The TRT will be holding a conference call on Monday 12-01-03 at 3:00 PM California time. Those of you that would like to listen in, are invited to the El Centro BLM office or if you know any of the TRT members, you can listen in at their location.
Agenda items include:
Thanskgiving week report
El Centro BLM Law Enforcement Grant
Ed Waldheim, the new OHMVR Commissioner will be listenting in on our call.
Full Version: Trt Conf Call 12/1/03 3:00pm Pst
Here is the unapproved minutes from today's TRT Conference Call. A real good report for a good Thanksgiving week!
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In attendance
TRT
Jerry Seaver
Larry Jowdy
Jim Bramham
Roy Denner
Nicole Gilles
Mike Cuff
Glenn Montgomery
Harold Soens
BLM
Greg Thomsen
Larry Caffey
Neil Hamada
Bob Haggarty
Guests
OMHVR Commissioner Ed Waldheim
Bob Mason
Mike Warford
Jim McGarvey
Motion made by Jowdy to approve the minutes from the last meeting
2nd by Cuff, vote (8 yes) (0 no)
Greg Thomsen asked to change the next face to face TRT meeting.
Meeting changed to Friday January 23, 2004 9:00 AM at the El Centro BLM office.
Greg - OHMVR Grant meeting set for Dec. 5, 2003 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Palm Ballroom 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego, CA
BLM is seeking funding under 7 different grants to be heard on 12-5-03
Commissioner Ed Waldheim stated that more funding will be given to the ICSO and less to the BLM.
Greg - still waiting for information regarding Congressional appropriations
Jowdy asked Comm. Waldheim about the lack of funding to the ISDRA, stating that it is the highest visited OHV area in the State stating that many people are becomming disenchanted with the OHMVR and the green sticker program. Comm. Waldheim stated that until the new gas tax study is completed only a limited amount of funds are available.
It was mentioned that the OHMVR meeting is open to the public.
Thanksgiving Report.
Bob Haggerty (LEO)
Approximately 158,000 total visitors for Thanksgiving, down from 170,000 last year.
Compliance along Gecko and the north dunes ranged from 70 to 99%.
This year, 50% of the passes sold are annual and the other 50% weekly, up from last year, 80% annual and 20% weekly
Montgomery asked why there was no fee station at Ogilby and why one wasn't brought over from Gecko, where there is six.. Neil replied that it had not been replaced since it was damaged/stolen. All other fee stations were busy & needed, and it was a security issue in the existing location. They are planning to relocate the Fee station nearer to Ogilby and I-8. When in the area, Rangers directed dune users to the fee stations at Buttercup and Gordon's.
Sand Drags were relatively quiet with only a few problems.
Bob Mason brought up an instigator in the Drag crowd that had a bull horn. This individual was eventually arrested.
The road to Olds from Hwy 78 was closed in the evening to all traffic. Drivers were told that if they could get to Olds via the dunes, then have at it.
5 Vendors cited for illegal vending and some property seized
3 camp sites and occupants were evicted from the dunes for violation of laws 1 sole visitor was evicted.
116 Law enforcement officers were on duty over the TG weekend
58 Federal Employees and 58 State/County employees
EMS, 70 personnel on duty
Central Parking 13 personnel on duty
Fee Stations at Dune Buggy Flats, Gecko and Wash Road were manned, for the most part, 24 hours a day Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. The exceptions were for breaks and lunches.
The Incident Command Staff was cut by 2/3 which allowed those personnel to patrol the dunes.
Thursday through Sunday, the Gecko Ranger Station was manned by medical personnel from El Centro Regional Medical Center providing medical care 24/7.
This was done via community service with no charge to the BLM.
4 Star ambulance Co. and Rural Metro manned the south dunes and provided medical services as needed
The Border Patrol's Border Search Trauma and Resuce (BORSTAR) unit at the South Dunes had about 30 personnel with no charge to the BLM.
There was one fatality related to the ISDRA over the Thanksgiving weekend. An 11 year old male who died at the hospital as the result of a fall in the dunes while riding his quad.
Total of 965 calls for law enforcement services from visitors.
631 citations for Federal offenses issued, (19 for violation of closure) 375 citations for State offenses issued.
33 arrests for Federal violations, 15 arrests for State violations
One arrest led the Law Enforcement officers to Brawley and they found a Methamphetamine lab along with numerous OHV stolen vehicles. Investigation in progress.
Motion to adjourn at 4:30PM
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In attendance
TRT
Jerry Seaver
Larry Jowdy
Jim Bramham
Roy Denner
Nicole Gilles
Mike Cuff
Glenn Montgomery
Harold Soens
BLM
Greg Thomsen
Larry Caffey
Neil Hamada
Bob Haggarty
Guests
OMHVR Commissioner Ed Waldheim
Bob Mason
Mike Warford
Jim McGarvey
Motion made by Jowdy to approve the minutes from the last meeting
2nd by Cuff, vote (8 yes) (0 no)
Greg Thomsen asked to change the next face to face TRT meeting.
Meeting changed to Friday January 23, 2004 9:00 AM at the El Centro BLM office.
