ALL RIGHT - TIME TO BASH THE BLM..

They WANT the following -
- Proposed new Ranger station in the S. Dunes?
- Visitor Center?
- New RAMP will cost money to impliment
- Improvements via last years increased pass price

Problems with the above.. WHERE IS THE MONEY???????????

Today I sat down to read the ASA letter I get. Yeah, Im a small member - therefore I get the letters. Go figure

Low and behold - ASA tells me the BLM is in the red - and that if the trash problems are not resolved, it will equal closures. Last year trash was 200,000 in costs and still more needs to be done to keep the animals out of it cause these animals are the primary predators of the turtle..
1. Aint never seen no turtle out there - dont mean they dont exist - but if the predators bellies are full from our trash - they wont eat the turtles
2. The BLM will be required to eliminate services such as Medical and Law Enforcement..

NOW DONT GET ME WRONG - but there is something VERY wrong with the above and the future goals of the BLM.. What is going on here?? Anybody??

QUOTE

*Dune closure is threatened** *if litter management is not improved.
The dunes MUST be LITTER FREE. Ravens and coyotes are predators of the
Desert Tortoise. The dumpsters are feeding grounds for ravens and
coyotes. The *Biological Opinion* issued by the USFWS *requires* that
the dumpsters must be raven and coyote proof. *All trash on the ground
must be immediately removed -- day and night. *Dumpsters service cost
nearly $200,000 last season. The new RAMP LITTER rules will cost
several times more than last year. BLM El Centro is running in the
red now. See the graph below. If your email system is not set to show
graphics, you can view the graph at
http://www.glamisonline.org/downloads/BudgetDilemma.jpg
{http://www.glamisonline.org/downloads/BudgetDilemma.jpg}

BLM will be forced to reduce or eliminate visitor services such as
medical and law enforcement. Watch for a series of Public Service
Announcements (PSAs) encouraging ISDRA visitors to pack their trash
HOME. DO THE MATH it will cost you nothing to carry your trash HOME.
You may be the one who needs the EMT that was not funded for next
season. You may view one of the new Litter Education PSAs at
http://www.eccentricdesign.com/asa/Dune_Trash_snipe.jpg
{http://www.eccentricdesign.com/asa/Dune_Trash_snipe.jpg}

Two words… Gray Davis. Former governor Gray Davis effed California with his energy spending plan and bankrupted the state. So, looking for money, he lumped in the green sticker money into the general budget and POOF… No more green sticker money. I'm sure the ASA people will have more details on this, but that's it in a nut shell. (From what I heard)

Zilla

What they got over 3 mill last year and if they would stop pissing it away on over time for CHP, Sheriffs and all the new toys they got then maybe they would have the funs for trash and EMT's...

not trying to defend Gray Davis... because I truly hate that SOB... but how did his state legistlature affect funding of a federal orginization? I thought BLM and ISDRA were fed... not state. Green sticker money would affect Ocotillo, but not G ...or am I totally in left field here?

The OHMVR (or some other such effin alphabet name) decides who gets the green sticker money and it's a California commission of 7 with 4 greens on it. Glamis used to get some of the money, now, they only give some to the ICSO.

Part of the RAMP is that trash dumpsters must now be coyote and raven proof. Don't yell at me, that's what it says. These dumpsters cost more and hold less. Therefore, they are going to have to be dumped more frequently. That costs more. Plus, I'm certain we've all seen those scumsuckingcamellickers that just throw their stuff anywhere/everywhere, including next to a dumpster. Trash is going to be a major, major problem.

Like I said, it was what I heard. Not being a resident of California, I don't get all the details. But I do know this. Money flows from one place to another. The Feb requires all states to comply on some issues for Federal funding. Federal road money come to mind. If a state doesn't comply with Federal guidelines with respect to speed limits, the Federal government can't stop them, but they can take away Federal road money so most of the time the state will comply.

