Katrina first became aware of the booby traps being set on J1299 about a month and a week ago. I received a phone call from a person who had been up there with a small group of concerned citizens with Ranger Nelson examining the area. They looked at the cuts in the wing fence. When they looked at the ground around the area where the fence was cut there were no motorcycle or horse tracks.

Then they walked along the trail J1299. Ranger Nelson told them that booby traps had been found on the trail by Traci, the BLM volunteer just prior to their going up there. Traci had found a nail strip. After their field trip to the area, Traci found a second booby trap consisting of heavy fishing line tied between bushes low and taut across the trail.

Then about two weeks ago four people were hiking in the area to look at the cut wing fences and the J1299 trail. As they were going up J1299 they noticed leaf debris dangling in the air above the trail as the wind was blowing across piano wire. Because it was a windy day the leaf debris had blown in the wind and stuck on the piano wire.

These booby traps can seriously harm people and/or horses. The low taut fishing line and/or piano wire would cut a horse's leg cutting their tendons and could bring them down. This could result in laming a horse. In addition, if this heavy wire were to get caught in a motorcycle engine's moving parts, it could result in serious injury to the rider.

I felt that I would interfere with a Federal investigation if I posted this information on the forum. I believed a federal felony criminal investigation was underway. Ranger Nelson advised that he would be investigating the crime (booby traps set on public lands).