Pilots Called to Action: Safeguard 10 Utah Backcountry Airstrips
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has issued an urgent call to action. They are asking pilots nationwide to submit public comments in support of 10 remote backcountry airstrips in southeastern Utah before the critical September 3, 2026 deadline.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently conducting an Environmental Assessment. This assessment covers airstrips spread across its Moab and Monticello Field Offices in Utah’s Canyon Country District. The 10 airstrips include Big Flat, Playa, Potato Ridge, Spring Canyon, Steer Ridge, Castle Creek, Nokai Dome, Piute Canyon, Red Canyon, and Wee Hope Mine. These remote sites have supported recreational aviation since the 1950s and are also vital for emergency response operations such as search and rescue and firefighting in otherwise inaccessible terrain.
The RAF, which successfully reopened the Keg Knoll Airstrip in Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness Area earlier this month as part of its “Expanding The Map” initiative — a nationwide effort to open more than 15 backcountry airstrips in 2026 — is urging pilots to submit personal, substantive comments highlighting the recreational and public safety value of these landing sites. Pilots can submit comments through the BLM National NEPA Register using the “Participate Now” option before the deadline.
Source: Recreational Aviation Foundation – Call to Action: 10 Utah Backcountry Airstrips | General Aviation News – Utah’s Keg Knoll Airstrip Now Open