Nevada Backroaders

The Bureau of Land Management has announced restrictions to off-roading in Clark County, saying the growing population and popularity of off-road driving are taking a toll on the environment.

Federal officials have identified 553,000 acres to monitor and plan to limit motor vehicle access to about 94 miles of designated routes.

That's about 10-percent of the 906 miles of identified routes. The bureau says the decision will allow people to off-road while limiting damage to the habitats of endangered plant and animal species.


(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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What do you all think about that? Too bad a few probably ruined it for everyone.

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Just another day in paradise
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2144037

and the specific reasoning for closing the trails?

they need to cite specific examples of abuse of the land (as if the Earth doesn't bounce back). idiots.


it's not enough for them to merely say it's hurting the environment anymore.

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ɹǝʌo ǝɯ ןןoɹ sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

BLM has just posted the power line roads in east of Henderson
all roads off of Equestrian are now marked closed
reason:
Resource Preservation

if you venture into those hills is now a ticket offense.

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they have nothing else to do or are they just money-hungry?

resource preservation on a powerline road?

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ɹǝʌo ǝɯ ןןoɹ sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

How is the power company going to service the lines.....on foot!

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I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money,....You can keep "the change"

And like leveling acre after acre of desert land to put houses, apartments and businesses on it, isn't hurting anything??? That has more negative impact on the environment than anything we do on the trails. So...when will they put a stop to building and tearing up land for housing?? When the valley is filled from mountain range to mountain range?? Doh, it's already there!!!! I don't understand the way they think. I guess I should be grateful I have 94 miles of trails to share with all the other people who off-road...like that isn't going to cause an impact either. Thanks!!!

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2002 Jeep Wrangler X, ARB's, 4.5" RE lift, 35" KM2's, built to crawl on rocks

they are "exempt" so is the Govt
(henderson has facilities in the closed area water lines and tanks and buildings)

it happened on the south side of Henderson 2 yrs ago..
the gas line rd was closed and all the powerline rds.

now the east side is closed.

wait till Boulder City gets all the traffic on the lake beds..
wont that be fun.

not!

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Here is the link from the BLM website.
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_information/newsroom/2008/july/blm_to_limit_motorized.html

They are talking about closing 93 miles of the known 904 miles of trails. Primarily, the Mormon Mtn, Virgin River and Coyote Springs areas.
Here is a link to the proposal.
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/planning/route_designations.html

While it is easy to get on this Message Board to complain or rant about the closures, how many people have voiced their opinion to the local agencies involve with this decision???

While the Nevada Backroaders is a non-political club, the individual members can speak for themselves.

If people don't want to see trails closing, maybe they should contact the agencies involved, BLM, Forest Service, county commissioners and goverment officials (senators or representatives).

You can also join various groups, such as United or BRC or other groups.

If people don't want to get involved, they should not complain when things are not to their liking.

I will get off my soapbox now.

_________________
"I'm not sure where the trail went, but I've got a Jeep and gas so who cares"

Rubicon Bob
Club President
Rescue Ranger
NBMC / NBCC
03 Rubi/2017 Grand Cherokee
2020 Gladiator Launch Edition

I saw somewhere that this area is also closed to motorized traffic. It was either the Clark County dust ordinace or BLM I can't remember.
Jamie

_________________
1976 CJ-7
304 V8
T18A
Dana 20
4in SUA
35" BFG MT's

"Drinks gasoline like a fat kid drinks Kool-aid"

So lets all go to work for the government and then we won't have to follow any of the rules either!

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I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money,....You can keep "the change"

Thanks for the links Bob. That is what I was getting ready to research because I am not one to just complain to the choir.

I intend to contact them and make my opinion heard - INCLUDING THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR.

Someone else brought up a good point - The reason they are trying to "preserve" these areas from damage is the increased traffic (because of the popularity of off-roading). As they close areas, the remaining areas will see even more increase useage, so this could turn into a snowball effect that closes all of the areas.

While NVBR is not a politically minded group, my question would be is there a politicial action group in Las Vegas / Clark County that is? While all of us can call and write, without any orgainization we won't be very effective against the other orgainizations that are using thier government influence to close our public lands.

Perhaps we all should consider revising the opinion that our group is not politically minded. While we don't need to become a political action group, we might give it some thought to particiapating in such as a group, along with the other clubs, manufacturers and retailers. The alternative if we don't would be the loss of the club because we don't have any place to play as a club anymore. And just becasue you might live somewhere else, don't think you are safe there. LV / Clark County is buy land in White Pine County to steal your water and pipe it down here - don't think they would start imposing the same use restrictions on that land as they do here.

