SOUTH COW MOUNTAIN OHVMA

The Bureau of Land Management’s Ukiah Field Office invited public comment on future planning and improvements for the South Cow Mountain OHVMA. In collaboration with Santa Rosa 4x4, a local Cal4 club who regularly utilizes this OHVMA, I submitted a comment to advocate for improvements to trails, facilities, and general park amenities. Specific recommendations included request for jeep trail development, looping of trails, and development of the obstacle course to include 4x4 features. Other suggestions included increased security of trash bins to reduce litter across the park, addition of a picnic area at the 4x4 obstacle course (with shade), and increased ranger or sheriff patrols within the park. Many thanks to Chris Silveira and Santa Rosa 4x4 for providing detailed insight on South Cow Mountain’s current status and needs.

Cal4Wheel's Natural Resource Consultant, Rose Winn, submitted a comment to the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to oppose a proposal to list four population segments of the Foothill Yellow Legged Frog (FYLF) as "threatened" or "endangered." If the listing is approved, there is risk of OHV access closures throughout FYLF habitat, which includes millions of acres of public land in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and the coastal region of California. While FWS claims to use the best available scientific and commercial data available to determine the final decision, there is evidence that the proposal and impending decision have been heavily influenced by environmental special interest groups like the Center for Biological Diversity. 

Read the full comment here for more details. Cal4Wheel is proud to advocate for preservation of OHV access in California's public lands to ensure that everyone may continue to enjoy OHV recreation throughout the state.

For more information about this proposed listing of the FYLF, check out the proposal announcement in the Federal Register, or the full proposed rule docket with accompanying documents and roster of public comments.