Comp Hill Closed Nightly - Glamis

[Crowdog]

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (Glamis):

COMPETITION HILL TO BE CLOSED NIGHTLY DURING ALL 3-DAY WEEKENDS
STARTING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND!!!!!

On November 19, 2002 the Imperial County Supervisors voted in an
ordinance to close Competition Hill from one half hour before sunset
to one half hour after sunrise. This will be a misdemeanor fine if
violated.

The county supervisors wanted the OHV community to know that this
was NOT directed at the OHV community in anyway, but to stop all the
RAVE party's that have been chronically happening for the last few
years.

The Law Enforcement Officials have stated that the use at
Competition Hill has changed to a party area and very few OHV's now
recreate there or go up the Hill.

[Str8Wicked]

I guess everyone will be at Olds.. shyt I wanna see them try to stop Comp Hill on a holiday weekend.. This is going to be fun to watch... lol


I'm taking my video camera for sure now...lol

[SAND LUVR]

NO!!! this sucks :mad: time to party at olds:D

[fooracer]

man that really sux alot. there gonna have fun trying to get enough guys to patrol olds and keep people from getting into comp. I was really mad at first to hear about Comp. but now im just excited to see how pissed off all the guys the party at comp will be when they hear that the night that the try to go, this shoudl be a fun weekend!:D :devil

[Str8Wicked]

There is no possible way they will have enough ranger to patrol comp. All they will do is patrol the main route to comp which is where all the whoops are towards the HWY. That's what I've seen the do to check for people drinking.

[Crowdog]

County closes Competition Hill

By LAURA MITCHELL

Staff Writer

Competition Hill, a spot for some of the wildest parties at the Imperial Sand Dunes, will be closed at night this Thanksgiving holiday to help gain control of lawlessness in the dunes.

The nighttime closure, effective immediately, was declared in a resolution as an emergency item by the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after law enforcement officials realized the number of people visiting the dunes is increasing.

"We think there will be huge crowds. The two weekends surrounding Halloween this year were bigger than expected, so we think Thanksgiving will be bigger, too," county Sheriff Harold Carter said.

Last year the four-day Thanksgiving holiday at the dunes was the most violent weekend ever there as fewer than 40 law enforcement officers tried to control more than 200,000 visitors.

The weekend saw a shootout in which a man lost his life, stabbing incidents and someone in a BMW — trying to evade a speeding ticket — running over a bureau ranger.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management Supervising Ranger Bob Haggerty said the problems are a lot like what used to happen in Palm Springs during spring break and what happens in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

Last Thanksgiving we counted up to 10,000 people partying at Comp Hill, Haggerty said.

Most of the people at the dunes are law-abiding and are there to ride. The problem is the smaller percentage of visitors who come to the dunes to party, he said.

Carter agreed, saying the rave parties in the bowl at the bottom of North Competition Hill don't have anything to do with off-roading.

"It's not safe for off-roaders, law enforcement officers or paramedics," he said.

Carter said once Comp Hill is closed at night, the rave crowd will probably move to other locations in the dunes known for parties. These areas might have to be looked at for closure as well.

Haggerty said the BLM is working to close five problem areas at night in the dunes by the New Year's holiday: North Competition Hill, South Competition Hill, Oldsmobile Hill, Test Hill and Patton Valley.

Carter said he would like to get to the point where the areas can be open all the time but he must think of safety first.

American Sand Association President Jerry Seaver said he heard rumors about a possible nighttime closure but was surprised by the decision. Seaver said he was told by law enforcement there would be some discussion before anything happened.

"We've never been for any closures but we understand what's motivating this," he said.

Off-road groups have been fighting against environmental closures imposed in recent years.

Local off-roading advocate Chuck Mobley of Brawley said he considers the action just another closure, but added, "If it will stop the rowdiness and lawlessness, I would be all for it — if it works."

Center for Biological Diversity Desert ecologist Daniel Patterson said the board's action shows the situation at the dunes had gotten out of control.

