Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Here's another one that you can add to, edit and add your own touch
The closure is a crime, in a time of need and economic crisis camping and riding are a couple of the cheapest ways to go on vacation. With the closure of the trails those members of our family who cannot ride well enough to go out in bigger dunes are robbed of the experience in the dunes that they most enjoy and in the end we will stop going if not everyone can have fun.The money that is brought in to surrounding businesses is irreplaceable and the dunes should be exploited in a way to help the community instead of being closed. There are so many more options
another letter to copy, edit and add your own touches
RE: 10C Designated Routes Project #34220
Dear Siuslaw National Forest District Planners,
I am writing you today to voice my concern and strong opposition to closures and reductions in OHV recreational opportunities the Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor’s Office has proposed for many areas under their jurisdiction. Specifically, we strenuously object to further restrictions being placed upon OHV recreational access and activities at the ODNRA.
Although my family resides in California we have many relatives in the Coos Bay and Florence areas who have informed us of the recent proposals made by the NFS, which have the potential of closing over 100 miles of trail, basically the entire trail system. Closing existing trails is not a solution!
Our family and relatives are avid OHV enthusiast so during the riding season we spend several weeks visiting them and most of our time in the vicinity of Florence. Our relatives there have a modest home so we usually stay in local motels and dine frequently at the nearby restaurants so as not to inconvenience them. We often all gather and camp in the much improved facilities at both the North and South locations of the ODNRA, spending our time away from camp with our ATVs and Side-by-Side UTVs enjoying the opportunities and beauty that the dunes there provide.
While camping we frequent many of the nearby local business for various supplies and dining needs. We are concerned that local businesses are not being adequately represented or considered in the decision process, many local Legislators aren’t even aware of the planning process you have undertaken. It is important that the entire community be represented and have their voices heard in all aspects of this proposal. We fear that given the current economic climate our Nation faces your decisions may negatively impact the very sector that is capable of helping to turn around this financial crisis. It is the wrong place and time to reduce the tourism and local visitation attributable to the Dunes by further restricting the areas available for OHV use.
Lost in your current proposal is the issue of those whose mobility is impaired, including Veterans like myself who incurred disabilities while serving our country and the elderly who cannot walk into or nearby most of the Dune areas.
We in the OHV Community generally support the idea of travel being limited to designated roads, trails and areas. We are also in support of a thorough environmental review and analysis during the route designation process, as well as ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the OHV infrastructure. In many cases we have voluntarily taxed ourselves in order to provide funds to agencies so they can actively and effectively accomplish these tasks. What our family and the OHV community in general cannot support is being presented with Alternatives that fail to adequately address the need to provide for motorized recreation. Our methods of travel are a legitimate use of National Forest lands.
There are many local groups willing to step up and volunteer their time to assist the NFS in performing trail maintenance and cleanup. They are willing to be self enforcing in issues such as OHV noise reduction, remaining within allowed OHV boundaries, safety compliance, education of bad actors and a host of other matters which are currently a cause of concern.
The OHV Community would in turn like to point out that these Dunes are not National Parks or Wilderness Study Areas, they are lands administered by the Siuslaw National Forest Service as a National Recreation Area and should be managed as such.
Regarding management of this National Recreation Area and the possible missed opportunities for OHV access, we would like to suggest that your agency address any legitimate maintenance, resource and environmental concerns by incorporating a training protocol into your travel plan that would train agency staff on how to effectively manage volunteer programs, apply for grants, use the challenge cost share program and learn about and apply for other funding sources.
The Siuslaw National Forest needs to provide information and educational opportunities for users so that their expectations and understanding of the area’s uses are clear. If there is an obvious opportunity to re-direct a hiking or equestrian trail where it may coincide with an established motorized route then we believe there could be an opportunity to enhance the experience for all parties concerned.
OHV use continues to increase in popularity with the American public and National Forest visitors. There is a need to provide for this legal and popular activity. Motorized use is a legitimate use of public lands yet the agency is proposing significant closures.
The agency has responded to the increase in motorized uses by proposing drastic reductions in that use, this is totally unacceptable.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
FYI . . . sent it here too!
Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-ce...oast@fs.fed.us
Mr. Jerry Ingersoll
Forest Supervisor
Dear Siuslaw National Forest District Planners,
I am writing you today to voice my concern and strong opposition to closures and reductions in OHV recreational opportunities the Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor’s Office has proposed for many areas under their jurisdiction. Specifically, we strenuously object to further restrictions being placed upon OHV recreational access and activities at the ODNRA.
Although my family resides in California we have many relatives in the Coos Bay and Florence areas who have informed us of the recent proposals made by the NFS, which have the potential of closing over 100 miles of trail, basically the entire trail system. Closing existing trails is not a solution!
Our family and relatives are avid OHV enthusiast so during the riding season we spend several weeks visiting them and most of our time in the vicinity of Florence. Our relatives there have a modest home so we usually stay in local motels and dine frequently at the nearby restaurants so as not to inconvenience them. We often all gather and camp in the much improved facilities at both the North and South locations of the ODNRA, spending our time away from camp with our ATVs and Side-by-Side UTVs enjoying the opportunities and beauty that the dunes there provide.
While camping we frequent many of the nearby local business for various supplies and dining needs. We are concerned that local businesses are not being adequately represented or considered in the decision process, many local Legislators aren’t even aware of the planning process you have undertaken. It is important that the entire community be represented and have their voices heard in all aspects of this proposal. We fear that given the current economic climate our Nation faces your decisions may negatively impact the very sector that is capable of helping to turn around this financial crisis. It is the wrong place and time to reduce the tourism and local visitation attributable to the Dunes by further restricting the areas available for OHV use.
