Re: Public excluded from WEMO

Katrina writes:

"Didn't Mike Castro know about these BLM meetings and what their affect would be upon the private land owners and people who visit the hotsprings? Didn't he make anyone aware of what was going on?"

Has the public has been excluded from planning in WEMO?

Despite previous promises made by BLM, the public was invited to only two meetings at the Green Tree after the proposed route network had already been finalized by OHV participants. The timetable to finalization at that point was so short, it precluded public response.

A PROPOSED CDCA Plan Amendment released in May, 2003. However, when the CDCA Plan Amendment was released in June 2003 as a DECISION RECORD, newly proposed J1299 had been stealthily inserted as a single entry in one table. This route was directly through the main cultural site within the ACEC. It had been created following the Willow Fire by OHV non-compliance. It had never before appeared on any map or record.

The Barstow Field Office had apparently realized that J1299 could not withstand public review as it was in blatant violation of all management plans. Consequently, J1299 was inserted into the Decision Record despite the fact that it was not given public scrutiny.

BLM's slight of hand was noted and public reaction galvanized into a petition signed by 90 persons. The petitioners requested separation of the Juniper Subregion from WEMO as an extended planning effort.

Although promising to address public concerns with limited scope follow-on, the Barstow Field Office has continued to demonstrate their intention to keep J1299 open, has made the ridiculous claim that OHV compliance has decreased over the last ten years, and is now claiming that they have no funding for law enforcement.

The emergency closure and the CRMP planning effort (conditions for approval of Mike Castro's September 93 Enduro event), were long ago ignored despite BLM's recent public affirmation of the emergency closure in October 2003. A letter to State Director Mike Pool protesting that the previous public planning effort was not considered in WEMO has received no response.

The Barstow Field Office has yet to provide a map of the open routes, has failed to sign the open routes, has failed to enforce the route closures, has supported the proliferation of illegal routes (clearly evidenced by J1299), and has even resorted to intimidation of property owners and residents to sd into the Decision Record despite the fact that it was not given public scrutiny.

BLM's slight of hand was noted and public reaction galvanized into a petition signed by 90 persons. The petitioners requested separation of the Juniper Subregion from WEMO as an extended planning effort.

Although promising to address public concerns with limited scope follow-on, the Barstow Field Office has continued to demonstrate their intention to keep J1299 open, has made the ridiculous claim that OHV compliance has decreased over the last ten years, and is now claiming that they have no funding for law enforcement.

The emergency closure and the CRMP planning effort (conditions for approval of Mike Castro's September 93 Enduro event), were long ago ignored despite BLM's recent public affirmation of the emergency closure in October 2003. A letter to State Director Mike Pool protesting that the previous public planning effort was not considered in WEMO has received no response.

The Barstow Field Office has yet to provide a map of the open routes, has failed to sign the open routes, has failed to enforce the route closures, has supported the proliferation of illegal routes (clearly evidenced by J1299), and has even resorted to intimidation of property owners and residents to silence public opinion.

The follow-on planning has been too limited to have any positive effect on WEMO. It is becoming increasingly clear that the separation of the Juniper Subregion from WEMO with an extended planning effort is mandatory to resolve the current issues.