To all IDSRA Users,

Subject: ISDRA Business Plan Mid-Season Review

The BLM engaged the services of Integrated Marketing Systems to develop a business plan to analyze the cost of managing the ISDRA and securing reliable sources of funds to pay for these costs. The final draft of the plan was distributed on August 21, 2003 and may be viewed on the BLM El Centro Website. http://www.ca.blm.gov/pdfs/elcentro_pdfs/i...es/ISDRA_bp.pdf

On Page 9 of the plan the paragraph entitled “Evaluation and Reaction” states,

“A mid-season review should be conducted at the end of January which compares year-to-date income (and permit numbers) and expense to the projections within this plan. This review should not only include the TRT, but should be shared openly with any interested user groups and members of the public. If the results vary significantly from the plan projections, anticipated impacts and, if necessary, corrective strategies should be discussed, chosen and acted upon. The final determinations of the review should be communicated on the web site, and enlarged and mounted in a professional manner on each information kiosk and the entrance station.”

The following ISDRA TRT mission statement dated Oct. 1, 2003 supports the involvement of the TRT in the mid-season review of business plan implementation progress,

“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 (RAMP). 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.”

The Polls for the BLM Mid-Season Review were developed to assess the progress made on the tasks set forth in the “Plan Implementation Summary” beginning on Page 6. The El Centro Field Office will provide an analysis of permit sales and other data required to make an evaluation of the program success to date. This information is critical to the mid-season evaluation. However, the performance of the ISDRA staff in terms of the business plan implementation tasks is equally important.

As ISDRA Users and TRT Members, we have an opportunity to provide recommendations relating to the management of the ISDRA. It is important that we, as dune users, assist EL Centro in evaluating their progress and in the development of corrective strategies. The Polls in this Forum will provide the TRT the vehicle for giving the BLM your input.

Please complete all of the Polls by January 19, 2004. We will summarize the results and forward our collective response to BLM prior to the Jan 23,2004 TRT meeting.

Thank you for your participation,

ISDRA TRT

Go to the ASA BBS to participate in the Polls. CLICK HERE

Are the polls only available online?

Vicki

If you know the money isn't there to copy and distribute it seems that there is some knowledge of how much money is available. Which is it?

Exactly. It seems they know how much money they have, which they say is not enough to fulfill their obligations.

But they are refusing to share the information with the very people who are providing that funding.

Something smells really bad here.

Vicki

Also, why is the poll ony avialable on the ASA site. Why isn't it being hosted on the BLM website?

I am sure the boosted traffic on the ASA website for this poll won't be used in the count for their traffic counts they use to sell sponsorships and advertisement.

Also, putting the same poll on several web sites would allow the same person to duplicate his answers, if he is a member of multiple boards, and contaminate the poll.

For whatever reason I had the impression this was a BLM poll not a TRT poll. Thanks for the clarification.

The point about multiple polls is valid but I still think the TRT should have a website that is not associated with any particular OHV group.

Those polls seem to me to suggest an assumption of support and agreement with the business plan in general. Correct me if I am wrong but I see nothing about do people think that other law enforcement activities are taking a back seat to revenue collection. My answer to that would be an emphatic YES.

JET Writes

The BLM maintains a website now.

Here's the link in case you didn't know. http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/

It's unfortunant only people who are signed up and deemd "acceptable" by the ASA are qualified to participate in this poll.

The ASA is a "far cry" from being a representative of me or my views and I'm certain that there are a significant number of people who feel the same as I.

Once again, the so-called "duners" opinion will not be that at all. Instead we get to hear the "ASA's" opinion which will be characterized as the "duners" opinion.

Very unfortunant indeed.



The Pastor

Glenn --

I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused about this poll, its origins, and the ultimate goal. Not only am I too concerned with its limited range and therefore inaccurate accounting of the needs of the duning community, but I am very concerned that it might not be supported by the BLM.

Is this poll being conducted by the TRT for their own satisfaction or was it requested by the BLM via the TRT?

Will it ultimately satisfy requirements that have been placed on the BLM?

Did the TRT members, as individuals, decide to take this task upon themselves or is it being done because it was requested during a BLM sponsored TRT conference call?

Or, is this poll strictly being pursued by the TRT as a way of gathering opinions so that they can pass them along to the BLM?

Of course the TRT, as a representative council and not a bona-fide organization, agency or corporation, could not possibly afford to produce this poll in mass quantity for the duning community.

But it seems the TRT, as a representative council, is seeking this information for the benefit of not only the duning community but also the management agency, and perhaps at the request of the management agency.

If not, my concern is that the management agency will simply balk at the results, since it is unsanctioned.

If it is sanctioned and in fact requested by the BLM or will benefit the BLM in their management of the dunes and the fees generated by the users, distribution of the poll should fall into the BLM's budget, perhaps in the area of cost recovery performance review.

Vicki

After taking a look at the poll I am unconcerned. It seems that it looks like the results will be negative down the line.
In otherwords...
"How do you think the BLM have done so far?"

Terrible!

I can live with that response...

The Pastor

Bravo on the point about being "signed up" and "worthy" for taking the poll on the asa web site. Plus its a great way for them to gather more info on possible new members. You should be able to access it without having to register? Too bad. But business as usaual.

