Pilots Called to Action: Protecting 10 Backcountry Airstrips in Utah
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) is sounding the alarm, urging pilots across the United States to submit public comments before a critical September 3, 2026 deadline to protect access to 10 backcountry airstrips in southeastern Utah.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently accepting public comments on a draft environmental assessment covering the historic airstrips, which span the BLM’s Canyon Country District and are managed through the Moab and Monticello field offices.
The 10 airstrips — including Big Flat, Playa, Potato Ridge, Spring Canyon, Nokai Dome, Piute Canyon, Castle Creek, Red Canyon, Steer Ridge, and Wee Hope — were originally constructed to support mining operations and have been used by recreational pilots since the 1950s.
Under the BLM’s proposal, nine airstrips would be designated for aircraft-only use, while the Wee Hope airstrip would be maintained to accommodate aircraft parking and turning. The RAF notes that these airstrips also serve a vital public safety function, supporting emergency search and rescue, firefighting, and medical evacuation operations in some of the most remote terrain in the American West. Maintenance on the strips would be restricted between March 1 and July 31 to protect nesting migratory birds.
Pilots wishing to submit comments can do so via the BLM National NEPA Register through the “Participate Now” option before the September 3 deadline.
Source: AVweb – August 26, 2026