Via Larry Hogue and DesertBlog:
California’s Red Rock Canyon State Park, a resource-rich and stunningly beautiful park in the El Paso Mountains of the Mojave Desert, is now threatened with becoming yet another ORV-ruined landscape. These desert canyon-lands, which were supposed to receive “maximum protection” when they were transferred to State Parks in Senator Dianne Feinstein’s 1994 Desert Protection Act, are about to become ground zero in a face-off between traditional park users and off-road interests.
I’ve written about Red Rock Canyon a few times. It’s a beautiful place. It needs to be left alone.
Turns out OHVs do use Red Rock Canyon to some extent. But they might be able to use even the “preserves” in the park under a new plan. So people need to speak up to at least preserve the current management approach, or even get OHVs out of the park entirely (they’ve done a lot of damage even under the current management plan).
I have been to Red Rock Canyon State Park twice and it is a stunningly beautiful place. I don’t think ORVs have any place in the state park. In fact I don’t think ORVs have any place in any state or national park. They are very destructive to both the landscape and the flora and fauna and disrupt the enjoyment of the traditional park users. ORVs should be relegated to private lands and not allowed to destroy the peace and tranquility afforded by state and national parks. If ORV’ers want to enjoy Red Rock Canyon they should do it on foot or horseback. Leave the ORV’s behind.
Michael, that was extraordinarily well said. I hope you’ll send exactly those words to e-mail addresses below, stating that they are comments on the upcoming general plan amendment for the park:
Russ Dingman: rdingman AT parks.ca.gov
redrock AT edaw.com
(replace the ATs with @, of course—trying not to get these e-mail addresses spammed, or we’ll end up with frustrating web comment forms like the Governor has).
Oh man. In Florida, we had these crazy powerboat nuts on the lagoons who could not be moved even an inch in their cold, lifeless hearts even after seeing pictures of manatees with severely lacerated skin. I doubt if these ORV nuts can ever be convinced of seeing anything of value in the desert.
I’ve sent off the email to Russ Dingman. I’ve copied it below. If anyone wants to use parts of it as a starting point and personalize further, please feel free.
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Subject: Comments on the upcoming general plan revision for Red Rock Canyon State Park
Body:
Dear Mr.Dingman,
I was extremely upset to hear the news that the general plan revision for Red Rock Canyon State Park would result in the possibility of allowing OHV traffic in the park in exchange for funds from the OHV division of state parks.
As a lover of the desert landscape of the US Southwest, and a person who might eventually settle down in southern California, I would hate to see any more of the fragile, irreplaceable landscape denuded by the reckless, irresponsible irreverence of a bunch of ignorant, short-sighted seekers of ephemeral highs. I have been greatly saddened by the fate of Dove Springs Canyon and Jawbone Canyon, and would hate to see Red Rock Canyon suffer the same fate.
I would like to take advantage of the 30 day comment period for the notice of preparation of the EIR to strongly voice my protest against any provisions under the general plan revision that would grant OHV traffic any access to any part of Red Rock Canyon State Park.
Sincerely,
—Arvind
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The troll who just commented on Chris’s Surprise Canyon post prompted me to write this update on the Red Rock Canyon State Park situation.
The Off-Highway Division of the State Parks Dept. continues to increase its power in alarming ways. The head of the OHV Division, Daphne Greene, will have a role in crafting the General Plan for Red Rock Canyon. But worse, Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman maintains in a letter to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility that the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division will now have a role not just in the General Plan Update for Red Rock Canyon State Park, but in all future general plan updates of all State Parks.
And the language in the OHV Division’s Draft Strategic Plan is about as bad as that troll’s comment: basically, no one likes to hike any more, so we should convert our state parks from “passive parks” to “active parks.”
Put those two things together, and it’s fair to say that the motorheads want all of our parks.
I’m working on a post for DesertBlog about this, which should be up early next week.