Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Summit; P1uter City; Imperial Sand Dunes southern portion; Buttercup Valley; and Mammoth Wash. Classified for "special design" with a mix 0 f classifications to provide optimum use consistent with environmental protection include: Eureka Dunes; Jawbone Canyon; Dumont Dunes; Ivanpah VaUey; Mojave Basin; El Mirage Lake; Shadow Mountains; Kramer Hills-Iron Mountain; Stoddard Valley; Needles; Dale District; Palen Dry Lake; Mecca foothills; San Felipe-Superstition Mountains; Davies VaUey, Pinto Wash; East Mesa; Plank Road. Travel is limited to emting roads and trails pending completion of detailed plan. Areas in whkh vehkle travel would be allowed on designated roads and trails include: South Saline-Panamint vaUey; Walker Pass·EI Paso; Lonetree Can yon; Randsburg-J ohannesburg; Trona Pinnacles; Coyote Lake-Calico; Kingston Mountains; East Mojave; Turtle Mountain perimeter; Old Woman Mountains; East Morango; Wrntewater; Big Horn; Grapevine; Big Chuckwalla Mountain; Orocopia foothills; Sand Rosa Mountains; Coyote Mountain; Yuha Basin; Picaco. Travel would be aUowed on existing roads and trails in the Red Mountain·Cuddeback and Fremont Peak areas. Travel would be limited to public roads in several areas con tairnng only scattered public lands int,,","ngled with private lands. Areas which have been identified as swtable for competitive events such as motorcycle, four·wheel drive or dune buggy races are: Olancha, Red Mountain-Cuddeback; Fremont Peak; lvanpah Valley; Mojave Basin; Shadow Mountains; Kramer Hills-Iron Mountain; Stoddard VaHey; Needles, Camz Valley-Danby Lake; Palen Dry Lake; Ford Dry Lake; Little Chuckwalla Mountain; San Felipe-Superstition Hills; Navy Lease; Plaster City; Pinto Wash; East Mesa; Imperial Sand Dunes south of Highway 78. Events will be permitted on designated courses within the competi tion areas. In two other areas, Rand Mountain·Spangler Hills and Upper Johnson Valley, race sponsors may continue to select their own courses subject to BLM review and approval. Enduro motorcycle races will be permitted with BLM approval in all areas except "closed" and Ud~signated roads and trails" areas. Several cross-country race courses also are identified. Penny noted the interim management program is the latest step' in the effort that began with the Bureau's California Desert Study in 1968. In 1969, Penny appointed the Off-Road Vehicle Advisory Council to assist in developing guidelines for management of off-road vehkles on the national resource lands in Cilifornia, and those guidelines are reflected in the presen t program. In 1972, Presiden t Nixon gave new urgency to the program by issuing Executive Order 11644, which requires management and control of off-road vehicles on all federal lands to protect the resources of those lands, to promote safety of all users of those lands, and to minimize conflicts among the various uses of those lands. BLM began requiring special land use permits in September 1972 for organized off·road verncle events involving more than 25 vehicles competing on a defined course. There were 151 such events on national resource lands of the California Desert last year involving more than 67,000 participants and 189,000 spectators, and this use is increasing. There are about 500,000 four·wheel drive vehicles in Southern California; about 1.2 million of the state's 1.8 million motorcycles are in the south; and more than 5,000 dune buggies use the Cilifornia Desert on heavy use weekends. What Happened At The Press Conference By John D. Ulrich LOS ANGELES, CAL., OCT. 31 The infamous Bureau Of Land Management plan for the California Desert was released today to a group of news reporters as leaders of several off road vehicle groups watched and unsuccessfully tried to tum the press conference into a Halloween confrontation with BLM officials, J. R. Penny, BLM State Director, stressed not only the need for the plan, but also that the plan in its present form as released is Uiarst generation." The 18,000 responses to the 70,000 distributed copies of the BLM first draft proposal of an ORV management plan for the BLM California Desert lands have changes in plan proposals for 45 of the areas defined in the plan. The most significant change in the plan, proposed by CN contributor Larry Langley, allows the running of Enduros in areas designated as "Existing Roads and Trails" and "Special Design". Another change is the opening up of two more open competition areas for a total of twelve. The BLM is now refering to their plan as the "Interim Critical Management Program," Penny addressed himself both to the oIten heard charge that the BLM .s unconcerned with human injury predicted by ORV group leaders if motorcycle competition courses are restricted, and to the reasons the BLM considers the current desert situation to warrant the term uCritical u in their new name for their plan. Concerning the charge that the BLM plan will result in the injury of riders, Penny said, "To the contrary, just the opposite. This is one of the primary reasons we cons"der the situation out there to be an emergency. Not only beca " of :esource destruction, but also because of the injuries. People are being injured and dying out there due to the lack of management. We have to bring in the management to mitigate this. " Penny explained that the plan is an interim one until the BLM completes its long range fine detail plan some unspecified time in the future. "It is the best possible emergency program for easing the use conflict within our capabilities," Penny said. The interim program is needed because "resources are being lost daily," he con tin ued. Asked how the present nine ranger BLM force could enforce the plan, even after the proposed addition of four more rangers, Penny responded "the plan relies heavily on an informed and responsible public. Our rangers will be roving ambassadors of goodwill. If some people are doing something wrong, they will explain to them the p~ requirements for that area, and inVIte