Glamis News for President's Weekend

Source: http://www.yumasun.com/news/fun_47880___article.html/making_sand.html

Tips for making weekend in sun and sand more fun
February 13, 2009 - 5:51 PM
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
One of the two holidays that bring the largest crowds to the Imperial Sand Dunes west of Yuma is happening this weekend. According to U.S. Bureau of Land Management surveys, as many as 200,000 people may turn out at the dunes for the three-day Presidents Day weekend. If you happen to be one of them, Michael Sommer, media affairs chairman for the American Sand Association, has a few reminders to help duners enjoy their fun in the sun and sand. "It is really important to follow all of the rules," Sommer said. "This weekend is considered one of the more popular three-day weekends." First and foremost, Sommer said it is important to get a permit, because if you don't have one, the BLM rangers and Imperial County sheriff's deputies will give you a ticket. Duners can get their permits from any of the vendors along vendor row once they arrive at the dunes. Sommer suggested picking up a map of the dunes from one of the ranger stations or kiosks once there because they have all the rules and regulations printed on them. He also wanted to remind duners coming from Arizona to get an out-of-state visitor sticker, which can also be purchased from any of the vendors. "It will probably prevent you from getting stopped by law enforcement and having your vehicle impounded." It would also be a good idea, according to Sommer, to carry some sort of proof of ownership for your vehicle. "You can keep it under your seat or in a backpack." Sommer also said it is important to have a whip antenna with a flag, because it is a safety feature, and not to have any glass containers of any type. According to the BLM, there were at least 100 calls for medical services during the last year's Presidents Day weekend. There was also one fatality. A Yuma man was killed in a dunebuggy accident after he drove at a high rate of speed over the edge of a dune in Glamis and dropped about 60 feet to the ground. Sommer said BLM has asked the ASA to let its members know that they should avoid using the entrance at wash 24 and instead use the entrance at wash 25. Also, the entrances through the fence at washes 11, 12, 13, and 14 are a little narrow (about 15 feet), so dunes visitors should exercise care if using them. Finally, access to camping areas in washes 1-7 can be gotten to on BLM land without using the railroad access road at all. BLM has also changed the message on the electronic sign at Glamis to indicate that the gaps are 15 feet, not 10 feet, and replaced "Warning" with "Use Caution." BLM is also asking duners to report anyone they see vandalizing the fences put up by the Union Pacific Railroad along Wash Road.

www.DuneGuide.com

Latest News on the Wash Rd. at Glamis from the ASA

We have just received updated information regarding Union Pacific Railroad’s (UPRR) fence project from the BLM. As many of you might already be aware, UPRR has been installing a fence just inside their property line which extends 100’ from the centerline of the rail road tracks and encompasses essentially all of Wash Road. This project started in mid-November and will extend from approximately Highway 78 to the south; ending-point unknown at this time.

Until recently, UPRR was honoring a commitment made to the BLM to continue to allow public access down Wash Road, leaving an opening at each wash to allow for vehicular access; some openings being narrower than others and some openings more accessible than others, depending on the flow of the wash. To minimize the impact of these restricted openings to thousands of ISDRA visitors, the BLM has begun the necessary environmental procedures to be able to grade some of these openings to allow for better access into various wash openings.

After this past weekend, it was brought to our attention that it appeared that UPRR was changing their plans and access was becoming more and more limited along Wash Road. BLM met with UPRR representatives on February 4th to discuss their project and their prior agreement to continue to allow access, only to find out that they had changed their position and will close the road to all public traffic at some point in the future.

At the urging of the local BLM office, UPRR has agreed to allow the use of this road, hopefully, for the rest of this dune season but in all likelihood will restrict access for the 2009-2010 season.
Again at the request of the BLM, the contractor will be enlarging some of the openings in the fence to allow for access during the upcoming Presidents’ Day holiday weekend. This improved access may, at some locations, not accommodate large motor homes or extremely long trailers.The BLM has identified locations that they have prioritized for grading to remove berms to help improve access.

This is not the result that we hoped for but it is what we know at this point.
The ASA has been conferring with the BLM, our legislative contacts and our legal team to see what if anything can be done to allow continued use of UPRR’s right of way. We will also be working to see what it will take to have a new access road constructed on the BLM land to allow access to these traditional camping areas. The construction of a new access road is a long term solution to this problem.

The ASA has sent a letter to the UPRR management to express our concerns about the closing of this road to the public and the loss of access to recreation camping areas.

In closing, please watch for updates via emails and/or the ASA's Bulletin Board as new information becomes available.

