Month: May 2018

WEMO Workshop and Letter Writing Event – Saturday June 2, 2018

Everyone in the Morongo Basin is welcome to attend.

If you’re concerned about the BLM’s plan to open off-road vehicle routes in residential neighborhoods adjacent to private property, come to a drop-in letter writing event Saturday June 2, between 9 and 11 a.m., at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 1/2 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley. Volunteers will help you identify proposed routes and write an effective letter. Alternate viewpoints are welcome. The BLM can benefit from public input on how best to manage public land in San Bernardino County. The deadline for public comment is June 14, 2018.

 

The BLM has drafted a new version of its WEMO (West Mojave) plan, and in response to comments from residents on its earlier plan in 2016 the agency has added a “Street-Legal Only” option, which would exclude most ORVs on neighborhood streets. However, the BLM’s own preferred proposal still advocates opening local roads to ORVs. Residents need to understand how these different options would affect them and register their views with the BLM, and the June 2 drop-in can help. If you commented on the 2016 version, you still need to respond to this new draft plan. If you’re unable to attend the drop-in, more information is available at http://www.orvwatch.com/category/wemo/ to find the latest resources.

 

Even if you are not a resident of Wonder Valley this workshop can provide help for your neighborhood to set up your own letter-writing drop-in and  assistance to your concerned neighbors in using the  the maps and sending in comments.

WEMO is back, and YOU need to weigh in! Comment Deadline June 14, 2018

In March 2018 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a NEW draft West Mojave (WEMO) plan for allowing off-road vehicles to operate on the roads in our communities. And the plan has both GOOD news and BAD news for our rural residential neighborhoods:

  • The BAD news:  The BLM’s “Preferred Alternative” (#4) designates most of the roads bordering their lands in our neighborhoods as “Motorized”, meaning off-road vehicles could legally use them as well as street vehicles.
  • The GOOD news:  In response to the many comments we all sent in in 2016, the BLM is now offering an additional Alternative (#2), which instead designates most of those roads as “Street-Legal Only”.  This means use of the routes would be open to street-legal vehicles only as defined by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (excluding most ORVs!). 

OUR TASK:  Convince the BLM to use Alternative 2 (“Street-Legal Only”) rather than their current preference, Alternative 4 (“Motorized”)!  What will that take?  LOTS of comments, including from YOU!

HOW TO COMMENT: 

  • Use our Sample Comment letter:  Word Document Format – PDF Format. Feel free to customize it, and be sure to include the date and your name and address!  Deadline is June 14, 2018.  You can copy-and-paste the letter into an email addressed to  blm_ca_wemo_project@blm.gov, or print it out and mail to Bureau of Land Management, California Desert District, Attn: WMRNP Plan Amendment, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553.
  • You can make your comment stronger by personalizing it and adding specific, substantive information on items of particular interest to you.  See what works best here.
  • IF YOU KNOW OF A ROUTE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE DESIGNATED AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN “STREET-LEGAL ONLY” — e.g., “Motorized” (open to all vehicles), “Non-Motorized” (such as bicycles), “Non-Mechanized” (such as hiking or equestrian trails) or Closed —you should submit a route-specific comment specifically to that effect.  Learn how here.
  • IF YOU SUBMITTED COMMENTS IN 2015-16 you need to resubmit them to make sure they count in the final plan. Learn the best way to resubmit here.
  • NOTE:  We do not advise you to use or comment via the BLM’s ARCGIS (“Interactive On-Line”) map as it is not accurate and does not display the “Street-Legal-Only” designation.  Instead, use the Georeferenced PDF maps we link to and the comment methods we’ve recommended to be sure your comments are accurate and counted.
  • Use this electronic comment form from The Wilderness Society.

You can access links to all WEMO maps and all of documents associated with the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) in the sidebar of our WEMO page.

NOTICE:  The BLM includes the following notice on their comment site:   “Before  including your address,  telephone number, e-mail  address, or other personal identifying information in  your  comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information,  may be made publicly available at any time.   While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your  personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.  All submissions from individuals identifying themselves as  representatives or officials  of organizations or  businesses will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.”