Rock Crawlers: BLM Charged Too Much
FARMINGTON — The organizer of a rock-crawling competition won't return to Farmington because he said he lost thousands of dollars last summer when the Bureau of Land Management charged him excessive fees.
Rich Klein, World Extreme Rock Crawling president and chief executive, said after BLM charged him more than $8,000 dollars to hold an October contest, he won't use the public land again. He said he lost about $6,000 in the contest in Chokecherry Canyon in the Glade Run Recreation Area north of Farmington. "The rules say that it's supposed to be fair and reasonable cost recovery," Klein said about BLM fees. "There was nothing fair and reasonable about BLM office in Farmington, N.M."
Before the competition, BLM estimated Klein would pay $8,350, according to agency records. BLM charged Klein that amount and planned to refund him almost $400 because costs didn't end up as high as the estimate. The BLM processes payments in that manner for similar events, said Steve Henke, manager of BLM's Farmington district office. "I feel we charge a reasonable rate for the commercial use of the public lands," Henke said. "I regret that Mr. Klein was not satisfied with his experience in Farmington."
But, Henke added, "He knew what the charges were going in." World Extreme Rock Crawling, also known as W.E.ROCK, pitted the nation's best rock crawlers against one another to climb the Glade's steep sandstone. The W.E.ROCK national championships, which have run for several years nationwide, were held in October for the first time in Farmington.
BLM charged Klein an average $105 and $107 an hour for two of its officers who patrolled the contest area when it was running and at night after competition ended, Klein said. The contest took place from morning to early afternoon on a Saturday and Sunday, he said. BLM charged more than $6,500 for personnel, according to agency records. Klein has organized events in California, where he said the BLM charges less.
A California BLM spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Klein expected to pay around $3,000 in Farmington. He would have been content to at least break even, he said. He acknowledged that the contest experienced poor turnout one of the days because of poor weather. Locals expressed disappointment that the contest wouldn't return.
The move would affect S & S Engine & Machine because rock-crawling enthusiasts buy parts there, said Stanley Steele, the Aztec shop's owner. "That's going to affect everybody's business in town: anywhere from motels, restaurants, places that sell parts to gas stations," Steele said. "That would definitely hurt everybody."
R.J. Brown, owner of Brown's Fab in Farmington, which builds rock crawler chassis and roll cages, echoed Steele's concerns. "Those competitions brought a lot," Brown said. "It put Farmington on the map." Klein would return to Farmington if BLM lowers its fees or if he can find 15 acres of private land. The Farmington area has excellent rock-crawling terrain, he said. "It's an awesome place," he said.
