Wonder Valley | Monthly Monday Meeting

The rare desert lily, Hesperocallis undulata, at the base of a BLM Open Route sign.

Wonder Valley | Monthly Monday Meeting
Monday, December 14, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Wonder Valley Community Center,

80526 1/2 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

A G E N D A

The Community of Wonder Valley will meet Monday, December 14, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the BLM's West Mojave (WEMO) Plan and its impact on the community of Wonder Valley.

Katrina Simons, Field Manager, WEMO Plan; and Edythe M Seehafer, WEMO Project Manager, with the Bureau of Land Management in Barstow will present. They will be bringing area maps and soliciting community feedback regarding off-road vehicles in Wonder Valley.

If you want OHV routes removed from BLM land adjoining your property you will want to attend this meeting.

The agenda and MAC report will be posted the second week of December.

If you have any questions regarding this meeting, or have agenda items you'd like to have included, please contact the MAC Delegate, Teresa Sitz at teresa.sitz@gmail.com.

PHOTO: The event photograph shows a portion of the marked Gold Crown OHV route in Wonder Valley and the off-route trails that have been carved out of the open desert alongside it. Rules to stay on marked trails have been disregarded and a car has followed suit, driving into the open desert.

Gold Crown Road Open OHV Route in Wonder Valley, illustrating off-trail damage.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/745109455623753/

2nd Round of BLM WEMO Proposals

Poleline Road, Wonder Valley, with illegal incursions into Cleghorn Lake Wilderness Area

PUBLIC MEETING ON THE BLM’S PROPOSAL 

TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE ORV ROUTES IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Saturday, December 5, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Community United Methodist Church,

6213 East Parkway, Joshua Tree, CA 92252

[My note: Yep, we need to go through this for a 2nd round. Please don't give up now. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend.]

The ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE RECREATION
will be hosting an informational workshop to discuss the proposal by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to dramatically increase access for off-road vehicles in our rural communities, allowing ORVs to ride on our public roads, private property and public lands. Law enforcement is unable to deal with existing problems with ORV trespass, and the BLM wants to double the mileage of ORV routes in our communities.

The meeting will feature a detailed explanation of the BLM’s Western Mohave (WEMO) Route Management Plan, maps of the network of proposed ORV routes in the Morongo Basin, and an opportunity for the public submit comments on the plan.

WHEN: Saturday, December 5th, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm
WHERE: Community United Methodist Church, 6213 East Parkway in Joshua Tree (4 blocks north on Park Blvd. from Highway 62.)

For more information, please visit to www.orvwatch.com
Sponsored by The Alliance for Responsible Recreation, Community ORV Watch, Morongo Basin Conservation Association, Friends of Juniper Flats, Western San Bernardino Homeowners Association, Sierra Club (partial list).

REFERENCES:
BLM West Mojave (WEMO) Route Network Project, Pat Flanagan, May 23, 2015, Wonder Valley
http://bit.ly/wemopp

BLM's West Mojave (WEMO) Route Network Project and Plan Amendment 
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave__wemo.html

Photo: Pole Line Road to the north of Shadow Mountain Road in Wonder Valley, one of many ad hoc entrances to the Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness Area. 34.209078, -115.835102
Though the photo is from Wonder Valley, the BLM's WEMO plan will affect everyone in the entire Morongo Basin.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1044105502306736/

Wonder Valley represents on WEMO at Board of Supervisors today

What a lovely group of desert denizens who showed up to give public comment today against the BLM's WEMO plan to put OHV routes in residential neighborhoods adjacent to public property. Look at you all and your wonderful signs. Thank you, everyone!

Comments are due at the BLM by Thursday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m. Send them to: 

cawemopa@blm.gov

 or go to: 

http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=17317

You may use  Pat's sample letter as is or use it for talking points.:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2pwyfzqgw850ad2/wemo_letter.docx?dl=0

WEMO letter to download and send: DEADLINE: JUNE 4!

The community met to view Pat Flanagan's presentation on the BLM's WEMO plan last Saturday. 38 people attended, which isn't bad for a beautiful Saturday on Memorial Day weekend.

Wonder Valley community meeting. Other people are sitting on the sides and in the back.

Many thanks to Pat Flanagan for all the work she's done on this issue. Thanks to Star Javier for opening the Community Center on a Saturday and helping with set up and clean up. Thanks also to Donna Landry, Ken Sitz, Bob Tellefson, Izzy, and Jill Reinig for helping with the meeting. Thanks especially to everyone who attended.

Letter to the BLM
Download, edit, print, sign and send. Feel free to add your own personal notes regarding the OHV issue to the letter.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2pwyfzqgw850ad2/wemo_letter.docx?dl=0

If you have ANY trouble downloading this write to me at teresa.sitz@gmail.com and I'll send you the letter by email.

