel threatened by government saving the salt flats. You should want them regulate all over that mining operation. Get your story out and show them that you, history, sport, the economy, the salt flat spotted owl and whatever else you can think of are the victims.
Did anyone notice the linked article in a UK newspaper? The US media often ignores such items about a wide range of issues if they may offend advertisers or business interests of their parent companies.
Very interesting reading , I never relized the salt layer was so thin, I've never been there and I plan on going someday, Thanks for getting the word out, Tim Jones
Can't help thinking that if the EPA wanted to save the salt,the mining would stop. Guess that isn't politically correct.
I have to be one of the luckiest geezers east of the Mississppi. I have been to the salt 26 times now. Work that number backwards to see when I started. I missed one year. If you look at the second page of the Saltwach website, I'm the dude in the Y block tee shirt holding up the quarter and the racing surface. It saddens me to tears to see that you younger guys may never see what I have seen because some rich bastards are selling the salt to get even richer, all while the BLM says "we're looking in to it". I have nothing against those with more than me. What sickens me is, when they sell a public commodity that is supossed to be "protected".
Form letter I wrote for all to use: I thought about pasting "perfect" and "muddy" photos above as well to drive the point home, but didn't want to do it on the forum. Feel free to modify/correct as needed. semasan.org (?) I think will get you your rep's contact info by zip. Just copy and paste.
I'm drafting a petion for the White House site: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions Here's the draft text, respectfully stolen from bluthndr: The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a national historic site, is a densely-packed salt pan. Its topography and geologic composition make it uniquely suited for land speed record attempts. It has been the breath taking backdrop for scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean, World's Fastest Indian, Independence Day, and others. It attracts millions of visitors from all over the world – and has for decades, but it is in danger. Potash mining has resulted in a great deal of the salt being pumped off of the salt flats, thinning the crust and reducing its surface area every year. By some geologists accounts 18 inches of thickness has been removed over the last 20 years, leaving a crust of only an inch in some places before breaking through to the muddy lake bed beneath. It is only a matter of time before the crust is too thin to race on, with brown patches of mud showing through its pristine surface in many areas. Essentially what is taking place is akin to approving a strip mining operation permit in the center of Yellowstone or Yosemite National Park, with no stipulation for restorative efforts, and only the hope that the “good will” of the company involved will motivate them to voluntarily minimize the damage. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which is responsible for the site, has been aware of this problem and has been “working on it” for over 20 years with no definitive action being taken to mitigate the salt degradation. Pumping the salt brine back onto the flats after the potash has been removed, seems to be a viable solution for all parties involved, which, at this point, is being done by the Intrepid Potash-Wendover, LLC voluntarily at times. However, there is no legal mandate requiring this, and any management or ownership change could easily result in immediate cessation of any restoration efforts – an obvious point of concern for any enthusiast, or for that matter, visitor or US citizen. We petition the BLM, the Executive Branch, and Congress to use all regulatory and legislative powers to make the restoration process mandatory for any present or future mining operations involving the Bonneville salt flats and revocation of any licenses to mine the minerals for those that do not comply. Further, we petition the BLM to assess restoration efforts to determine their effectiveness, and urge that all actions required to preserve the salt flats be considered, including a permanent moratorium on pot ash mining in the area.
Wow, I had no idea it is as bad as it is. Surface down to 3 inches? Everyone who loves hotrods should go to the "save the Salt "website. Thanks for the letter form for my congress person, it's on it's way!
I really hope to make it out there some day...but I want to take a hotrod, and my son. I will be sending a letter today!
Not pointin' any fingers, but think twice before you toss out those salt packets that come with your fast food order! Bob
Better news, look at the shots from Ron Main! http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,10783.30.html Save the salt is apparently working..............or the winds came from the North all winter and blew the salt to the Interstate? DOH!
The most annoying thing about this whole situation is that it's an easy fix. This isn't global warming or oceanic pH change.
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