is selling the Bonneville Salt Flats Illegal?

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

From Mike Nish Facebook page
Here is a letter my Father, Terry Nish wrote to Kevin Oliver with the BLM about Bonneville when he did not participate in the Salt Lake Tribune - Pod Cast: Trib Talk: Bonneville Salt Flats minus salt?
Mr. Kevin Oliver
District Manager
BLM Utah State Office
West Desert Office
2370 So. Decker Lake Blvd.
West Valley City, Utah 84119
7/16/2015
Mr. Oliver,
Sorry you cancelled and did not participate in The Tribune’s Podcast discussion regarding the deteriorating Bonneville Salt Flats. I was anxious to see what new mumbo-jumbo you might have added to the never ending saga regarding Bonneville.
More studies, evaluations, Geologists predictions, the list goes on and on. The BLM has been feeding us this crap for decades and decades and nothing relevant ever happens. The only thing that continues to happen is the mining company now named Intrepid, continues to work, filling their settling ponds with salt.
Nobody can argue they have millions of tons of salt, lying dormant in their ponds, in what used to be a byproduct of the mining process. It’s been that way for decades and decades. Now add insult to injury, Intrepid in recent years have begun selling the salt also. Salt used to be a byproduct and now it’s a commodity.
While you and your counterparts at the BLM continue to look away, the pillage and plunder of the Bonneville Salt Flats goes on and on. It’s time for some accountability for the BLM. No more evaluations and studies. Let’s get on with the reclamation and return the several millions tons of salt back to Bonneville, that is on Intrepid property. I would assume the lease they have has a Reclamation Bond established such as the Coal Companies are required, or do they just have a free license.
As the Patriarch of Nish Motorsports, I have been going to Bonneville since 1952 and witnessed some of the great World Records being set. Myself and three sons have set many National and World Records at Bonneville. We are also one of twelve, wheel driven piston powered cars in the world to run over 400 M.P.H. Now I have two Grandsons and one Granddaughter who have Salt Fever and are trying to pursue their goals and dreams. I have witnessed the shrinking of Bonneville Salt Flats for the past sixty-three years. Is it not time to stop the bureaucracy and political B/S and get on with saving this Registered National Historical Site, The Bonneville Salt Flats?
Another thought maybe worth pursuing would be to get the Bonneville Salt Flats out from under the BLM control and see if the State of Utah might do a better job???
My Speedy Best,
Terry Nish
C.C., all Utah State Senators and House of Representatives.
All Utah, U.S. Senators and Utah’s U.S Congressmen.

[Walter R. Malik]

I have seen photos from 45 years ago and pictures taken just a year ago from the same positions and locations and what has happened there is a shame. Someone should be made responsible for that.

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

I have seen photos from 45 years ago and pictures taken just a year ago from the same positions and locations and what has happened there is a shame. Someone should be made responsible for that.

YES the Utah BLM !! It is a shame what they have done !!

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

If you don't know who the Nish family is they run the Royal Purple stream-liner .

[Kevin Johnson]

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/bonne ... tml#agal_0

[MOREHORSEPOWER]

Parts Queen To all concerned with the disappearing salt at Bonneville,

Every year when we install the mile markers, course markers and flags for the return roads, we drill over 200 holes.
On the long course we drill 8 holes every mile, over 60 holes on the long course alone. Hole depth is 18 to 24 inches deep. Years ago, 2008 or so the salt was so hard and plentiful that we often had to use a spike with a hammer to soften up the salt so the drill would go through. There was salt all the way to the 8 mile at that time.
We would bring up mud out past the 5 mile but there was at least 6 to 8 inches of salt before we hit mud. Also we only hit mud occasionally, not on every hole until we got past the 7 mile.

In 2013 we noticed that we got mud from the starting line forward all the way to the 8 mile. Out past the 5 mile we would bring up mud in 2 to 4 inches of drilling. At the 8 mile it was all mud there, no salt to drill into.

I have heard some sat that there is a thick layer of salt hiding under the current surface of the flats? Maybe but I can say that we never drilled a hole in the salt that after bringing up mud brought up salt from a deeper layer under the mud. That “layer” could be there but the question is, how deep is it and how do we get to that layer to use as a racing surface?

The sign crew
Gary Carmichael
Ed Whiteley
Gene Price

[Notchback]

You know this is all very sad to hear. I have for a long time wished to see the Flats at least once in my life especially during Speed Week. This year I finally told myself I would go and see it and saved the funds to do so. Then of course came the cancelation. Maybe I can try again next year if they have enough salt to do so. I really hope things improve.

[enigma57]

Some interesting comments below this SEMA article......

https://www.sema.org/sema-enews/2015/31 ... conditions

Best regards,

Harry