Off-Roaders Fight Ecos for Calif. Canyon

The Associated Press ^ | December 17, 2006 | GILLIAN FLACCUS

[Westlander]

Whoever named Surprise Canyon got it right. Mere miles from bone-dry Death Valley, the canyon cradles two unexpected jewels: a gushing mountain stream and what's left of a once-bustling silver mining town.

Environmental groups allege that, before they won protection for the area in 2001, off-roaders destroyed the canyon by cutting trees, dumping boulders in the water and using winches to drag their Jeeps up the waterfalls.

[Westlander]

This would make an excellent commercial for Daimler/Chrysler.

[Ben Mugged]

off-roaders destroyed the canyon by cutting trees, dumping boulders in the water and using winches to drag their Jeeps up the waterfalls.

If in fact they did this, they deserve to lose access to the area.

[DrGunsforHands]

Obvious solution: Charge an exorbitant amount for permits to do this and use those funds to repair any damage done by these activities. Works great for funding preservation for endangered species (through allowing extremely limited hunting and charging a butt load for permits to hunt them).

[spanalot]

it sounds like flooding does more damgae than the jeeps

[umgud]

I used to go to this area a long time ago. It is an historic area as well as being visually stimulating. I used 4x4's to get thru here to hunt deer at the higher elevations.

[kerryusama04]

Attention CA Quad enthusiasts:

If you like 4 wheelin', tobacco products, guns, limited government, and Tom Mclintock, then I recommend moving to Missouri and eating my dust.

If you only like some of the above (like Arnold instead of McClintock or don't like smokers), I recommend moving to Johnson County, Kansas, across from KC, MO, and commuting to Missouri to eat my dust.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Example of Green Think:

"..Environmental groups allege that, before they won protection for the area in 2001, off-roaders destroyed the canyon by cutting trees, dumping boulders in the water and using winches to drag their Jeeps up the waterfalls. They are seeking to intervene in the off-roaders' lawsuit.

Since 2001, the canyon has regenerated, with new vegetation attracting wildlife.

"It's almost unbelievable what's up there. It's precious, it's pristine," said Tom Budlong, an activist who regularly hikes the canyon about 200 miles northeast of his Los Angeles home. "I shudder to think of the extreme four-wheelers getting back into the canyon and making a road where there is now no road.".."

So it was destroyed and now it is pristine. The Greens are Shrill, liars, and a tremendous drag on the economy.

[sgtbono2002]

Well You are right I guess the old raods the four wheelers made just dissappeared and the trees they cut must be some fast frowing bad boys to have grown that much in 5 years.

Its too bad some people dont realise that these places can be shared with a little planning and proper regulation.

[Darteaus94025]

off-roaders destroyed the canyon by cutting trees, dumping boulders in the water and using winches to drag their Jeeps up the waterfalls.

If in fact they did this, they deserve to lose access to the area.

If in fact they did this, there was nothing left to save.

[Iconoclast2]

If in fact people think they can promote a Free Republic while freaking out because someone rolls a boulder into a rocky creekbed, they are crazy.

[tubebender]

Too bad the reporter didn't ask for proof of degradation by the ORVs...

[Spirochete]

Attention CA Quad enthusiasts: If you like 4 wheelin', tobacco products, guns, limited government, and Tom Mclintock, then I recommend moving to Missouri and eating my dust.

Attention CA residents of any stripe: stay away from Texas.

[italianquaker]

Chairwoman Barbara Boxer will be conducting investigations,elections have consequences

[kerryusama04]

Too bad the reporter didn't ask for proof of degradation by the ORVs...

Dude, whatever you do, do NOT, repeat NOT, coin a new acronym for vehicles that the left hates. I remember the days when Pathfinders and Suburbans were Pathfinders and Suburbans and not "SUV's". Nothing good comes after the left can easily classify something into a negatively connotated category. Make them say "Off road vehicle" or "four wheel drive", but don't offer up any more acronyms.

[kerryusama04]

Attention CA residents of any stripe: stay away from Texas.

You know, TX might be a better fit. We have little use for Spanish (so far) in Missouri. Texas on the other hand...

[Myrddin]

Before I got married in 1978, I was the proud owner of a BSA 500 single. I had to pay a big "offroad" fee to ride it. The CA DMV claimed this fee would be used to acquire land where I could ride my offroad bike. I have yet to see any evidence that this was anything but a tax. Where are the promised offroad parks?

The damn greenies are like the anti-gun types. They are all wound up about protecting huge expanses of barren desert from use by offroad recreational users. The land is completely fallow. It's use hurts nobody. Stupid busybodies and control freaks.

[ASOC]

To dip a toe in the water

I lived for years in So Nev (stationed at Nellis AFB) -across from the base in the early 70s was a lot of desert that we would go 4 wheeling on.

SCORE showed up to stage a race. They cut fences next to the interstate, spectator/pit crews left huge mounds of trash. folks in motor-homes emptied holding tanks on the ground.....generally speaking, trashed the place.

The local LV 4x4/jeep club cleaned up the worst of the mess, blocked the pits (large dust pits caused by traffic) and fixed the fences. They also told SCORE to never return.

I find the story that the area was trashed believable. I only takes a few asshats to ruin an otherwise fun outdoor/4x4 vacation in a hurry. And FWIW, Califlowerland seems to be full of those asshats - not every 4x4 enthusiast, mind you, but lots..

In the end, the local clubs in conjunction with the local Gov't got an area just North of the base set up as an off road park, for MC, ATVs and "jeeping". Seems to work.

The rest of the areas we used to use are now off limits with pretty good fines attached. 'Course Las Vegas has over a million folks living there now.

[george76]

Surprise Canyon Road is an Inyo County public road.

The county has passed a resolution that claims all roads within Inyo County as RS2477 roads...

http://www.fopv.org/action.html

[Misterioso]

Not much of a canyon if it can be destroyed by a vehicle. I drove up that canyon in 1954 with my dad's military Dodge weapons carrier, driving in the creek some of the time. Blew a tire rolling over a bush stob and spent the night in the bed of the truck. Don't remember very many trees, though.

[george76]

Public access battle more intense than ever before

A long time ago in a canyon not so far away, two United States senators from Nevada promoted the building of a steep, narrow road into what would become a raging, rip-roaring silver mining camp called Panamint City...

Among those struggling to find their way through its twists and turns are, on one side, a number of environmental protection organizations led by the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a lawsuit in 2001 resulting in the canyon's closure to vehicle traffic.

http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2006/03/10/news/canyon.html