Red Rock Canyon - CA (1 Viewer)

[jmylie]

Center for Biological Diversity Encouraging the closure of Red Rock Canyon to Vehicular Use!

Red Rock Canyon State Park is amending their General Plan.

Comments needed in support of designating the route system throughout the Park to keep the roads open.

Red Rock Canyon State Park is not only rich in beautiful geology, but it is even richer in it's mining history and culture and we the people deserve to be able to responsibly tour the Park by motorized means.

CBD is on a all out letter writing campaign to ban all vehicle access to the park
Here is link to CBD release Center for Biological Diversity
Pretty scary stuff !

Letters and emails must be received by January 5th.
Please write your comments to both of the following,

Rdingman@Parks.Ca.Gov

RedRock@edaw.com

More info. Red Rock Canyon State Park General Plan Revision


The El Pasos received some recent snow, the last time we remember it being like this is (6-8" at Burro Schmidt's) in the mid-90's (92?) and it is really beautiful in the mountains around Ridgecrest. The Red Rocks State Park Management Plan is in its comment period, and we need your input. The following note came in from one of our members and I thought it important enough to pass along.
"The Center for Biological Diversity is urging it's members to write letters encouraging the closure of the entire 27, 000 acres of Red Rock Canyon to vehicular use. The Center notes the Management Plan will govern use of the area for the next 20 years, and cites 2 endangered plants and the Mohave Ground Squirrel as some of the reasons to close the area. They are using buzzwords such as "defacto roads" and stating vehicles are destroying the pristine environment and killing desert tortoises.

Please see if you can make the time to write your own letter supporting the continued use of vehicles in Red Rock Canyon. Email your comments to: EDAW | Design, Planning and Environments Worldwide

or mail them to:
Russ Dingman,
California State Parks, Tehachapi District,
43779 15th Street West,
Lancaster, California, 93534-4754.

For more info go to: Red Rock Canyon State Park General Plan Revision

Here's an example of one person's comment:

I have been visiting Red Rocks State Park for over 20 years at least
once a month. I have never seen NEVER evidence of a tortoise killed on
one of the existing access roads to this beautiful area. I do suggest we
should limit access to roads that were established by the 1980's, such as
the 4wd routes through lower Last Chance Canyon. Thank You
Charles Hattendorf
Friends of Last Chance Canyon

Thanks for taking the time to write some comments.

Merry Christmas,

Greg Weirick
Advocates for Access to Public Lands
AAPL Home

 

[SinCityFJC]

Done & posted up on other forums.

 

[65swb45]

Probably too wordy for most, but here's my reply:

Russ Dingman,
California State Parks, Tehachapi District,
43779 15th Street West,
Lancaster, California, 93534-4754

Dear Mr. Dingman,

I am writing today in hopes that my comments will be included in the decision-making process that will follow the comment period on the Red Rock Canyon State Park. I have been a patron of this area since 1983, exploring virtually every corner of the Park that was legally accessible at some point. My family and I have had the pleasure of experiencing Red Rock in every season of the year, and in it's myriad weather conditions. We have many fond memories of friendships born and strengthened in this special place, and many more of its unique sights.

One of the things that has most impressed me over our 25 years of exploring Red Rock is how this area, once scarred by unregulated OHV use has been slowly but steadily changed into an area that recognizes a myriad of motorized and non-motorized uses, as well as special plant an animal habitats. Sometimes those efforts went off awkwardly at first, and sometimes they didn't work at all. But overall, the Park has become a more enjoyable place to visit on many levels because of the effort that thousands of volunteers and government officials have put in side by side to make it so. The Park as it currently stands is a testament to the partnership between government stewards and proactive recreationalists.

Moreover, the management of this State Park now benefits directly from the most multi-faceted stakeholder group I have ever seen, The Friends of Jawbone. As you are well aware, this coalition of public and private stakeholders has made enormous strides in streamlining the process of getting things done in the park for the benefit for all users. Because the FOJ is able to bring together land managers from all the areas surrounding the Park, they have been able to provide a new level of oversight to the planning process that helps ensure that management decisions in one area do not go without consideration of possible repercussions in the adjacent areas. This kind of cooperation should not be remarkable, but it is.

In sum, I think that the Park Service has done an excellent job of managing this area, and with the continuing contributions of manpower and coordinated oversight from organizations like the Friends of Jawbone, can be expected to continue doing so. I believe that the balanced planning options that have been put into place over the last 25 years in Red Rock Canyon has fostered the level of cooperation that all patrons have been able to witness and share in the results of. I hope for the sake of all concerned, that no drastic changes are made during the upcoming process, as I see only good things in continuing the management of the Park in the manner that has lead to this point.

It is my understanding that your agency is being pressured by anti-recreationalists to close additional routes of travel to motorized use within the park. It is most unfortunate that they have not been involved in the land use planning process long enough to know how much effort went into the balancing process by your agency that produced the existing system of trails. I sincerely hope that your agency can stand firm in it's commitment to balanced, responsible access and sharing of resources in maintaining the existing system of trails within the area. I know that the Friends of Jawbone have been working on an area-wide trail system that will help to improve visitors' experiences in the area even further. I also have faith in their even-handed approach to access to the extent that I believe that once they are done developing a coordinated trail system for the area with the other stakeholders in the process, they will undoubtedly be forthcoming with their own suggestions for appropriate trail closures in the area. I really do believe this.

Thank you for taking the time to read my comments.

Sincerely,

Mark Algazy, Esq.