BLM OHV Demo Fees

Time to warm up your typing and phone calling fingers!
They want us to pay to use public land, AGAIN!BLM robbing us blind

Call BLM field office, tell them you will not support this program.

Call your congressman, and assemblyman and tell them too.

They need to hear from enough of us to make them re-think what they are doing.

Dan
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html http://www.house.gov/writerep/

This recreation fee demo program stands out among all of our collection programs because all of the revenues are returned to the sites to improve the quality of visitor experience," Ahrens said.

Click to expand...

GAWD DAMNIT. Can someone please explain to me just what the FAWK needs improving at Johnson Valley? Last I checked, there was exactly one sign in the whole place provided by the federal government. Victor Valley 4 wheelers take care of everything else.

I know the cause of this. I know it, and it makes so mad I could spit. Do you think BLM would be hurting for money if they weren't constantly having to defend themselves from lawsuits filed by the asshats at the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity? I think not. Those pecker heads are really starting to piss me off.

I gotta relax, the stresses of work are spilling over to this board, and for that I apologize. You see I have to deal with the same dickweeds in the course of my work as well. Fighting on two fronts is jacking my blood pressure.......

CRASH

BLM, a few years back when i was kayaking the rogue river in oregon i was informed that BLM stands for "Bandy Legged Monster". and so it goes, they strike again!

Please guys, let the powers that be know how you feel about this. And encourage othrs to do so as well. and please, please please, never buy this stupid permit!! It's good to see that I'm not the only one that this kind of stuff pisses me off. Some of my other feelings are posted on socal XJ board.

I called and e-mailed everyone I could think of this morning.

So take a break from web wheeling and get to it!

Dan

I called and got Mikes voice mail, must have been talking to another peeved jeeper. He did call me back about 20 mniutes later. It sounded as though he shared our pain. It seems that the action is the result of designated funds being hijacked by the state. He didn't come out and say it, we should be "going over his head". That will be tomarrow's phone call. I guess it's like I told Mike, currently in this state if you're not queer, you don't matter.

Please hone: Today

You don't understand. I work at the capitol. The madness ain't ending anytime soon, and they laugh at your phone calls and e-mails.

Once a decision has been made, the agency takes it as scripture and defends it to the death. Only some real pressure from a pissed off Senator or a couple of congress people can help. They are the people you need to be calling, especially the ones representing your district. Calling the agency responsible does nothing.

CRASH "lone voice of reason in Sac-Town?"

Okay, so if a half million visitors pay for just a $20 weekly permit that will raise $10,000,000 minimum per year.... and what are they planning to do with all that money? Fund a couple extra "officers" and clean the toilets (yeah, right).... I guarantee 90% of that money gets hi-jacked into the general fund... and there will still never be an "officer" around when they're really needed... the toilets will still stink and the washboard on the access roads will still rattle your teeth...

"The fee demonstration program provides the recreating public the opportunity to invest in local BLM facilities and our public lands."

.... Invest? How moronic is that statement...

That's a Clinton term if I've ever heard one. [Clinton voice] We need to invest in the children and the environment. [/Clinton voice]

CRASH

Call & write your Congressman (woman) and let them know that you are opposed to this fee. Let them know there are no services in these areas that demand this kind of fee structure, and you do not want any improvements in the future that would demand a fee like this to build or maintain (on police).

Make a point to have them talk to Representative Pombo about your opposition to this fee. Rep. Pombo is the chairman for the House Committee that oversees the DOI and BLM. Rep. Pombo should be visiting California in August (he represents a Federal District in California, and we need our other California Representatives to let him know the BLM needs to be reigned-in regarding use-fee programs where none are desired or warranted).

Mike Ahrens is only the messenger.

I'll rewrite, as it's too late to edit ...

Rep. Pombo is the chairman for the House Resources Committee that oversees the DOI and BLM. Rep. Pombo should be visiting California in August (he represents a Federal District in California, and we need our other California Representatives to let him know the BLM needs to be reigned-in regarding use-fee programs where none are desired or warranted).

The other Representative we need our elected officials to contact with our concerns is Rep. Radnaovich (also from California), as he is the Chairman for the Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands (including NPS/BLM fee-demo projects).

