Legislation Protecting Johnson Valley OHV Area Advances
Bill To Protect California's Johnson Valley From Takeover Advances In U.S. House
[caption id="attachment_26235" align="alignright"
width="300"]
Kurt Caselli racing in California's
Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle recreation area - Photo: Mark
Kariya[/caption]
A bill to block a U.S. Marine Corps takeover of California's
Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle
recreation area was approved by the U.S. House Committee on Natural
Resources on May 15, the American Motorcyclist Association
reports.
The bill, H.R. 1676, introduced by Rep. Paul Cook (R-Calif.), now
goes to the full House for consideration.
The measure would designate Johnson Valley as a national
off-highway vehicle recreation area, protecting it from a takeover,
but would authorize limited military use of the area.
Several years ago, the U.S. Department of the Navy began the formal
process to take over some 365,906 acres of public land near San
Bernardino to use for live-fire training for the Marines.
The move threatens the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Riding
area, a long-standing and popular area that is across the San
Bernardino Mountains from Los Angeles.
The Navy filed an application with the U.S. Interior Department
seeking control of the public land in question, which is now under
the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Navy
also is seeking to control some 72,186 acres of non-federal land in
case one day it is acquired by the federal government.
The land, which equals about 658 square miles, borders the Marine
Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, and includes a
large portion of land in the 189,000-acre Johnson Valley area.
Ultimately, Congress will decide whether the Navy should get
control of the land.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
