Below are the draft minutes of the 10/1/03 TRT Meeting. Keep in mind that the minutes of this meeting will not become "Offical" until a Vote to accept has been passed at the next TRT Meeting.

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Technical Review Team
Minutes of Meeting
October 1, 2003


Members Present:
Jerry Seaver – AZ OHV
Jim Bramham – CA OHV
Roy Denner – DAC Appointee
Harold Soens – CA OHV
Bob Ham – Imperial County
Larry Jowdy – CA OHV
Glenn Montgomery (new) – Yuma County
Mike Cuff (new) – CA OHV
Nicole Gilles (new) – Economical interest

BLM Present:
Greg Thomsen – Field Manager
Neil Hamada – Dunes Manager
Jamie Neilans – Outdoor Recreation Planner

Visitors Present:
Bob Mason – ASA
Charles Mobley – DUNERS
Chris Seaver – ASA
Ed Waldheim – CORVA
Frenchie LaChance - Self
Mike Warford – Self
Steve Brooks – Sand User


Chairman’s Report
Jerry Seaver:
Reviewed the new TRT’s mission statement. (See Attachment.)
There is no longer a MOU; TRT members serve on the TRT committee at the pleasure of the El Centro BLM.
Fee demo is for cost recovery instead of for just, "on the ground" improvements and visitor services and, compliance is critical.
Reports that the ASA has a new flyer containing new fee info. (See Attachment.)

Vice Chairman’s Report
Larry Jowdy:
Web page – TRT BBS moderator
Lots of questions Re: ICSO enforcement of existing laws.
Proposed ICSO might get $500,000 from CA State grant if approved.
Concerns:
1. People upset about no 2nd vehicle pass.
2. TRT meetings held only 3 times a year and by conference call, which the public can’t participate in. Suggest rotating location of meetings.
3. Implement a “play and pay” fee (fixed fee).
4. ICSO enforcement of OHV use age limits and other regulations are now being enforced.

Field Manager’s Report
Greg Thomsen:
9 member TRT:
3 new on a 2 yr. term
6 old on a 1 yr. term
Want to stagger so there is some turnover.
Read the New Mission Statement (See Attachments).
1st meeting October 1, 2003.
2nd meeting will be in January during mid-season.
3rd meeting will be in July to review the season.
There will be no reimbursement for travel expenses.


Desert Advisory Council (DAC) Motions Report
Roy Denner:
DAC appointed Roy for TRT. The vote was not unanimous. Some members felt the TRT should be more diverse so Preston Arroweed volunteered, however, he did not win.
Roy made a motion to write a letter of support to the OHMVR Commission for the ICSO grant of $500,000.
If they start charging fees in the Barstow area without TRT type input, there will be no public say in how the fees are disbursed.
The draft BP was presented to the DAC and there was concern regarding the tripling of costs for the 5 recreation areas. Roy commented on how well the El Centro Field Office’s TRT works. Barstow claimed TRTs don’t work. Roy will fight for a TRT, if there are fees implemented in the recreation areas.

Bob Ham:
Wally Leimgruber, the county representative, sent a letter of support to OHMVR commission for the ICSO grant.

Old Business
BLM Report
Neil Hamada:
Status of Rescue Buggy for South Dunes
- Received the 2nd buggy last season and utilized it in the south on holiday weekends and in the north on non-holiday weekends.
- Holiday weekends the buggy will be stationed in the south dunes and non-holiday weekends it will be stationed in the north dunes but it will respond to calls in the south dunes.
- Took the buggy to the Sand Sports Super Show and received a lot of positive feedback.
- At the SSSS, Neil was greeted by a former medical patient (patient had a broken neck and Neil rescued him while on patrol in the dunes.

Status of Gecko Rd./Buttercup Keyhole Resurfacing
- Money came from a grant from CA State Parks.
- Work is being done now and will be completed by Oct. 10.

Status of grading and EK 35 on Wash Rd.
- Currently rebuilding and grading wash rd. because rain storm washed out road.
- EK 35 dust pallet will be applied for 3.1 miles (~Wash 13).
- All work is paid for through last years fees.

Jim Bramham:
Thanks to El Centro BLM for going to Sand Mountain to help out with EMS and VSS.

Greg Thomsen:
Status of the RAMP
- Currently the BLM is still managing under the 1987 RAMP. The BLM wanted to have the new RAMP completed but several factors occurred and, therefore, the plan is not completed. This means the temporary closures are still in effect.
- Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a preliminary injunction against the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on the Biological Opinion (BO). CBD states the BO is not adequate. After the September 15 hearing, CBD withdrew their injunction. The BLM has asked the FWS to clarify the BO and to confer on the Peirson’s milk-vetch’s (PMV) critical habitat.
- The BLM expects to hear from FWS regarding the BO in the later part of October. The protest letters, which are holding up the RAMP, can’t be responded to until the BO is resolved.