The public comment period for the WEMO (WEst MOjave Plan) opened on March 5 and will close June 4, 2015. Send your comments to:

cawemopa@blm.gov or by mail to:

Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
Attn: WMRNP Plan Amendment
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, CA 92553 

Please send a copy of your letter to:

Supervisor James Ramos
San Bernardino County Government Center
385 N. Arrowhead Ave., Fifth Floor
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0110

Pat Flanagan's Power Point Presentation on the BLM WEMO Plan
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0a56l9qvyh9zfud/wemo_wonder_valley.pdf?dl=0

Talking points for your letter, if you'd prefer to write your own:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/da6loi8atgg7hay/wemo_talking_points.docx?dl=0

Meeting Notes:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c8kl064vxlhm1gm/05232015_community_meeting_notes.pdf?dl=0

Desert Trail article on the meeting
http://www.hidesertstar.com/the_desert_trail/news/article_6b31c262-0494-11e5-a727-e342645f4aac.html

Agenda for Community Meeting, May 23, 2015

COMMUNITY MEETING

Saturday, May 23, 2015, 11:00 a.m.

Wonder Valley Community Center

80526 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley, CA 92277

Wonder Valley MAC Delegate / Meeting Chair: Teresa Sitz

A G E N D A

1. Call to Order, 11:00 a.m.
2. Flag Salute, Community Member, 1 minute
3. Public Comment on non-agenda items (2 minutes each), 10 minutes
4. Introduction and meeting format, Chair, 5 minutes
   a.  Purpose of the meeting. (NOTE: There are no action items on this agenda.)
5. BLM WEMO Presentation, Pat Flanagan, 20 minutes
   a. Questions and Answers, 20 minutes
   b. Public Comment, 30 minutes
6. Adjourn, 12:30 p.m.

The public may remain following the meeting to write a public comment letter to the BLM. These letters must be received by the BLM by 4:30 p.m. on June 4, 2015. Paper, pens and envelopes will be provided.

Light refreshments will be served. This building is ADA Compliant.

Download a copy of the agenda.

Happening this week...

Saturday, May 23, 2015, 11:00 a.m.
Wonder Valley Community Meeting, 80526 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley, CA 92277
Pat Flanagan will be giving a presentation on the BLM's WEMO (WEst MOjave) Plan.

Saturday, May 23, 2015, 6:00 p.m.
Joshua Tree's High Desert Test Sites hosts Carmen Argote's exhibition, A Vast Furniture, with an opening reception, potluck and overnight campout at the Iron Age Road Parcel, beginning at 6:00 pm tonight. Take Twentynine Palms Highway to Iron Age Road in Wonder Valley, turn left and drive a few more miles. For more information visit tinyurl.com/vastfurniture.

Saturday, May 23, 2015, 8:30 p.m.
The Joshua Treenial continues today with local artist Diane Best screening three moving image works accompanied by Lucio Menegon (Reverend Screaming Fingers), the ethereal Artemis, and Wonder Valley's own The Renderers. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Palms, 83131 Amboy Road in Wonder Valley. A $10 donation is suggested.

Sunday, May 24, 2015, 3:00 p.m., KCDZ Joshua Tree, CA.
The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn

BLM's proposed OHV routes in residential neighborhoods

Pat Flanagan will give a presentation on the BLM's WEMO Plan on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley, CA 92277.

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate. As this is an issue in the entire Morongo Valley, not just Wonder Valley, this presentation will be relevant to people in other areas.

Many of the routes (green) in the graphic above are contiguous with private property. While most local OHV riders are responsible and courteous and good neighbors some people are concerned that people coming from outside of the area will be unaware of the boundaries and have a negative impact on residential neighborhoods.

Letter writing materials will be available at the meeting so please come and share your thoughts with the BLM, either for or against the Plan.

Coffee and cookies will be served.

BLM West Mojave Plan - IMPORTANT, please review

The public comment period for the WEMO (WEst MOjave Plan) opened on March 5 and will close June 4, 2015. Send your comments to:

mailto:cawemopa@blm.gov or by mail to:

Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
Attn: WMRNP Plan Amendment
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, CA 92553

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MAC member Pat FLANAGAN (Desert Heights) gave a presentation on the WEMO Plan at the last MAC meeting. I encourage you to view it. Her presentation begins at 59 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YysGKI94mU

I am unclear on the impacts of Alternative 3 but some people are concerned that this will allow OHV access to 1.) county dirt roads and 2.) to BLM land adjacent to private property. I cannot speak to the validity of these concerns though I am looking into it. As it seems these concerns are at least possibilities I recommend that Wonder Valley residents look into this and write letters to the BLM addressing your concerns and interests.

I will try to arrange a presentation to better explain the impacts of this plan.

- Teresa Sitz, MAC Delegate, Wonder Valley

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The preferred BLM alternative (3) will increase OHV roads from 5,338 miles to 10,428 miles.

Read more here: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave__wemo.html

The plan, chapter by chapter:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/west_mojave__wemo/wmDEIS.html

Chapter 2 - The 4 plans (3 is preferred by BLM)
http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/cdd/west_mojave_plan_updates/wm-deis.Par.23916.File.dat/508-WEMO%20SDEIS%20Chapter%202_Jan%2029%202015_508.pdf
Alternative 1 - page 2-36
Alternative 2 - page 2-38
Alternative 3 - page 2-39, 2-65, (preferred, see page 2-88)
Alternative 4 - page 2-41

Comparison of Length (in miles) of Alternative Route Networks (Chapter 2, page 2-86)

Total Open and Limited Miles of Routes in Network
Alternative 1 (current) 5,338
Alternative 2 4,293
Alternative 3 10,428
Alternative 4 5,782