| Recreational Access and Conservation - News and Information | Short Cuts |
| | Introduction | News | Notices | Activities | | Education | Forums | Columns | Links | Edited by: John Stewart |
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| Recreational Access and Conservation - News and Information | Short Cuts |
| | Introduction | News | Notices | Activities | | Education | Forums | Columns | Links | Edited by: John Stewart |
|
West Mojave Management Plan Update: 3 May 2000
Ron Schiller,
High Desert Multiple Use Coalition
It's been over a month now and still no word from the BLM regarding a route designation workgroup that includes local involvement.
A WEMO update is on the agenda for the next BLM Steering Committee Meeting. The meeting will be held at 6:30 PM this Thursday, May 4, 2000 at the Ridgecrest BLM Field Office, 300 South Richmond Road. Steering Committee Meetings are open to the public. Other agenda items include; a China Lake Land Use Management Plan Update, and the San Bernardino County Breeding Bird Atlas Project.
The last WEMO update included a LA Times article about the proposed expansion of Fort Irwin. The article alluded to a report that was written by a panel of "environmental experts". The report indicates that the proposed 182 square mile expansion would require that 2,000 square miles of the Mojave Desert would have to be reserved as the exclusive domain of the desert tortoise. The full report is available online at http://www.tortoise.org/wmp/ftirwin5.html. Comments by WEMO Project Leader Bill Haigh regarding the "reasonableness" of the report are available at http://www.tortoise.org/wmp/ftirwin6.html. Additional related documents are on line at http://www.tortoise.org/wmp/ftirwin.html. It's interesting that this information is provided by the California Tortoise and Turtle Club but not provided by the BLM on the WEMO website. (Thanks to Matt Boggs for finding this information)
The Sierra Club and two other groups are suing the BLM in federal court over the management of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). They claim that the BLM failed to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regarding the impacts to federally-listed threatened and endangered species. The suit further alleges that the BLM is in continuous violation of the Endangered Species Act by continuing to carry out, authorize, or otherwise allow activities might affect listed species, including livestock grazing, road-building, off-road vehicle use, recreational use, water diversions, energy production, utility corridors, special use permits, land exchanges, mining, and other projects without consultation with the FWS.
According to the suit, the Sierra Club brings this action on behalf of itself and its adversely affected members. The lawsuit states, "If this decline continues, Sierra Club's members would be deprived of the recreational, aesthetic, scientific, and conservation benefits they enjoy from the existence of the ecosystem as a whole". Of course, the suit was filed in the northern district of California. The suit contends that this is appropriate because they "maintain offices in the district and no real property is involved in the action." Their demands include, among other things, that the judge issue an order enjoining BLM from "authorizing, allowing, carrying out, or continuing any livestock grazing, road-building, off-road vehicle use, recreational use, water diversions, energy production, utility corridors, special use permits, land exchanges, mining, and other projects on the CDCA until the agency completes the required Section 7 consultations with FWS". As usual, they want the taxpayers to reimburse their legal fees.
Concerns have been raised that this may be one of those "sweetheart lawsuits" where the federal agency encourages the lawsuit, settles out of court, and pays the legal fees for the environmental group. The major problem with this scenario is that it completely circumvents the public process mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act. Hopefully, the BLM will not roll over on this one
The CDCA was created by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. The CDCA Boundaries extend from Mexico to the eastern slope of the White Mountains north of Dyer Nevada and from the eastern slope of the Sierra Mountains to the Nevada border. WEMO is a management plan within the CDCA and, at this time, it is not known how the Sierra Club lawsuit or the Fort Irwin proposed expansion will affect the outcome of the WEMO management plan
This information is provided by Ron Schiller, Chairman of the High Desert Multiple Use Coalition. As usual, feel free to pass this information on to anyone interested in land management issues and access to public land.
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Ron Schiller, Chairman |