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/126438
Assemblyman Hayes speaks out After many efforts of Mr. James Ruch and other people to drag me into the Barstow to Vegas conflict I have , finally felt that I can remain silent no longer. The absolute abominable action of the Bureau of Land Management in their attempt to cIOR public land to tbe general p.ublic is absolutely unexcusable. Their rationalization to "ProteCt the Environment" is so absurd, that not even some of the news media accepts it. When you consider that by BLM's own figures, between 20-27,000 motorcyclists have raced the Barstow to Vegas course in the nine years the race was run. Either the desert has healed so completely and thoroughly that their concern for damage or adverse environmental impact from off-road vehicles is completely groundlea, or there is nothing left to protect. The truth lies somewhere in between, but of course, to build a monstrous bureauracy at taxpayers' expense you can't deal in facts. Halftruths and fiction seem to be BLM's weapon. But none the lea, the trailride as taken last year, and I believe in years past, stayed on existing roads. Not roads and trails, but roads - roads made by graders, bulldozers, and heavy equipment in most cases. Yet to say that somehow after bulJdozers have graded out a path through the desert, that the passage of motorcycles. over these graded roads causes adverse environmental impact to "Indian artifiacts and ancient writings," I can only say, "Bum" I asked Mr. Ruch, California Director of the Bureau of Land Management. if he was so naive or so fooled by his employees to really believe that a race had been taking place since 1974 in the old Barstow to Vegas area, or that they were actually using the old Barstow to Vegas course. Mr. Ruch very arrogantly answered me by saying that he knew that at least ·two guys had said, "Hey, 1 can beat you to the next telephone pole." So therefore that constituted a race, and that at least a hundred yards used in trailride, were on roads that were part of the original Barstow to Vegas course, therefore they were using the course. Consequently, the lying press releases by the Bureau of Land Management state: "A race over the Barstow to Vegas race course." This is not a half-truth - this is an outright liel But of course, this is the standard stock and trade of the Bureau of Land Management, so we can expect no less. As for the actions of the people on November 24th this year, ] can give only several words of advice: (1) Obey the law. Stay out of BLM's closed areas; mey are phony - they are ridiculous - but stay out anywayl It is not going to help us or hurt us by going through them_ If you wish to use BLM's "corridor" which really is the sole jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, please do so. This road is open to the general public. There are other routes, quite legal, on roads. An Automobile Club map is very good showing you open, existing roads in the desert. Get one, use it, if you are going to go. Let me also state he,re, that I am not encouraging people to go I'm saying if you do go, do these things: Obey the law, stay on the roads. (2) Rasor Rd., the man who owns the gas station, has indicated that he does not want you there. If this is so - stay away! Don't intrude where people don't want you; it only causes hard feelings. And (5), I talked at length to the San Bernardino County Sheriff. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs only coocern is to protect private property rigbts. San Bernardino County has a written permission law requiring you to have written permission, if you are someone else's private property. Whether this law is constitutional is not the point here. San Bernardino County Sheriff is entrusted with enforcing all laws within their county. He does not make the laws, he enforces them, and it is his duty to protect that property and enforce those laws, San Bernardino County Sheriff also stated to me that in his opinion any road that has been in continuous public use for one year and one day, is a public thoroughfare open to the generaJ public, and he would treat them as such. So, once again, if you are going to go into that area, stay on the roads! Also, I talked at length with Capt. Burchell of the California Highway Patrol, Barstow Office, He informed me that the Bureau of Land Management had requested illegal closures of freeway off-ramps and freeway overpasses. The Highway Patrol has informed the BLM that these closures are illegal, and they are not within BLM's jurisdiction. Highway Patrol Oficers will be in the area to assist you and enforce California state law. One request the Captain has made to us. is to please, if you are a vehicle, traveling on the freeway, do not pace the off-road vehicle riders. They are traveling much slower than freeway speed and by you staying with them, you create a hazard on the freeway. If you are doing this, you will be cited; plus, there is no parking on the freeways. Pull off the freeway completely, at an off-ramp if you wish to park. And that about covers what J would have to say about this year's ride if you are going to go. As to next year to avoid possible confrontation - I can suggest to the BLM that there is only one practical route: That is to.grant a permit for a Off·Highway Vehicle race on the 1974 Barstow to Vegas course for Thanksgiving weekend. The BLM has an $80,000-plus environmental impact statement on that course. ] believe only a negative declaration is necessary to bring this up to date. Once again, I mentioned the passage of some 20-27,000 motorcyclists over this course and can onJy say that minimal environmental impact can possibly be felt after the passage of that many motorcyclists. If BLM is truly sincere in working to the best interest of the people of the state of California, they will issue this permit early, allowing those environmental groups, who will surely oppose it, to file their appeals, and have these heard before a court. Let us let it go to court, let's fight itl Let's have this thing out in the open. Let's stop the half-truths, the insinuations, and the outright lies! Let's truly take a step forward to increase the recreational opportunities for the people of the state of California and stop using them as a stepping stone to build gigantic bureaucratic empire within our state. Once again: Ride happy - ride safe - an obey the lawl J. ROBERT HA YES Assemblyman - 59th District Sacramento, CA CYCLE NEWS PRESENTS: with cooperation from the VICTOR McLAGLEN MOTOR CORPS 3