I for one am NOT going to put up another illegal sign again. Last year sure. But, now!! NO WAY!

Let the CBD hikers do it. I'll even give them a ride to the signs in my buggie. Getting back well they are on there own.

forgive for not understanding comPletely. but what is that actually saying

"the interim restrictions and the closures must remain in effect until a final decision on the plan is completed."

Dunes Plan Progressing to Replace Lawsuit's Interim Restrictions

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to complete the land use plan for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, but BLM announced today that the interim restrictions imposed in November 2000 that closed 49,300 acres to off-highway vehicle use (OHV) will remain in effect for the opening of the recreation season.
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2 years since the closure and significant time prior to the closure has available to study this environment. The BLM and other federal land custodians probably have a land use plan template. They pour the observed data, the economic impact data, the political impact data, and the federal revenue impact data over the template and let the content settle around the boiler plate in the report format. I can envision the government report machine, pour in the ingredients, pull the handle, Viola! A plan.

So why is all this taking so long? The environment of the ISDRA is maybe unique, but it is not complicated or dense. There is a great deal of space between the wildlife. I understand there is so much space that vehicles can be driven through the life forms, without harm!

Imagine the survey out there in the closure:

Fed Researcher #1: "that looks like a different kind of bug!"

Fed Researcher #2: "alright! Put that on the report!"

One hour later

#1 "Hey, another bug!"

#2 "nay, I think that's the one from before".

Really, where is that plan?
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BLM Field Manager Greg Thomsen said BLM had hoped to have the plan finalized by the beginning of the popular use season, which usually starts Halloween weekend. However, due to the volume of public comments (about 10,000 were received) and ongoing negotiations with the FWS on the Biological Opinion and consultation required by the Endangered Species Act completion of the plan has been delayed.
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OH. The public gets to comment. How many of these comments actually contain any data, insight, or reasoning that could possibly changed the years of research previously completed by our intrepid bug counters? This is where the "non-scientific" stuff comes in. Economics, politics, and a hearty round of "we will sue the BLM back to the stone age!" Hopefully some of these cards also remind the FWS where it's funding comes from. Plus a HUGE wad of form postcards from our friends who sell lots of calendars full of cute animal babies.

Note to the FWS: when you try to make everyone happy, nobody gets happy.

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Thomsen said the interim restrictions and the closures must remain in effect until a final decision on the plan is completed. The interim restrictions involve five areas within the 160,000-acre Dunes. The restrictions were implemented in November 2000, as a result of a settlement reached with several environmental groups that had sued BLM regarding the Peirson's milkvetch, a listed species under the Endangered Species Act. The settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility was determined necessary by BLM to avoid the potential of an injunction sought by the groups to close the entire Dunes to OHV use until consultations with the FWS could be completed as required by the Act.
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Those cute animal calendars purchases can buy a lot of legal time.

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He said it is BLM's intention to complete the plan as soon as possible once the FWS Biological Opinion is received. The BLM is required by law and regulation to publish a Final Environmental Impact Statement and a final proposed plan for a 30-day public protest period. All protests received will be carefully evaluated and considered in the final Record of Decision. As specified in settlement, the interim restrictions remain in force until a Record of Decision is signed.
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More delays by the unwashed preservationist masses who have not been made happy. Who can never be made happy.

The federal agencies are still hoping that the OHV community has forgotten about the closed areas. After all, 2 years is a long attention span. But they made a large mistake. They keep waving it under the very noses of those they have locked out. OHV people are reminded, quite acutely, of the closures, when they arrive each year to the ISDRA. The injustice is not forgotten and the fight is renewed. If anything, the preservationists are losing interest. It's not that the preservationists are backing off, but their army of coach potato liberal check-writing supporters want another battle, on another front. Like saving the cute animals in the calendar. I would not be surprised to see a partial reopening of the closed areas.

But beyond such a possible victory is another subtle sea-change in environmental policy. Actually, most liberal-backed policies. The days of dumping unearned guilt on responsible outdoor recreationists are over. No more backing off because of being wrongfully portrayed as evil and harmful. These ploys just don't work as well anymore.

Why don't we dump the guilt and debate right back? After all, just a bit of logic and research on our part can cast doubt on most preservationists' policies. When you depend on quilt, emotion and the support of the uninformed; it is because your data is thin.

The preservationist emperor has no clothes.