Recently, the Imperial County Sheriff's Office applied for a Law Enforcement grant from the OHMVRC. At the 10/1/03 TRT Meeting a motion was made, and unanimously passed, to write a letter of support for this grant to the ICSO. Here is the letter that was sent.

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State of California
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle
Recreation Commission
Department of Parks and Recreation
1725 23rd Street, Suite 200Sacramento CA 95816

SUBJECT: Grant OR605, submitted by the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office

Honorable Commissioners
The purpose of this correspondence is to introduce the “New” Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, Technical Review Team and to lend support to a grant proposal before your commission.
The El Centro Bureau of Land Management with the Desert Advisory Council’s support has re-authorized the Technical Review Team (TRT). The updated TRT will concentrate on the Fees Program including ways to best increase compliance, public safety issues, resource monitoring and cost recovery.
Six members returned from the previous team with the addition of three new appointee’s. Four members represent off highway activists from California. One member represents the Arizona interest. One member represents the Imperial County interest. One member represents the Yuma County interest. One member represents the Economic interest from Brawley, CA and the final member was appointed to represent the Desert Advisory Council.

Our mission statement is as follows:
The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) Technical Review Team (TRT) will provide input to the Bureau of Land Management, El Centro Field Office, on the collection and use of fees to implement the ISDRA Recreation Area Management Plan (TAMP). The TRT will provide input on:

· The prioritization of the RAMP implementation schedule
· The use of fee funds collected in the ISDRA to complete specific projects in the schedule
· The accountability of fee funds collected and spent
A primary role of the TRT will be to serve as a communication link to the public and to the interest groups the TRT represents.

In conjunction with our mission statement, we will be actively involved in recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management on safety programs, educating the public and supporting activities at the ISDRA


Grant Request #OR605 -2-


Following in the footsteps of the previous TRT, we actively support increased law enforcement at the ISDRA to promote a safe environment and family atmosphere.

The TRT, by unanimous vote, fully supports the Law Enforcement grant as submitted by Sheriff Harold D. Carter of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office. This grant will add significantly to the law enforcement resources at the ISDRA and will augment the staff of law enforcement rangers from the Bureau of Land Management.

The approval of this grant will undoubtably show the visitors that they are well protected and that unlawful activities will be dealt with by a swift and positive law enforcement approach.

The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area has a very high percentage of the overall Off Highway Activity use in the State with significant acreage and multiple facilities. This, plus the fact that your Commission asked for, and received a multi-year commitment for Law Enforcement in the dunes from Sheriff Carter, should give you sufficient cause to fully fund this grant.

As reported last year, we feel that a major support effort is needed and as time passes,
the need for this grant should diminish and the Bureau of Land Management’s rangers should be able to manage the activities at the ISDRA without the help of this grant.

By a unanimous vote, each member of the Technical Review Team implores you to grant the funding as stated in Sheriff Carters request to your commission.

If further information is needed, please call either of the undersigned for further information.



Jerry Seaver, Chairman ISDRA TRT


Lawrence E. Jowdy, Vice Chairman ISDRA TRT