From "The Sun" 10-1-09 http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_13455118

A federal judge has said the process that created miles and miles of off-road vehicle trails in the Mojave Desert over the past decade was flawed, though it is not clear what that will mean for the trails.

Ruling in a case brought by several environmental groups, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the federal Bureau of Land Management did not property follow rules in an 1976 law when it created a network of off-road trails in the western Mojave.

"Some of the routes weren't properly designated," said Lisa Belenky, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs in the case. "They didn't know what was out there. ... The court, quite clearly, said they really did not look at the impacts of these routes."

Various federal laws demand that agencies study the possible environmental impacts of allowing, among other things, off-road trails on federal lands. Belenky said Illsont's ruling shows that BLM did not properly look at how the off-road trails would affect the desert environment and the habitats of desert animals, including the desert tortoise.

"You're supposed to figure out what you're trying to protect and what you're tring to access and then figure out a route that does that," said Eldon Hughes of the Sierra Club. "The ones in charge (of BLM) didn't want to do it right. They felt their constituency to the off-road community, the mining communityi and all that was more important than the wildlife."

He said BLM will have to go back and take a second look at the off-road trails it approved, checking to see if they should have been approved in the first place.

But that's not clear from Illson's ruling and the ruling does not immediately impact off-road trails.

Illson has scheduled a meeting on Oct. 30, when BLM and the plaitiffs will discuss the "remedial phase" of the lawsuit.

John Dearing, a spokesman for the BLM's California headquarters, said the bureau is still reviewing Illston's 92-page ruling. He said BLM will have to do something about the off-road trails, but it isn't clear what that something will be.

"They've pretty much thrown out the off-road vehicle stuff," Dearing said. "Obviusly we're going to have to do something in that regard. ... We'll see what the court will ask us to do."

I will try to research this more, but it is certainly troublesome. :(

:mad3::mad3:

unbe-fawking-leivable. :mad3::mad3::mad3::mad3:

is there anything we can do?

how do people like us get to tell our side of things so that we will be heard? I can see how some petitions and letters help, but how do we have a greater impact? All the greenies are making themselves heard with their :rainbow: parades and marches, why can't the off-roaders get together in the rigs and really make a statement saying, "this is who we are, this is our side, and we're not pigs who trash the land like everyone thinks we are"?

idk, I'm a little too outspoken, opinionated, and passionate to be satisfied with emailing a letter that probably wont be read to a representative who probably doesn't actually care...

I read the decision (92 pages) : http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/deserts/california_desert_conservation_area/pdfs/WEMO_NECO_case_order_9-28-09.pdf

The Plaintiffs, headed by the Center for Biological Diversity filed a summary judgment motion claiming there were no triable issues and they should be granted a judgment without a trial. The BLM also filed it's motions for summary judgment. These motions are VERY difficult to get granted usually (normally judges say there are issues and the matter proceeds to trial). If the motion is granted (and here it was in part and denied in part for both sides) the defendants BLM must file an appeal. With the change in administrations and the quote from John Dearing from the BLM above, don't hold your breath that an appeal is forthcoming.:mad3:

On October 30, 2009, the court will hold a case management conference to discuss the remedial phase of the litigation.:(

awsome CLOSED.

it's easier to just ban travel in any particular area than manage it. thats what it's coming to everywhere; eventually we will have nowhere to go, it will all be closed, everything.

Is it their goal to make us all criminal?

Anyone know what area they're refering to?

Western Mojave is a big place.......what routes?




It sure seems to me that we should have some big assed parade/demonstration so we can get attention and become more visible. Politicians will only respond to highly visible causes.

Anyone know what area they're refering to?

Western Mojave is a big place.......what routes?




It sure seems to me that we should have some big assed parade/demonstration so we can get attention and become more visible. Politicians will only respond to highly visible causes.

So Richard why does it really matter? The end result will be the same as we have seen repeatedly for the past forty years. A very small group of believers will fight tooth and nail for a cause only to be sabotaged by group politics, general apathy of the masses, lack of support by the industry and the political climate. So I hate to say it bud, but I am thinking we should just sell the buggy's while the few remaining spots are still around to wheel so we can get a reasonable price for them.

Garry Hall
p/s - - Yes, I have a thick fire suite.

Anyone know what area they're refering to?

Western Mojave is a big place.......what routes?




It sure seems to me that we should have some big assed parade/demonstration so we can get attention and become more visible. Politicians will only respond to highly visible causes.


Richard, they are referring to the limited access routes through non-open areas. They are not referring in any way to the open wheeling areas. In fact, the original routes aren't affected either. The suit is challenging the 'auxillary' routes that have developed off of the mapped routes.

So Richard why does it really matter? The end result will be the same as we have seen repeatedly for the past forty years. A very small group of believers will fight tooth and nail for a cause only to be sabotaged by group politics, general apathy of the masses, lack of support by the industry and the political climate. So I hate to say it bud, but I am thinking we should just sell the buggy's while the few remaining spots are still around to wheel so we can get a reasonable price for them.

Garry Hall
p/s - - Yes, I have a thick fire suite.



You're a sorry old man. Really, nothing you say has any credibility at all until you get a buggy that's fixed and wheel-able, and you use it a few times. STFU and get that thing finished!! :eek:

:flipoff2:





Dave, thanks. Just wondering where they're talking about and how did it affect us. Anytime you see CFBD it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

What?
Gary still hasn't gotten his rig done?
:shaking:
















Shit.....mine isn't done yet either.

What?
Gary still hasn't gotten his rig done?

Shit.....mine isn't done yet either.

:laughing:

Yeah Gary, you're just in a bad mood cause your buggy's sittin in some garage or driveway. Wheel it and you'll feel a lot better about the fight! :dustin: