JOHNSON VALLEY - RATIONALE FOR STRONG OHV ADVOCACY

 

Marine Corps Booth at 2024 KOH

OPINION

Don Amador

Feb. 4, 2024

Email: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

OHV recreation in California is replete with seminal moments that have impacted motorized access to public lands for better or worse. Such key events include creation of the CA Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Program in 1971, passage of the 1994 CA Desert Protection Act, the complete overhaul of the CA OHV program via passage of SB 742 by the legislature in 2007, closure of the BLM’s Clear Creek OHV Area in 2009, and passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in 2014 that created the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area.

Marine Corps Representative Talks with CA OHV Commission

2024 KOH at BLM's Johnson Valley OHV Area

 

On a recent visit to the Johnson Valley OHV Area as part of a CA OHMVR Commission Tour of the King of the Hammers off-road racing event, I was again impressed by the strong partnership that exists between the Marine Corps, BLM, State Parks, local law enforcement, OHV community, racing promoters, powersports industry, and local businesses.

March 2008 Public Scoping Meeting for Combat Expansion Proposal

Over 15 years ago, many OHV grassroots groups got their memberships and elected officials engaged (circa 2008 – 2012) in the early planning process for the Combat expansion proposal that threatened to

permanently close all or part of the Johnson Valley OHV Area to the public.  Besides asking our members to send letters, a strong coalition of OHV recreation groups sent in the following position statement to the Marine planning team as listed below.

AMA D37 Dual Sport Club Attends March 2008 Scoping Meeting

California OHV Recreation Stakeholder Group

                                  October 2008 Position Statement on Johnson Valley Issue

 

 We the undersigned strongly oppose the withdrawal of the Bureau of Land Management, Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area by the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms.

 While we respect the need to train our troops, we believe the Marine Corps must clearly demonstrate a need for the expansion of the base.  If such expansion is warranted then we support, in general, expansion in an eastward direction from the base.

 Eastward expansion presents the least conflict with multiple use of the public lands in the Johnson Valley area, and further, has the least impact on local communities and their residential and economic interests. 

 We will participate actively in the continuing development of alternatives for the proposed expansion as necessary.

While we respect the need to train our troops, we believe the Marine Corps must clearly demonstrate a need for the expansion of the base.  If such expansion is warranted then we support, in general, expansion in an eastward direction from the base.

 Eastward expansion presents the least conflict with multiple-use of the public lands in the Johnson Valley area, and further, has the least impact on local communities and their residential and economic interests. 

 We will participate actively in the continuing development of alternatives for the proposed expansion as necessary.

 

Signed,

 

American Motorcyclist Association, American Motorcyclist Association District 36,  American Motorcyclist Association District 37 Competition, American Motorcyclist Association District 37 Dual Sport, American Sand Association, Blue Ribbon Coalition, California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, California Off Road Vehicle Association, California Trail Users Coalition, Friends of Giant Rock, Friends of Johnson Valley, High Desert Multiple Use Coalition, Off Road Business Association, Partnership For Johnson Valley, and San Diego Off-Road Coalition.

 

For those who ask why they should be involved in, or support, government relations, volunteerism, and building partnerships, I believe this issue provides the rationale for that engagement.

Marine Map of Johnson Valley Shared Use Area

 

The thousands of comment letters sent in by the OHV community to the planning process and elected officials combined with the hard work by your OHV advocacy corps back in the day is why millions of motorized recreation enthusiasts continue to enjoy use of public lands at Johnson Valley and elsewhere in CA and the West.  And, is why their presence – and member participation/support - continues to help preserve and protect access to sustainable OHV recreation for current and future generations.

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Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don served as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. Don is a Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine.