If you recreate and ride in the Johnson Valley area, NOW is the time to get involved. if you are not part of an off-road organization, join one now. let them hear our voices over this matter. we can only win with numbers on our side. send a letter to your representative in congress and one to Jerry Lewis-R, the representative that covers Johnson valley OHV area,
here is a sample if you wish to copy and paste a letter:
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
U.S. House of Representatives
1150 Brookside Ave. J-5
Redlands, CA 92313
Dear Congressman Lewis:
I am writing to you today because my family recreates in the Johnson Valley OHV Area, which is located in your district. I am aware that the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) at Twenty-Nine Palms, California, has recently submitted a withdrawal application to the BLM for a large portion of the Johnson Valley OHV Area. In a time of war, the need to properly train our soldiers should be our highest priority.
At the same time I think it is important to recognize the fact OHV recreation has become a very popular form of family recreation in Southern California. There are over one million registered off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in the state of California alone and that number does not include street legal 4-wheel drive vehicles. According to the California State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR), between 1980 and 2007 the amount of registered OHVs has increased 370%. During that same time the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) states, “Since 1980 the amount of land available to recreate on for green sticker vehicles (OHVs) has shrunk 48 percent in our deserts alone.”
Johnson Valley OHV Area is 189,000 acres and is a major destination recreation area for motorized use. It is also the largest open OHV area in the country. My family and I spend quality time together in this area. We ride together recreationally and some members of my family participate in the competition events put on by the American Motorcyclist Association, District 37 (AMA D37). Because of the area’s size and unique terrain, most of these events cannot be held anywhere else in the State. If this area were to be taken partially or in whole by the Marine Corps it would have a devastating effect on the Southern California OHV community.
My family and many like mine spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to participate in this form of recreation. Closing this area would negatively impact the economy of the Lucerne Valley and the surrounding counties. The majority of the users of this area do not live in Lucerne Valley, but in the neighboring regions. They purchase their off-road, camping, and associated equipment in the communities where they reside.
My family and the families we recreate with, request that you encourage the Marines to find a different area to fulfill their training needs. But, if the Marines find it absolutely necessary to take all, or even portion of Johnson Valley, we would like you to ask the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to demand acre for acre mitigation. This “no net loss” to public OHV recreation land will assure a proper balance on public lands. Through congressional designation you could reclassify land currently off limits to off-road enthusiasts. This “no net loss” policy will also ensure the future economic health of Lucerne Valley and the surrounding areas that depend on income from this type of recreation.
Sincerely,
Thank You! we need ALL off-road enthusiasts to be invloved in this fight. there is plenty of land to the east that can accomodate the Marine Corp without taking land from tax paying, off-road enthusisats.
Robin - wife to Richard (D37, Int V625) and mom to Tyler (D37 C138), Shawn and Samantha
03 Chevy 2500HD Duramax
04 WW FS3000
05 CRF450R - DH's
99 Yamaha G9 golf car
05 KX125 - Tyler's
00 CR80 - Shawn's
01 Pink XR50 - Samantha's
Since I didn't see this thread I tried to start another, my bad. But this is too important for us So CA riders/racers to not keep at the top of the forum so here it is again.
For all those that are active in trying to protect our race/ride areas in CA this is the biggest fight we've seen since S21 (Cranston) back in the 70's.
The 29 Palms Marine base wants to expand and is looking at taking over Johnson Valley (Lucerne Valley for some). This includes the area off Bessimer Mine Rd./Sogge Dry lake as well as Cougar Buttes, Anderson Dry Lake, all the way to Camp Rock Rd. Basically the whole enchilada will be off limits. We all need to get active with our FEDERAL representatives on this one. If we can't beat this we need reparations and can settle for nothing short of like for like.
Here's a pretty good story posted on the D37 site:
Below is some press on this today.
_______________
Base taking closer look at Johnson Valley property
By Jimmy Biggerstaff / Hi-Desert StarWednesday, August 20, 2008 11:16 AM PDT
MCAGCC — The Department of the Navy has submitted an application to the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw from public use 421,270 acres of land that border Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, including land in the Johnson Valley area.
The Marine Corps announced in May last year that the Secretary of Defense authorized a study that could lead to land acquisition near the base.