Lost in your current proposal is the issue of those whose mobility is impaired, including Veterans like myself who incurred disabilities while serving our country and the elderly who cannot walk into or nearby most of the Dune areas.
We in the OHV Community generally support the idea of travel being limited to designated roads, trails and areas. We are also in support of a thorough environmental review and analysis during the route designation process, as well as ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the OHV infrastructure. In many cases we have voluntarily taxed ourselves in order to provide funds to agencies so they can actively and effectively accomplish these tasks. What our family and the OHV community in general cannot support is being presented with Alternatives that fail to adequately address the need to provide for motorized recreation. Our methods of travel are a legitimate use of National Forest lands.
There are many local groups willing to step up and volunteer their time to assist the NFS in performing trail maintenance and cleanup. They are willing to be self enforcing in issues such as OHV noise reduction, remaining within allowed OHV boundaries, safety compliance, education of bad actors and a host of other matters which are currently a cause of concern.
The OHV Community would in turn like to point out that these Dunes are not National Parks or Wilderness Study Areas, they are lands administered by the Siuslaw National Forest Service as a National Recreation Area and should be managed as such.
Regarding management of this National Recreation Area and the possible missed opportunities for OHV access, we would like to suggest that your agency address any legitimate maintenance, resource and environmental concerns by incorporating a training protocol into your travel plan that would train agency staff on how to effectively manage volunteer programs, apply for grants, use the challenge cost share program and learn about and apply for other funding sources.
The Siuslaw National Forest needs to provide information and educational opportunities for users so that their expectations and understanding of the area’s uses are clear. If there is an obvious opportunity to re-direct a hiking or equestrian trail where it may coincide with an established motorized route then we believe there could be an opportunity to enhance the experience for all parties concerned.
OHV use continues to increase in popularity with the American public and National Forest visitors. There is a need to provide for this legal and popular activity. Motorized use is a legitimate use of public lands yet the agency is proposing significant closures.
The agency has responded to the increase in motorized uses by proposing drastic reductions in that use, this is totally unacceptable.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
FYI . . . sent it here too!
Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-ce...oast@fs.fed.us
Mr. Jerry Ingersoll
Forest Supervisor
Monday, June 27, 2011
Letter to Jerry Ingersoll
Send comments to email below
Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@fs.fed.us
Mr. Jerry Ingersoll
Forest Supervisor
Project 34220
Designating motorized vehicle routes in the 10C Management Area of the Oregon Dunes NRA
The Forest Service has been working on this plan since 1990 and then updated it with the new 1994 Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Plan and again doing a update for 2012. Since that time the ODNRA has more than twice as many users and you are shrinking the area in which we have available to ride.
Take a look at the 1960 photo that was shown at these 10c meetings and the photos that the Forest Service is showing now and you can see for yourself how much open sand has been smoothed out by noxious weeds ie. scotch broom & beach grass. Every time you close an area the more dunes we lose, eventually there will be no more Sand Dunes within the ODNRA. Each year following the winter rains and the water recedes in the deflation plain we also lose more open riding area.
The Forest Service has plans to take away 103 miles of trails that they say are user created, at least half were created well before the 1990 or 1994 plan, all of those trails should be allowed to stay as user created trails.
The motto of the Forest Service is “Caring for the Land and serving the people”
The people you are serving are NOT the OHV user.
Name
Address
Phone # optional
You may copy my letter or use part of it and add your own ideas and thoughts and what closing the trails & the dunes means to your family
Barbara
Comments-pacificnorthwest-siuslaw-centralcoast@fs.fed.us
Mr. Jerry Ingersoll
Forest Supervisor
Project 34220
Designating motorized vehicle routes in the 10C Management Area of the Oregon Dunes NRA
The Forest Service has been working on this plan since 1990 and then updated it with the new 1994 Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Plan and again doing a update for 2012. Since that time the ODNRA has more than twice as many users and you are shrinking the area in which we have available to ride.
Take a look at the 1960 photo that was shown at these 10c meetings and the photos that the Forest Service is showing now and you can see for yourself how much open sand has been smoothed out by noxious weeds ie. scotch broom & beach grass. Every time you close an area the more dunes we lose, eventually there will be no more Sand Dunes within the ODNRA. Each year following the winter rains and the water recedes in the deflation plain we also lose more open riding area.
The Forest Service has plans to take away 103 miles of trails that they say are user created, at least half were created well before the 1990 or 1994 plan, all of those trails should be allowed to stay as user created trails.
The motto of the Forest Service is “Caring for the Land and serving the people”
The people you are serving are NOT the OHV user.
Name
Address
Phone # optional
You may copy my letter or use part of it and add your own ideas and thoughts and what closing the trails & the dunes means to your family
Barbara
Monday, February 7, 2011
KCST Radio - The Forest Service 10-C Travel Management Plan Chat
These 4 audio clips feature Central Coast Ranger Pam Gardner and Sharon Stewart, both with the U.S. Forest Service, talking about the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area. The agency recently completed the public portion of a rulemaking process called the "designated routes" project. The ODNRA has been operating for years under the principal that all areas are open for off-highway riding unless specifically closed to vehicles. A rules change on a national level means they must now identify specific areas that are both open and closed to riding. Most of the historical areas will remain open for riding, but portions going through vegetated areas will have specific routes posted. Gardner and Stewart talked about the dunes and the rules process.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Interview Request
Daniel G Marting
Subject: dunes
I would just be interested in a verbal interview within the next two
weeks. If the weather permits on Presidents day I would love to shoot
some video of riding, family time at the dunes, and possibly some of
your thoughts about the proposed restriction. Just to let you know my
work will be published. As long as you are fine with that it could be a
nice opportunity to represent OHV users and voice some of your concerns
about more restrictions.