But, Patterson added, he was not sure what authority the supervisors had to close federal land.

"It's dangerous to hand over federal land decisions to a local authority," he said.

Conservationists are concerned the BLM does not become "puppets of the county board," Patterson said.

He said he is concerned the parties will move to another, more environmentally sensitive area of the dunes.

County Supervisor Wally Leimgruber, whose district includes the sand dunes, said Comp Hill will be closed for a half-hour before sunset until a half-hour after sunrise.

Haggerty didn't say how officers will keep people out of the bowl, only that it is still being planned.

The board is also considering asking for county Fire Chief Joe Buzo's support to declare a state of emergency. The county declared a state of emergency in December 2001 because of increasing chaos at the Imperial Sand Dunes following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

>> Staff Writer Laura Mitchell can be reached at 337-3452 or lauramitchell9@yahoo.com



http://www.ivpressonline.com/display/inn_news/news05.txt

[AndrewRRR]

This is why everyone needs to join the ASA and the Blue Ribbon Coalition. http://www.americansandassociation.org/ It's free and it helps!
We need to protect land closures not only from the envioronmentalists, but from the idiots that get stupid and ruin it for everybody. I don't want to see my local riding areas closed because people can't party responsibly.

[400grl]

Oh WOW! Glad I camp at Ogilby! I stay far away from Glamis at night!!!!! Although, if they close Test hill that's not cool - most of the people at test hill are there to race....not so much partying going on......7 days and counting till I put on my paddles and go to the sand!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!

[QuadTrix6]

that sucks....for whoever rides there

[Str8Wicked]

My paddles will be going on Mon. along with a Shyt load of polish... lol... Well like I said before.. se you all at Olds....

[Crowdog]

DUNERS INFORMING DUNERS
Please make copies of this information and distribute
November 22, 2002
Imperial County Closes Federal Land

On Tuesday, November 19, 2002, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that places a dusk to dawn curfew at Competition Hill in the Glamis area of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.. Wally Leimgruber, an Imperial County Board of Supervisor, said, "the intent of the ordinance was to be for the Major Holidays only, not every night. The Board also wanted it to be structured so the curfew could be at the Imperial County Sheriff's discretion; expanded to more days or areas if needed." The ordinance as written, however, says that there will be a curfew every night. Leimgruber said the board of Supervisors is planning to amend the ordinance at the next Board of Supervisors meeting this Tuesday, November 26th 2002, to clarify their intent.

This unprecedented action by a local authority closing Federal land was done without any public comment or discussion. Imperial County says the curfew is necessary to protect the public from lawless behavior by a small portion of the people who recreate at the ISDRA. The County's action appears to have the blessing of, and was initiated by, the Imperial County Sheriff's Office. It was kept between them and the County Board of Supervisors. It was not discussed with, or proposed to, the American Sand Association in advance.

Since there are adequate rules and regulations already in place, The American Sand Association is opposed to additional curfews and additional laws. The ASA's main objection to the curfew is that it affects the law-abiding users of the ISDRA who enjoy "running Comp" at night for the fun and challenge. Moreover, the Bureau of Land Management has stated repeatedly that their "Zero Tolerance" enforcement methods, begun in January 2002, have had a significant positive impact reducing past problems.

"Since last year, we have been suggesting checkpoints at the entrance of Comp Hill to identify liquor violations, illegal activity, or other rule violations: but certainly not a curfew," says Bob Mason, ASA's Public Safety Committee Chairman.

The ASA will make every attempt to inform its members of the new ordinance as quickly as possible. "Our primary concern is that there is inadequate lead time to inform ISDRA visitors," says Jerry Seaver, ASA President. "Future actions of this nature must be coordinated with representatives of the stakeholders if we are going to communicate effectively and accomplish the desired results."

