(Nov 20, 2009) - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today published a Notice of Intent to conduct an environmental review on the impacts of a proposed Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) covering lands in Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Tulare counties.  The plan will be written jointly with the California Energy Commission, the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

(Oct 30, 2009) - Ocotillo Wells SVRA proudly announces its First Annual Roughneck Rendezvous. We would like to officially invite you to mark your calendars for our upcoming geocaching, adventure-filled weekend. This event is the first of its kind for California State Parks and will be held from January 29–January 31, 2010.

The festivities will kick off on Friday with pre-registration from noon to 4 pm at our event headquarters on Main Street. There, participants will be able to register a day early and avoid any long lines on Saturday morning. From 6-9 pm we invite you to join us for an evening program at the new campfire center. The program will include a brief talk from a Tread Lightly! representative, a short GPS 101 course, and a wonderful star program focusing on how stars were used for navigation before we had GPS technology! ]]> jstewart@4x4wire.com (Press Release) frontpage Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:18:13 +0000 http://www.4x4wire.com/access-and-land-use/dunes-season-ramps-up-with-new-road http://www.4x4wire.com/access-and-land-use/dunes-season-ramps-up-with-new-road Imperial Sand Dunes Season Ramps Up With New Road, Increased Emphasis on Safety

The new season for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area opens with the newly constructed Wash Road and an increased emphasis on safety, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today.

According to Vicki Wood, BLM El Centro Field Office manager, “The new road allows the public continued access to camping areas via street-legal vehicles south to Wash 25 from State Highway 78.” The new road has a speed limit of 15 mph and parallels a road on Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way that the public will no longer be able to use.

“Camping too close to Gecko Road, continues to be a safety concern,” says Wood. “Along this main transportation artery of the North Dunes, parking or camping within 10 feet of the road is prohibited. BLM rangers and the Imperial County sheriff’s office can issue tickets and tow vehicles to achieve compliance.” ]]> jstewart@4x4wire.com (BLM Press Release) frontpage Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:02:36 +0000 http://www.4x4wire.com/access-and-land-use/recreational-groups-decry-tellico-closure http://www.4x4wire.com/access-and-land-use/recreational-groups-decry-tellico-closure (Oct. 15, 2009) - Conservation groups dedicated to active and sustainable management of the Upper Tellico OHV Area expressed deep disappointment with the U.S. Forest Service decision to permanently close the Tellico trails.  The decision, which follows an earlier "temporary" closure, was announced in documents published by the USFS yesterday morning.

Gary Parsons, President of the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, reacted by saying, "The Forest Service is simply wrong in this decision.  This public agency has ignored an independent study by Caliber Engineering and the recommendations of its own Trails Unlimited Team, which demonstrated effective management is attainable and offered specific suggestions to achieve that goal."

The agency announcement by Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard again parroted the water quality issues long favored by preservationist special interests as the excuse for closure.  Jay Bird, Chairman of the Rescue Tellico Committee, noted, "The Tellico River is in excellent shape and complies with all legal requirements.  Only through blatant modification of proper methodology, such as measuring turbidity levels during peak runoff, can the Forest Service claim there is legal basis to take any action, let alone closure."

The Friends of the High Lakes gained distinction by organizing nine local clubs, volunteers, and interested parties to develop an adopt-a–trail program for patrol and maintenance of the High Lakes OHV area of the Lassen National Forest.  All of these entities have truly collaborated with the Forest Service in the management of High Lakes. Chairman Ken Knull and Co-Chairman Nick Repanich coordinate all these efforts to be most efficient in completing needed resource work and educating users.

"To sustain the economic development and recreational use of National Forest System land and other public land in the State of Montana, to add certain land to the National Wilderness Preservation System, to release certain wilderness study areas, to designate new areas for recreation, and for other purposes."

That's a fine statement, and I really like the title of the bill. But after careful review of the current draft, I can't see that it does much more than designate a bunch of new Wilderness. It certainly doesn't designate any "new areas for recreation."

What this bill does do, however, is demonstrate just how utterly broken federal land management is these days. As an object lesson, or a demonstration project, I think Tester has created a masterpiece.

Early afternoon and the motorhome was parked.  I finished the final campsite chores and began thinking about dinner preparations - hamburgers grilled over charcoal.  And, I had a new charcoal grill provided by Camp-Fire-in-a-Can to try.

Nationwide, land management agencies and campground operators are removing traditional fire rings and charcoal grills.  They are maintenance intensive and often collect unsightly trash.  And, ground fires when not properly extinguished, have been linked to forest fires.  In all, a long cherished tradition of a campfire is becoming a memory of the past.

This has created an opportunity for Camp-Fire-in-a-Can.  Their product is a combination charcoal grill and wood burning fire container claiming to be environmentally friendly.  Their product would be used for the evening meal and evening campfire.