I went to the meeting. See for yourself on this map:
BLM Map, NW Section You'll likely have to use the zoom and pan functions to see much, but it looks like they are closing a lot of miles of trails that I've never even seen in the first place. I know it stinks, but at least the BLM invited 4WD people specifically to one of their meetings.
Looks like Martinez is pretty much lost for sure. There's a triple threat of "problems" that have led to this:
1. The private land owners in the canyon have asked the BLM for help in controlling access to the public land, because by allowing/encouraging travel across their own land to get to the BLM land, causes extensive damage to structures/equipment/the waterway, not to mention littering and human waste just from the sheer number of people that now use the area.
2. There is an old Indian dwelling up a ways from the old mill. A guy at the meeting with the BLM says that up until about 15 or so years ago it was complete and undisturbed. Now it's been stripped bare and even dug out to some degree to excavate anything worth carrying out.
3. There's some sort of riparian habitat up in there. Birds.
Bright spots were that they want to increase signage, designate harder trails prominently, some with opening obstacle/portals, so people don't get a mile into, say, Woodpecker, then realize that their Subaru Outlander isn't probably going to look the same when the trail is over. They also mentioned that things like that could be in places they could regularly maintain so people won't be as likely to bypass them. That should cut down a little on trailside left-behind and stripped vehicles.
The comment period for this plan lasts until May 8. You can email or write your thoughts to them about any change, plan or closure and they assured us it would be taken into consideration. We cannot send in any duplicate mailings or petitions, as they only count as one submission. Any response has to be up to you. They also ask that you be very specific about what you write, and be detailed, not just : "Don't close any trails, because that would be bad." Refer to route numbers on the map. Read the entire document stuff if you want and specifically respond to a point they have made for a closure, for example. Make suggestions, like someone asked if Martinez could be gated and accessed by permit, like Bulldog Canyon is. Suggest it officially, they said.
Contact Page Also, someone asked about adopting trails, and the local person said they were waiting on BLM to get them the documents so they could tell everybody what it take to do so.
Closed trails can be reopened in the future (yeah, right) they said; they just want to get a handle on different things in different areas.
People at the meeting were respectful, but weren't very happy. Lots of red shirts. But only one Montero in the parking lot.
John B.
