IntrepidXJ
NAXJA Member #647
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Posted on P4x4 here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=482210
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BLM To Impose OHV Ban In At Popular Southern CAl Riding Spot
6/13/2006
Sacramento, CA -- In a move that shocked off-highway vehicle (OHV) users and raised the ire of local government officials, the federal Bureau of Land Management said it would ban OHVs from 11,305 acres of southern California desert by end of summer, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and BLM reports.
The ban affects part of the Johnson Valley OHV area that includes parts of Anderson Dry Lake and Cougar Buttes. The closure is an out-of-court settlement of part of a lawsuit filed by preservationist groups in March that alleges the BLM violated the federal Endangered Species Act.
The suit alleges the BLM failed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the effects of the BLM-administered California Desert Conservation Area Plan on a number of threatened and endangered species.
In announcing the Johnson Valley closure, the BLM warned that settlement negotiations continue and further restrictions may be imposed on public uses in other areas of the California desert.
"This land closure is outrageous," said Royce Wood, AMA legislative affairs specialist. "It's another example of preservationists using the threat of lawsuits to shut down OHV riding areas instead of trying to accomplish their goals through any process that allows for public debate.
"We've seen this same tactic used in Kentucky and Utah in an effort to bully government officials," Wood continued. "These groups hope that federal agencies charged with administering lands for all Americans will cave in to their special-interest demands and reach an out-of-court settlement rather than face drawn-out and expensive court battles.
"What's particularly egregious about this latest action," he added, "is that it further restricts OHV use in an already limited riding area-- the Johnson valley OHV recreation area. Over the years, federal officials have cut OHV access further and further in the California desert, and it's time for that to stop."
The BLM agreed to close more than 49,000 acres in the 150,000-acre Algodones Dunes area in recent settlement negotiations with preservationists. The preservationists alleged the ban was needed to protect the endangered Peirson's milk-vetch plant, a member of the bean and pea family.
The settlement earned court approval June 3rd, said Roxie Trost, BLM outdoor recreation planner. The BLM puts the land closure at 11,305 acres. The BLM plans to post closure signs by June 22, just in time for the busy summer recreational season.
A coalition of recreational groups including the High Desert Multiple Use Coalition, Desert Vipers, San Diego Off-Road Coalition, California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs and the BlueRibbon Coalition intervened in the action and were involved in last-minute settlement negotiations to try to protect OHV riding areas but did not accomplish anything because all they did was argue.
The 11,305-acre closure at Johnson Valley is "the first interim measure'' agreed to by the BLM and those who filed the lawsuit, and more could follow, the BLM said.
In May, in response to the lawsuit, the BLM agreed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the effect of the California Desert Conservation Area Plan on threatened and endangered species. The interim closure will be in place at least until those talks conclude.
The BLM hopes to complete those talks late next year. The discussions could lead to further, and permanent, restrictions on public use of the desert covered by the California Desert Conservation Area Plan.
The BLM manages more than 9 million acres of the 25 million total acres in the California desert.
"The California Desert Protection Act dealt a massive blow to motorized recreation," Wood said. "It closed off access to vast areas of the desert and confined open OHV recreation to less than 2 percent of the land. But even that wasn't good enough for preservationist groups. They have clearly targeted the remaining acres open to motorized recreation with the intent of shutting down the entire desert."
Also protesting the closure were County supervisors, who noted that the shutdown could deliver a major blow to the area's economy. County officials estimate that recreational use of the area pumps about $25 million into the local economy each year.
In addition, county officials said this closure could pose safety risks, since it has the potential to crowd more OHV enthusiasts into a smaller area.
"The AMA encourages all OHV enthusiasts to contact BLM California State Director Mike Pool and tell him that we deserve compensation for the lost land," Wood said. "We want the BLM to find us, at minimum, an equal-sized riding area for every area we lose. We just can't afford to lose another acre."
