Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ Let's take a short break from the :8, legislative scene and look at what is rf. happening around the state ·in the way of riding areas. :;; JOHNSON VALLEY ... As announced in Cycle News several N months ago, the BLM was entertaining ~ plans of developing a 100,000 acre .., motorcycle area at Johnson Valley. ~ Under the initial plans,the area would w have been developed to provide parking, Z sanitation, and other relatively minor ~ improvements. It would also have been u designated on maps as an area which ~ was 'open' to motorcycling, meaning that you could ride anywhere and not be confined to trails. But, just as soon as these plans were announ.ced, the anti-motorcyclists went to work against us. Some member of the Sierra Club or the Desert Protective League (I'm not sure which} suddenly discovered a "rare form of desert tortoise that exists in Johnson Valley and nowhere else on earth". Likewise, at the same time, the surrounding landowners formed the Johnson Valley Citizen's League with Mr. Lewis Armelino as President. I haven't had the pleasure (?) of hearing one of Mr. Armelino's many speeches before civic groups and anyone else that he can get to listen to him. However, my informants tell me that although Mr. Armelino is far from a polished speaker and that he can't logically discuss anything which isn't written for him as a 'finished speech', there are a lot of people listening to him. Unfortunately, there are very few motorcyclists (if any) who are making themselves 'heard' on this sarne iss u t. As a result of the 'rabble-rousers', the BLM has quietly dropped its plans for Johnson Valley and is now concentrating its efforts on providing a mechanical park in Stoddard Valley. In the meantime, the BLM has not closed Johnson Valley. It is just not going to develop the area or designate it as "open" on maps. STODDARD VALLEY This area totals 13,580 acres, 1,280 acres of which are on private land. The remaining 12,300 acres are public land under the administration of the BLM and will be H open " for use by motorcyclists. The BLM plans to make some necessary improvements to this area and it holds a great deal of promise. ro the capitol m~o.r~.~ BUT, we can lose this area too if we allow any motorcyclists to enter upon the neighboring private land. The BLM will erect signs to designate the private' lands we are going to have to rely upon self-policing to stay within the prescribed boundaries. You can rest assured that the adjoining landowners will be watChing our every move. And if we screw-up like we did at Panoche Hills, we will be hard-pressed to find any sympathy from the BLM or other land-use agencies. I'm not suggesting that we use 'physical encouragement' with errant bike-riders: we just have to get them off to one side and educate them. COW MOUNTAIN The Ukiah District of the BLM has installed a district-oriented ORVAC group, of which 1 am a member. Initially, there was a great deal of pressure to close much of the BLM-administered lands to off-road vehicle use. However, during our subsequent discussions we have firmly established in the minds of everyone involved that there are basically two categories of off-road motorcyclists: 1. Those who use their motorcycle in the same capacity that a horseman uses a horse. A means of conveyance to get from one point to another. 2. Those who use their motorcycle in a competitive manner, such as rat-racing, hill-climbing, cross-country racing, trials, etc. As a result, it is quite well established that most of the BLM administered lands in the Ukiah District will remain open to off-road vehicle use, however, 1. Cross country travel will be limited to designated H open areas". 2. Use will be limited to existing trail systems in Urestricted areas". Such use will also be subject to speed limits, common courtesy to other users, and bikes equipped with mufflers (or silencers) and spark arresters. 3. There will be a very few "closed areas" such as wet meadows, grazing areas, and areas which have an irreplacable ecological value. In summary, we are not imposing any undue or unnecessary restraints upon motorcyclists. In return, we wjJ( have continued use of the vast majority of the public lands in the area. This wasn't part of the bargain, but the BLM announced that it intends to explore the feasibility of connecting many of the existing trails to provioe us with additional trail systems. LONE PINE Last year the U.S. Forest Service completed an extension of the Horseshoe Meadow Road from Lone Pine into the previsouly inaccessible Cottonwood Basin. The Basin area is characterized by fragile mountain meadows and erodible decomposed granite soils that require special protection. Consequently, off·road vehicle travel is not permitted in the Basin area. The Horseshoe Meadow Road is open to all types of vhicle traffic. If you have occasion to ride in this area, send for a map of the Restricted Motor Vehicle Area of the Sequoia and lnyo National Forests. They can be obtained by writing to Mt. Whitney District, U.S. Forest Service, Lone Pine, California. GROUSE. LAKES The Grouse Lakes area of the Tahoe National Forest has been receiving a highly accelerated recreational use in recent years, and the U.S. Forest Service feels that now is an appropriate time to determine which changes, if any, are needed in management direction. Current Multiple·Use management by the Forest Service has designated National Forest land in this area as "Water Influence" which gives priority to water-oriented recreation and protection of the water shed. Possibilities for future management of Grouse Lakes are many. Alternatives could range from full access development providing for facilities such as roads, resorts, etc., to rest(icted use such as day use by foot and horse travel only. The U.S. Forest Service is asking for assistance. They will have study teams in the area this summer collecting detailed resource information, and they need our inputs in the form of facts and evaluations which will help them determine an appropriate course of action. Letters should be addressed to Tahoe National Forest, Nevada City, California 95959, and should be sent before September 30th. LETTERS NEEDED Surely you have feelings on the foregoing items. Everyone who reads this should write to Mr. J. Russell Penny, Director, Bureau of Land Management, 2600 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, and let him know of your feelings on Johnson and Stoddard Valleys. My suggestion is to praise the BLM with respect to Stoddard' Valley and ask them to disregard the rabble·rousers and return to their original plans for developmen t of Johnson Valley. If you have further questions or inquiries on the foregoing, please address them to the author, c/o MORE, P.O. Box 26062, Sacramento, CA 95826. MOTORCYCLE NOISE For the first time, a recreational vehicle industry group has launched a national attack on noise pollution created by its own products. The Motorcycle Industry Council, representing more than 90 percent of motorcycle manufacturers, recently passed a joint resolution to limit the noise level emissions of its products. This new self-regulating noise standard will be met by the members of MIC starting Decemher, 1971. The standard is 92 decibJes and is considered by independent experts to be a big improvement on current levels, especially for motorcycles used primarily for off-road purposes. An intensive public information campaign, with the theme "Less Sound - More Ground" has been launched by MIC. This campaign, aimed at the rider as well as the public, will bring together thousands of dealers across the country. Week after Week afler Week HUSKY WINS Inter-AMA Dual European Scrambles California City, Calif. July 4,1971 Chargers M.C. Indian Dunes Valencia, Calif. June 27,1971 500 National 1st - Lars Larsson - HUSKY 1st - J.N. Roberts - HUSKY 500 Am/Ex. 1st - J.N. Roberts - HUSKY Inter-AMA Motocross Series Denver, Colorado July 4,1971 500 National Hare Scrambles Desert Foxes M.C. July 10, 1971 1st - Lars Larsson - HUSKY 1st Overall Keit Fransn - HUSKY Inter-AMA 1st - J.N. Roberts - HUSKY European Scrambles July 18, 1971 Open Expert 1st - J.N. Roberts - HUSKY Cyclesports Par k Houston, Texas July 11, 1971 500 National 1st - Lars Larsson - HUSKY ...."....... oI~ . . . .m o.trtbuIor: MED 11ttIlrnationaI. 4710 P81m Avenue, La ...... c.IItorn6a

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