For the latest update on the Imperial County's revised ordinance go to www.americansandassociation.org

The ASA

[Crowdog]

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-me-dunes22nov22,0,5166983.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Dscie nce
THE STATE
Officials Impose New Curfew at Algodones Dunes
Efforts to quell unruly holiday gatherings at Competition Hill draw criticism from both environmentalists and off-road enthusiasts.
By Scott Gold
Times Staff Writer

November 22 2002

Now nobody's happy.

After years of hand-wringing and debate over the future of the stately Algodones Dunes, government officials in the southeastern tip of California said Thursday that they will attempt to rein in lawless free-for-alls at perhaps the most popular spot in the dunes for off-road enthusiasts.

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors said it has established a sunset-to-sunrise curfew at a destination known as Competition Hill, south of California 78. The curfew, which is already bringing howls of protest from both the off-road-vehicle community and environmental advocates, goes into effect immediately. Violating the curfew could bring misdemeanor charges and six months in jail.

The overnight restrictions were imposed just before Thanksgiving, which in recent years has brought huge crowds to "Comp Hill" and surrounding dunes in the Algodones system, which stretches nearly 40 miles from the Chocolate Mountains to the Mexican border.

Each year around Thanksgiving, as many as 200,000 off-roaders and spectators have created something of a Woodstock in pickup trucks, particularly around Competition Hill. Authorities say the gathering has become increasingly hazardous, in particular to law enforcement officers who try to impose some order.

By the time the holiday weekend was over last year, three people were dead and more than 200 injured, authorities said. There were scores of crashes, a shooting and an attack on a ranger. According to county records, law enforcement officers were surrounded at one point by "thousands of unruly recreationists threatening physical harm."

Similar gatherings are held around other holidays, and this year's Halloween crowd reached 75,000. That led to concerns that this year's Thanksgiving party could be bigger and more unruly than ever.

"There are assaults and vehicles damaged and all kinds of problems," said Imperial County Sheriff Harold Carter. "And then, when law enforcement tries to step in, the crowd turns on them. It makes it difficult to maintain the peace. It's just not worth the effort. Public safety mandates this."

The trouble is, the politics and emotions surrounding Competition Hill have become almost as complicated as those on Capitol Hill. The Board of Supervisors' decision has outraged off-road enthusiasts, who are embroiled in a bitter dispute with environmentalists about whether their high-tech, high-powered dune buggies and motorcycles damage the rare ecosystem.

Jerry Seaver, president of the American Sand Assn., which promotes off-road recreation, said enthusiasts should have been at the negotiating table all along.

The parties give the normally law-abiding community a bad name, and families end up paying the price, he said. The dunes have become one of the prime exhibits for those who believe government agencies are putting public land off-limits to the public, he said.

"We had no input in this," he said. "Even a curfew is a closure."

Environmentalists, meanwhile, have fought for years to protect land inhabited by albino grasshoppers and the Peirson's milk vetch, an endangered plant that features large pods whose seeds rattle in the breeze. Vehicles are killing these and other rare plants and animals that live only on the dunes, environmental organizations argue.

The conservation groups seemingly would be thrilled with the new restrictions. Not so.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday, the Idyllwild-based Center for Biological Diversity said it was a dangerous precedent for a county government to make land-use decisions on federal property.

"Our position is not against them trying to crack down," said Daniel Patterson, a desert ecologist at the center. "Our problem is that a county ordinance has had an immediate effect on federal land. Federal land-management decisions should be made and put into effect by federal agencies."

Environmentalists have essentially ceded Competition Hill to off-road enthusiasts because damage there is so heavy, Patterson said. The ban on nighttime use at Comp Hill, he said, will simply encourage people to spread to new areas, where they will do more damage.

"That place has been completely destroyed," he said. "So let them tear it up. They can't tear it up any more than they already have."

The federal government, meanwhile, remains at something of an impasse while weighing the future of the dunes.

