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ASA Continues Fight to Re-Open
Public Land for ATV Use
Environmental Activists Appeal to Emotion,
Ignore Science
La Verne, CA (3/26/2008)
– As the 2007-08 Dune Season draws to a
close, thousands of families have visited the
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) this
year. While there are still no on-theground changes
as of yet, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
recently opened the way for a new Recreation Area
Management Plan (RAMP) to be drafted by finalizing
its habitat designation for Peirson’s Milk
Vetch (PMV). This designation is based on the
past seven years of intensive study on PMV by
several different scientists, as well as an economic
impact study as required by the Endangered Species
Act.
Officials from the Center for Biological
Diversity (CBD), Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility (PEER), Desert Survivors, and the
Sierra Club unjustifiably claim, “the critical
habitat does not allow for an adequate recovery
plan of the plant” and that the USFWS's
Economic Analysis published January 10, 2008,
is, “fraudulent and does not take into account
all the costs involved.”
Further, they label the latest,
peer approved plant data as "junk science."
These same organizations offered no scientific
data of their own in support of such staunch claims.
They simply made their claim in expectation that
it would be believed without verification. They
have, in fact, filed notice of intent to sue and
waste more taxpayer money on a needless lawsuit
in an attempt to hold up the RAMP.
Until all of these issues are resolved,
and the new RAMP is in place, the American Sand
Association (ASA) is reminding all dune users
to abide by the existing closures, to pack out
their trash, and to obey the traffic laws in the
dunes. For more information on the rules at the
dunes, please visit the ASA website at www.americansandassociation.org
or the Bureau of Land Management website at www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/recreation/ohvs/isdra/dunesinfo.html.
About the American Sand
Association:
The American Sand Association is a non-profit
organization of approximately 32,000 members dedicated
to preserving the use of public lands for sand
sport enthusiasts’ use, improving OHV safety
and promoting responsible land use. Some local
sand sport areas include the Imperial Sand Dunes,
Oceano Dunes (Pismo Beach) and Dumont Dunes in
California, Sand Mountain in Nevada and Hotwell
Dunes in Arizona. The ASA is an all-volunteer
organization with no paid staff. We rely on the
financial support of sand sport enthusiasts and
small businesses. Most of the members are family-oriented,
have a rich family history going back for generations
enjoying the sand sport; and most have a significant
financial investment in their equipment, gear
and campers. Additional information can be found
on our web site at www.americansandassociation.org.
www.americansandassociation.org
La Verne, CA 91750
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