Greg Thomsen:
Status of Lawsuit
- CBD filed a lawsuit against FWS on designating critical habitat on PMV. FWS is moving ahead with designating PMV critical habitat because of the law suit.
- OHV groups filed a lawsuit against FWS to delist PMV. FWS will come to a decision by May 31.
- CBD petitioning to list Andrew’s Scarab Dune Beetle.
- Roy Denner: FWS ruled biological studies by OHV groups will be taken into consideration. OHV has currently 2 lawsuits so that they can stay in the game. There is no scientific evidence that the Andrew’s Scarab Dune Beetle needs to be listed.

Public Comment

TRT Meeting/Minutes:
Chuck Mobley– TRT minutes need to be public. TRT should have meeting/conference call so public can sit in on meeting/conference call.
Roy Denner– Public can come to the ORBA office in San Diego to sit in on conference call.
Larry Jowdy– Minutes have been going on the TRT BBS
Bob Ham– CA open meeting law/Brown law need to be open to public.
Harold Soens– Conference call leaves out public, have meeting around the state.
Grant George– Public needs to be more involved. S.D. puts importance on TRT, need more than 3 meetings a year.
Jim Bramham– If we have a conference call it should not be a general meeting, it needs to be limited to specific topics.

Mike Warford:
Will Gecko Rd. be open during construction? Yes.
Will temporary closures be open after RAMP? Could be more lawsuits.
Is RAMP to be implemented or tied up? Unknown.

Chris Seaver:
Is Wash Rd. a county road? No.

Chuck Mobley:
2nd vehicle pass needs to be looked at.
“Play to pay” is a bad idea.
If ICSO needs $568,000 to run the dunes this year, what about $300,000 in reserve?
Jim Bramham– May have $300,000 now but need it for the start of the season.
Bob Ham– ICSO will continue to do compliance until run out of $.
Greg Thomsen– Good to have support for ICSO. Business Plan has contingency for unanticipated costs, for instance, the ICSO


New Business
Jerry Seaver:
1. TRT survey for recreationalists input.
- Want to educate the public and see what they want in order to help guide the TRT.
- Want to get point across about why there are fees and that they are for cost recovery.
- Use TRT website for survey and data can go straight into a database.
- Handout survey at SSSS and the dunes.
- New committee to put questionnaire together.
- The more input the better.
- Nicole: Use Zoomerang Program, only costs around $250.
- Survey needs to be short and to the point.
- Neil Hamada has 2 other surveys used for a reference (1 by CA State Parks and 1 by a college).
- Needs to let people know if they want more services or Improvements, it could increase the fees.
- Want to get it out ASAP, sooner the better so we can have input on how the fees should be used.
- Circulate the survey draft among TRT for approval Glenn Montgomery will be the committee head with the help of Nicole Gilles, Jim Bramham and Jerry Seaver.


New contract with Central Parking.
- Contract was 30% until $300,000, 20% until $600,000, 15% until $900,000
- New contract starts Oct. 1.
- Kept contract with Central Parking because the BLM would not have been able to collect fees until Dec. or later if had to bid for a new contract, Central parking has done a good job, and they are going above and beyond their duties.
- Approval from State Office to extend.
- Jerry Seaver and Jim Bramham went to negotiation meetings between the BLM and Central Parking.
- BLM and Central Parking agreed on 9.99% of revenues will go to existing contractor.
- 90.01% goes to the recreation area.
- Central Parking is committed to:
i. Working with vendors to sell outside of the dunes.
ii. Selling passes on-line.
iii. Increasing fee compliance by hiring more staff and coinciding work schedules with the BLM.
- Larry Jowdy: By having passes available to vendors, will they get a profit? BLM will not negotiate the $81 but Central Parking and vendor can work something out.
- Jim Bramham: No way to manage a system for both passes at less than 10%, Central Parking’s best interest to get passes out and most available.
- Bob Mason: Can vendors sell the pass with a handling fee like Ticket Master does? Yes, but the public has other options of where to purchase the pass and if there is a large handling fee people will not buy it from that vendor so the vendor will lose out.
- Neil Hamada: 80% of fees sold are week passes and 20% of fees are season passes.
- Chuck Mobley: Could fees be lowered next season? Yes.
- Glenn Montgomery: BLM did not promise a contract. A new bid will come out in a 1 year to 1 ½ years.