The Bush administration has proposed overturning a Clinton-era legal settlement that bans off-road vehicles on about 50,000 acres of the dunes. The Bureau of Land Management wanted the plan in place by this fall but needs a sister agency to sign off on the proposal.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, however, according to agency documents, is considering issuing a "jeopardy opinion" saying, effectively, that the bureau's plan to reopen portions of the dunes could doom the milk vetch.

The BLM supports the plan to ban use of Comp Hill from sunup to sundown, said Stephen Razo, a spokesman at the Riverside-based California Desert District Office.

Despite the thorny politics, County Supervisor Wally Leimgruber said that the curfew is the right move -- and that the county has jurisdiction. Leimgruber himself has ridden dune buggies there, and frequently hikes and camps nearby. Last year around Thanksgiving, he waded into the fray -- and helped rescue a man who was being beaten by a mob.

Next week, the county may tinker with the ordinance to make clear that it will be applied only on busy holiday weekends, Leimgruber said.

"There is an element that chooses to come to Imperial County and engage in lawless activity," he said. "We simply will not tolerate it."

[Str8Wicked]

"There is an element that chooses to come to Imperial County and engage in lawless activity," he said. "We simply will not tolerate it."



I swear it wasn't me....

[Crowdog]

Cracking down in the dunes

By LAURA MITCHELL

Staff Writer

GLAMIS — Officials temporarily had closed a total of three areas of the Imperial Sand Dunes by early Saturday morning when rowdy crowds got out of control.

Last week the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, working with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, ordered a nighttime curfew at Competition Hill along Highway 78, the scene of the wildest parties in the sand dunes.

On Friday afternoon, officers closed a popular drag race area known as the Sand Drags when a fight almost got out of control.

"We haven't had any challenges to the Comp Hill curfew. However, the crowd moved to Oldsmobile Hill, as we thought it would," Imperial County Sheriff Chief Deputy Sharon Housouser said.

Oldsmobile Hill is about two miles south of Competition Hill.

Housouser said there were thousands of people gathered at the bottom of Oldsmobile Hill. It was becoming unsafe, so the entrances were closed at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, she said.

"We declared it an unlawful assembly and cleared everyone out," Housouser said.

The partiers dispersed without incident, she said.

But the crowd Friday afternoon at the Sand Drags in the north dunes was less than cooperative. Someone tried to do a wheelie and landed on another vehicle, BLM spokesman Stephen Razo said.

A female in the bottom vehicle suffered broken knees but was otherwise all right. Unfortunately, one of her relatives got upset and started a fight, Razo said.

Housouser said officers had to call for backup to get the crowd under control.

"When you have a fight like that going and a couple thousand people gathered around ... everyone starts cheering," she said. "We set up a perimeter in the crowd and got them out of there safely, then we closed the Sand Drags down."

She said police units lined up in front of the Sand Drags with a National Guard Humvee to stop vehicles and close it down. But the crowd did not disperse quietly.

Razo said there were multiple arrests at the drags.

"The crowd was becoming unruly but it never escalated beyond that," he said.

In both cases it was a situation where, in the interest of safety, law enforcement officers work to prevent unruly behavior, Razo said.

As of Saturday afternoon, 170,000 people had visited the dunes with more trickling in. There were 627 law enforcement incidents and 118 medical emergencies, he said.

[dariusld]

Oh WOW! Glad I camp at Ogilby! I stay far away from Glamis at night!!!!! Although, if they close Test hill that's not cool - most of the people at test hill are there to race....not so much partying going on......7 days and counting till I put on my paddles and go to the sand!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!! Were you there Saturday night at about 9 P.M.. This guy went up the hill full throttle, on a very fast banshee, and did not let off at the top of the hill. He flew a good 75 yards. 2 hours later here comes life flight. He must have been drunk or really stupid.

[400grl]

Ohhhh...wow - no. I didn't see that!!! I was bowling the big bowls between Test and Patton that night! Yeah....letting off at the top is a good thing........this weekend was awesome by the way!! Can't wait till New Year's!

Corry