News Release
For Immediate Release: April 1, 2005 CA-CDD-05-42
Contact: Doran Sanchez (951) 697-5220 or Tony Staed (916) 978-4610

BLM Lifts Restriction Order Prohibiting OHV Travel in Desert Washes

Effective immediately, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) California Desert District has terminated the restriction order prohibiting off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in wash zones associated with the designated Desert Wildlife Management Areas within the Northern and Eastern Colorado desert bio-region in parts of Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

A Federal Court in San Francisco issued an injunction on Dec. 30, 2004, prohibiting OHV use in wash zones within 571,000 acres of public lands in the Northern and Eastern Colorado Desert region of the California Desert to protect the threatened desert tortoise. The Court ruled the injunction would remain in place until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) prepared and issued a new biological opinion.

The BLM received a new biological opinion (1.45mb) from the FWS on March 31, 2005, and pursuant to the restriction order of January 4, 2005, and the Court's order, the restrictions are terminated. The FWS biological opinion is available online at www.ca.blm.gov.

Let me be the first to say:
















YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Nice!

Just be careful of the Tortoises. I will personally beat anyones ass who hurts one.

Credit where Credit is due. The NECO plan was tackled by the San Diego Off Road Coalition with attorney David Hubbard arguing the merits.

Great Job Guys.

BTW this ruling is by the sme Judge Illston that will hear the RAMP/BO case. At least we know she CAN make reasonable judgements based on facts.

Absolutely. SDORC worked hard on the plan.

As did CORVA, Cal4Wheel, PLP, Tierra del Sol, a handful of behind-the-scenes email list participants and other groups I'm sure I missed.

And anyone who was at Featherly that year got to tackle it too... we had a representative come out and discuss the facts while sitting in the grass under the oak trees. He even took time to snicker about pro-access people meeting with him inside a protected area

Nice to see that Illston can bend to the science and great to see that FWS is coming up with some favorable opinions!

Vicki

good job, I hope we keep the momentum going

Please don't get me started with Hubbard.

Sah-Weet!!

Great job Dave Hubbard and all of the the dedicated off-roaders who helped to make this happen

Nah... that's another thread...

http://www.glamisdunes.com/invision/index....showtopic=41906

And doesn't belong here

Vicki

that is great news. It makes me wonder however why so quickly it was overturned in this case, but in the case of the dunes the effort to reverse drags on for years. The BO opinion has been issue as required by the court, the closures should be lifted immediately.

good times indeed