Dan,
You can call me anytime at the number below. I do believe it would be well worth your time to come out and feel it. The USFS has not managed the ODNRA well and have missed very important time lines and the basic charter of the ODNRA. We would not be where we are if they have had. They are underfunded and scared to death of a law suit so they manage by who is the loudest. The environmentalist has the loudest voice and by far the most money. This is our recreation, we have real jobs and not enough time or individual money to fight. We are hoping to change that and the STRD is a starting point.
It is a shame but no matter what else is said, in 50 to 75 years the only open sand will be where OHV rides. I will repeat this and it is backed up by so much research that it isn't funny anymore, THERE WILL BE NO MORE OPEN SAND IN THE ODNRA EXCEPT ON THE 25% THAT OHV RIDES ON. This is only one generation of people. I am 59 and I walked the dunes in 1957 and we drove a 2 wheel drive pickup right on the beach with no foredune. Please review this late 1960 Lassie movie and look at the open sand and when you come out I will show you what it looks like now. Scary is not the word for it and the USFS continues to let it happen. Their answer is there is no money to bring bull dozers in to rip out the grass and that has to be done over and over again. Giving the current national financial situation there will never be money available for this type of losing project. Even if they do, the grass will grow back unless something else keeps it out. OHV does this but they refuse to "officially" recognize it. The USFS agrees with me verbally that we do help. They did an experiment at Ten Mile where they bull dozed about 40 acres. The beach grass grew back almost immediately. They put sighs up and ask us to ride in it and guess what, we helped keep the grass off. What a concept....This was NEVER published. They manage forest, not open sand and they simply cannot or are unwilling to make the tough decisions and fight the environmentalist. If they look at the original 1972 charter there was supposed to be a group to oversee the ODNRA and that has never happen. If it had, the highly destructive European Beach grass, that the USFS planted to begin with, would not be what it is today. All we have seen is more and more closures and that has allowed more and more open sand to be overgrown and destroyed. We need to start today, not continue to chew our nails and hope this will go away. Closing more dunes with the 10C process is simply not the direction we need to go for a health dune system.
Everything is upside down and I can show you over and over areas that were clearly open sand; now is forest and wetlands. Huge swaths of ONDRA is now under seasonal water in the deflation plane. This type of environment promotes growth and mutations. OH, golly we now have a "new species" we must protect. Lets close down more sand! Oh, by the way, this area is now WETLANDS and comes under another government agency... You can see where I am going with this. It never ends. The longer this goes on the quicker the true dunes i.e. open sand dies. This is happening exponentially now. The attached and the movie clearly show old vs. new.
Now they have allowed commercial farming to be more important than recreation which is the mushroom industry on tree plantations the USFS planted in 1960's over open sand. I cannot imagine this. Isn’t this the Oregon Dunes RECREATION Area? In the 1994 plan they even say that mushrooms should not be the priority. During this 10C process which the USFS started to begin with, mushrooms ruled over and over again. For the life of me, I cannot understand that. Recreational picking, yes, commercial farming I cannot. From my understanding, there is over a million dollars in mushrooms sold to Japan per year out of the ODNRA alone. That is great and I wish them well and tell them to go for it. But the USFS is locking out over HALF of the northern dunes for the endeavor. I only asked for a few trails through this area and that, I am sure, will be pooh-poohed.
The 1994 plan was made in a vacuum and we are now living with the consequences. They have this deal about trails. It is a joke. All this area before 1960 was open sand. There are NO trails in open sand. They are so focused on forest and plants that they cannot see the forest for the trees. I will say that this last 10C work group was NOT made in a vacuum and they did a tremendous effort to get everything on the table. Hurrah and I thank them for their efforts. Maybe that huge ship is trying to slow down and make a turn. I can only hope.
I say all of this, but the OHV community is also conservationalist as well. We are family and we want the land to be kept pristine so we can use it, not lock it up. We want this for our kids and our kid's kids. We love the forest and open sand as much as anybody. We just choose to ride through it rather than hike which only the young can do especially in sand. If there was no other forest in the world then I can see stronger rules but this is a tip of the iceberg on how much forest there is. That is why this was set aside for Recreation, not farming or other uses. I truly do feel that OHV, horse riders, hikers and anybody else should be able to enjoy this wonderful treasure with minimum conflicts. There needs to be separation. We do need to protect certain areas like the dunes close to rivers, sand islands, snowy plovers and native animals. We also have to do our part with the noise we make. Shame on us. We need Law enforcement to help. I volunteer with the Dunes Patrol and have asked Sheriff Rodney Roberts if I can help and he agrees. I hope to ride with them this summer to do sound checks and enforce the 93 db.
Environmentalist do not like to hear this naked truth. It is time they did. It is time to truly understand that the ODNRA is a very special place and big enough for everybody. The trails we ride on ARE keeping the non-native plants at bay. We cannot kill big swaths of unwanted non-native plants but again we can help manage the mess.
I also do not like to beat up on the USFS. They are good hardworking folks that are just as passionate. They just need to step up to the plate and finally come to grips with the mess they, through all the greatest intentions, created. This is truly the law of unintended consequences. It is now time to change the direction, bring balance back and all of us need to work together to try and save the true dunes.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2329504977213415012#
Jody Phillips
Subject: dunes
I would just be interested in a verbal interview within the next two
weeks. If the weather permits on Presidents day I would love to shoot
some video of riding, family time at the dunes, and possibly some of
your thoughts about the proposed restriction. Just to let you know my
work will be published. As long as you are fine with that it could be a
nice opportunity to represent OHV users and voice some of your concerns
about more restrictions.
