11
Apr
Pulling out the stakes at Glamis
THE DAY HAS COME - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO HELP REMOVE THE CLOSURE STAKES!
The American Sand Association (aSa) is working on a volunteer effort, in conjunction with the BLM, to start the process of removing the closure stakes in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. More specifically, the small central closure near Gecko Campground and the 160 acres in Buttercup. The Buttercup project will also call for assistance with the reinstallation of the critical habitat closure near the US/Mexico border.
04
Apr
Epic decision portends new balance for reopening dunes in Glamis
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Recreational visitors observing a fine flaky substance this morning at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) will be pleased to hear it is not snow but judicial manna. Barely a month following argument, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. Northern District Court of California yesterday issued a long-awaited decision on the 2013 ISDRA management plan, ruling almost entirely on the side of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and sand-rider organizations, and against the latest challenge led by the Center for Biological Diversity. The ruling sets the stage for implementation of the 2013 plan, which would allow resumption of access to areas placed off-limits to riders through “interim” closures imposed over a decade ago.
The litigation over riding at the ISDRA began in 2000, and has resulted in multiple trips to Judge Illston’s courtroom where BLM, USFWS, and recreation enthusiasts have suffered multiple setbacks. The 2013 plan followed lengthy public input and was designed in response to the Court’s 2006 ruling and new critical habitat designation by the USFWS for the Peirson’s milk-vetch (PMV), the plant species of primary concern at the Dunes. Preservationist plaintiffs raised an array of challenges under the Endangered Species Act and other laws to the new plan, but yesterday’s decision rejected those claims and upheld BLM’s plan, with the limited exception of finding that a recovery plan for the PMV is overdue and must be issued by 2019 unless the USFWS makes a specific finding that a recovery plan will not promote conservation of the species.
A copy of yesterday’s decision can be viewed at this link.
28
Mar
New Facebook Feed for Facebook fans
Believe it or not, Cal4Wheel has eight Facebook pages to keep track of. So for you Facebook fans we have a fix: our new Facebook feed page. There you can find the most recent ten posts from most of our pages. Check it out here
10
Mar
Donations needed for latest Oceano Dunes battle
The Mesa Community Alliance, a nonprofit activist group representing Nipomo Mesa residents, filed suit against San Luis Obispo County and the State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division on Feb. 27, 2014.
The lawsuit seeks to halt OHV activities on the Oceano Dunes SVRA until and unless State Parks complies with the controversial “dust rule.” The county Air Pollution Control District (APCD) enacted the “dust rule,” Rule 1001, in November 2011. The rule gives the district the ability to fine State Parks at its discretion when dust levels exceed state standards on the Nipomo Mesa.
24
Feb
Win-A-Jeep 2015 rolls out; tickets available
Under a cloak of secrecy, MetalCloak has been hard at work building the 2015 Win-A-Jeep for its debut. And what a debut it was, with the lift, tires and wheels, racks, fenders and other unseen modifications already in place. Thanks to Matson and his crew for the hard work. More is coming, so check back often.
Remember: Due to California gambling laws, we cannot charge in advance for the tickets. We will mail them to you for free and you send back the stubs with your payment to be entered in the drawing. Winners do not need to be present to win. All proceeds benefit CA4WDC.
13
Feb
BLM releases Clear Creek decision
The Bureau of Land Management California State Director announced that yesterday he signed the Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan for the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) in central California. BLM manages over eighty percent of the 75,000 CCMA, which has been subject to massive closures to all human access based on alleged health and safety fears over naturally-occurring asbestos found in the CCMA. Yesterday's decision, which concludes a process started in 2009, adopts the "preferred alternative" which would continue the closures that were originally imposed by BLM on a "temporary" basis in 2005. BLM's announcement was published in today's Federal Register, and can be viewed online HERE.
"This is an unfortunate but perhaps anticlimactic step in a 'planning' process that has dragged on for years," said Don Amador, Western Representative of the BlueRibbon Coalition, a group which has long advocated for greater public access to the CCMA. "Despites decades of regular use, there are virtually no cases of death or injury attributable to exposure to the CCMA's chrysotile asbestos, but BLM made it clear long ago that at the CCMA it will close in fear rather than actively manage," Amador noted. "We will continue to pursue our administrative, judicial, and legislative strategies designed to restore balanced management to the CCMA," Amador concluded.
Cal4wheel was formed in 1959 by some four-wheelers who were getting tired of their trails being closed. They also wanted to host good quality events for their fellow four-wheelers, and to provide education in safe four-wheeling practices and trail conservation.