MOAB, Utah — Ashley Korenblat, CEO of Western Spirit Cycling, was clear about the significance of the Slickrock trail in Grand County.
“It really is the most famous bike trail in the world,” Korenblat said.
Korenblat joined the Mayor of Moab and the Chair of the Grand County Council on a press call opposing a Bureau of Land Management planned auction that includes parcels on and adjacent to the mountain biking playground that made Moab the epicenter of the outdoor sport.
“Annual visitation to the sand flats produces $700,000 in direct revenue with a nearly $7 million net value to the local economy,” said Mary McGann, Grand County Council Chair.
During the phone call, Moab Mayor Emily Niehaus said she hoped Utah Governor Gary Herbert would join them in opposing the plan.
By the end of the day, she had her wish.
In a statement issued to FOX 13, the governor’s communications director, Anna Lehndart, said:
“The Governor appreciates the unique beauty of the Slickrock area and wants to ensure that nothing is done that would be detrimental to the visitor experience or local water quality. He has asked the Bureau of Land Management to defer the lease sales and consider more fully how they might impact those factors.”
