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CORVA LAND USE REPORT by Bruce Whitcher, VP Land Resources and Public Policy
S 414, Senator Feinstein’s Desert Protection and Recreation Act, was heard in Senate Natural Resources Committee on October 8, 2015. This is likely to slow efforts by the Obama administration to designate national monuments in the area which would not provide protection to OHV areas. Companion legislation has been introduced by Representative Cook and is also scheduled for hearing on December 9th.
If both bills pass out of committee they will need to go to consensus conference and then to the President for signature.
We have reported on the provisions of S 414 in past issues of the ORIA.
California Desert Conservation & Recreation Act S 414 (Feinstein) — summary:
Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas - designates five OHV Recreation Areas totaling about 142,000 acres. This would provide congressionally designated areas for this popular recreational activity in the California Desert including the Dumont Dunes, El Mirage, Rasor, Spangler Hills, and Stoddard Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas. The Johnson Valley OHV and Shared Use Areas would remain as previously designated by a different act of Congress. There is a requirement for additional management planning activities for the five OHV areas.
Establishes two new national monuments, the Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow National Monuments
Creates three new wilderness areas and expands three existing Wilderness Areas, areas known as North Eureka Valley, Ibex, Panamint Valley, Warm Springs, and Axe Head (about 47,580 acres in total) and the Bowling Alley.
Designates additional small wilderness areas within Death Valley National Park Releases portions of six Wilderness Study Areas. Establishes the Vinagre Wash Special Management Area and Alabama Hills National Scenic Area; Designates relatively small potential wilderness areas. Expands three units of the National Park System; Death Valley, the Mojave Preserve and Joshua Tree. Within Death Valley National Park, the Adds segments of five rivers to the National Wild and Scenic River System. Title II – Development of Renewable Energy on Public Lands - establishes a new process for disposition of revenues received for the development of wind or solar energy on BLM-administered lands throughout the West.
California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act, HR 3668 (Cook) — summary: Title I: National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas Designates six existing off-highway vehicle areas as “National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas.” These are Johnson Valley, Spangler Hills, El Mirage, Rasor, Dumont Dunes, and Stoddard Valley. Three of these OHV areas would be expanded by a total of roughly 61,000 acres. The six OHV areas total just over 300,000 acres.
Title II: Wilderness Designates approximately 342,000 acres as wilderness. Existing roads and trails within the wilderness are preserved through cherry-stems to maintain public access. Releases approximately 154,000 acres of existing wilderness study areas for recreational and economic use.
Title III: National Park System Expansions Adds approximately 68,000 acres of land to the National Park System, including Death Valley, the Mojave National Preserve, and Joshua Tree.
Title IV: Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers Title IV designates 77 miles of wild, scenic, and recreational rivers. Three of these are in the San Bernardino Mountains: Deep Creek, Holcomb Creek, and Whitewater, while the other two are in Inyo County: Amargosa River and Surprise Canyon. These designations will maintain all current legal off-highway vehicle use.
Title VI: Mojave Trails Special Management Area Title VI designates a “special management area” covering approximately 965,000 acres in the Mojave Desert northeast of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Additionally, it designates approximately 1,400 miles worth of roads and trails for OHV use.
Title VII: Sand to Snow National Monument Title VII establishes a national monument covering approximately 140,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Currently, nearly all of this land is designated as part of the San Gorgonio Wilderness or part of the Big Morongo Canyon Reserve. It protects hunting, hiking, and the use of off-highway vehicles on designated trails within the Monument.
CORVA LAND USE REPORTby Bruce Whitcher, VP Land Resources and Public Policy
Federal land use bills reintroduced into Congress in 2015:
Pending BLM and Forest Service plans:
Check out Congressman Cook's webpage for more information: https://cook.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-paul-cooks-bill-continues-to-gain-local-support
Hello everybody. The Carnegie SVRA Draft General Plan and Final Environmental Impact Report are expected to be available for public review in early 2016. An Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Commission Hearing is also being planned to allow the OHMVR Commission to review and consider approving the General Plan. Once finalized, the date and location of the OHMVR Commission hearing will be announced in a formal public notice that will be shared with you via a follow-up email.
The Project Schedule at the project website www.CarnegieGeneralPlan.com has also been updated.
Thank you and Happy Holidays! Carnegie SVRA General Plan Team
CORVA Exclusive News - In a recent development, S 414, Senator Feinstein’s Desert Protection and Recreation Act, will be heard in Senate Natural Resources Committee in October 2015. This is likely to slow efforts by the Obama administration to designate national monuments in the area. Companion legislation is expected to be introduced by Representative Cook any day, another key development.
CORVA Exclusive News - In a recent development, S 414, Senator Feinstein’s Desert Protection and Recreation Act, will be heard in Senate Natural Resources Committee in October 2015. This is likely to slow efforts by the Obama administration to designate national monuments in the area.
Companion legislation is expected to be introduced by Representative Cook any day, another key development.
The LA Times recently reported that U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein asked President Obama to bypass Congress and create three new national monuments in California, giving federal protection to more than 1 million acres of desert and other lands.
Two bills introduced by Feinstein over the past six years languished in Congress amid conflicts among off-roaders, hunters, environmentalists, and mining and renewable-energy interests.
"Despite strong support from the many stakeholders in the desert, from conservation groups, off-road recreation supporters, counties, energy companies, water districts, business groups and tribes, we have not been able to move it in the Senate, and the House has yet to introduce the version I'm told they've been working on for months,” said Feinstein.
The California Democrat asked Obama in a letter Aug. 3 to designate monuments known as Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains. Doing so would ensure the protection of their natural and cultural resources and recreational and economic opportunities, she said.
In a statement Friday, Feinstein said she has not given up on winning congressional approval. Her request, which the senator acknowledged after The Times obtained a copy of her letter to Obama, applies pressure on Congress and the various interest groups to resolve their differences or face presidential action in which they have little voice.
Feinstein was encouraged to seek presidential action by conservation groups including The Wildlands Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Mojave Desert Lands Trust and Friends of the Desert Mountains.
Much of the land under consideration was purchased more than a decade ago by private citizens and conservation organizations, then donated to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in anticipation that they would eventually come under protection of national monument status.
Amy Granat, managing director of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association, was disappointed with Feinstein's action. "We believe the use of the Antiquities Act to designate any national monument is an overreach of executive authority," she said.
San Bernardino County Supervisor James Ramos, whose district includes much of the land targeted for monument status, expressed mixed feelings about Feinstein's request.
"We want this bill to proceed through the legislative process," Ramos said. "But if the administration moves forward with an executive action, we strongly support protection of existing mining rights in those areas."
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The California Off-Road Vehicle Association celebrates the following new award winners:
Off-Roader of the Year - Randy Banis
Conservation Award - Madhatters 4x4 Club
Northern Club of the Year - East Bay Hi-Tailers
Southern Club of the Year - Point Mugu 4x4
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