Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125829
October 9, 1973 they be allowed to branch out into other areas? BLM: As the plan is written now, competition events would only be allowed in those areas marked as competition areas on the map. Actually, we are cu tting ou t very few areas which his torically were being used for competition. CN: Do you agree that an enduro course is much less damaging to the terrain than say a hare and hound? BLM: Oh yes, definitely. CN: Then why can't an endl..tro be allowed out onto the existing trails and roads outside of a competition area if the course sticks to the existing roads and trails? BLM: This has been called to our attention and there's been some discussion on it in house. It has been pointed out to us at the open houses all the way through that the enduro is a different kind of race. Perhaps there should be something considered in that line of thought. CN: What about the cross country runs such as Barstow to Vegas, Check Chase, Greenhorn Enduro, and the Lame' Dog Enduro which can't be handled within a competition area? BLM: We've decided we are going to handle these events under a special category because they are too large to fit into a normal competition area. They will probably be allowed to go into other areas under special permit. Of course this is still a draft plan and no final decision has been made yet bu t we want to accommodate them. Incidently, not all the long range events appeared on the draft map. Dotted lines do not mean these must be the cross country courses. The actual courses will be worked out with the clubs. CN: 'How is the BLM going to react .to the mail coming in concerning the proposal? Are you going to actually listen to the people and perhaps change the proposal if the letters make sense? I read in a national magazine that a top BLM official statell that he didn't think the plan would change because so mu~h planning had gone into proposal beforehand_ Is the proposed plan cut and dried or is there chance for change? BLM: I'm sure there will t>e changes. The comments we have been getting, those that have be.en specific, that recommend a change in the alignment of an area, making it smaller or bigger, recommendations that we change in the classification of an area, backed up by facts, are really helpful to us. We are going to listen to the public. The thing we don't care for is the "Dear Idiot", name-calling 'Ie lters. They are useless in helping us determine the outcome of the program. One of the best Ie tters we have received so far was from the Spokebenders Motorcycle Club. It was concise, full of facts, and information and impressed us very much. CN: Can you give me an example of where BLM has listened to the public and modified a proposal? BLM: Well, not really running into anything of this nature before, the best example I can think of is the Amargosa Canyon area. We 'were originally proposing to close off the entire area as suggested by a conservation committee some time ago. The rock hounds came to us and took us out there to look around. We finally came up with a compromise which proposed some of the area being closed, some being open, and some being special design. There is also an example way back when the ORV furor first started when the counties started passing laws forcing ORVs off private land without written permission. In response to the realization that there was a need for a place for off road recreation, BLM started the forerunner of this proposed plan by going into areas and trying to reconcile the differences so we could accommodate use by off road vehiclest This was in response to public pressure for OR V land use . . CN: When writing to you requesting a change in the plan, what should the readers of Cycle News do to effectively communicate their desires? BLM: There is going to be a plan and therefore any changes will be made to the specifics of the plan. Those people should address themselves to the specifics, bring our atlentioI). to things we have overlooked, opportunities for solving oyerlapping uses. For example, if Page 9 a family enjoys an area they have been using, and we didn't realize they were using and enjoying it, we want to know about it so we can compare it to the resources that have been considered such as, vegetation, archeology, etc, so we possibly mitigate and make a change. It's attention to detail such as this which will help us finalize the plan. The specifics are what's important now. The more information we have the better we will be able to plan. People call in and tell us they want to write a letter but not if BLM isn't going to listen. We talk to them and find out their point or place of interest and encourage them to put it into writing and send it in because we will listen. We are looking for quality input. CN: What is the cutoff date for the drafting of die final plan? . BLM: Our schedule calls for the cutoff to be October 15. We're not waiting for the 15th to start evaluating the letters, we are doing that now as they come in. We are trying to classify the letters by area and type so we can get an idea of what the "hot" areas are going to b~. After the 15th we will make a final decision which will be a staff recommendation to Neil Pfulb and the distric t managers, who will in turn make a plan recommendation to Russell Penney, the State BLM Director. CN: I have heard, that the $1.00 per rider fee being assessed by BLM is being held in trust and the BLM is trying to get permission to use the money to provide sanitation facilities at races and to haul away trash at the races. 1 have also heard. the common rumor that . BLM would like to use the money to hire more desert rangers to police us. Which rumor is true? BLM: We would very much like to return the money collected in the form of providing portabl.e toilets and such but this is something that should be discussed by the district manager. Summing Up Time is running out. You must write now or forever hold your peace. BLM wants letters with information not 'name-calling. I would reco'mmend that you write and: 1. Ask that BLM include plans for long distance events such as Barstow to Vegas, Check CMse, Greenhorn, Lame Dog. 2. Ask for more open competition areas. 3. Ask that the use of existing trails or roads for competition events be allowed. Be specific, be reasonable, and tell them Cycle News sent you. • Ingalls Hates You Newly elected California Assemblyman Ingalls, whose district lies in Riverside County, has attacked Californians who use vehicles in their recreational pursuits. "If I had my way, all the people that own dune buggies and motorbikes and speed boats and campers and motor homes would have their gasoline rations taken away from them. They would never be able to buy another drop of gasoline and those vehicles would stay out of Riverside County," bellowed the Assemblyman. "That's no way to occupy their time," he continued, "with them messing up the countryside and having them muck up the Colorado River and all of Riverside Coun ty and destroy the Desert in the process. That is no way to make them respect nature. We send children ...out into the countryside ...to make them respect nature ...not to have ihem muck around in these motor bikes, motor homes." Ingalls made his remaI'ks at an Assembly Commi ttee on Transporations meeting in Los Angeles last May. • NBC Films Mini MX National WESTERVILLE, OHIO The Mid-Ohio Motocross Minic.Yde National, run on August 25-26 at Mid-Ohio Motocross Park in .Lexington, Ohio, was filmed for future showing on NBC's new youth program, GO SHOW. The nationally syndicated Saturday morning cnildren's program will air the mini motocross October 20. 1-973 at 12:30 p.m. (EST).