Dan,
You can call me anytime at the number below. I do believe it would be well worth your time to come out and feel it. The USFS has not managed the ODNRA well and have missed very important time lines and the basic charter of the ODNRA. We would not be where we are if they have had. They are underfunded and scared to death of a law suit so they manage by who is the loudest. The environmentalist has the loudest voice and by far the most money. This is our recreation, we have real jobs and not enough time or individual money to fight. We are hoping to change that and the STRD is a starting point.
It is a shame but no matter what else is said, in 50 to 75 years the only open sand will be where OHV rides. I will repeat this and it is backed up by so much research that it isn't funny anymore, THERE WILL BE NO MORE OPEN SAND IN THE ODNRA EXCEPT ON THE 25% THAT OHV RIDES ON. This is only one generation of people. I am 59 and I walked the dunes in 1957 and we drove a 2 wheel drive pickup right on the beach with no foredune. Please review this late 1960 Lassie movie and look at the open sand and when you come out I will show you what it looks like now. Scary is not the word for it and the USFS continues to let it happen. Their answer is there is no money to bring bull dozers in to rip out the grass and that has to be done over and over again. Giving the current national financial situation there will never be money available for this type of losing project. Even if they do, the grass will grow back unless something else keeps it out. OHV does this but they refuse to "officially" recognize it. The USFS agrees with me verbally that we do help. They did an experiment at Ten Mile where they bull dozed about 40 acres. The beach grass grew back almost immediately. They put sighs up and ask us to ride in it and guess what, we helped keep the grass off. What a concept....This was NEVER published. They manage forest, not open sand and they simply cannot or are unwilling to make the tough decisions and fight the environmentalist. If they look at the original 1972 charter there was supposed to be a group to oversee the ODNRA and that has never happen. If it had, the highly destructive European Beach grass, that the USFS planted to begin with, would not be what it is today. All we have seen is more and more closures and that has allowed more and more open sand to be overgrown and destroyed. We need to start today, not continue to chew our nails and hope this will go away. Closing more dunes with the 10C process is simply not the direction we need to go for a health dune system.
Everything is upside down and I can show you over and over areas that were clearly open sand; now is forest and wetlands. Huge swaths of ONDRA is now under seasonal water in the deflation plane. This type of environment promotes growth and mutations. OH, golly we now have a "new species" we must protect. Lets close down more sand! Oh, by the way, this area is now WETLANDS and comes under another government agency... You can see where I am going with this. It never ends. The longer this goes on the quicker the true dunes i.e. open sand dies. This is happening exponentially now. The attached and the movie clearly show old vs. new.
Now they have allowed commercial farming to be more important than recreation which is the mushroom industry on tree plantations the USFS planted in 1960's over open sand. I cannot imagine this. Isn’t this the Oregon Dunes RECREATION Area? In the 1994 plan they even say that mushrooms should not be the priority. During this 10C process which the USFS started to begin with, mushrooms ruled over and over again. For the life of me, I cannot understand that. Recreational picking, yes, commercial farming I cannot. From my understanding, there is over a million dollars in mushrooms sold to Japan per year out of the ODNRA alone. That is great and I wish them well and tell them to go for it. But the USFS is locking out over HALF of the northern dunes for the endeavor. I only asked for a few trails through this area and that, I am sure, will be pooh-poohed.
The 1994 plan was made in a vacuum and we are now living with the consequences. They have this deal about trails. It is a joke. All this area before 1960 was open sand. There are NO trails in open sand. They are so focused on forest and plants that they cannot see the forest for the trees. I will say that this last 10C work group was NOT made in a vacuum and they did a tremendous effort to get everything on the table. Hurrah and I thank them for their efforts. Maybe that huge ship is trying to slow down and make a turn. I can only hope.
I say all of this, but the OHV community is also conservationalist as well. We are family and we want the land to be kept pristine so we can use it, not lock it up. We want this for our kids and our kid's kids. We love the forest and open sand as much as anybody. We just choose to ride through it rather than hike which only the young can do especially in sand. If there was no other forest in the world then I can see stronger rules but this is a tip of the iceberg on how much forest there is. That is why this was set aside for Recreation, not farming or other uses. I truly do feel that OHV, horse riders, hikers and anybody else should be able to enjoy this wonderful treasure with minimum conflicts. There needs to be separation. We do need to protect certain areas like the dunes close to rivers, sand islands, snowy plovers and native animals. We also have to do our part with the noise we make. Shame on us. We need Law enforcement to help. I volunteer with the Dunes Patrol and have asked Sheriff Rodney Roberts if I can help and he agrees. I hope to ride with them this summer to do sound checks and enforce the 93 db.
Environmentalist do not like to hear this naked truth. It is time they did. It is time to truly understand that the ODNRA is a very special place and big enough for everybody. The trails we ride on ARE keeping the non-native plants at bay. We cannot kill big swaths of unwanted non-native plants but again we can help manage the mess.
I also do not like to beat up on the USFS. They are good hardworking folks that are just as passionate. They just need to step up to the plate and finally come to grips with the mess they, through all the greatest intentions, created. This is truly the law of unintended consequences. It is now time to change the direction, bring balance back and all of us need to work together to try and save the true dunes.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2329504977213415012#
Jody Phillips
Thursday, October 28, 2010
350,000 ATV Users Each Year
Here is a list of the top 10 most popular dunes published by ATV Sport....
The Oregon Dunes (ODNRA) is second only to Glamis!!....
