URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT: UPDATE: SAN Members Crucial in Gathering 25,000 Petition Signatures to Save Johnson Valley OHV Area

SEMA Action Network
January 29, 2013

Due to the overwhelming support of the SEMA Action Network (SAN), a petition requesting the White House to “save the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recreation area in California” has reached the required 25,000 signatures to trigger an official response from the Obama Administration. A coalition of organizations, including the SAN, initiated the petition requesting that “our government encourage the Marines to work with the public…to meet training objectives instead of closing this land to the public forever.” The petition reached its goal in just two weeks.

Don’t Stop Now! Additional Petition Signatures Welcomed!

· The Unites States Marine Corps wants to expand its base at Twentynine Palms by adding nearly 147,000 acres of adjacent land owned by the federal government. However, the land is a designated OHV recreation area and home to “King of the Hammers” and other OHV events throughout the year.

· Due to the efforts of the SAN and other land use groups, continued OHV access to Johnson Valley has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress, which is requiring the Marines to study alternative ways to share the area with the OHV community without taking ownership of the land. The study must be presented to Congress by April 2, 2013.

· While the provision has provided a delay in the acquisition process, the fight to save Johnson Valley is not over. The Petition demonstrates that the OHV community is committed to finding a winning solution that allows shared access to the land by both the OHV community and Marines, which only needs the land for a month or two a year for training exercises.

· Additional signatures are encouraged until the Feb. 14th petition closing date. If you haven’t already done so, click here to sign the petition: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/save-johnson-valley-ohv-area-be-fiscally-responsible-stop-29-palms-marine-base-expansion-keep-public/5r0C7Xw4

Thank you and congratulations to all SAN members who signed the petition to protect Johnson Valley.