The BLM is proposing to designate a spaghetti network of over 10,000 miles of OHV routes – most of which were created haphazardly through decades of mismanaged and irresponsible OHV use. This is double the mileage of the 2006 route network that a federal court found was illegal.
OHV use on this vast network has and will continue to:
- Result in crushing of fragile desert soils and vegetation
- Produce dust, noise, and fumes that disturb wildlife, hikers, equestrian users, and other members of the public enjoying the desert through quiet forms of recreation
- Encourage illegal dumping, vandalism and looting of archaeological resources, and other irresponsible and illegal behavior
- Facilitate trespass across private lands and parks and other areas closed to motorized use to protect their sensitive resources
- Disturb desert tortoise, bighorn sheep, and other sensitive wildlife
According to BLM’s own environmental analysis, the proposed route network will have the most adverse impacts to fragile desert resources of any options considered, despite the legal requirement that routes open to OHV use minimize resource damage.
Hundreds of proposed routes crisscross the West Mojave’s crown jewels that BLM itself has identified as warranting the highest level of conservation protection.
Tell BLM it must close damaging OHV routes and come up with a new plan that does not reward decades of illegal and irresponsible OHV use and does not prioritize that use at the expense of our beloved desert resources and communities.
Attend our workshop on Saturday, December 5 (details here) on how the WEMO plan could negatively effect you and the desert.