Status of the fee compliance strategy.
Bob Zimmer:
- Neil Hamada, Bob Zimmer, Rich Smith and Cricket were on the fee strategy team.
- In the past, there was increase fee compliance on holiday weekends and not on non-holiday weekends.
- Plan to keep holiday weekends the same but increase fee compliance on non-holiday weekends.
- Fee check points will have 2 Visitor Service, 2 Law Enforcement, and 1 Central Parking person.
- Fees will be checked going in and going out at random locations
- Be at least one fee checkpoint every weekend.
- There will be LE for holidays that will be dedicated only to fee compliance.
- There will be patrols for fee compliance.
- Tickets will be given out for people that are in the dunes without passes.
- Law Enforcement is dedicated to fee compliance every weekend.
- Neil Hamada: Cricket suggested to have a by pass lane, communicate through message boards, and have fee checkpoints coming into the dunes.
- Volunteers can go around to camps and encourage people to buy passes but can’t request them to see their permits.
- Jim Bramham: What if the public calls in regarding people with no pass? Realistically, a lot of calls will not get answered because so short staffed. If fee checkpoints are busy, LE can’t afford to leave checkpoint. There will be no citations given on hearsay. If public calls Cahuilla, Cahuilla will get message to LE.
- Roy Denner: Does $ from citations go back to the Dunes? No, that is why it’s so important the public buys a permit. Roy suggested having a peer pressure program with signs at campsites.
- Jim Bramham and Mike Cuff: Can we make it a fix it ticket? There are compliance issues; “I am not buying one until I get caught.” It could be done but it would take legislation.
- Steve Brooks: What happens if I forget my pass? You get a ticket. Are you going camp to camp? Yes. What if no one is in camp? Follow up later.
- Ed Waldheim: Compliance is an urgent issue. Why not put fee checkpoints in north and south? It is the contractor’s responsibility for compliance. Visitor Service needs to be more volunteers. Need a better deployment plan. Not having minimum staffing is not acceptable, need to increase compliance. Need to follow up on all reports of non-compliance. BLM does not adequately utilize volunteers, go back and look at using them. Who is deciding the fee checkpoint schedules?
Zimmer: BLM can’t count on volunteers all the time. There are issues that may be higher priority that may come up, for example, a fight or a drug load. There needs to be 2 LEOs on a fee checkpoint; 1 for belligerent customers and 1 for getting people that go around the fee checkpoint. Scheduling of fee checkpoints are done by supervisors.
- Roy Denner: Can’t we hire a security company? BLM is not allowed to do that, unless they are full time LEOs.
- Grant George: The chicken and the egg syndrome… increase fees à increase compliance à increase staffing.
- Ed Waldheim: Wally stated that the Imperial County has a camping ordinance. Can we go to county? Bob Ham: Imperial County has a camping ordinance so Imperial County could hire meter maids and hang paper on an unattended vehicle but the $ goes to the courts. It would take time to do this.

Chris Knauf:
Presentation on biological monitoring. (See Attachment.)

Comments on presentation:
Jerry Seaver: Suggest using a bus type buggy to shuttle people around.

Jim Bramham: Why do you have to wait for Record of Decision to start monitoring? Chris has not stopped planning, there is just no $ right now.

Chuck Mobley: Have you asked for $ from grants? Yes, there are district wide grants.

Grant George: How does scope of study relate to other recreation areas? This is one of the largest monitoring programs.

Fee Demo budget and collections date (See Tables).
Neil Hamada: Reviewed tables. Work for budget is very tedious and time consuming.

Jerry Seaver: Accountability is very important. BLM should create a job for someone to keep track of the account.

Mike Cuff and Neil Hamada: Will work together on finding a solution for detail transactions.

Public Comment:

Bob Mason: Want a line item for billboards. There are 5 sponsors to do 5 billboards. Saved $10,000. Want to do on screen movie ads. ASA has a trailer donated by Weekend Warrior with safety message on it. Neil Hamada: Safety outreach was a line item not fully funded.

Roy Denner: The BLM and TRT have a great relationship. The BLM takes the TRT’s recommendations into considerations.

Grant George: BLM is putting their logo on the billboards to promote public safety..


MOTIONS

Motion: To write a letter to OHMVR Re: funding Imperial County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement in the dunes.
Motion made by: Roy Denner
2nd by: Bob Ham
Vote: 9 For, 0 Against
Motion is passed.

Motion: Request that the BLM re-consider the current number of face-to-face TRT meetings from 3 to as many as necessary. Make telephone conferencing calls available to the public at the El Centro Office and call special meeting if needed.
Motion made by: Larry Jowdy
2nd by: Nicole Gilles
Vote: 9 For, 0 Against
Motion is passed.

Motion: Request BLM to reconsider 2nd vehicle pass issue and attempt to reconcile this season.
Motion made by: Larry Jowdy
2nd by: Harold Soens
Vote: 7 For, 2 Abstain
Motion is passed.

Motion: Retain Chairman and Vice Chairman.
Motion made by: Jim Bramham
2nd by: Harold Soens
Vote: 9 For, 0 Against
Motion is passed.

Motion: Recommend that the BLM hire a book keeper to maintain the log of expenditures and prepare a monthly report. Position funded from cost recovery money not to exceed $20,000.
Motion made by: Jim Bramham
2nd by: Harold Soens
Vote: 9 For, 0 Against
Motion is passed.


Next Meeting: Thursday, January 29 at 9:00am.