BLM - Barstow Field Office
As a long time property owner and resident of northwest Barstow, my property ,my livelihood, and my quality of life have been negatively affected by the near constant harassment of OHV riders trespassing, stealing and destroying my property, creating chaos and dangerous situations. I urge Law Enforcement to take an aggressive stand enforcing trespassing, vandalism and disturbing the peace laws. It is ridiculous to allow unwanted, uninvited criminal intruders to torture citizens and to allow them to destroy their property without any penalty to the riders. My concern and outrage also includes county owned propertiy, primarily used for flood control... Maintenance costs due to the destruction caused by these trespassing OHV riders is another burden on tax paying citizens under attack by these lawless,out of control riders. Larry Brown - 3/8/16
I have attended the public comment meetings with BLM Barstow and am very pleased with their due diligence and preparedness in submitting this grant. The funding they are asking for is much needed in the area of public education and will help mitigate problem areas. Lynn Crawford - 3/11/16
I have attended the public comment meetings with BLM Barstow and am very pleased with their due diligence and preparedness in submitting this grant. The funding they are asking for will greatly enhance the OHV areas. Lynn Crawford - 3/11/16
Please deny this request for funding. This is due to the BLM's program not justifying it's continued cost. Over the years a successful OHV education program would begin to decrease to the BLM's grant request for operations and enforcement. The BLM has never shown a decrease in funding for fencing, signage, patrolling, a biologist, a resource tech, a archaeologist or funds for habitat restoration. Time for the BLM to be the recipient of operation costs, only. The State Dept of Parks needs to look beyond the BLM for education and outreach. Time to provide funds to OHV user groups, associations and clubs for a successful program of OHV education. William Lithgow – 3/15/16
Staff. Funding these positions year after year has not justified their continung cost to the OHV user. Therefore, please delete the following from this year's grant request: - Seasonal and senior park rangers - Senior maintenance worker - Engineering Tech - Biologist - Project Manager - Restoration Tech - GIS specialist - Outdoor recreation planner 2. Contracts. The continuing funding of brochures has not justified their cost to the OHV user. Eliminate items 4 & 5. Transfer this to the private sector. 3. Materials and supplies. Delete items 1 and 3. All of the previous years funding signs and route markers are sufficient. 4. Equipment use expenses. Eliminate the cost of a maintenance vehicle. This is a BLM vehicle, of which, should be part of the BLM's budget, only. 5. Equipment purchase. Eliminate the cost of a cargo trailer. The current trailer transporting the BLM's vehicle is sufficient. William Lithgow – 3/15/16
Staff. The funding of the majority of staff positions, in current and previous years, has not justified their continued cost to the OHV user. Please eliminate the funding of these positions: - Sr. park ranger - Biologist - Archeologist - Project Manager - GIS specialist - Engineering Tech - Shared park ranger 2. Contracts. Eliminate the funding of item 1 due to all of the previous years giving money for signs. Eliminate item 2 due to the exorbitant cost. 3. Materials/Supplies. Eliminate item 2 due to the previous years of funding.. Eliminate item 3 due to the exorbitant cost. Moreover, the cost for the exact same fencing is greater in #2 Contracts item 2. 5. Equipment purchases. Eliminate item 1. Primarily due to a vehicle needed for the installation of OHV routes. The fact is routes, for OHV users, are not being installed. Other uses for clean ups and fence installations can be accomplished with the use of BLM owned compact or full size 4wd pickups, only. William Lithgow – 3/15/16
You look like you're buying a UTV, but I didn't see it in your narrative. Can you explain why you need one for me? A.H. – 4/3/16
BLM Barstow. All your grants look worthwhile to support OHV in your vast area. In your ground operations you mention having non law enforcement rangers patrolling certain areas and times. I would love to see all patrolling personnel as law enforcement who are trained EMT's and also trained in interpretive. As long as they are out there, they should be able to do whatever is needed of official people. I understand that it is very difficult to get people to train in all this and stick around, but I can dream, can't I? Ed Stovin – 3/31/16
Grant Name: Barstow Limited Use-Ground Operations Grant Number: G15-02-04-G01 The San Bernardino National Forest supports the activities within the four subregions of this proposal: Juniper Flats, Newberry Rodman, Ord Mountain and Calico Mountain. Management of OHV areas within these locations provides a positive effect to the adjoining and/or closely located OHV use on the Forest. as both agencies strive to provide similar management. Within this proposal, the Forest also supports the Shared Park Ranger Position which would dedicate a patrol to the Juniper Flats subregion (using BLM grant funds) and to the USFS adjacent lands (using USFS grant funds). The patrol would educate users on green sticker routes in a highly popular OHV area helping both agencies to promote use on designated routes and to reduce off route use within sensitive areas. BLM and Forest managers have continued to communicate regarding this need, are in full support of this shared position and are prepared and dedicated to managing this position. Thank you for your consideration of this BLM proposal. Deveree Kopp – 4/4/16