On Friday February 11, 2005 the California State Park and Recreation Commission will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the San Diego Marriot Mission Valley 8757 Rio San Diego Drive in San Diego. A major item on the agenda will be an action to approve the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report.

This action will create an additional 36,675 acres of Wilderness to the existing 400,000 acres of State designated Wilderness. This would place 436,675 acres (or about 70%) of the 640,000 acre Park off-limits to all but the hardiest, most disciplined hikers and backpackers. An additional 428 acres would be designated as a Cultural Preserve with even more limited access.

There are many statements and conclusions in the fatally flawed Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report that are not based on independent scientific review.

There are, we believe, violations of federal statutes regarding motorized, equestrian and mechanical access to historic trail corridors.

We have the support of elected officials who represent this area, but we need your help! Please plan to attend this very important meeting. Show your support for a complete rewrite of this terribly flawed Plan. Show your support for our elected officials who are fighting to keep this Park open and welcoming to all visitors.

For additional information, please contact Candace Oathout, telephone 952-975-0017,
E-mail candace@care-usa.org <mailto:candace@care-usa.org>

I don't know how else to ask. I am one of the few "Rock Crawlers" that frequent your site. Anza is a place that is used by Quads, Dirt Bikes and us Crawlers. Please help by making a showing to the Meeting. If there is a Public Comment period, I am going to ask why most "Meetings" are during the "Working Class" time of work.

Thanks!!


Jack

Gaurantee that they will implement a user fee......

This doesn't sound very good at all. The great thing about Ocotillo/ Anza is the amount of room that you are able to ride in. I'm going to do my best to attend.

I will not be able to attend, however, i think another good question to ask is...
if some of the area is going to become a cultural preserve, who are we preserving it for? how can anyone learn about the past culture(s) that lived there if access is denied to "all but the hardiest of hikers" ? children, who should be taken out there with mom & dad won't be able to learn because they are not strong enough to hike for miles through the desert? doesn't seem fair to me.

oh, here's a good one...i've gone duning with a friend of a friend who is paralyzed from the waist down, does he not deserve to see the preserved areas? how can we exclude disabled persons from these hidden treasures way out off the pavement?
-just some thoughts...