West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

3.5.2.1 Motorized Vehicle Access NeedsMotorized vehicle access to public lands in the planning area is needed for a variety ofactivities. These include OHV touring, motorcycle events (e.g., challenges, speed, and othercompetitive events), trailheads and staging areas (for hiking, camping, equestrian riding, gemcollecting and rock hounding, hunting, etc.), private land access, utility maintenance, and mineralproduction.OHV Recreational Touring: OHV touring often occurs on flat terrain, but such touringalso takes place in mountainous terrain using jeeps and similar vehicles. Vehicles that allow formulti-terrain travel have a broad range of access needs since they can traverse different types ofterrain features.Motorcycle Events: OHV access is necessary, not only due to the distance that must betraveled to reach the site of a motorcycle speed, challenge, or other competitive event occurs, butalso because significant equipment and supplies must be brought to event staging areas. This istrue even for dual sport motorcycles, despite their “street legal” status, because a larger OHVmay still be necessary to transport related equipment and supplies to motorcycle parks, otherstaging areas, or trailheads. This is due largely to the distance that such recreationists travel toparticipate in their activity, and the motorcycle’s limited carrying capacity.Camping and Hiking: Visitors need OHV access to staging areas and trailheads, andmust bring supplies to camp in the Desert areas. Campers generally stay at locations that arefairly remote to obtain the level of solitude that is associated with the camping experience. In thedesert, these locations are typically not located along major highways. Hikers use OHVs toreach trailheads and staging areas that are often quite remote.Equestrian Riding: Equestrians use motorized vehicles to pull their horse trailers, andother equipment and supplies, to staging areas where they unload their horses, saddle up, andotherwise prepare for rides. Without the use of OHVs, equestrians would be unable to reachthese staging areas, where watering holes, corals, and related facilities are commonly present.Gem Collecting and Rock Hounding: This activity generally occurs in geologic areasthat offer the possibility of finding desired gems and rocks. Many of these areas are remote, anda four-wheel-drive OHV is needed to access them. The vehicle is also required to bring thevariety of supplies necessary to safely participate in this form of recreation.Hunting: Hunters require OHV access to reach trailheads and staging areas, which tendto be remote. From here, they can set out to hunt. Hunters use motorized vehicles to carry theirsupplies and equipment, which may include camping gear.Private Land Access: Private lands may be surrounded by public lands, or abut publicland in a checkerboard type fashion. The surrounding public lands may lack major highways,and have rough terrain on which street vehicles cannot travel. Four-wheel-drive OHVs arerequired to access these private inholdings.Chapter 3 3-268