350,000 ATV users frequent from Florence south to North Bend area EACH YEAR!!....get out your calculators and project the $$$$ brought into these communities by riders.....we NEED the Coos Bay/North Bend, Winchester Bay/Reedsport and Florence Chamber of Commerces to network together and fight to keep these numbers coming back year after year......the Forest Service may be thrusting a dagger into these communities revenues and your riding rights should you not get involved in public comment prior to their 10-C determination in Sept. 2011....STRD
*******************************************************************************
1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
2. Oregon Dunes
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo
7. Dumont Dunes: California
8. 8. Little Sahara: Utah
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Being from the Midwest, it’s a treat for us to spit up roost, carve bowls and spend a week racing up dune faces. It’s become a staff tradition to retreat to the Imperial Sand Dunes each year for days of hammering through the Glamis sand. It’s also become an addiction.
Sand riding provides a freedom that can’t be explained properly until you experience it for yourself. There’s not one specific way to ride in the dunes. For some, it’s drag racing up steep dune faces testing horsepower. Others make mini motocross courses or long cross-country rides around desert scrub. And that’s what makes dune riding so addictive. It’s pretty much whatever you want it to be.
For those of you in the East, it will take a long road trip to Oklahoma or the western portion of the country to experience the dunes. Midwest and West riders are luckier, however, as there are several riding areas within a reasonable distance. With the sand riding season fast approaching, scour our top 10 duning list and feed the addiction.
Advertisement If it’s your first time dune riding, we suggest you read the Tread Lightly! guide to responsible motorized vehicle use in the sand dunes. It covers rules and regulations, has how-to riding tips, and discusses what you can do to keep our riding areas open. It is available for free download at www.treadlightly.org.
1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
You probably aren’t shocked by the No. 1 ranking for the Imperial Sand Dunes, located near Brawley, Calif. There are more than 118,000 acres open to recreation, roughly two-thirds of the Imperial Sand Dunes. The dunes extend about 40 miles and are 5 miles wide in most places. Many visitors will choose to stage near Mammoth Wash on the north end, Gecko Campground south of Highway 78 or Buttercup near the Mexican border and south of Highway 8.
During the summer, Glamis becomes a scorcher and temperatures frequently hit 110 degrees. Traditionally, the riding season begins in October and runs through mid-April before it gets too hot to ride. Halloween and Thanksgiving are big holidays at Glamis and more than 100,000 people visit the dunes. If you don’t like crowds and you want smooth dunes, try scheduling your trip in the middle of the week and avoid those two weekends.
2. Oregon Dunes
More than 350,000 ATV users descend upon the Oregon Dunes of Coos Bay, Winchester Bay and Florence each year. For those of you looking for the tallest dunes here, check out Winchester Bay. Each year Dune Fest, a fun five-day event, takes place at Winchester and becomes the heart of the dunes. Many of the dunes ride up and through the forest at Winchester.
Coos Bay is the largest, most expansive section of the Oregon Dunes and beach riding is allowed. Bull Run is the closest area to the ocean and several fingers of dunes provide entertainment. Riders will find the tallest dunes on the eastern inland section. Florence is situated at the northern end of the Oregon Dunes and is the smallest riding area of the three. If you want to show off your ATV’s horsepower, check out South Jetty Hill. Most of the eastern portion of Florence has been closed due to noise complaints. To that end, a 93 dB limit is in place for all three of the Oregon Dunes riding areas.
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
Located just outside of Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho, the St. Anthony Dunes take our final podium spot for their unique white quartz sand and phenomenal summer riding opportunities. When other duning areas are too hot to ride, St. Anthony remains very bearable in the heat of the summer. With approximately 10,600 acres of sand to play in, there is ample variety. The dunes move nearly 8 feet each year and reach 200 to 300 feet tall. Like Utah’s Little Sahara, St. Anthony is situated at 5,000 feet above sea level.
Choke Cherry Hill is a nearly vertical dune and rises more than 200 feet. It takes a good run to make it to the top and truly tests your will. Another must is touring the massive Devil’s Dune bowl on the West end of the park. There are three main camping areas with two offering primitive camping. Sand Hills Resort is the best and has power and water hook-ups, but it is a long ride from the best dunning opportunities.
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
The Killpecker Sand Dunes consist of 10,500 acres of ridable area — the sand dunes area encompasses nearly 38,000 acres. ATV riders are restricted to the eastern portion, where unstable sand dunes make for fun riding. The Killpecker Dunes, located north of Rock Springs, Wy., might just be our top 10’s best-kept secret as its one of the least-visited in this list.
The peaks at Killpecker are sharp and provide good lift for jumping. Scout first because the backside of many Killpecker dunes are steep and small water puddles form throughout the area. At 8,000 feet above sea level, expect to loose about 3 hp per 1,000 feet, which makes climbing the largest dunes more challenging. Proper jetting is the key. Be on the lookout for oil pipes, as they run throughout the dunes.
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
This may not be America’s top sand riding locale, but it’s certainly one of the most eye-catching duning areas in our top 10. Coral Pink’s tall hillclimbs, 6,000 feet of elevation, tree-lined bowls and miles of sand make this 3,000-acre north-to-south rectangle sand playlot one of our favorites.
Riders will find the most challenging dunes on the north end of the park where several steep razorbacks test your moxy. The northeast is where the Coral Pink dunes surprise with pine trees that invade the sand hills. In the middle and east portion of the dunes sits long hill climbs where you can open up your machine.
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo):
As host to the annual Pismo Beach race — part of the World Off Road Championship Series — the Oceano Dunes offer an experience second-to-none on California’s central coast. Some of the best experiences involve riding down the Pismo Beach with the Pacific Ocean at your side. Watch out for the high tide that can suck in camping trailers and ATVs, creating a sticky situation.