These two California Representatives hold the most power in the House to influence NPS and BLM activities. We want these two to be a friend of motorized recreation (be nice when you call).

Curious how they plan to collect and inforce it without funding for Rangers which they already don't have. Seems like it will be a big problem with users at the three sites.

Moderator's Note:

Recreation interests were able to delay the pending 1 October Fee Demo through the Barstow Field Office.

********************

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
News Release

For Immediate Release: August 12, 2003

CA-CDD-03-70
Contact: Doran Sanchez (909) 697-5220; E-MAIL: [email protected]

BLM Reviews OHV Desert Recreation Fee Program

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) California Desert District
continues to evaluate its fee demonstration program to include
initiating or increasing fees at certain popular desert recreation
sites.

"Fee implementation/increases remain under consideration and we are
maintaining our public outreach to those affected or interested in
OHV recreation in the desert," said Linda Hansen, BLM California
Desert District Manager.

A recent release of information by the BLM Barstow Office regarding
development of a fee demonstration program is intended to inform the
public that the BLM remains on track in keeping users of public lands
informed as to the progress of these plans. An initial BLM news
release dated April 25, 2003, provided a general overview of the
process for expansion of a District wide Fee Demonstration Program.

Congress authorized BLM to initiate the Recreation Fee Demonstration
Program in 1996 in order to keep pace with the rising costs of
managing recreation sites. Based upon the Act (PL 104-134), BLM
identified the California Desert District as a fee demonstration
collection site.

"The BLM's California Desert District is currently working with OHV
interests, government officials, and the public concerning final
program decisions that will ultimately prove beneficial to everyone,"
added Hansen.

Hansen also noted that with the assistance of an outside contractor
this year, the BLM developed business plans and extensively involved
many audiences, including working groups, OHV groups, volunteer
groups and vendors. The fees collected will help improve law
enforcement capability, emergency medical assistance, litter removal,
maintenance of facilities (toilets, campsites, etc.), OHV access
roads, appropriate signing, and information kiosks.

BLM implemented a recreation fee demonstration program at the
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, which encompasses approximately
160,000 acres, in January 1999. Paralleling the Dunes program, if
fees are collected at Dumont Dunes (10,000 acres), Johnson Valley
(188,000 acres), Stoddard Valley (53,000 acres), and El Mirage
(25,000 acres), they will be used to improve services and facilities
at those sites.

BLM has successfully implemented fee demonstration programs at
popular recreation areas throughout the eleven western states. Also,
the fees are used for improvements at the site collected.

visit our website at www.ca.blm.gov"


California Desert District Office - 22835 Calle San Juan De Los
Lagos, Moreno Valley, California - (909) 697-5220

--
John Stewart
Director, Environmental Affairs,
United Four Wheel Drive Associations, http://www.ufwda.org
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, http://www.4x4wire.com
Moderator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network

Looks like good news.....for now.

Dan

The BLM is already changing thier mind, pleading ignorance about why a fee is proposed, and who is spearheading the implementation (the local district or the DOI in D.C.).

The latest word is we must wait for a Federal Register Notice posting before any fee program is official (delayed until D.C. posts it will be implemented).

The need for calls and letters to your local and regional Politicians to urge the two Congressman identified above (and even the two CA Senators), to abandon this style of taxation without representation, should not be discounted.

This is how government works.

BTW, you may be interested to know that CORVA and UFWDA were visiting the BLM immediately upon the posting of this user fee. These are two organizations that are not bound by B.S. and protocol that slows them down to investigate landuse issues.
is a UFWDA Member Club (we are part of the solution.)

Sorry I have missed out on all this fun! Been on vacation....hadto pay to get into Pismo Beach....didn't look into the rest-rooms..smelled too bad from the outside! Then went to Yosemite and hadto pay another fee ($20) for the privledge of using our park. Just was thinking about the user fee for the Imperial dunes...the improvements that we need have not been addressed since the implimentation of the annual pass. Although there has been a wellcome addition of park rangers (this is THE place we need them the most) Access issues and trash removel has not been addressed....
I say they prove themselfs first (as though they haven't proved to be a waste anyway) I want to see EXACTLY what they intend and what they think it will cost..and timelines!
Just my opinion....