The same "could" have happened with the green sticker money and it doesn't necessarily have to be a Fed vs. State issue. If a state needs money for whatever reason, do you think it can't use the money it takes in for anything it wishes if it falls "anywhere within the realm" it was collected? All it takes is the city counsel meeting to deem that the green sticker money collected at the dunes is intended for other areas of support as well, necessitating the "lumping in" of funds to these other areas. Once the precedent is set, the money can flow and there is nothing that can be done about it. And changing it back is almost impossible when dealing with the unsympathetic ear of the Imperial Sand Dunes city counsel. <(I can't remember the name of the city that controls the dunes.) I'm pretty sure this is what happened and there was quite a stink about it at the time.

Zilla

who wrote this RAMP?

I've heard about the trash issue... that is going to be a major issue in the very near future and could in and of itself justify closures

here is your answer...

Ask your questions here

Straight from the source too...

If paying for extra trash monitors means they have to scale back the LEO presence, I'm 110% in favor of animal proof dumpsters.

they'll buy what they can afford which will be far from enough... and they'll be there to monitor it every holiday weekend... if not the regular weekends... and cite every time trash is overflowing onto the ground... and we'll be in violation of the RAMP ...apparently unable to manage the ISDRA effectively... and it will close

I speak hypothetically...you speak realistically.

I would love to see ANY proof that the Desert Tortoise is anywhere near the ISDRA.
I don't believe Ravens are part of the natural ecosystem either. They should be considered a pest and eleminated.

Scale back leo's?

Oh, thats grand! PSD, you are funny! Scale back? Priceless.

They are here to stay. They could close the dunes and they would still show up!

Once you wake the sleeping giant, it dont leave, EVER! It just grows and grows!

And we all feed it with cites and arrests, stats!






I will save you the trouble......."dont break the law and you wont have to worry" we know. Thanks anyways.

I kill myself sometimes. Cut all the bonus bucks from bullshit tickets?

Love the sign on the way in..."Welcome! ISCO reminds you: BREAK THE LAW, GO TO JAIL!"

Funny story I love to share while we are on the subject:

Last season we were getting chummy with a leo. One of the group asked him about the flag issue,(orange or red on top) come on folks you remember? Anyways he told us that the duners were complying to good and they were directed to "nit-pick" to increase stats.

Had I not been standing there listening I would have cried B.S.

So I asked, you mean we the duners are obeying the law to well?

Yes, you folks are running it so legal we are having trouble producing the numbers we need.








Now I have been preaching this similiar theory for some time, but Im crazy.


But it didnt happen, its just a lie.

you keep saying that and you'll beleive it soon

Does anyone know yet where the money for all this will come from?? I mean.. DAMN.. Just took this from the ASA site.. I see more red coming.. Wont that be a strike against the ability of keeping the dunes open or opening more dunes?? More land would = more money I would think..
Our Use fees went up 120% last year - and still we are costing way to much money. How did they ever survive in the past when it was 30 a year??

The BLM needs money management. They need to leard that if you don't have the funs to pay for overtime and new toys then you don't get overtime and new toys.

Desert Tortoise protection has never been about proof. They are just a tool that the enviros have used VERY well to restrict access to millions of acres of so. Cal. desert.

Truth is, most of the tortoise's problems deal with upper respitory disease. The enviros couldn't care less about that because it doesn't help them shut down our access. The other big problem is predation. Ravens eat tortoise. Ravens also eat trash. If you create more food for them, they multiply. More ravens = less tortiose. ISDRA is in "tortoise habitat" and therefore ravens must be controlled.

It all comes back to the Endangered Species Act.....

Technically, CA Green sticker money goes anywhere in CA regardless of state or federal control. The State Vehicle Recreation Areas (Oceano, Octillo, etc.) gets a more direct pipeline because they are state funded OHV areas. The greens raised the issue a few years back about funding to ISDRA because it was BLM land and BLM should be paying more for management of the area. Once they gained control of the OHMVR (7 members appointed by the governor - 3, speaker of the assembly - 2, senate rules - 2), they yanked a lot of the funding for ISDRA and many other areas. BLM had been depending on OHMVR $$$ for years until this happened. To make up for the shortfall, BLM raised fees and has been trying to get Congress to appropriate more.

