Compromise?

It is very concerning what a disagreement develops into a violent conflict. What is the very concerning part is the BLM is really the catalyst for this dispute.

I do not know who is setting the booby traps. I only know that they have been put there by someone and there are people with many different motivations. I know that one was found by people who are not OHV people. I do not condone violence by anyone. There are legal avenues available to seek redress of grievances (have your case heard).

I just looked again at the Western Mojave Desert Off Road Vehicle Designation Project March 2003 and reviewed the routes as designated for Juniper Flats. I noticed that J1299 was not listed.

I find that very interesting. In conducting further research, I will contact the BLM and request a FOIA of their meeting minutes with regard to the route designation process. My purpose is to find out if J1299 was put through the public process appropriately.

I also recognize that the private property owners in the area were excluded from the WEMO meetings by the BLM. All affected parties are to be provided the opportunity to participate in the public process.

This is what has created the conflict (in addition to miscommunication).

If all interested parties would have been involved in a discussion of this route and its impacts, then this conflict would have been hashed out in the public process. Maybe everyone would still not be happy with the outcome, however, there would be more respect for the process and the decision.

For instance, maybe J1299 could be rerouted to avoid impacting the Indian Cultural Site.

Anyway, I think there is merit to the fact that private landowners were not notified of these meetings and their possible impacts upon their private property.

In addition, if I find that J1299 was not discussed at a public meeting, I believe the BLM would be required to shelve their decision until a series of public meetings is held.

If J1299 is a trail that has existed for numerous years, then it has to go through this public process. Based on what I saw on the 1994 satellite photo, I observed a trail through the area of cottonwood springs.

If it was created illegally, this should be easy to prove through satellite photographs and/or photographs from the air prior to the willow fire. If that is the case, then the creation of this trail was a criminal act, however, I don't know how you could prove who was the culprit.