The public acreage in the study area borders the base on its eastern, southern and western areas.
Base officials say the withdrawal request gives the Marine Corps the opportunity to carefully study these areas as alternatives for meeting training requirements.
The BLM will publish a notice of intent for the withdrawal request, which will trigger a public-comment period.
While forming an environmental impact statement, the Marine Corps and BLM say they will work with off-road vehicle, recreation and business communities to manage continued public access to the areas under study for potential acquisition.
Base officials expect the Department of the Navy to issue a notice of intent to begin the environmental impact study in late October or early November, with a public scoping meeting to be held in early December.
At the meetings, officials say they will share with the public reasonable alternatives, including one alternative to take no action at all.
Solar and wind power enterprises have also expressed their interest in acquiring government land in this area for solar- and wind-power generation.
Off-roaders urge base to look east
Ray Pessa is past president of the Friends of Giant Rock, a non-profit organization that formed a few years ago, “To address issues of concern to off-roaders and keep riding areas open,” among other stated goals.
Pessa is also working with the newly formed Partnership For Johnson Valley, which seeks to keep an approved off-road riding area bordering the base from being annexed for military use.
Johnson Valley is the site of the largest open access riding area in the country.
The partnership has met with base officials to inform the leadership about public land use and encourage the government to look to the east of the base for its expansion plans, not into Johnson Valley.
In addition to off-roaders, Pessa pointed out that government land bordering the base hosts hikers, campers, rock hounds, scouting organizations and rocket clubs.
Pessa said the organizations he represents are in “full support of Marines getting best training they can possibly get.”
He further stated the groups he is associated with would like for the government to “take a good, hard look to the east” to fulfill its training needs.
Twentynine Palms called best site
The Marine base currently covers 932 square miles of land north of Twentynine Palms and south of Interstate 40 in the southwest Mojave Desert. If the Marines were to acquire all of the proposed 658 square miles, it would increase the size of the training grounds by more than 70 percent.
The Marines have stated previously that any additional land area added to existing base real estate would be primarily used as buffer zones, not for live fire or maneuvering.
In a fact sheet published last year, the Marine Corps said it conducted a lengthy, nationwide search for additional training areas in Virginia, North Carolina, the Southeast and the Southwest, concluding only the Twentynine Palms facility met its requirements.
Earlier this year, the Marine Corps announced plans for building projects and facilities upgrades totaling more than $271 million dollars for the Twentynine Palms base and the intent to station an additional 1,700 Marines here.
The planned plus-up is part of a proposal to increase the active-duty population of the Marine Corps from 175,000 to 202,000.
Brig. Gen. C.M. Gurganus, commander of the combat center, wrote in a letter to the community on Monday that the proposed land acquisition has a single purpose: To train Marines as they fight.
Thanks Mrs. Cowboy, what club are you in, Viewfinders here?
While I don't mind being edited, please remove the whole message next time.
I said nothing that wasn't a fact and printed in the paper which was neither political nor an attack.
I happen to be a military veteran, and as such am entitled to my views about said military.
I think this is still America, and as such as long as I don't curse (well at least they're asterisks), personally attack or slander someone, I have a right to say my piece.
If you don't want it in your forum, then next time please just delete the whole thing...
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I would hate to see Johnson Valley go. I have ridden there often and love the size and variations it offers. Count me in to participate in any campaign to save the few good riding areas we have left.
rcchallenger wrote: I would hate to see Johnson Valley go. I have ridden there often and love the size and variations it offers. Count me in to participate in any campaign to save the few good riding areas we have left.
Then send in your letters per the post. If you need help let me know I doctored up a couple and saved them as word documents.
rcchallenger wrote: I would hate to see Johnson Valley go. I have ridden there often and love the size and variations it offers. Count me in to participate in any campaign to save the few good riding areas we have left.
Then send in your letters per the post. If you need help let me know I doctored up a couple and saved them as word documents.
Please send them to me via PM. I would really appreciate it.
This is a forgone issue....the marines WILL get this land. Letters will be of no help.
I'm not happy about it I'm just a realist, the best way around this is to be given equal land in another area, which is a BLM issue.
Contact the BLM and your local, state and fed reps.
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