Successful clean-up effort held at Sand Mountain Recreation Area in Nevada
Sept.
9, 2003 – Hundreds of off-highway vehicle enthusiasts took part in a clean-up
day over the Labor Day holiday at a popular federal Bureau of Land Management
recreation area about 25 miles from Fallon, Nevada, the BlueRibbon Coalition
reports.
Hosted by Friends of Sand Mountain, the clean-up effort filled a 40-yard garbage bin with trash and other debris collected at the Sand Mountain Recreation Area, the coalition said.
The Friends of Sand Mountain had raffle prizes for those who collected a bag of garbage, plus the organization held other raffle and silent auction events to raise money to help the group in its effort to keep the recreational area open for future generations, the coalition said. Recently, the Center for Biological Diversity and other anti-access organizations have been pressuring the Bureau of Land Management to close some or all of the 4,700-acre area to OHV use.
The BlueRibbon Coalition and California Off-Road Vehicle Association have also been working with the Friends of Sand Mountain to develop a plan that encourages the Bureau of Land Management to manage the area with a sensible user education and signing program. The program would allow for a viable trail system and protect resources. The main species at the center of this controversy is the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly and its habitat of Kearney Buckwheat.
Other
access groups supporting good management instead of closure include; Friends of
Oceano Dunes, Escarabajo Buggy Club, American Sand Association, Off-Road
Business Association, DUNERS, AMA and Reno Dust Devils Motorcycle Club.
Don Amador, the western representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, stated, “Friends of Sand Mountain should be commended for hosting this program which teaches land stewardship and also educates the riders that they need to support the fight to preserve our access to public lands.”
Jon Crowley, president of Friends of Sand Mountain, said, “I’m proud of the many families who came out this weekend to help show that OHVers are true stewards of the land. Seeing youngsters alongside mom and dad picking up garbage shows that we are teaching our children the importance of caring for the land we use and enjoy. They are also learning the we often have to fight anti-access groups to keep our areas open for future generations.”
For more information on Friends of Sand Mountain go to: www.SandMountain-NV.org.