How can 50 Square Miles Not Be Enough?

By Vincent Brunasso - December 2002

After more than 3 years in the fight to maintain public access and off road recreation at the Imperial Sand Dunes, I must question Daniel Patterson's grasp of reality; more precisely, I question his desire to accurately portray it to the press. Under the guise of "protecting the planet", a personal agenda is being pushed down societies' collective throat.

Just over 2 years ago, his group, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), agreed to TEMPORARY closures of over 49,000 acres of the sand dunes. These closures were agreed to pending protection for a plant that science has since proven does not need protection. Delisting from the endangered species list appears imminent for the plant.

Now just when these closures are due to expire, they stamp their feet crying fowl: coming up with a beetle that is a known pest in the dunes that now needs protection. The intent was to have the closures permanent all along.

The thing that irks local leaders and off roaders alike is the consistent and total disregard by the green groups of the 50 square miles of dunes set aside as wilderness just across Highway 78 from the open riding areas. This Wilderness, closed to off-highway use since 1974, can and does support all the so-called "imperiled" species at the dunes. No studies have shown that any species are going extinct. We are offered only junk science and weak assumptions backed by unsupported leaps of questionable logic.

Bemoaned is the fact that it takes "a small army" of law enforcement personnel to control the crowds at the dunes. One must keep in mind that there are as many as 180,000 people at the dunes on big weekends that sometimes last 3 to 7 days. There are far fewer incidents per capita than other forms of recreation and in most cities of similar population for similar periods. The officer to visitor ratio is often 5000 to 1 while in most cities it can be only 2500 to 1. There are no more officers required to police the temporary population at the dunes than any city of the same size.

The Center for Biological Diversity (diversity that does not include humans) is on a jihad. The CBD ignores personal liberty, American freedoms, and laws: laws enacted by the State of California promoting off road recreation.

To wit:
California State Code section 5090.01.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Act of 1988.

5090.02.
(a) The Legislature finds that off-highway motor vehicles are enjoying an ever-increasing popularity in California and that the indiscriminate and uncontrolled use of those vehicles may have a deleterious impact on the environment, wildlife habitats, native wildlife, and native flora.
(b) The Legislature hereby declares that effectively managed areas and adequate facilities for the use of off-highway vehicles and conservation and enforcement are essential for ecologically balanced recreation.
(c) Accordingly, it is the intent of the Legislature that:
(1) Existing off-highway motor vehicle recreational areas, facilities, and opportunities be expanded and be managed in a manner consistent with this chapter, in particular to maintain sustained long-term use.
(2) New off-highway motor vehicle recreational areas, facilities, and opportunities be provided and managed pursuant to this chapter in a manner that will sustain long-term use.

Time after time, we hear their mantra "50% closure is a fair compromise" but they are not willing to reopen 50% of areas they have already closed. Look at the map of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area and see if you think we have that 50% "fair" compromise.