🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <pjc.39.2EA2E84B@aloha.net> pjc@aloha.net (Patrick J. Chicas) writes:
>In article <37uj3j$ifa@mizar.usc.edu> mankin@mizar.usc.edu (Eric Mankin) writes:

***I am not denying that repeated use of any one route or small area will not 
***cause damage. Such is evident in the Lucerne Valley and El Mirage Dry Lake 
***area. Both are small designated ORV areas, that are overused.
*
**I've driven in the East Mohave <sic*in a 4WD vehicle; I've seen ruts
**carved in the hillsides by wheel tracks. Yes, the desert can absorb a
**certain amount of punishment, but I think the damage seen in the "overused"
**areas you point to is scary, and I honestly believe that you are underestim-
**ating the cumulative damage of increasing numbers of vehicles -- and
*
*First, what do you consider the East Mojave?

Draw a 25 mile circle around Kelso. What do you consider the East Mojave?

*Secondly, I completely realize that overused areas are a problem. I also, 
*support controls in overused areas such as those in effect protecting the
*Afton Canyon hillsides. However, simply closing areas, without opening or 
*encouraging use in other areas compounds the problem in overused areas.. Yet, 
*I think that is theplan, "put them in a box, then scream when the box wears 
*out.."

If you're talking about use of ORV's truly offroad, I've gotta say it makes
me nervous. As someone pointed out, dry washes aren't much of a concern,
but hillsides are. So is unbroken desert crust. I understand the frustration
of people running in a small area that's getting thrashed -- but the
thrashing *is* scary. If you want to talk carrying capacity, I don't think
the carrying capacity of the desert in terms of density of true ORV use
is very high. I'm not a geologist, but I can picture a situation twenty
years from now where uncontrolled ORV use in the Mojave created dust storms
that blotted out the sun for 100 miles downwind. And I'm not sure what
you could do about this in the way of mitigation.

As far as trails go, that's another story -- but as far as I know, there will
still be a lot of trails to a lot of different places after the new
New EM area is created, and there's still a chance to work to get trails
unjustifiably closed reopened. I am glad the bill passed.

**the numbers have been increasing. I'm sorry you don't like my attitude:
* 
*Spare the common anti-ORV rhetoric and your attitude will be paletable.
*
*Regards
*
*Pat

*
**I can't say that yours seems very likely to win converts.
**  Eric Mankin