BLM Route Closure Plan[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

What a joke...they might as well close the entire place.

 

Wow, that looks ridiculous. I have never been there, but it looks like you would be hard pressed to not enter one of the red areas. I will write to them next.

bat

 

Well thats just great! The BLM has done nothing to educate us at all! I really dont want to lose sand mountain. I have no problem with the fees, increased patrols, requiring a helmet or whatever as long as we can ride!

I went ahead and wrote email to John Signlaub and Elaine Briggs expressing my concerns. it looks like they are closing more than 1000 acres if there are less than 5000 to start. I love riding those trails, I hope this will and can be reversed.

John Signlaub - john_singlaub@nv.blm.gov

Elaine Briggs - elayn_briggs@nv.blm.gov

 

The trails are kind of fun to ride but at least they didn't close the major section of the Dunes. Comp hill and Gravity bowl are the best places there anyway.

 

Jon:

I know for a fact that most people in my group (about 10 + family's now) don't know what the Kerney Buckwheat looks like. The only reason I know what it looks like is because of the time you and I have spent together at the Mt.

If there is an endangered plant no one wants to destroy it. Education is seriously lacking and this is a real cop-out for the BLM!

I enjoy the hill but, the trails are the kind of riding that really lets me go away feeling sore (and that's a good thing!) There is no reason to close the areas they are closing without giving it a serious effort - Which they have NOT done! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

Friends of Sand Mountain - Official Response to BLM


August 21, 2003

Elayn Briggs
Bureau of Land Management
Carson City Field Office
5665 Morgan Mill Road
Carson City, Nevada 89701

Elayn:

I am writing in behalf of the Friends of Sand Mountain in regards to your current plan to implement trail closures at Sand Mountain before Labor Day Weekend. Our Board of Directors has discussed the issues surrounding the plan, and although we appreciate the opportunity to have worked with you throughout the last few months, it is not something we can support at this time.

We feel that it would be in the best interest of all to delay the installation of signs in the dunes until after we all have more time to work on this on the ground. We believe that BLM should take the opportunity to focus on education before moving forward with a trail system that needs more work. Rushing into an incomplete solution serves no purpose.

First of all, the ability to determine an open/closed route system for 1,000+ acres in a little over three hours on the ground is not possible or practical. It would be unrealistic to expect that any prudent person reviewing the process would conclude that the appropriate effort was expended. As currently planned, we believe it will be very hard for users to understand. More time and effort needs to be spent on the ground to make sure that the trail system is useable and we should cross check to verify that the routes chosen are those most often used.

Secondly, we believe that the number of trails that are closed in your plan is unnecessarily high. We feel that the trail system could be better implemented to provide increased protection for Kearney Buckwheat and allow for more trail opportunities at the same time.

Friends of Sand Mountain deeply regrets that the BLM has chosen this current management path. There are other viable alternatives that are not being considered and we would hope that together we can create a plan that preserves OHV opportunities and also protects habitat for sensitive species.

Sincerely,

Jon Crowley
President, Friends of Sand Mountain

Cc: John Singlaub, BLM Carson City Field Office Manager
Bob Abbey, Nevada BLM State Director
Congressman James Gibbons
Congressman Richard Pombo
Roy Denner, ORBA
Josh Mackenroth, ORBA Legal Counsel

 

Here is our letter (your welcome to copy and send it yourself - written from our entire family so We is used instead of I.)

August 21, 2003

Elayn Briggs
Bureau of Land Management
Carson City Field Office
5665 Morgan Mill Road
Carson City, Nevada 89701

Elayn:

We are writing as avid users of OHV’s in regards to your current plan to implement trail closures at Sand Mountain.

First we believe your decision to be quiet quick and with a lack of thought. We have been riding there for almost three years and have NEVER had anyone with the BLM or any of the organizations that support closure come up to us to try to educate us as to the appearance of the Kearney Buckwheat. If the BLM or these organizations are truly interested in the preservation of this plant there should be a desire to educate the public. We would argue these organizations wish to simply close Sand Mountain because they don’t want anyone to ride an OHV.

Second, the BLM is looking to close the trails and areas of Sand Mountain without significant study of the existing trails. As I have said, we don’t believe you can feasible mark off trails before the Labor Day Weekend and leave open areas that should be left open (and are not growth areas for the Kearney Buckwheat.) There are many of us that would be willing to assist in designating proper areas for trails.

We feel that it would be in the best interest of all to delay the installation of signs in the dunes until after we all have more time to work on this on the ground. We believe that BLM should take the opportunity to focus on education before moving forward with a trail system that needs more work. Rushing into an incomplete solution serves no purpose.

Regards,





I haven't run spell check yet but, will do so before I send.

 

I sent a similar letter to both of them last weekend and have not heard back from either.

 

I've sent many letters in regard to Glamis, Sand Mountain, Pismo and our national forest. I honestly believe they don't even read them.

The way it looks we will not have any place to ride within the next 10 years, I really really hope I'm wrong. It seems the tree huggers always get their way even though we out number them at least 10 to 1.

I was thinking that I would take up sky diving to keep up the rush if we loose our right to ride, but then some tree hugging CSSOAB would complain that I might hit a south bound duck over Arizona with a white zit on it's nose, and that would make the zitduck extinct.

FOR GODS SAKE PEOPLE, IT'S DIRT AND SAND, WE ARE PART OF NATURE SO LET NATURE TAKE IT'S COURSE!!!!

Pheeewwwww, I feel better.