Re: J1299 excluded from RS2477

Yes Katrina....the crow was quite tasty. There is plenty left over if you care to try some :0 ). I believe that you have access to the Management Plan for the Juniper Flats Cultural Area from 1988 as in the past you have posted excerpts from it on this site. Pre existing routes are clearly indicated on page 8. The one route that went down to my old mining claim was closed at this time and has remained so. Open routes within the ACEC are clearly designated on this map as well. J1299 was created illegaly by local motorcycle riders in recent times and traverses an old burial site and major center for pre columbian native american living dating back over 10,000 years. The ACEC was created to prevent the kind of damage that is occuring today. RS 2477 does not apply to J1299. It was not even proposed as a route of any kind until the public WEMO comment period closed last summer! Since ACEC routes designations are part of the ACEC management plan, they are excluded from WEMO route designation.

On the other hand, the old Moss Mill Road to the USFS parking area was in existance prior to 1976. When I was staying there, it was a main route of travel for those who were seeking to avoid the Bowen Ranch toll gate and its operator, the infamous Gary Growler. It was around 1976/1977 when I was staying there. The Ware family had moved on and Lyle and Annie were living in the main house. I was staying in the little windmill shack that later was used by William as the lookout for his structure.

Although I am not a big fan of the RS2477 claims in the Mojave Desert area,it appears the Moss Mill Road would apply for eligibility due to its longstanding continued use by the public prior to 1976. The issues surrounding the Moss Mill Road and J1299 are completly different. J1299 is illegal because it disturbes a cultural site in defiance of federal laws. Moss Mill Road was closed at the request of a local property owner over tresspass issues. It appears that both routes are subject to court interpetation. In the interm, local OHV thugs are intentionaly destroying a cultural site. Our local volunteers are documenting and observing.