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Voice: Ample dunes hiking areas exist now

In regard to Janet Anderson's letter about wanting to be able to hike more of the dunes: as a member of the Sierra Club's multi-habitat conservation plan advisory group, you would think that she would be more informed about the available hiking assets that already exist in the Imperial San Dunes Recreation Area.

Just north of Highway 78 is an area that has been closed to off-highway activity since 1974; 32,000 acres or "50 square miles" of open hiking to be had for the taking. That is an area larger than most cities! Even though this massive area is far underutilized for its intended purpose (as far as hiking is concerned), the environmentalists still want more.

Could it be that Ms. Anderson is well aware of this area and just wants to further the misinformation that abounds from most environmental groups, to make the general public think that the desert is wide open to OHV activities. The truth of the matter is that the areas open to riding are very limited and are getting smaller every day, at the same time the popularity of OHV use is expanding in popularity.

Where are the growing numbers of people involved is this pastime going to ride? When is enough going to be enough? Our community has bent over backward to appease the environmentalist and still it is not enough! They will not be happy until all public land is closed to OHV use!

The use of misinformation and negative propaganda by the environmental groups abound. The truth of the matter is in stark contrast to what they are presenting. Find out for yourselves. Stop the closures. Keep our deserts open!

JOE ELMS JR.

Blythe

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Voice: There already is a large area for those who want to explore dunes on foot

Regarding Ms. Anderson's comments, she states that she would like to "get out of her vehicle and walk about over a broader area than just the Buttercup closure area, which is the only place that a person on foot can feel safe."

Ms. Anderson is forgetting the large wilderness area that has been set aside specifically for people like her who want to explore the dunes further on foot.

She also says that one quarter of the money used for law enforcement at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area could be used to support non-off-highway vehicle users in the dunes but she fails to mention that the money that pays those law enforcement officers comes directly from the off-highway users in the form of green sticker fees, camping permits, gas taxes and registration fees.

Without the OHV users there would be no money for law enforcement or the paved parking lots that Ms. Anderson seems to desire.

Daniel Patterson would have you believe that the dunes that can be seen from Intersate 8 are all there is and will never mention the wilderness area because it does not fit his agenda, which is to ban OHVs completely.

BRIAN COVEY

Vista

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Voice: Algodones Dunes are for everyone

Janet Anderson's statement that the Algodones Dunes are gorgeous is something that off-highway vehicle users and non-OHV users can agree on. There are more things that it appears we can agree on, such as caring for the dunes. The majority of OHV users leave the dunes cleaner, as they clean up after themselves and others each time they go out. In fact, several organized cleanups occur throughout the year. Oddly enough, these self-proclaimed "environmentalists," rarely, if ever, participate in these cleanups or organize their own, for that matter.

Another thing the majority of us agree on is the importance of a place for non-OHV users to enjoy the dunes. However, Janet Anderson's misguided view, possibly affected by the rhetoric of Daniel Patterson and others that it is unsafe to walk in the dunes, is incorrect. During a normal winter weekend, I would guess that fewer than 500 people are recreating in the Buttercup area of dunes she speaks of. Just as on the street, duners will do their best to allow pedestrians (hikers, sandboarders, etc.) the space they need to proceed safely. It is often overlooked that many OHV users also enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities.

There are several reasons why Janet Anderson's statement that she "would love to get out of (her) vehicle to walk about over a broader area than just the Buttercup closure area" is absolutely absurd. For starters, 160 of them. The Buttercup temporary closure area she speaks of is 160 acres. That's a huge area.

If that's not enough reasons, how about 32,000 more? There are 32,000 acres, or 50 square miles, of wilderness area north of Highway 78 that has been closed to OHV activity since 1974. When was the last time those gorgeous dunes were hiked? It is great that the wilderness area is there. I think that is something else that we all can agree on.

But how much is enough? This is where we adamantly disagree. The picture is very clear. With these people it is not about shared use, it is about NON-USE for EVERYONE. At least the OHV users are straightforward enough to say we believe in shared use, care for the public land, and follow through with meaning about what we stand for. Don't just hear what people say. Truly listen to them.

Thanks for truly listening.

GLENN MONTOGOMERY

Yuma

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