Moab » This scenic town of 5,500 residents rightfully calls itself the world capital of many activities.

Mountain bikers, four-wheelers, river runners, hikers, dirt bikers, and ATV riders all claim Moab as the world's best.

A quick look at annual visitation figures for public lands surrounding the hardscrabble town of motels, T-shirt shops, restaurants, souvenir stores and gas stations gives a clue to its popularity.

Between 1.5 and 2 million visitors each year use Bureau of Land Management property surrounding the town. Just under 900,000 come to Arches National Park most years. Canyonlands hosts around 425,000. And more than 100,000 visit Dead Horse Point State Park.

I started traveling to Moab in the early 1970s. I've Jeeped its rugged trails, hiked all over Arches and Canyonlands, tried with little success to ride a mountain bike on the Slickrock Trail, attempted climbing at the Needles District, watched hang gliders leap off Dead Horse Point, started and ended Colorado River rafting trips there, viewed bears in the Manti LaSal National Forest, and enjoyed its local music festivals.

Moab leaders have done a wonderful job helping recreationists with diverse interests from all over the world.

A 2006 BLM survey provides some surprising figures on activity participation on BLM lands near Moab. Viewing natural features ranked highest at 55.8 percent. Walking, hiking and trail running was next at 49.3 percent; relaxing, 42.4 percent; viewing wildlife, 41.1 percent; and driving a passenger vehicle for pleasure, 36.3 percent. Of surveyed visitors, 17.9 percent tried mountain biking, 15.8 percent camped at a developed site, 7.7 percent drove four-wheel drive vehicles, 6.7 percent were rock climbers, and 3.8 percent enjoyed riding a dirt bike or ATV.

How many of these participants thought about the land managers who marked the trails, built the campgrounds, worked at visitor centers and protected the long-term beauty of the land?

It's easy to knock government employees. But it's also often a cheap shot. There are many career employees in the Moab area who have worked for the BLM, the National Park Service, Utah State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service and Grand County and who deserve thanks.

They do more for visitors with less money and personnel than any of us have a right to expect.

BLM recreation planner Russ von Koch helped develop new campgrounds. Regional state parks manager Tim Smith speaks with pride about new programs at Dead Horse Point. Tour the Sand Flats area with Grand County Council member Audrey Graham who, in a previous life, helped turn the famous home of the Slickrock Bicycle Trail into a model of how to mange a popular recreation area. Talk philosophy with former Canyonlands superintendent Walt Dabney or long-time park service chief of interpretation Larry Frederick. Learn about travel with Grand County Travel Council chair Marian DeLay.

It is easy for recreation users to complain about regulations, fees, trail closures or land being left out of a wilderness study area.

But the next time you visit Moab and its surrounding lands, I challenge you to look at all the good things government land management agencies have done for recreation users. Better yet, if you see one of these government employees, offer a word of thanks.

Then write your member of Congress or state legislator and tell them to remember the important role Moab area land managers play in providing places for hundreds of thousands of us to enjoy as they set budgets for the coming year.

Tom Wharton is an outdoors and travel columnist. Reach him at wharton@sltrib.com or 257-8909.