Greg - OHMVR Grant meeting set for Dec. 5, 2003 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Palm Ballroom 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego, CA
BLM is seeking funding under 7 different grants to be heard on 12-5-03
Commissioner Ed Waldheim stated that more funding will be given to the ICSO and less to the BLM.
Greg - still waiting for information regarding Congressional appropriations
Jowdy asked Comm. Waldheim about the lack of funding to the ISDRA, stating that it is the highest visited OHV area in the State stating that many people are becomming disenchanted with the OHMVR and the green sticker program. Comm. Waldheim stated that until the new gas tax study is completed only a limited amount of funds are available.
It was mentioned that the OHMVR meeting is open to the public.
Thanksgiving Report.
Bob Haggerty (LEO)
Approximately 158,000 total visitors for Thanksgiving, down from 170,000 last year.
Compliance along Gecko and the north dunes ranged from 70 to 99%.
This year, 50% of the passes sold are annual and the other 50% weekly, up from last year, 80% annual and 20% weekly
Montgomery asked why there was no fee station at Ogilby and why one wasn't brought over from Gecko, where there is six.. Neil replied that it had not been replaced since it was damaged/stolen. All other fee stations were busy & needed, and it was a security issue in the existing location. They are planning to relocate the Fee station nearer to Ogilby and I-8. When in the area, Rangers directed dune users to the fee stations at Buttercup and Gordon's.
Sand Drags were relatively quiet with only a few problems.
Bob Mason brought up an instigator in the Drag crowd that had a bull horn. This individual was eventually arrested.
The road to Olds from Hwy 78 was closed in the evening to all traffic. Drivers were told that if they could get to Olds via the dunes, then have at it.
5 Vendors cited for illegal vending and some property seized
3 camp sites and occupants were evicted from the dunes for violation of laws 1 sole visitor was evicted.
116 Law enforcement officers were on duty over the TG weekend
58 Federal Employees and 58 State/County employees
EMS, 70 personnel on duty
Central Parking 13 personnel on duty
Fee Stations at Dune Buggy Flats, Gecko and Wash Road were manned, for the most part, 24 hours a day Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. The exceptions were for breaks and lunches.
The Incident Command Staff was cut by 2/3 which allowed those personnel to patrol the dunes.
Thursday through Sunday, the Gecko Ranger Station was manned by medical personnel from El Centro Regional Medical Center providing medical care 24/7.
This was done via community service with no charge to the BLM.
4 Star ambulance Co. and Rural Metro manned the south dunes and provided medical services as needed
The Border Patrol's Border Search Trauma and Resuce (BORSTAR) unit at the South Dunes had about 30 personnel with no charge to the BLM.
There was one fatality related to the ISDRA over the Thanksgiving weekend. An 11 year old male who died at the hospital as the result of a fall in the dunes while riding his quad.
Total of 965 calls for law enforcement services from visitors.
631 citations for Federal offenses issued, (19 for violation of closure) 375 citations for State offenses issued.
33 arrests for Federal violations, 15 arrests for State violations
One arrest led the Law Enforcement officers to Brawley and they found a Methamphetamine lab along with numerous OHV stolen vehicles. Investigation in progress.
Motion to adjourn at 4:30PM
| QUOTE |
| The road to Olds from Hwy 78 was closed in the evening to all traffic. Drivers were told that if they could get to Olds via the dunes, then have at it. |
I thought at first that it was trucks that were banned. This is a cool approach. No one is actually closed out except by their ability to make it through the dunes. Nice approach.
Thanks Glenn for the report, it is good to hear what is going on in some of the meetings, we all appreciate it.
Thanks for the update Glenn. Sad to hear about the death of a kid.
::Just posing a question to ponder::
So, if the number of visitors was down from last year, and compliance was not 100% then why was I unable to trade my receipt in (for the third time) for a laminated pass?
Why were they out of passes again?
The Pastor
So, if the number of visitors was down from last year, and compliance was not 100% then why was I unable to trade my receipt in (for the third time) for a laminated pass?
Why were they out of passes again?
The Pastor
Weren't they shooting for 40 to 50 percent compliance? Their expectations have been exceeded as well as their supply.
| QUOTE (The Pastor @ Dec 3 2003, 06:27 PM) |
| ::Just posing a question to ponder:: So, if the number of visitors was down from last year, and compliance was not 100% then why was I unable to trade my receipt in (for the third time) for a laminated pass? Why were they out of passes again? The Pastor |
Let me see if I can explain this right, its 12:49am I should be in bed.
The BLM ordered 8,000 passes originally and sold out. They recently ordered another 5,000 and got 3,000 of those. The other 2,000 should be in this week. I don't know how many of the 3,000 have been sold as they were divided between BLM and Central Parking (and some of their outside vendors). There also some that need to be sent out to people who had receipts that were waiting on the laminated ones.
As of that last meeting we have not seen an accoutning statement so I can not address how much revenue there was from the sold passes. We will keep asking.
| QUOTE |
| Weren't they shooting for 40 to 50 percent compliance? Their expectations have been exceeded as well as their supply. |
Yes Jeff, it appears that compliance is going well. We still need to get a handle on the real numbers though, these are all estimates.
Thanks for the Thanks Guys, I'm glad to do it.
The TRT also wants to know what you have to say. Send comments, questions, etc to TRTemail@aol.com
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