Tag Archives: johnson valley

Offroading - General

Marine Corps announces Johnson Valley closure for military training

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

From the Bureau of Land Management:

The Marine Corps recently notified BLM of their plans to utilize the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area for military training from August 1-30, 2016, and of the associated temporary closure. BLM is working with the Marines to address issues associated with this military training/closure, and to keep the public informed.

BACKGROUND: On December 26, 2013 the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 (NDAA) was signed into law, authorizing the Marine Corps to occupy the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area (SUA) for two 30-day periods annually during which time the area would be closed to the public. See attached Johnson Valley Subregion map.

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Adventures, News, Offroading - General

Johnson Valley Access Preserved!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Press Release:

Hammerking Productions, the founders of The Griffin King of The Hammers Presented by Nitto Tire, are pleased to announce that the week-long off road festival held annually in Johnson Valley, CA will be able to continue in its current location for the foreseeable future. After six years of negotiations between the United States Marine Corps, the federal government and the Off Highway Vehicle(OHV) Community, a deal has been reached to preserve the majority of the land in Johnson Valley for OHV use.

Congressman Paul Cook spearheaded the deal which allows nearly 100,000 acres of land to remain open to the public and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Marines will have access to approximately 55,000 acres of shared use land for 60 days a year to meet their training objectives, but will not retain ownership of the land the remaining 305 days a year.  The proposed legislation is expected to pass  the House later this week and the Senate next week before the holiday recess.

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Adventures, Conservation

Your Immediate Action is required to Save Johnson Valley!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

OHV Call to Action! Your immediate action is required to save Johnson Valley Wednesday November 13th 2013

The Senate Arms Service Committee now looks prepared to move their bill S1309 to the floor beginning Thursday with Senator McCain managing (Senator Inhofe is out for his son’s funeral).

It is time again for the OHV Community to engage in the discussion.

Please consider taking some time to participate and extend our reach to your friends, family, and networks that find the value in saving the largest OHV area in the United States, while meeting the training requirements of the USMC. Your participation is paramount to our continued success.

While the Marine Corps let the Cook/Mckeon Compromise go unchallenged in the House of Representatives, we believe they will introduce their Alternative 6 language through Energy and Resources Committee on the Senate side via S 1309. We must contact these individual members of the Senate to ask them to oppose such language.

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Conservation, Off Roading, State Parks

Johnson Valley – Marines Continue to Pursue Costly Land Grab

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

You’d think that with the sequestration cuts taking effect – which are, according to the Obama White House (the same guy whose idea sequestration was in the first place) going to destroy western civilization as we know it now and for all time (and is all the Republicans fault; I’ll never get tired of the liberal “I was for it until I was against it and it’s all someone else’s fault!” line) – the Hammers would have caught a break.

But nooOOOooo. According to the California Motorized Recreational Council (CMRC) and Save the Hammers.org the Secretary of the Navy is now seeking Congressional approval to move forward with the base expansion at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Continue reading →