them to conform with the plan." However, he also pointed out that if such persons refused to conform, they would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In an effort to put more "teeth" behind the plan, Penny hopes th a t legislarion sponsored by Representatives Mathias and Pettis, and Senator Cranston, will be passed in Washington, providing funding and legislative backing for a full scale desert police force. In the meantime, he hopes that local law enforcement agencies will deputize his rangers so they can make arrests and issue citations to persons refusing to respect the desert plan after warrnngs. Penny also accused ORV group leaders, notably Russ Sanford of Motorcycle Owners, Riders, and Enthusiasts, of spreading blatant misinformation about the preliminary draft of the plan when fast released September 8. Penny particularly took exception to Sanford's widely. spread charge that the plan would "Close 93% of the desert." The misinformation may or may not have been designed to be inflammatory, Penny said, but he added Sanford "knows better than that." Penny also answered questions abou t the effect of the plan of the recen t EI Cajon court battle successfully halting a BLM injunction against a race held October 21 until they paid for damage caused, according to the BLM, by an unauthorized race they held in December 1972. EI Cajon spokesmen feel their court victory may lead to the overturning of the BLM authority to control National Resource Land use. Penny saw it differently. "I don't think it will have any material effect. The EI Cajon people have indicated a desire to follow our directives in the management of ORV activities. That's what we want. But we will insist on collecting damages incurred when they held a race without a permit in an area where we would not have permitted it. As far as their being willing to follow our guidelines, I think that's good." U.S. Department Of The Interior' Bureau Of Land Man_ment The Interim Critical Management Program features the following classifications: Open areas, 6% of BLM desert lands, no restrictions, 15,000 square miles. Closed areas, 3% of the BLM desen lands, no vehicle use, 790 square mile•. Special Design, 3.6% of the BLM desert lands, detailed plan to be made b BLM to provide for a variety of recreational vehicle usc, (until the detail plan is finished, recreational vehicle use is confined to existing roads and trails), 2166 square miles. Designated Roads & Trails, 23.9% of BLM desert lands, vehicle use limited to designated roads and trails, (until the BLM competes its designation process, vehicle use is limited to existing roads and trails.), 5,978 square miles. Existing Roads and Trails, 54.9% of BLM desert lands, 13,727 square miles. Intermingled National and Private Lands, (private predominated), 3.3% of BLM desert land, vehicle use restricted to public roads, 846 square miles. Competitive Events Activity, 13% of BLM desert lands, 3,268 square miles. The BLM no longer refers to "ORVs" in their plan, but instead "recreational vehicles", because they want to, include every motor vehicle that might be in the desert, not just those traditionaUy thought of as off road vehicles. Similarily, they no longer refer to land under their con trol as "Public Domain Lands," but instead "National Resource Lands," as initiated by Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton. Hildamae Voght, Executive Secretary of the California Outdoor Recreation League attempted unsuccessfully to be recognized by Mr. Penpy as he conducted his press conference along with Riverside District Manager Del Vail, Desert Plan Manager Neil Pfulb, Public Information officer Bill Flint, and others. Although Ms. Voght persisted in spite of Mr. Penny's prior warrnng that the conference, held at the Los Angeles Press Club, was for press only, she never did get to speak. Representatives of the California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs had announced that they were going to "dump in-their (the BLM) laps" a petition with 40,000 signatures of persons opposing the desert plan, but they did not do so during the conference. • Contingencif!S for bikers in upcoming Baja 1000 Acer·Mex "Carabela" - $5000 to the overall winner, contingent on the use of a Carabela motorcycle throughout the race. Sl 000 to first place winners in classes 20, 21, and 22, contingent on the use of a Carabela motorcycle throughout the race. AC Spark Plugs - $500 to first place winners in each class. $500 to overall winner with lowest E.T. Contingent on the use of AC Spark Plugs throughout the race, and the display of AC decals. Champion Spark Plugs - $500 to first place winners in each class. $500 to overall winner with lowest E.T. Contingent on the use of Champion Spark Plugs throughout the race and the display of Champion decals. (What if you had a twin and used one AC and one Champion?) Pennzoil - $200 to first place winner in all classes. $500 to the overaU winner. Contingent on the use of Pennzoil as an engine lubricant during the entire race, and the display of two Pennzoil decals. ValvoliDe Oil Company - $200 to first place winner in all classes. $500 to the overaU winner. Contingent on the use of Valvoline as an engine lubricant during the en tire race, and the msplay of two Valvoline decals. Hotel Finisterra Cabo San Lucas - A four nigh t, three day package in the Presidential Swte, including all meals and beverages for the overall winner. Mint Hotel Las Vegas - Three days and two nights at the Mint Hotel for the first place winner in each class. Hooker Industries, Incorporated - $ I 00 to the winner, and $50 to the second place winner in classes 20,21, and 22. Contingent on the use of a complete Hooker exhaust system during the entire race, and the msplay of two Hooker decals. Carta Blanca Beer - All the trophies. Casa Domec:q, S.A. - $2000 to overall winner, $1200 to second, $800 to third and the party in La Paz. Electrobelmets - $125 to winner of each class. • J .. 31

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