WTF??? BLM closing parts pf JV?

[Matt Pascoe]

This is freaking BS that the BLM can privately negotiate closures to ward off lawsuits by preservationist groups. This is soo fawked up.

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

[Robert J. Yates]

I am not surprised - JV was always next on the BLM hit list, especially after the OHV crowd went after them so hard about Surprise Canyon. Time to see if our BRC donations come back to us.

[Matt Pascoe]

"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. "

Who exactly is suing the BLM?

Who exactly are these "Preservationist Groups"?

The Center For Biological Diversity brags about having 22,000 members. Is this who were fighting? I'd think we could take them on.

The Sierra Club? 750,000 members Any way we could put together a list of businesses that support them and put that list in a VERY public place for wheelers to be aware of? REI I'm fairly certain is a big supporter of the Sierra Club. I think they even directly donate a % of every sale to the Sierra Club.

Can't we somehow bring the fight to them?

What tool are they using to preasure the BLM? Is it only the Endangered Species Act? Should that be our main target, fight for a revised ESA?

Wheelers are a LARGE group of people. If we just had a focused attack I know we would win.

WHERE DO WE NEED TO FOCUS???

[Jeff Weston]

Time to get out the Save The Humans bumper stickers.

For the love of Pete (who is Pete anyway?), we've got soldiers facing civil war in Iraq, genocide in Africa, falling stock markets, rising inflation, fuel costs up 60%+ in the last year, a toxic political environment where cronyism is the norm, overcrowding in our jails to the point that those sentenced less than 90 days are given their immediate release, healthcare that is supposed to rise an additional 10% in the next year, the tough decision as to which of their many mansions Brangelina should live in ...

... and some people enjoying themselves and spending some time out in the middle of some scrubbrush, which may be the last thing keeping them sane and avoiding running amuck should be stopped to protect some endangered flower, ant, amoeba ...?

When will the madness stop?

[Robert J. Yates]

What most don't realize is that the BLM in particular and Fish & Game, the NFS, National Parks Service and other agencies to a degree have been co'opted by anti motorized access employees.

They are using the ESA to shut down access by administrative fiat in response to complaints by anti access communist groups. We really need to write the BRC and see if they can provide us with some relief in either lobbiest work or funds for preparation of legal intervenor work.

As a side note, Richard Pombo (CA) who has submitted legislation to reform ESA is under huge attack by the anti access communists in his race for re-election.

[Matt Pascoe]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
As a side note, Richard Pombo (CA) who has submitted legislation to reform ESA is under huge attack by the anti access communists in his race for re-election.

Summary of H.R. 3824Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005
The Sierra Club strongly opposes these changes to the ESA

Here is the Sierra Clubs "official" stand on off-road use of motorized and mechanized vehicles:
http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/con...on/offroad.asp
Basically they are fine with it as long as it is scientificaly proven to have absolutely no impact on the area, including disturbing the soil

[PK99TJ]

You think that part is disturbing, what about this part?

Facilitation of illegal hunting fishing and the talking of game and non-game wildlife;

If they think vehicles make noise, imagine what a bunch of chatterpants caribou would sound like?

[1BLKJP]

From what I have heard here in AZ, it was the Center for Biological Diversity that had the pending litigation against the BLM.

I'm not yet familiar with JV. What affect does this closure have on the hammers and other trails?

[Robert J. Yates]

It was a hoax but one with enough of a sense of being true that it played out for a bit.

The BLM managing office was called by a number of OHV folks and they responded that they were unaware of any closure order. Even so, the bottom line is that the So Cal OHV areas are close to the breaking point and will soon be under the same amount of radical anti access stress as other areas.

[TObject]

Does anybody know where I can get a map of the Johnson Valley Vehicle Area boundaries that reflects the closures?

TIA

[Matt Pascoe]

Sergey,

As Robert said, this was just a lousy hoax by some jackass.

On a bright side... I think the hoax opened a few peoples eyes to land use issues and the need to get involved.

MP