HOW IMPORTANT IS OFF-ROADING TO YOU?

If Glamis and Johnson Valley, and Dumont and Ocotillo Wells (pick your favorite OHV spot) closed would you care? Does the amount of money you have invested in OHV toys, trailers and RV’s really mean anything to you? Would you just…give it all away? You certainly couldn’t sell it. With no riding areas, the stuff would be worthless.

Don’t think it will happen? Guess again. Remember Rice Dunes? How about Kelso Dunes? How about Stoddard Valley? White Water? Ring any bells?

If you’re not scared, you should be. What do you know about Microbembex elegans and Stictiella villegasi (they are bees)? And how about Prasinalia imperialis and Agrilus harenus? (They are beetles.) How about the Flat Tailed Horned Lizard? The bugs were just (4) of (16) insects that the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) would like to see listed as Endangered at Glamis, and using that, to close Imperial Sand Dunes down completely. The Lizard is part of that crowd. The CBD is working hard to get those and other species listed to be used to close riding areas. Those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Quote from the CBD website:
“Off-road vehicles have become a leading threat to the ecological integrity of many of our country’s most biologically rich public lands. The Center is working diligently to protect these valuable areas.”

Just how diligently is the CBD working? They have a staff of over 100. Their legal staff has 32 members. Twenty seven of them are attorneys. They have net assets of over 13 MILLION dollars. Yes. Count that again 13 MILLION!

What does the ASA have to stand against that? We have a paid staff of… ONE. A yearly budget of less than $200,000. Our legal team consists of ONE lawyer who works on OHV issues PART TIME on a contract basis.

So, I ask again. How important is off roading to you? Eh…maybe you don’t care. Maybe, when all the OHV areas close, you’ll just go hiking across the dunes. After all, that’s what the CBD wants you to do.

If you do care. If you want to protect your investment. If you want to continue to enjoy your OHV recreation with your family and friends, DO something. Get INVOLVED. Stop by the ASA booth and sign up to be a volunteer. We need HELP! No effort is too small. If you absolutely have no time to contribute, then consider that premium gas today is about $4.00/gal. An ASA Supporting Membership is $25.00. You can’t pitch in 7 gallons of gas? Or is all that OHV stuff, the trailer, the helmets, gloves, gear, RV… just not worth it?

Apathy. That’s what the CBD is banking on. They are waiting us out. They hope you’ll throw this in the trash, while you think someone else will step up. When they slam that last closure stake home, will you still have toys, sitting in the trailer?