CENTER
TAKES ACTION TO HALT OFF-ROAD VEHICLE DAMAGE IN CALIFORNIA WILDLANDS
- BIGHORN
LAMBING GROUNDS CLOSED TO OFF-ROAD VEHICLES
- SUIT
FILED TO STOP OFF-ROAD VEHICLE DAMAGE ON 786,000 ACRES OF ELDORADO NATIONAL
FOREST
- 18,000
ACRES OF DESERT CLOSED TO OFF-ROAD VEHICLES TO SAVE DESERT TORTOISE
- STOP
BUSH ROLLBACK OF DESERT PROTECTIONS- ATTEND AZ/CA PUBLIC HEARINGS IN KEEP
ORV MAYHEM LIMITS IN PLACE
- ATTEND
PUBLIC HEARINGS TO KEEP ORVs OUT OF DEATH VALLEY'S RIPARIAN
JEWEL- SURPRISE CANYON
BIGHORN
LAMBING GROUNDS CLOSED TO OFF-ROAD VEHICLES
In accordance with a legal
settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and PEER,
the Bureau of Land Management has closed two environmentally damaging roads
within lambing grounds for the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep through the
end of June. The roads are in the Coyote Mountains, near the San Diego/Imperial
County.
The Peninsular bighorn sheep
was listed as endangered in 1998. In 2001, the Center won the designation of
800,000 acres of "critical habitat" areas including Carrizo Peak in
the Coyote Mountains.
SUIT
FILED TO STOP OFF-ROAD VEHICLE DAMAGE ON 786,000 ACRES OF ELDORADO NATIONAL
FOREST
The Center for Sierra Nevada
Conservation, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the California Wilderness
Coalition filed suit to stop off-road vehicle damage on 786,000 acres of the
Eldorado National Forest on 2-11-02. The forest's Land Management Plan, adopted
in 1989, restricts ORV use to a designated route system, but failed to analyze
impacts on soils, sensitive wildlife, and other recreational users. Appeals
of that decision to the Washington, DC office of the Forest Service resulted
in an order to the Eldorado to complete analysis of their trail plan by May,
1997. The Eldorado has refused to conduct the studies.
18,000
ACRES OF DESERT CLOSED TO SAVE DESERT TORTOISES
In accordance with the
terms of a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra
Club and PEER, the Bureau of Land Management has closed 18,000 acres of the
fragile Mojave Desert to destructive dirt bikers. Portions of the Rand Mountains
south of Ridgecrest have been designated as a protected "critical habitat
area" for endangered desert tortoises since 1994. Some off-road vehicle
areas were allowed to remain open in the area under strict conservation guidelines.
Unsatisfied with huge swaths of land to drive over, however, off-roaders have
cut fences, vandalized revegetation projects, and trespassed in sensitive wildlife
areas. Consequently, tortoise number have continued to plummet toward extinction.
Unable to control the trespassers, the BLM has closed 18,000 to all entry by
off-road vehicles.
STOP
BUSH ROLLBACK OF DESERT PROTECTIONS- ATTEND AZ/CA PUBLIC HEARINGS IN KEEP ORV
MAYHEM LIMITS IN PLACE
In response to a lawsuit
by the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and PEER, the Bureau of
Land Management closed 50,000 acres of the Algodones Sand Dunes in southeast
California to off-road vehicles in November 2000. The closure was enacted to
protect the threatened Peirson's milk-vetch and a host of other sensitive plants
and animals in this fragile desert ecosystem. Before the suit, up to 200,000
off-road drivers would pound the closed area on some weekends. Endangered species
were not the only losers: gun battles, drug overdoses, high speed collisions,
burning cars and attacks on federal rangers threatened human lives as well.
The Bush administration,
however, has issued a draft plan to re-open the area to off-road vehicles despite
the impact to imperiled species, clean air, and human safety. Please attend
one of the upcoming public hearings and call/email the BLM to register your
support for permanent closure of the 50,000 acre refuge to off-road vehicles.
Roxie Trost 760.337.4420
Bureau of Land Mangement rtrost@ca.blm.gov
All meetings are 7-10 pm
4/9/02
El Centro, CA
City Council Chambers
1275 Main St.
4/15/02
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix College
1202 West Thomas Rd.
4/23/02
Yuma, AZ
Civic and Conv. Center
1440 W Desert Hills Dr.
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4/11/02
Long Beach, CA
The Grand
4101 East Willow St.
4/18/02
Brawley, CA
Brawley City Council
225 A St.
4/25/02
San Diego, CA
Marriott Mission Valley
8757 Rio San Diego Dr.
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For more information on
the amazing Algodones Dunes, click
here.
ATTEND
PUBLIC HEARINGS TO KEEP ORVs OUT OF DEATH VALLEY'S RIPARIAN JEWEL- SURPRISE
CANYON
Surprise Canyon is an amazing
perennial stream in the Panamint Range flowing from Death Valley National Park
down to Bureau of Land Management holdings within the California Desert Conservation
Area. It has been closed to off-road vehicles since Spring 2000 due to a lawsuit
by the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and PEER. Before the suit,
ORVers used to winch their trucks up waterfalls, cut down trees, pollute water,
and generally trash the stream.
The BLM and the National
Park Service are preparing a new management plan for Surprise Canyon and are
under heavy pressure from motor enthusiasts to re-open the canyon to off-road
vehicles. Given the Bush administration's penchant for rolling back environmental
protections, they may succeed if the public does not show overwhelming support
to forever protect Surprise Canyon for wildlife, clean water, and quite recreation.
Please attend the public
meetings at:
5-06-02 Ridgecrest, CA
6-07-02 Bakersfield, CA
5-20-02 Pasadena, CA
5-21-02 San Diego, CA
Get on the BLMs mailing
list:
Jeff Aardahl 760.384.5420
Jeffrey_Aardahl@ca.blm.gov
For more information on
Surprise Canyon, including photos click
here.
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