City of California City

I support the application of the City of California City for Law Enforcement. I have seen the amount of people that recreate in the area within the City of California City increase tri-fold since we first started going there. Unfortunately, not everyone that goes there is about family friendly or safe OHV use. Fund for increased law enforcement are well spent. It encourages people to be safe. From the application I see the funds will also be spent on search and rescue. Having had a nephew that broke his hip badly on a motorcycle out there, I can attest to the need for such services and strongly support the use of our OHV funds for this use. Thank you for your consideration of my comments. Ruth Hidalgo - 3/27/17


I support the application of the City of California City for Ground Operations. California City has been our Thanksgiving Table many years and many of our New Years began there, riding with our friends and families. I also visit California City often to pursue a hobby, rockhounding. I have been thrilled to see facilities added to the area over the years. The bathrooms are great for our day trips rockhounding. Our club meets at the Borax Bill Park before heading out into the desert to collect rocks and we picnic under the shade at the tables. These facilities are heavily used and funds are needed to maintain them. Funds for trail maintenance are also needed in this area. I have seen erosion make a trail go from safe at Thanksgiving to unsafe at New Years after a heavy rain. Use also creates erosion. The area is vast and education is very important. I believe additional signage would help reduce accidents where some roads cross and there is no control of traffic. I also believe additional signage as to where it is okay to ride off trail and where it is not would be a good use of our OHV funds. Thank you for your consideration of my comments. Ruth Hidalgo - 3/27/17


At Cadillac blvd and George blvd., in California City there is an un-named butte that has a prairie falcon aerie (nest) on it. This site has been utilized by raptors for thousands of years (by the deep evidence of hawk chalk on the cliffs.) Observations from last year, and evidence from past years, demonstrate that OHV users and hikers who come to utilize the amenities provided by Cal City policies are intruding onto this private property and seriously disturbing these nesting raptors. They are hillclimbing over the top, above the nest site. And area users are shooting up against the cliff face. There is evidence of continuing trespassing and pictures are available. Ohv users camped nearby are going to the back side, within City limits, and target practicing against the nesting site. There are three separate shooting area evidence sites. If these illegal trails, on private property, were signed, barricaded off, and trails rehabbed the public would realize the situation there. Signage in the area would also deter shooting. Interviews with users demonstrates that all think these are BLM lands and they don't know because of lack of signage. A pair is attempting to nest this year again. Various volunteer groups are prepared to assist in the mitigation and protection of this site, if only we had support of the city's agencies. There is no problem as long as the users remain on permitted roads, but they are intruding onto private property and affecting nesting raptors. Signage, rehab and barriers consistent with BLM use in the area along with more visible patrols would significant assist continued attempts at successful breeding. Steve Shaw, Falconer, Volunteer, Assistant biologist LPNF Volunteer, Biology assistant Kern Co, BLM - 4/3/17


I would like to comment on the City of California City Ground Operations and law enforcement grant requests on behalf of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association. In the ground opperations I noticed the Maintenance Worker line item asks for 6240 hours pay for two maintenance works. By my calculations, a full time year of work is 2080 hours. Times two workers would be 4160 hours. Three workers would work 6240 hours. I believe you need to either hire another worker or reduce the grant request to 4160 hours and $104,000. In the LE grant under direct expenses 2, it says 6 full time LE working 40% in OHV. 6 times 2080 = 12480 times .4 (40%) equals 4992 hours, less than the 6240 listed in the grant. Aside from these minor errors, this grant does a wide variety of tasks to improve OHV within the city of California City and should be funded as fully as possible. Say hi to Karen Sanders for me. Ed Stovin - 3/30/17