Protecting the Environment

The recent attempt to sabotage the Barstow to Las Vegas motorcycle race could have resulted in serious injury or death. This totally reprehensible act is a discredit to the environmental movement. While not condoning sabotage, one must ask what would drive a person to do such a thing.

I believe this resulted from long years of frustration with the mismanagement of the California desert by the Bureau of Land Management. From 1967 to 1975 Californians watched thousands of dirt bikers destroy desert soils, plants and animals over the many miles between Barstow and Las Vegas. This race was run repeatedly with BLM approval even though environmental impact statements said the desert couldn’t withstand this damage. Finally, the race was banned by the BLM for being too big and too destructive. This was followed by a period when the race was run illegally under the leadership of the so called “Phantom Duck.” The BLM succumbed to this illegal action and has granted race permits since 1983.

Most recently the motorcyclists bulldozed a six-mile stretch of the East Mojave National Scenic Area in order to remove bumps. This action was taken before a grading permit was granted. The BLM, in an attempt to divert attention from the fact that it was not aware of this illegal activity in the land that it manages, hit the motorcyclists with an $1,800 fine, a mere slap on the wrist.

It is apparent that we now have illegal activity on both sides of the race issue and that the initials BLM stand for Bureau of Land Mismanagement in the minds of many observers.

ROBERT J. STULL

Los Angeles