Winds that blow in from the ocean create crests that run north and south and allow for some fun razorbacks to jump off. Watch out for slipfaces that are created from thin tongues of sand that tend to slide down on the leeward slopes. Riding conditions can get rough at Pismo’s 1,100-plus acres during weekends and peak summer riding, but the ocean views and vistas boost its ranking on our list.
7. Dumont Dunes: California
The Dumont Dunes are located about 30 miles north of Baker, Calif., and offer roughly 8,150 acres of dune riding. Dumont stretches to the east about 5 miles and is 1.5 miles long. Dumont is broken up into two main sections, Little Dumont and the main Dumont riding area where most OHV riders go.
At an elevation ranging from 700 to 1,000 feet, Dumont features a few very large and steep razorbacks to try and conquer along with many fun bowls. A lot of the action circulates around Comp Hill, a huge half-moon hill of sand that many drag racers have competed on. If you don’t like crowds, visit during the weekdays or hit up Little Dumont where smaller dunes provide plenty of entertainment. A $30 fee is required for a seven-day pass.
8. Little Sahara: Utah
Little Sahara is located in the Great Basin tucked in the Servier Desert of central Utah. At roughly 12 miles long north to south and 10 miles wide, there’s ample playing area. And, with 60,000 acres of dunes, flats and trails, there’s enough variety to warrant coming back for more.
The main feature at Little Sahara, at an elevation more than 5,000 feet, is Sand Mountain. Towering 650-plus feet high, Sand Mountain tests your machine’s power as you climb to the top. On the north end of the dunes, White Sands provides large bowls for carving and jumping. Beginners will gravitate toward Black Mountain on the southwest end for smaller dune faces and more desert terrain. If trail riding is your forte, check out Black Mountain’s expansive network of trails. For those of you who like crowds, Easter weekend is big at Little Sahara.
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
It may not be the largest dune riding area in this list at 1,450 acres, but its location and variety puts it in the top 10. Located near Waynoka, Okla., northwest of Oklahoma City, Little Sahara is the closest duning escape for Midwest and
East riders.
This sand palace has a little bit of everything. If you are a drag racer, don’t miss out on Sand Fest each year. There are many dune faces to climb, rolling and medium-sized hills along with miles of sandy trails. The middle of Little Sahara collects water during heavy rains and can become a soft quick sand pit. For the climbers, check out Competition or Buttercup Hill. If you get lost, don’t worry, the entire park is surrounded by a fence.
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Eeking out our 10th spot ahead of New Mexico’s Mescalero Sands and Utah’s Sand Hollow is Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan. The Silver Lake dunes are open April through the end of October from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Get here early Friday if you plan on riding over the weekend. The DNR has initiated a voucher system to allow up to 2,200 OHVs per day.
Though small in rideable area, there are many large hills to shoot up and race your buddies. With Lake Michigan to the West, many riders flat drag down the beach. The crowds are manageable thanks to the system the DNR put in place but, if you really want to experience the area without much company, arrive early in the week.
The Oregon Dunes (ODNRA) is second only to Glamis!!....
350,000 ATV users frequent from Florence south to North Bend area EACH YEAR!!....get out your calculators and project the $$$$ brought into these communities by riders.....we NEED the Coos Bay/North Bend, Winchester Bay/Reedsport and Florence Chamber of Commerces to network together and fight to keep these numbers coming back year after year......the Forest Service may be thrusting a dagger into these communities revenues and your riding rights should you not get involved in public comment prior to their 10-C determination in Sept. 2011....STRD
*******************************************************************************
1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
2. Oregon Dunes
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo
7. Dumont Dunes: California
8. 8. Little Sahara: Utah
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Being from the Midwest, it’s a treat for us to spit up roost, carve bowls and spend a week racing up dune faces. It’s become a staff tradition to retreat to the Imperial Sand Dunes each year for days of hammering through the Glamis sand. It’s also become an addiction.
Sand riding provides a freedom that can’t be explained properly until you experience it for yourself. There’s not one specific way to ride in the dunes. For some, it’s drag racing up steep dune faces testing horsepower. Others make mini motocross courses or long cross-country rides around desert scrub. And that’s what makes dune riding so addictive. It’s pretty much whatever you want it to be.
For those of you in the East, it will take a long road trip to Oklahoma or the western portion of the country to experience the dunes. Midwest and West riders are luckier, however, as there are several riding areas within a reasonable distance. With the sand riding season fast approaching, scour our top 10 duning list and feed the addiction.
Advertisement If it’s your first time dune riding, we suggest you read the Tread Lightly! guide to responsible motorized vehicle use in the sand dunes. It covers rules and regulations, has how-to riding tips, and discusses what you can do to keep our riding areas open. It is available for free download at www.treadlightly.org.
1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
You probably aren’t shocked by the No. 1 ranking for the Imperial Sand Dunes, located near Brawley, Calif. There are more than 118,000 acres open to recreation, roughly two-thirds of the Imperial Sand Dunes. The dunes extend about 40 miles and are 5 miles wide in most places. Many visitors will choose to stage near Mammoth Wash on the north end, Gecko Campground south of Highway 78 or Buttercup near the Mexican border and south of Highway 8.
During the summer, Glamis becomes a scorcher and temperatures frequently hit 110 degrees. Traditionally, the riding season begins in October and runs through mid-April before it gets too hot to ride. Halloween and Thanksgiving are big holidays at Glamis and more than 100,000 people visit the dunes. If you don’t like crowds and you want smooth dunes, try scheduling your trip in the middle of the week and avoid those two weekends.
2. Oregon Dunes
More than 350,000 ATV users descend upon the Oregon Dunes of Coos Bay, Winchester Bay and Florence each year. For those of you looking for the tallest dunes here, check out Winchester Bay. Each year Dune Fest, a fun five-day event, takes place at Winchester and becomes the heart of the dunes. Many of the dunes ride up and through the forest at Winchester.
