Looking to ride, party and raise a few bucks and some needed awareness for a worthy cause? Load up the toy hauler with family, friends and toys and make way to the 2ND Annual BRP Fun Ride on December 13-14 at Cougar Buttes in Lucerne Valley, which is a part of the Johnson Valley OHV area. This year's event serves a dual purpose by increasing awareness of the proposed 29 Palms Marine base expansion into the Johnson Valley OHV area and providing support for the AMA District 37 Legal Defense Fund. The entire off-road community is invited, including dirt bike riders, trials riders, dual sport motorcycle riders, ATV riders, UTV riders, rock crawlers, Jeepers and 4X4 enthusiasts. Representatives from the AMA D-37, ORBA, CORVA and BRC will be at the event to help educate the OHV public on how they can be heard and what they can do to make a difference. Events will include rock crawling and trials demonstrations as well as organized rides and loops for various vehicle types.

EDITOR NOTE: Being one of the greatest threats to the off-road lifestyle, it is a logical action to post the Sierra Club's Conservation Policy concerning off-road vehicles (OHV) here and in the face of a fraction of the populace who commonly suffer by the actions of environmentalists. This document has been posted here exactly as it is seen upon the Sierra Club website. The URL has been provided at the bottom of the page for reference purposes.

Under scrutiny for political corruption in numerous endangered species decisions and facing a lawsuit for tampering with protected critical habitat, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to restore significant areas of critical habitat for the California red-legged frog. The Service today proposed quadrupling the protected areas by designating approximately 1,804,865 acres of critical habitat for the frog in 28 California counties.

LOS ANGELES — The Bush administration on Wednesday recommended another reduction in protections for the endangered Lane Mountain milk-vetch by downlisting it to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. This despite the fact that only four populations of the plant remain on the planet; that recent studies indicate that the number of individuals is declining; and at least 20 percent of the populations will be destroyed by tank maneuvers on Fort Irwin.

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Notice of Proposed Legislative Withdrawal to enable the eventual transfer of 365,906 acres of fragile public land in the Mojave Desert to the U.S. Marine Corps for bombing, tank training and other “live fire” exercises.  The lands identified by the Marine Corps for its Air Ground Combat Center training grounds near Twentynine Palms include habitat critical for survival of the threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and desert bighorn sheep. The Marine Corps says it needs the expansion for national security.

In a landmark event, thousands of Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) users across the world will participate in an online, Virtual Rally to voice their concerns over a popular OHV area in Southern California. On Wednesday March 12th, 2008 Pirate4x4.com, a leading website for the OHV community, will hold this rally from 2 to 6 PM PST. The Hammers trail system in Johnson Valley, California is being considered for requisition to expand the United States Marine Corps training facilities, which would effectively eliminate public access to Johnson Valley's unrivaled OHV Mecca.

For off-road enthusiasts, both Johnson Valley (Lucerne Valley) and Stoddard Valley (Barstow) are among the hottest off highway vehicle (OHV) recreation destinations in Southern California. Their proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles County, Orange County , San Bernardino County and San Diego County make them a perfect place to ride and race dirt bikes, ATVs, 4X4 vehicles, Jeeps, trucks and buggies.

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) located in Twentynine Palms, CA has submitted a withdrawal application to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to essentially put a hold on 422,000 acres while it studies those areas for possible acquisition into the base. A large portion of the Johnson Valley OHV area is being considered. Johnson Valley OHV area is approximately 189,000 acres and is located in the high desert of California, just east of Los Angeles. The area is a Mecca for off-road recreation and is home to many events including off-road racing and competitive rock crawling.

What follows is a carbon copy of an email sent from Maryetta Bowman to off-roaders, BLM and Clark County officals regarding the proposed land closure of Nelson Hill, Nellis Dunes and Eldorado Valley. Restricting access to these areas could cancel all forms of off-road vehicle recreation in the popular off highway vehicle (OHV) area and subsequently cancel all SNORE and MRAN desert off-road races. Bowman is a lifelong SNORE off-road racer, former Clark County Deputy Sheriff and former real estate agent.