BLM's Clear Creek Management Strategy - Back to the Future?

 The BLM Hollister Field Office, in a blatant attempt to appease the anti-recreation extremist that currently control the CA OHV Commission (a BLM funding source for Clear Creek), has issued a document outlining their interpretation of the Record of Decision (ROD) and their management strategy.  The strategy appears to ignore all of the OHV favorable language and decisions incorporated in the 1998 ROD and indicates that the BLM intends to illegally implement the preferred alternative from the 1996 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  Of course, this could also be a backlash against the OHV community for daring to show up in mass at the Hollister Open House to protest the “Closed Area” signs that had begun to appear in the Clear Creek barrens this Spring.  

At the most recent Technical Review Team meeting on 8/19/02, Assistant Field Area Manager George Hill distributed their position paper.  While no one's signature appears on the document, we must presume that it was approved by the Area Manager, Bob Beehler, who once again did not attend the TRT meeting despite the fact that the meeting was moved to Monday night to better accommodate his schedule.  His staff had no explanation for his absence.

Citing the need to adhere to Code of Federal Regulations, the BLM’s National OHV Management Strategy, and direction from the CA State OHV Commission, the BLM paper announced that they have decided to eliminate the Encourage, Prohibit and Allow( EPA) route management philosophy written into the ROD, limit the network of roads and trails to only 270 miles and manage Clear Creek as "CLOSED unless posted OPEN".  In other words, if your favorite trails that you have been riding for years are not part of the signed route system and you ride them, you become a criminal.

The Salinas Ramblers are working with the Blue Ribbon Coalition and the California Off-Road Vehicle Association to develop a strategy to counter this assault on the OHV community.  Member's of  motorcycle and 4 wheel drive organizations fought an eight year battle to realize a Record of Decision that kept most of the roads and trails and a good portion of the barrens in Clear Creek open for OHV use.  Because of the threat of litigation by radical green organizations and demands being made by the radical green majority that controls the OHV Commission (guess who appointed them - Democrats in the Senate and Assembly), the BLM is running scared and planning to severely restrict the OHV opportunity in Clear Creek.

Click here to read the BLM management strategy document and Salinas Rambler Motorcycle Club comments.