Coos Bay is the largest, most expansive section of the Oregon Dunes and beach riding is allowed. Bull Run is the closest area to the ocean and several fingers of dunes provide entertainment. Riders will find the tallest dunes on the eastern inland section. Florence is situated at the northern end of the Oregon Dunes and is the smallest riding area of the three. If you want to show off your ATV’s horsepower, check out South Jetty Hill. Most of the eastern portion of Florence has been closed due to noise complaints. To that end, a 93 dB limit is in place for all three of the Oregon Dunes riding areas.
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
Located just outside of Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho, the St. Anthony Dunes take our final podium spot for their unique white quartz sand and phenomenal summer riding opportunities. When other duning areas are too hot to ride, St. Anthony remains very bearable in the heat of the summer. With approximately 10,600 acres of sand to play in, there is ample variety. The dunes move nearly 8 feet each year and reach 200 to 300 feet tall. Like Utah’s Little Sahara, St. Anthony is situated at 5,000 feet above sea level.
Choke Cherry Hill is a nearly vertical dune and rises more than 200 feet. It takes a good run to make it to the top and truly tests your will. Another must is touring the massive Devil’s Dune bowl on the West end of the park. There are three main camping areas with two offering primitive camping. Sand Hills Resort is the best and has power and water hook-ups, but it is a long ride from the best dunning opportunities.
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
The Killpecker Sand Dunes consist of 10,500 acres of ridable area — the sand dunes area encompasses nearly 38,000 acres. ATV riders are restricted to the eastern portion, where unstable sand dunes make for fun riding. The Killpecker Dunes, located north of Rock Springs, Wy., might just be our top 10’s best-kept secret as its one of the least-visited in this list.
The peaks at Killpecker are sharp and provide good lift for jumping. Scout first because the backside of many Killpecker dunes are steep and small water puddles form throughout the area. At 8,000 feet above sea level, expect to loose about 3 hp per 1,000 feet, which makes climbing the largest dunes more challenging. Proper jetting is the key. Be on the lookout for oil pipes, as they run throughout the dunes.
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
This may not be America’s top sand riding locale, but it’s certainly one of the most eye-catching duning areas in our top 10. Coral Pink’s tall hillclimbs, 6,000 feet of elevation, tree-lined bowls and miles of sand make this 3,000-acre north-to-south rectangle sand playlot one of our favorites.
Riders will find the most challenging dunes on the north end of the park where several steep razorbacks test your moxy. The northeast is where the Coral Pink dunes surprise with pine trees that invade the sand hills. In the middle and east portion of the dunes sits long hill climbs where you can open up your machine.
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo):
As host to the annual Pismo Beach race — part of the World Off Road Championship Series — the Oceano Dunes offer an experience second-to-none on California’s central coast. Some of the best experiences involve riding down the Pismo Beach with the Pacific Ocean at your side. Watch out for the high tide that can suck in camping trailers and ATVs, creating a sticky situation.
Winds that blow in from the ocean create crests that run north and south and allow for some fun razorbacks to jump off. Watch out for slipfaces that are created from thin tongues of sand that tend to slide down on the leeward slopes. Riding conditions can get rough at Pismo’s 1,100-plus acres during weekends and peak summer riding, but the ocean views and vistas boost its ranking on our list.
7. Dumont Dunes: California
The Dumont Dunes are located about 30 miles north of Baker, Calif., and offer roughly 8,150 acres of dune riding. Dumont stretches to the east about 5 miles and is 1.5 miles long. Dumont is broken up into two main sections, Little Dumont and the main Dumont riding area where most OHV riders go.
At an elevation ranging from 700 to 1,000 feet, Dumont features a few very large and steep razorbacks to try and conquer along with many fun bowls. A lot of the action circulates around Comp Hill, a huge half-moon hill of sand that many drag racers have competed on. If you don’t like crowds, visit during the weekdays or hit up Little Dumont where smaller dunes provide plenty of entertainment. A $30 fee is required for a seven-day pass.
8. Little Sahara: Utah
Little Sahara is located in the Great Basin tucked in the Servier Desert of central Utah. At roughly 12 miles long north to south and 10 miles wide, there’s ample playing area. And, with 60,000 acres of dunes, flats and trails, there’s enough variety to warrant coming back for more.
The main feature at Little Sahara, at an elevation more than 5,000 feet, is Sand Mountain. Towering 650-plus feet high, Sand Mountain tests your machine’s power as you climb to the top. On the north end of the dunes, White Sands provides large bowls for carving and jumping. Beginners will gravitate toward Black Mountain on the southwest end for smaller dune faces and more desert terrain. If trail riding is your forte, check out Black Mountain’s expansive network of trails. For those of you who like crowds, Easter weekend is big at Little Sahara.
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
It may not be the largest dune riding area in this list at 1,450 acres, but its location and variety puts it in the top 10. Located near Waynoka, Okla., northwest of Oklahoma City, Little Sahara is the closest duning escape for Midwest and
East riders.
This sand palace has a little bit of everything. If you are a drag racer, don’t miss out on Sand Fest each year. There are many dune faces to climb, rolling and medium-sized hills along with miles of sandy trails. The middle of Little Sahara collects water during heavy rains and can become a soft quick sand pit. For the climbers, check out Competition or Buttercup Hill. If you get lost, don’t worry, the entire park is surrounded by a fence.
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Eeking out our 10th spot ahead of New Mexico’s Mescalero Sands and Utah’s Sand Hollow is Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan. The Silver Lake dunes are open April through the end of October from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Get here early Friday if you plan on riding over the weekend. The DNR has initiated a voucher system to allow up to 2,200 OHVs per day.
