BLM Focuses on Illegal OHV Use in Sawtooth Campground

The Bureau of Land Management today issued a two-year emergency closure to access by off-highway vehicles (OHV) to the Sawtooth Canyon Campground and surrounding public lands due to increasing non-compliance issues with green sticker vehicles. This emergency closure is effective immediately and is governed by 43 CFR 8341.2. Anyone violating the closure may be fined up to $1,000, receive up to one year in jail, or both. A notice in the Federal Register will be published.

The closure applies to all green sticker (California permitted OHV) uses on the remaining access route to Sawtooth Canyon (SV6440) and off-loading or use on the trails and lands within and surrounding Sawtooth Canyon Campground. Included is closure of route SV315 (approximately 1.5 miles) to all vehicles from State Highway 247 and closure of route SV6440 (approximately 1.5 miles) to OHVs from State Highway 247. Additional closures apply to the route network within the campground area.

A map of the emergency closure area and the closure order can be viewed at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow.html

According to Roxie Trost, BLM Barstow Field Office manager, some motorists have been using the recently upgraded Sawtooth Campground as an illegal staging area, off-loading and driving their green sticker vehicles directly from the Sawtooth Campground locally or north across private lands to access the Stoddard OHV Area.

“Riders may have dated maps or disregard the signs and maps indicating the limitations of the current route network. This issue must be addressed to assure compliance with the West Mojave Plan interim route network, pending issuance of the updated West Mojave Plan and route network,” said Trost.

Sawtooth Canyon Campground, located approximately 15 miles from Barstow, is popular with public land users interested in rock climbing, wildlife (bighorn sheep, birds, and small reptile) viewing, hiking and licensed-vehicle touring.

For more information regarding the closure, contact Larry Blaine, Barstow Field Office, at (760) 252-6040.