being basiclly a new comer to glamis, how long have those dunes been closed? my last trip to G my gf asked me how come they are closed? I couldnt answer??

Not sure of the exact year, but since the late 70's, I believe. They were open my first trip out in '69.

32,000 acres designated as Wilderness Area by the US Congress. I believe it was in 1978. Write your conressional rep to complain!
Gman

It was closed as a compromise to protect desert habitat and in that compromise it stated that the rest of the dunes would remain open with no further closures. It has worked out well hasn't it.
NO MORE COMPROMISES!!


[This message has been edited by sanddogg (edited 03-27-2002).]

Go to the RAMP meetings and be vocal.

WHY NOT CLOSE DOWN THE GLAMIS STORE SIDE AND THEN RE-OPEN THE OTHER SIDE. THEN ALL THE GUY'S IN THE TRUCKS WOULD HAVE NO IDEA WERE TO GO. THINK IT WOULD WORK?

Just a few comments.

Sanddog I've heard that about the agreement to leave the south side open in exchange for making the north side wilderness several times. But no one has yet been able to find it in writing. Even the BOD of the ASA has been unable to find any official document that made the promise.

It may have been a verbal agreement with the BLM but the way they shift managers around that's practically worthless. Basically we were not organized well enough as users to affect our riding area at the time and now we're paying the price.

The problem is once an area has been declared wilderness it is EXTREMELY difficult to undo that declaration. To re-open the dunes north of 78 would quite literally require an act of congress and that's not just a euphanism it's the honest truth.

Addicted - that's also the first major hurdle to your idea. But the other problems are the area north of 78 is only 32k acres - not even as much area as we lost due to the CBD lawsuit. Closing the area south of 78 to get that open would give the enviros a LOT more than what they're even asking for!

One thing I've wondered is if a 1 mile buffer closure around 78 could help solve a lot of problems. Both north and south of 78 don't allow anyone in for one mile from the highway. Since those areas are the easiest to access the attract the biggest "party crowd" (a bad term but I think you all know what I mean by it) and also get overused the worst.

I would never actually suggest doing such a thing but it is an interesting gedanken experiment. (One you think about the results of but don't actually perform)

Here is your answers,,, from the 1987 RAMP book.

In 1972, the Imperial Sand Hills Management Plan... This plan called for the establishment of a Natural Area between Mammoth Wash and Highway 78. The plan called for a vehicle access corridor through the Natural Area, which was otherwise closed to OHV use (this corridor was closed in 1977 due to impacts to plants and wildlife from ORV play activity).

1980 California Desert Plan... The BLM conductd an inventory of lands possessing the wilderness characteristics described in the Wilderness Act of 1964. As a result of the inventory, two areas having wilderness characteristics were identified as WSA (wilderness study areas) 360 (north of 78) and 362 (south of 78).

Then came the 1994 S21 bill thanks to Feinstein/Cranston.
Besides closeing my favorite camping spot, (behind Clean Gene's) made WSA 360 an official Wilderness Area and WSA 362 was officially declared NOT, ever, in your life time, to be listed, or considered, a WILDERNESS AREA again....
They did make 46 of 70 areas considered WA officially off limits to OHV's... but NOT WSA 362...

So lets extend Gecko Road to Hwy 8 (as it was intended in the plan for 1972) and build the 6 campsites.

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Do It In The DUNES!
ARE YOU AWAKE YET???

[This message has been edited by Sanduners (edited 04-04-2002).]

thanks guys,