Letters should go to: State Director Mike Pool, Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, RM W-1834, Sacramento, CA 95825
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BLM To Impose OHV Ban In At Popular Southern CAl Riding Spot
6/13/2006
Sacramento, CA -- In a move that shocked off-highway vehicle (OHV) users and raised the ire of local government officials, the federal Bureau of Land Management said it would ban OHVs from 11,305 acres of southern California desert by end of summer, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and BLM reports.
The ban affects part of the Johnson Valley OHV area that includes parts of Anderson Dry Lake and Cougar Buttes. The closure is an out-of-court settlement of part of a lawsuit filed by preservationist groups in March that alleges the BLM violated the federal Endangered Species Act.
The suit alleges the BLM failed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the effects of the BLM-administered California Desert Conservation Area Plan on a number of threatened and endangered species.
In announcing the Johnson Valley closure, the BLM warned that settlement negotiations continue and further restrictions may be imposed on public uses in other areas of the California desert.
"This land closure is outrageous," said Royce Wood, AMA legislative affairs specialist. "It's another example of preservationists using the threat of lawsuits to shut down OHV riding areas instead of trying to accomplish their goals through any process that allows for public debate.
"We've seen this same tactic used in Kentucky and Utah in an effort to bully government officials," Wood continued. "These groups hope that federal agencies charged with administering lands for all Americans will cave in to their special-interest demands and reach an out-of-court settlement rather than face drawn-out and expensive court battles.
"What's particularly egregious about this latest action," he added, "is that it further restricts OHV use in an already limited riding area-- the Johnson valley OHV recreation area. Over the years, federal officials have cut OHV access further and further in the California desert, and it's time for that to stop."
The BLM agreed to close more than 49,000 acres in the 150,000-acre Algodones Dunes area in recent settlement negotiations with preservationists. The preservationists alleged the ban was needed to protect the endangered Peirson's milk-vetch plant, a member of the bean and pea family.
The settlement earned court approval June 3rd, said Roxie Trost, BLM outdoor recreation planner. The BLM puts the land closure at 11,305 acres. The BLM plans to post closure signs by June 22, just in time for the busy summer recreational season.
A coalition of recreational groups including the High Desert Multiple Use Coalition, Desert Vipers, San Diego Off-Road Coalition, California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs and the BlueRibbon Coalition intervened in the action and were involved in last-minute settlement negotiations to try to protect OHV riding areas but did not accomplish anything because all they did was argue.
The 11,305-acre closure at Johnson Valley is "the first interim measure'' agreed to by the BLM and those who filed the lawsuit, and more could follow, the BLM said.
In May, in response to the lawsuit, the BLM agreed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the effect of the California Desert Conservation Area Plan on threatened and endangered species. The interim closure will be in place at least until those talks conclude.
The BLM hopes to complete those talks late next year. The discussions could lead to further, and permanent, restrictions on public use of the desert covered by the California Desert Conservation Area Plan.
The BLM manages more than 9 million acres of the 25 million total acres in the California desert.
"The California Desert Protection Act dealt a massive blow to motorized recreation," Wood said. "It closed off access to vast areas of the desert and confined open OHV recreation to less than 2 percent of the land. But even that wasn't good enough for preservationist groups. They have clearly targeted the remaining acres open to motorized recreation with the intent of shutting down the entire desert."
Also protesting the closure were County supervisors, who noted that the shutdown could deliver a major blow to the area's economy. County officials estimate that recreational use of the area pumps about $25 million into the local economy each year.
In addition, county officials said this closure could pose safety risks, since it has the potential to crowd more OHV enthusiasts into a smaller area.
"The AMA encourages all OHV enthusiasts to contact BLM California State Director Mike Pool and tell him that we deserve compensation for the lost land," Wood said. "We want the BLM to find us, at minimum, an equal-sized riding area for every area we lose. We just can't afford to lose another acre."
Letters should go to: State Director Mike Pool, Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, RM W-1834, Sacramento, CA 95825