American Sand Association
Phone: (888) 540-7263
Fax: (951) 242-1332
URL: www.americansandassociation.org

www.duneguide.com

Union Pacific Builds Sand Fence to Address Safety Issues in Glamis Area

Residents Urged to Ride the Sand and not the Rails

December 2008 – Sand and Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) may go hand in hand; however, those same recreational vehicles mixed with railroad tracks can be an equation for disaster. Every year, more than 1,800 people in the United States are killed or injured on or near railroad tracks. The recent fatalities in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area are a sad reminder that tracks are for trains not people.
"As sand enthusiasts are heading outdoors, we want to remind them that walking or driving on or near railroad tracks is extremely dangerous because you never know when a train will come along," said Dennis Jenson, Union Pacific assistant vice president - chief of police.
"It can take a mile or more to stop a train and by the time a locomotive engineer sees you on the track, it would be too late," said Dale Bray, Union Pacific director - public safety.
"Locomotives and rail cars overhang the tracks by at least three feet on either side of the rail and loose straps hanging from rail cars may extend even further. If you are next to the tracks, you can be hit by the locomotive, a rail car or anything that may be hanging loose from the car," Bray said.
Another safety issue is excessive sand being deposited on the tracks. This has led Union Pacific to build a sand fence on its property.
"Although sand doesn't seem like it should be a big issue, in recent years we have noticed that sand has caused increased track degradation, which can lead to an unstable track," said David Wickersham, Union Pacific chief engineer - Western Region.
Union Pacific has worked closely with the Bureau of Land Management to make sure that access is not severely impacted for enthusiasts. Also, special attention has been taken to protect the local wildlife. The fence will leave natural gaps for the Desert Tortoise to migrate naturally throughout its habitat.
In an effort to educate the public about pedestrian and grade crossing safety, Union Pacific works closely with Operation Lifesaver. Operation Lifesaver is a national, nonprofit education and awareness program dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad tracks. To accomplish its mission, Operation Lifesaver promotes education, enforcement and engineering. More information about Operation Lifesaver can be found at www.oli.org.

Do not become a railroad statistic; stay away from railroad tracks.

About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise.

Imperial Sand Dunes - Trash Dumpsters

"Supes oppose trash service removal in dunes"
Imperial Valley Press, 12/16/08

"The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to formally oppose the removal of trash service in the dunes. A letter will be sent to the state director of the Bureau of Land Management requesting trash service in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area be maintained."
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/12/17/local_news/news04.txt

"Trash collection at Dunes to end Feb. 1"
Imperial Valley Living, 12/16/08

"In an action that could drastically change off-road activity at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA), the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced it will remove trash dumpsters, and not collect trash at the site after Feb. 1 ... That announcement has local civic leaders and elected officials very concerned."
http://imperialvalleyliving.com/valley-life/9-valley-life-articles/117-blm-may-stop-trash-collection-at-dunes

BLM to Phase Out Trash Collection at Imperial Sand Dunes
Asks Visitors to "Pack it Home"

A new slogan will greet visitors to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) this season, asking everyone to "Pack it Home," as trash collection service will be phased out as a necessary cost-cutting measure by the end of January.
BLM District Manager Steve Borchard said with costs rising and available funding declining, trash collection "simply became a luxury we could no longer afford for our visitors," he said. "We want to provide a safe, quality recreation experience," Borchard added, "so we're asking our visitors to take home their trash so our available funding can be used elsewhere in the Dunes."
To provide time for visitors "to get the word," Borchard said dumpsters will be available when the season opens October 15, but will be phased out no later than the end of January 2009.
"We need that transition time to educate visitors about the change and gain their cooperation. We're already gratified to see key user groups getting the information out, as the more education we can all do, the easier it will be to gain understanding and compliance," he said.
Beginning October 15, dumpsters will be located at Gecko Road, Glamis, Dunebuggy Flats, Buttercup, Midway Wells, and near the Plank Road. The service will be phased out and those dumpsters sites closed after the January deadline. On behalf of surrounding communities, Borchard reminded visitors that trash cannot be dumped in those towns either, but must be taken home.

The updated ISDRA website at www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/recreation/ohvs/isdra.html contains more information, including fines for littering and a new "Trash Talk" information page listing the "Top Ten Good Reasons for Taking Your Trash Home," among them:
· Helps keep recreation fees down and visitor services up.
· Protects wildlife and natural resources.
· Encourages recycling, at the dunes and at home.

http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2008/september/CDDNews0866_Dunes_Pack_it_Home.html
- BLM -