Though small in rideable area, there are many large hills to shoot up and race your buddies. With Lake Michigan to the West, many riders flat drag down the beach. The crowds are manageable thanks to the system the DNR put in place but, if you really want to experience the area without much company, arrive early in the week.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Email to STRD by the BlueRibbon Coalition
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| Dust: The next endangered species Dust cuts Colorado River flow, scientists sayhttp://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/21/science/la-sci-colorado-river-dust-20100921 Windborne Dust on High Peaks Dampens Colorado River Runoffhttp://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117668&org=NSF&from=news A few years back, a study on sediment in some of Colorado's high mountain lakes was published. Apparently, a group of scientists noticed that lots of dust gets blown across the vast expanse of the Western US, some of which is deposited in snowpack and lakes once it hits the mountains of Colorado. I briefly reviewed the study about a year ago. It was fascinating, actually. If I'm understanding correctly, these high mountain lakes contain dust from as far away as Mexico, and some of the sediment strata are hundreds of thousands of years old. As BRC members in Arizona know all too well, dust is the latest "endangered species" hope of the radical environmental group. Dust will be another tool to "re-wild" vast areas of the US. We're already seeing dust as a pillar in some of the greenie lawsuits. The study's findings were anything but conclusive, insofar as if humans have increased the dust sediment in the lakes, or if there has been an increase since European settlement. But that won't stop the greenies from using it to ban any kind of activity they don't deem appropriate. I'm thinking they ought to change the term "best available science" to "best available assumptions." The scientists don't really know. Or, perhaps I should say; the science doesn't quite jibe with what the scientists think they know. National:Conservation groups want more snowmobile regulations http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/output.cfm?ID=2653237 New Jersey:N.J. hits hurdle in curbing illegal ATV use Sunday, October 17, 2010 http://www.northjersey.com/news/105123849_ATVs__nature_collide.html And...Illegal use of all-terrain vehicles in N.J. remains a problemhttp://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/illegal_use_of_all-terrain_veh.html Pennsylvania:Northumberland News... Off-road tour provides preview for vehicle park in Coal Twp.http://republicanherald.com/news/off-road-tour-provides-preview-for-vehicle-park-in-coal-twp-1.1050365 [OHV] Park seen as 'economic engine'http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/151132332 Arizona:Supervisors to discuss trail closureshttp://www.havasunews.com/articles/2010/10/18/news/doc4cbbd7ff49dbe089267155.txt Public opposes closing BLM land to four-wheelershttp://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/10/17/news/local/doc4cbbd06d2b8e9720392875.txt Supes side with off-road groupshttp://www.havasunews.com/articles/2010/10/19/news/doc4cbd289614e88543616771.txt How you can help:BRC Alert: ARIZONA BLM TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLANNING COMMENT DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 31, 2010http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=1250 Meanwhile...Off-highway patrol Agencies team up to enforce ordinance at Nature Centerhttp://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/10/17/news/local/doc4cbaa1b272770596422479.txt Colorado:Still more opposition to wilderness...District opposes '09 wilderness act billhttp://www.themountainmail.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=20568 Donation Made To Improve Public Lands Will Help Outdoor Enthusiasts And The Environmenthttp://www.kjct8.com/news/25292908/detail.html Red Cliff wary of forest plan Proposal could ban unlicensed ATVs on some roads near Camp Halehttp://www.vaildaily.com/article/20101011/NEWS/101019983/1078&ParentProfile=1062 Montana:Montana Wilderness Association names new directorhttp://helenair.com/news/article_95dd4702-d1d6-11df-9788-001cc4c03286.html Wilderness groups hail bull trout protectionshttp://helenair.com/news/local/article_fb70fad0-d68d-11df-b370-001cc4c03286.html Washington State:Big snowmobile bash coming to Josephhttp://www.wallowacountychieftain.info/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=61&ArticleID=22429 Wallowa-Whitman forest becoming battleground for off-road-vehicle limits www.oregonlive.com/wallow-whitman_forest_becoming_battleground_for_off-road-vehicle_limits.html Michigan:ORV ordinance being prepared for West Branch http://www.ogemawherald.com/detail/86947.html andBridge project will put a crimp in ORV, snowmobile trails in Clare, Roscommon countieshttp://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2010/10/bridge_project_will_put_a_crim.html California:Brad Thompson writes an excellent oped in the Tahoe Daily TribuneGUEST COLUMN: Reopen area to snowmobileshttp://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20101009/NEWS/101009763/1059&parentprofile=1059 Utah:Concern grows over Forest Service road closureshttp://www.sjrnews.com/Concern-grows-over-Forest-Service-road-closures Idaho/Nevada:Group asks for extra time to digest Jarbidge planhttp://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls/article_c304e53b-fffe-570a-934d-411476e02151.html Virginia:The news-clip below concerns new plans on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Here is a thought for the day.... Do suppose George Washington and Tom Jefferson are rolling in their graves over having a National Forest named after them? Proposals for national forest draw questions http://www2.newsvirginian.com/news/2010/oct/06/proposals-national-forest-draw-questions-ar-544817/ Bonus:The headline in the news-clip below caught my eye. After a quick scan, I think we may have found something that fits the bill for the Obama Administration's America's Great Outdoor Initiatives. See, the initiative is supposed to get Americans recreating outdoors, improve wildlife habitat and fix global warming. The news-clip below would indicate the President could meet his goals on recreation, wildlife and CO2 emissions by building a bunch of new nuclear power plants! Clear cutting of timber on game lands makes for good huntinghttp://www.garnernews.net/Clear-cutting-of-timber-on-game-lands-makes-for-good-hunting |
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