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I'll keep my freedom, my guns, and my money,....You can keep "the change"

Thanks Bob, for the link, which I added below. That explains it a little more. The first post was a little misleading. When I read it, I was under the impression that only 94 miles of trails would be open and the rest would be closed. Instead, there is approximately 812 miles open and 94 miles closed. BIG difference!! Still sad to see us lose more trails though.


BLM Nevada News
LAS VEGAS FIELD OFFICE NO. 08-12
FOR RELEASE: July 31, 2008
CONTACT: Kirsten Cannon, 702-515-5057

BLM to Limit Motorized Use in 11 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern in Northeast Clark County

Las Vegas – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced that it will limit motorized use to designated routes on approximately 553,000 acres in 11 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) on BLM-managed public lands in the Northeast portion of Clark County.

Of the 906 miles of identified routes, approximately 812 miles will be designated as open and 94 miles will be designated as closed to motorized use. Approximately 10 percent of identified routes will be impacted. Routes will be monitored over time to determine if future changes to the designated routes need to be made and the BLM will involve the public in monitoring efforts.

Due to population growth in the Las Vegas Valley and surrounding communities and the growing popularity of off-highway and all-terrain vehicles, proliferation of new routes within the ACECs has increased. As a result of increased road proliferation, habitat for sensitive and endangered plant and animal species is being fragmented, historic and prehistoric cultural resource sites are being destroyed and noxious and invasive weeds are being spread throughout these areas.

The decision will allow responsible motorized vehicle use within these areas, while protecting critical habitat for the threatened desert tortoise, fragile cultural resources and other resource values. The decision for route designations in the ACECs is supported in the Las Vegas Resource Management Plan, the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan and the Clark County Multiple Species Habitat Management Plan.

The public has until August 31, 2008 to appeal this decision to the Interior Board of Land Appeals, Office of the Secretary, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations 43 CFR, part 4.

Additional information can be found at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html

-BLM-

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2002 Jeep Wrangler X, ARB's, 4.5" RE lift, 35" KM2's, built to crawl on rocks

thanks Joe and Bob for helping clear that up a LOT!

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ɹǝʌo ǝɯ ןןoɹ sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

Don't forget that some of the closures are trail that have been formed from people going whereever they please (not staying on designated trails and roads). Looking at the map, it looks like most are short 1/2 mile or so.

In my opinion, it is not the organized groups that are the problem. It is the loners or independent people that don't know any better. Then again, sometimes groups will do the wrong thing. I think that BLM considers that 1 letter is equal to like 100 people. I might be wrong on this. If I am, I'm sure that someone will correct me.

There is power in numbers even without an organized group such as United. Example: Nellis Dunes - I think Clark County finally gave up.

_________________
"I'm not sure where the trail went, but I've got a Jeep and gas so who cares"

Rubicon Bob
Club President
Rescue Ranger
NBMC / NBCC
03 Rubi/2017 Grand Cherokee
2020 Gladiator Launch Edition

if blm follows it's normal path these acec's (area of critical eviromental concern) will next be designated wilderness study areas then declared wilderness. this is the same process that occured with the arrow mountains and lead to the closeing of arrow canyon. this process has been used numerous times by blm regarding the desert tortise.

now i will try to address the question of the backroaders changeing and becomeing a politically active club. the reason the nevada backroaders was created was first and foremost as a teaching club for people new to offroading and 4 wheel drive vehicles. in 1999 there was no club interested in filling this hole so the backroaders were created. the founders figured that there would allways be a core group of experianced wheelers to teach and that members would join and leave after a couple years of gaining knowledge and experiance. it was decided that the core group of teachers should concentrate on the basic's of driving offroad on designated roads and trails. they would also show the new folks where the politics came in but not hammer on them to be political. during my two and a half years as trail boss we saw the club grow far beyond what the founders has envisioned and i think this is because we don't go out to break vehicles while offroading, and we don't preach to folks about how bad things are. all the members of the nevada backroaders can be, or not be, as political as they want but the directors will not assume to speak for all the membership as a whole, so the club is kept as a non-political enity. there are some folks who just want to go out and wheel and we feel they should be able to do that and not get hammered with all the join or loose it stuff. there used to be an organization named the nevada united 4 wheelers that was supposed to be the political voice for wheelers in nevada and it folded because not enough people cared. i think if you checked you'd find most of the members of the backroaders are politically active.

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???