Re: More change in the BLM

What I find unacceptable is the past conduct of the former Chief Ranger Barry Nelson and his "OHV volunteer patrol". After witnessing and reporting the illegal creation of J1299 during and after the willow fire closure, this behavior was encouraged by CDD director Linda Hansen due to a lack of consequense and disclaplinary action agaist her former employee.

J1299 is not the only dirty deed Ranger Nelson was mixed up in. There were repeated harrassment complaints within the BLM office against this rouge individual. There is also Ranger Nelson's side job of buying and selling guns that really raised some red flags. With full knowlege of an ongoing problem, this director didn't have the gumption to deal with her problem empolyee or to be honest with the public about J1299. It is a good thing this manager is being put out to pasture and retiring. She certainly earned the mistrust of local property owners in the Juniper Flats area. Linda Hansen is also responsible for allowing an arrogant former OHV lobbiest now employed by the BLM to manipulate the decision tree process for route designation and change the recomendations of the project biologist. This biolgist recomended closure due to the presence of riparian and cultural resources at Cottonwood Springs.

Skipping town and "retiring" will not prevent her from a supeana to appear in court to answer some compelling questions. One such question is why is the Barstow BLM digging in their heels on this one. Cottonwood Springs is a textbook case on where not to put a motorcycle trail. It's a no brainer that the decision tree was alterd in an act of such arrogance that it screams "go ahead and sue". Everyone is waiting for WEMO to be signed so it can move into a different format.....the courtroom. The public participation aspect was a farce. What really happend was a OHV lobbiest drawing OHV trails on a map with no regard for resource protection or local residents.