Havasu 4 Wheelers

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Welcome to the Havasu 4 Wheelers

Updated Notice To All Off-Road Enthusiasts
8/27/2010

Phase One is complete. The LHC BLM has extended the written comment period to October 31, 2010. This is an extension from the original 30 to 74 days. This was a major accomplishment and will greatly assist your club in its next phase of work. I want to thank each and everyone of you who wrote in requesting the extension.

To review, the BLM, as part of its Travel Management Program, has released a series of maps showing three alternatives to managing the existing trails and off road routes in the Lake Havasu area. Of the released maps three identify proposed open, limited, and closed trails. The fourth shows the BLM's recommended alternative. These 4 maps are available on-line by logging onto the Lake Havasu BLM Field Office website www.blm.gov/az/st/en/fo/lake_havasu_field.htm . The BLM also stated that hard copy maps will be available for public viewing at the Havasu Library, the Chamber, and at their local BLM office. The maps are divided as follows: Map A is no change from present, map B is weighted to preservation, Map D is weighted towards high access and Map C is n the middle and the preferred BLM option. We have made the decision to support map C and to concentrate on documenting the need to return to open status suggested closed trails or portions thereof that we turned in five years ago. Within a week the BLM hopes to have maps on line that are enlarged from 1-62,500 to 1-12,000 and much easier to read. These will be in UTM not Latitude and Longitude. Your GPS and associated program should be able to convert.

Phase Two now begins - Members of the H4W Public Lands Committee will be comparing our H4W known trail database in the study area against the trails proposed to remain in Map Alternative C (the BLM Recommended Alternative). Our focus will be to locate our trails BLM proposes to close, or those portions of trails to be closed. Once these specific trails and segments are identified we will compare them against our database to determine the impacts. The goal will be to identify which of our routes, or portions of them, that are slated for closure, document why we think they should remain in the trail inventory, and formulate the appropriate responses for the BLM to consider. Darryld Kautzmann will be selecting a team to address this task. This will be no easy job as the BLM has taken all the trails and chopped them into small segments - "routes" in BLM jargon. Let's say Challenger to Jupiter Mine - it could consist of over 250 segments ("routes"). The BLM has identified 3688 routes. Your Public Lands Committee will provide information on the closed sections (routes) and trails and will provide suggested terminology you can consider adapting in your letters.

Non-H4W members need to get involved by contacting the BLM, getting the information, and providing constructive reasons back to the BLM prior to October 31st why specific routes should remain open. And join a club or form one! Havasu critically needs ATV, dirt bike, and UTV organizations.

This is our last real opportunity to have input on the trails our club has worked on and devoted five years of effort to preserve. Time is limited as not only must hundreds of route segments be verified, some ground proofing 4X4 explorations into the desert may also be required.

We will keep you informed as to requests for further support as they are identified.

Bruce Speirs

President

Havasu 4 Wheelers

Havasu 4 Wheelers is Organized as a non-profit organization for the purpose of:

Providing for the social, educational and recreational activities of its membership.
Participating in and supporting civic activities for the betterment of the community.
Enjoying and protecting the natural resources.
Supporting and promoting the multiple uses principle as applied to Public Land.