Well, it just might be a good idea to duplicate the poll over here.

The Pastor

To clear up any confusion read the Plan Implementation Summary in the Business Plan, pages 6 thru 9. Glen has covered this but it bears repeating since it still isn't making sense to everyone. This is not a TRT or BLM Survey, it is what the Business Plan calls for, a mid- season review. All wording Glen has used for the polls are right out of the Business Plan, pages 6 thru 9. The paragraph that he quotes about the TRT being included in the review is on page 9 under "Evaluation & Reaction," The polls have been put up to give the TRT a better idea of what the perception is on each of items. We will be passing this along to the BLM along with our own review results and corrective strategy recommendations. All per the Business Plan. This will happen in a summary sent to the BLM prior to the TRT meeting Jan. 23 in El Centro.
Thanks,
Jerry Seaver
ISDRA TRT Chairman

Thank you Jerry.

If we were not totally absorbed in the final stretch of the cleanup, I'd be re-reading that business plan.

It seems to me that if the poll is fulfilling a requirement of the business plan, it is a budgeted item.

I am not trying to be difficult, but I am trying to understand the nuances. I'm afraid I'm having trouble understanding how this survey is neither a TRT or BLM survey, since it is being conducted by the TRT in response to the BLM's business plan.

And that only takes us back to funding. I object to the poll being conducted online only but I'm told there is no funding to broaden its scope.

Vicki

The Poll is just another way for us (TRT) to be prepared for the Evaluation and Reaction portion of the Mid-Season Review. The only way we can know what the dune users perception of how the BLM has/is perfoming these tasks from pages 6 - 9 of the Business Plan is to ask them.

This Poll is not required by the Business Plan or the BLM, nor has it been requested.

It's hard to get on the same page with you if you don't remember this provision in the Business Plan and don't have the time to re-read it. I know it has been said before but the BLM is not required to do everything in the Business Plan. Therefore there is not a budget for everything in the Plan. Just read the paragraph Glenn quotes from page nine. It doesn't require that a survey be used. Don't make this more complicated than it is. Read Glenn's post again, the TRT is looking for input on what the Dune users perception of the BLM's performance is in these items that are outlined in the business plan for review. I'm probably not quoting him word for word but this is what we are trying to accomplish. Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Jerry Seaver
ISDRA TRT Chairman

Clear as mud now!

Actually, Friends of Dumont Dunes and Friends of Oceano Dunes have already offered any money they would get back to Glamis:

From Jim Suty, Friends of Oceano Dunes:

OK, my 2 cents.

What is up with all the "poor" votes?

If you tell them they are doing a poor job....

They'll just raise the price of the pass.

I think they are doing "TOO GOOD" of a job.

I think Robbie is closer to the truth than you are on this one Glenn. The way that is worded could be construed that they aren't doing a good enough job on all these things and need to be stepped up. (if poor is picked)

What does doing a poor job mean. That they aren't doing it well. They might be doing a task well but it could still be a stupid idea or one that I disagree with and have a low satisfaction with.

Does that make sense what I am saying?

Yeah Jeff I do. That is something that we will have to look at on each task. The question will be: Does it make sense to do it at all? And.. If they could do a better job, would it make enough of a difference to do any good? And.. If we're already paying for it, why aren't they doing a good job? And.. How can the BLM do their job at all if they are not doing it?

Lots of variables.

Man I have a headache

Am I losing my mind?
I am certain that I was able to see the vote results before. I had been keeping an eye on how many people voted...

Now I am unable to even see the results???

WTH?

The Pastor

You probably have a cookie which enables you to see it.
I recently re-booted (once a month, religiously! ) and I lost all of my cookies. (I hate it when I lose my cookies! )

The Pastor

Who can view things is based on your login which is based off the cookie. If you're not logged in then your cookie isn't set.

I checked it out with a different browser on my other computer that I've never logged in from and was able to view results no problem. You just have to click on the 'View Results' link.

Maybe you were logged in before and saw the results because you had voted - but then logged out or lost your cookies or changed users and now you haven't voted so you have to click on the 'view results' link?

This is what the forum looks like to me... not logged in...



And this is what it looks like when I click on the highlighted link...



If everyone else is having no problem then no big deal... Now I'm just curious!

The Pastor

Not a problem here. I just revied the overall results without a problem.


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LoBuck
Moderator



Joined: 29 Jun 2002
Posts: 1707
Location: Yuma, AZ


Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 10:26 pm Post subject: Overall Results (& still counting) as of 1/14/04 @ 11pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are the Overall Results as of 1/14/04 at 11:00pm:

Excellent ....................................................... 5% 49
Good .......................................................... 15% 141
Fair ............................................................ 12% 113
Poor .......................................................... 29% 281
Insufficient Personal Knowledge ............... 39% 372
Total Votes ....................................................... 956
Max number of Voters participating in Review .... 52

If you haven't voted yet there is still time.

If you already have, Thank You.
_________________
Glenn.
'79 CJ5
- LoBuck's Web Page
ISDRA TRT Member - Yuma County
ASA Supporting Member (7/21/03)

It looks like you have to login to be able to see the results for each topic. You can review the overall results without logging in.