The way Congress appropriates fund is completely nuts. That is why there are different buckets for all of the money. Operations and maintenance is a different bucket than law enforcement. Some visitor services can be funded by grants. It makes no sense at all, but that is our government.

This is all part of the greenies agenda. Starve ISDRA to create a crisis (trash) or make the user fees so high that less people go.

Thanks Crowdog.

Thats one of my biggest complaints regarding ALL issues we are now faced with this year.

I could care less about the buggy and the trailer and that stuff. What I do care about is a Visitor Center, parking lot, expanded operations that require more staff. The Salarys of that staff far out weight the toys.. It makes the over all operating costs that much more per hour.
Eventually the cost to do business in Glamis will exceed its value and like any business - the doors shut.

SO much has happened in the last 3 years - I think alot of us are feeling like deer in the headlights just waiting to get hit..

A visitor center will require full time staff to man that building cause they are expecting "visitors".
Still need to have at least 2 rangers there year round
Added medical services - maybe one person on duty full time
Maintenance requrements - 1 full time janator (PC - costodial engineer).
Lighting of building and parkinglot costs a bit on an annual budget
MORE TRASH that is already a HIGE player in our bigger problem.

Couple more years the operating costs will be so high - either the guberment pulls the plug or our fees will have to go to a pay to play type system.

Anyone else see this?? Or am I so far out in right field Im totally missing a bigger picture here..

A lot of other people see this, you are not standing alone out in right field.

The problem, as stated before, has not been created by accident.

Can't get support for capacity limits? Create a situation where they create themselves.

Like some big amusement parks... the prices go up high enough that lower income families cannot get in. The park owners would never prohibit lower income families from coming into the park. Raise the prices enough and they don't have to.

Vicki

From what I recall, they are protected under the migratory bird act.

I also recall some time ago someone had in their signature "What do you do when one endagered species eats another?"

The obvious answer is shut down human activity. It is doing something. Who cares if it has any effect?

The money that the ISDRA received annualy that they got acustomed to from the state was from grants though, correct? This wasn't a tageted part of the annual budget that got cut... they just got comfortable living off the grants and not actively seeking more permanent funding to sustain themselves and relied on the grant for this... is that correct?

I think that pretty much sums it up.

But, ISDRA is in California, and many green stickered vehicles use the area. Shouldn't some of the green sticker dollars go back to the areas in California where OHVs are used?

I do believe that BLM became a bit too comfortable with the OHMVR money stream and didn't do their homework on the grant process. But even if they had done their job, do you believe that Spitler would have supported it? Spitler is funneling money towards "restoration" (fancy name for closure in many cases) and law enforcement.

That truly bothers me the most........ I have met some damn good people and families out at the lakes,dunes, oceans, mts. , camping......... that will not be able to afford this LUXURY.



When it's gotten to where starter kits are about $100,000......
**************************************************************


Even if the person or family only purchase a $30.00 tent and then all the stuff that you need to go with, coolers,stove,lights,sleeping bags,fuel,fire wood, etc. and then they are told they have to pay (to much) to get in to stay.

Trust me Crowdog, I'm all for the green sticker $ being spent where it is used But, the BLM relying on this for normal operation costs is just mismanagement as far as I can see.

Orginizations that live off of grants are either very good at doing so or they are not long lived...

Hindsight...

I just don't think we can blame the loss of the green sticker fees grant money as a reason for detriment to the ISDRA... yes, it does hurt... but that is due to the BLM not seeking a permanent funding source for operational costs. They got their crutch yanked out from under them and through their own lack of action, were unable to walk just yet...

Again, not saying that a portion of the green sticker $ shouldn't go to the ISDRA... but even when it did it was through a grant... I'd say the ones really discredited by the loss of green fees would be the state parks like Ocotillo where the funds were truly supposed to go (that right?)

Where does all the revenue generated by LEO citations go?

I have no Idea PSD.. I think if its ICSO - the county gets it.
If its a BLM fine?? All land across the US gets it??

I've be told it depends on the Court and the citation/code. County, State, or Federal. None of it comes back to the ISDRA.

Rob, I believe you are correct on this one, citations written in the county go to the county.

Bob

"WHAT???"