The California Desert BLM was sued by the Sierra Club, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Center for Biological Diversity on March 15, 2000 for not complying with Section 7 (a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act when the California Desert Plan was done in 1980. They are looking for an injunction to all activity in the California Desert. CORVA and others will be intervenors in this lawsuit.

Because of the lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity and the subsequent settlement, many actions have to be accomplished according to the settlement. Of which a Southern California Mountain and Foothill Assessment and Consultation needs to be established. A Southern California Conservation Strategy needs to be developed. And most important of all, 4 Southern California Forest have to come up with a new Land Management Plan by 2003. CORVA and other organizations have to be intimately involved with this new plan.

These are two plans out of 5 in the California Desert. These two plans have a direct effect on access for everyone in the California Desert. What is driving this is the listing of the Tortoise and the agencies ill conceived idea that they have to lock up millions of acres to save the tortoise. In fact, the tortoise is crashing and all the biologist in the world don’t know why. They have not figured this out in the last 15 years and probably never will. So what CORVA is suggesting is that a breeding program be adopted and then these tortoises release in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area where they can live. Breeding is done everywhere in homes and in test sites.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the Designation of all Trails in the Limited Area. This has to be done regardless of a West Mojave or Northern Eastern Colorado Plan. CORVA and others are working to make sure we do not lose more than 8,000 miles of trails, which the BLM at this point is contemplating.

Sierra Framework Project:

This is a study of the 11 northern National Forest in the State of California and a project that is so large in size that it is unrealistic as to what the agencies are pushing for. They want to lock everything up, remove activities to below the tree lines and make decisions that are made by elitist and radical environmentalists. CORVA has already spent $10,000 in the preparation of legal action against the agency on this ill-conceived land grab.

This is a beautiful area of the Beach that was closed because of over zealous BLM Managers, who used every trick in the book to deny access to the public including not following the proper procedures under NEPA. This lawsuit, filed by a coalition including Lost Coast Four Wheel Drive Club, and others, is an important action against the BLM for not following their own legal actions. CORVA is contributing funds towards this lawsuit.