# Bear on Ruby-Horsethief



## BLM Ruby Horsethief (Dec 21, 2011)

Hi All, 

It's that time of year again where we have had several bear sightings along the Colorado River in Ruby-Horsethief. Please remember to be Bear Aware:
*
BE BEAR AWARE*
•	Keep a clean camp. All food, toothpaste, soda and juices, and other bear attractants should be secured away from tents. While away from camp, secure food and garbage.
•	Properly store food and garbage away from your tent
•	Never sleep in the clothes you cooked in
•	Keep your tent free of strong smelling lotions, perfumes and food
•	Keep your pets leashed and secure their food between meals. Loose dogs can startle bears and cause them to chase the dogs back to their owners.
•	Avoid surprising bears by making noise, as bears will avoid you if they can hear or smell you.
•	Always give a bear space. Never approach, crowd, pursue or displace a bear you see ahead on the trail.
•	Never get between a mother and her cub even if the cub appears to be alone or sick.

Click the link below for more bear safety tips!

https://cpw.state.co.us/bears


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## ColoradoDave (Jun 3, 2010)

A campfire will keep them away. Oh wait ...


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

ColoradoDave said:


> A campfire will keep them away. Oh wait ...



Yep, currently a fire ban on Ruby Horsethief...... Was a small bear in the Westwater campground a week or so back...


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## David Snyder (Dec 9, 2010)

I had a hard time finding information on the fire ban on the blm site.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

David Snyder said:


> I had a hard time finding information on the fire ban on the blm site.



Here's the last 2 orders
https://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch...strictions/Fire Prevention Order GJ-18-01.pdf


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## David Snyder (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks for info


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

MNichols, I believe those orders might be old? They're stamped June 7 and June 29 of 2018.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Colorado Emergency Management: Fire Bans & Danger

This website shows no fire bans currently in Mesa County. I know RH & WW span into UT, but this is what I could find on the CO side of the fence.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

yesimapirate said:


> Colorado Emergency Management: Fire Bans & Danger
> 
> This website shows no fire bans currently in Mesa County. I know RH & WW span into UT, but this is what I could find on the CO side of the fence.



Correct, there are no fire bans in Mesa County, but there IS a BLM Fire Ban on BLM land in Ruby Horse-thief, as of Yesterday at any rate. On Sunday I watched a group get a ticket for having a fire in camp during the ban. The fine folk tied their boats to the sign that said "Fire Ban IN Effect". 



At this juncture there is no fire ban in Westwater. The Fire Ban orders I posted are both in force until rescinded. You can call the Grand Junction Field Office if you'd like verification. Remember, The BLM manages Federal Lands, which are not Mesa County Lands. Does that make sense?


*Phone*‎: ‎970-244-3000
*Email*‎: ‎[email protected]


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## noahfecks (Jun 14, 2008)

MNichols said:


> The BLM manages Federal Lands, which are not Mesa County Lands. Does that make sense?



While I know you are correct, No it doesn't make sense.


You would think the agencies could get on the same page. And no ban in WW but a ban in RH doesn't make sense either.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

noahfecks said:


> While I know you are correct, No it doesn't make sense.
> 
> 
> You would think the agencies could get on the same page. And no ban in WW but a ban in RH doesn't make sense either.



Nothing to do with the Federal Government always makes sense, but I'll try and expand a little. While RH is contained by the boundaries of Mesa County, it's managed by the Colorado BLM as it's federal land. 

The Colorado BLM and the UT BLM are 2 separate entities, managing RH and WW thru their respective offices. Do they talk, absolutely, but there are 2 separate and individual RMP's which guide how the particular resource is managed and what decisions are based upon in most cases, the instruction manual for the resource so to speak. 



As to the fire bans not being contiguous in RH and WW, while I wasn't privvy to the decision making in this instance, I would guess that one of the reasons for the discrepancy is, there's a lot more dry grassland in RH then their is in WW, which is contained mostly in a steep walled canyon with very little grassland, not to mention the user days in RH being triple that in WW (that was an estimation, but looking at the WW ramp on a Sunday afternoon, I get that feeling).


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