CORVA strongly opposes the Range of Light Monument Act

Oct. 31, 2024

    The California Off-Road Vehicle Association strongly opposes the Range of Light

    Monument Act being proposed. In 2011, an environmentalist from Santa Cruz, Deanna Wuff, Director of Unite the Parks, began the work and 9 years later introduce H.R. 9600 legislation in 2022. It died in the House, Natural Resources committee.

    Now in 2024, Deanna has reinvigorated her personal interest in making all the public land from Yosemite National Park south to Sequoia National Forest to the Range of Light Monument. The monument would not only eliminate all OHV, Off-road 4-wheel drive access, but mining, cattle grazing, fishing, hunting, logging/timber sales; including all current power production. The monument would shut down all our power production to the valley and California power grid, which
would cripple California.

    This would completely 100% consume the Sierra National Forest in its entirety. This monument would destroy our public access to our National Forest. This would immediately create serious negative implications. The Sierra National Forest alone has a designated trail system of 190 miles of motorized trails, includes trails within Miami Trails, Devil’s Peak, Grey’s Mountain, Star Lakes, Iron Lakes, Red Top, Beasore Meadows, Upper Beasore, Whiskey Ridge, Cattle, Green Mountain OHV areas and Swamp Route, Dusy Ershim, Bald, and Onion Springs. Primitive roads are open for public use. Motorized recreational experiences range from challenging rock crawling to dirt roads. There are 2,024 miles of roads open to all vehicles, including non-highway green/red sticker vehicles, & 209 acres of designated areas open for recreational motor vehicle use or as a staging area for access to dispersed recreation opportunities. The local 4-wheel drive clubs
maintain & enhance OHV opportunities in the National Forest to provide the public with the best possible recreational OHV experience. The wintertime offers 72,800 acres open to cross-country travel & 234 miles of snowmobile trails. These winter trails range from easy to most difficult. The difficult OSV trails access amazing vistas of the San Joaquin Valley, lakes & snowcapped ridges.

    The entire foothills and mountain residents would be forever impacted by this. This is the most populated and heavily used area to ever be proposed to be a National Monument. The locals will not and should not lay down and allow this land grab to just happen with the swipe of a pen.

    This monument could get signed by current President Biden as he leaves office with the use of the Antiquities Act. Everyone concerned should contact their Federal Representative ASAP.

    Sincerely,
    Mike McGarity
    President

    www.corva.org
    “Protecting Public Land FOR the People Not FROM the People“
    1735 David E. Cook Way, Ste C · California · 93611