A View from the Inside
by John Ruddley
State Park Ranger
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
October 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quiet enveloped me when I exited my vehicle. It was an extraordinary morning because there were no jet contrails angling out of the western sky and there was no sound of aircraft. Period. Tuesday morning was poignantly beautiful. It was the kind of ordinary desert morning where, save for a few clouds brushed onto a powder blue sky, all that occupied that infinite canvas was a pale moon suspended over the peaks of the Peninsular Range. Coyote seemed particularly non-chalant in his walk away from the approach of my patrol vehicle. Jackrabbit floated through his leaps and bounds. The boundless views of mudhills and badlands skyline and distant ridges and mountains were clear and sharp.
I presume many of you realize you have experienced such a morning, except perhaps for the absolute silence, in this great desert region so close to home. Many of you may not realize this scene or perceive it because your desire to be here is driven by a narrower vision of off-roading and having fun. Just the same, most of you have experienced this freedom of the desert. It is not the freedom experienced by past generations nor will it be that of future generations. It is that of the here and now. Don't "wane reminiscent" but do hold the good times dear. As with freedom on a much grander scale, it comes at a price. It demands responsibility, understanding that the actions of one person or group may result in consequences for the entire off-road community. It warrants vigilance and responsible and thoughtful participation because you, in part, may be culpable for those consequences if you turn a blind or ignorant eye.
Know that there are people that are perceived to be part of the off-road community simply because they leave the pavement behind when they reach the desert. Some of them are irresponsible and thoughtless in their actions. They are in it for themselves, possibly out of ignorance but likely out of selfishness. Either they fail to consider the broader-ranging consequences of their actions or they simply do not care. They are robbing all of us, albeit slowly, of the freedom of the desert. I know some of you might unwittingly take the desert and off-roading for granted, perhaps even seeing the two as an inalienable right. How many off-roaders do see things that way? I imagine some off-roaders can't possibly appreciate what they have here simply because they have no idea of how limited and restricted off-roading is in other parts of our great nation. What we have here in SoCal is pretty incredible! Make no mistake about it. Without the vigilance of responsible and devoted off-roaders, and without responsible and thoughtful off-roading, that "right" will slowly but surely erode away. It will be future generations' loss with a finger pointing back in our direction.
Know that there is a small fraction of the off-road community, dedicated and devout off-roaders, that volunteer, proportionally, a tremendous share of their time and energy in furthering the cause of off-roading and in protecting its future. Share the load. Become involved. Participate in clubs and organizations that further the causes of off-roading. Without an understanding of the government bodies, groups and processes that ultimately control off-roading locally and nationwide, how can you possibly understand any of the undercurrents in the controlling forces? The above entities will help you in this endeavor. Get to know at least the basics and spread the word. Become enlightened as to what off-roading really is. Be vigilant to both internal and external threats to off-roading and the freedom of the desert. Give something back to off-roading. Give something back to the desert you know and love.
All right. Enough. The way I see it, you come out to Ocotillo Wells or anywhere else in the desert for a day or a weekend to escape. You have to understand though that your form of recreation/sport and relaxation is threatened. Yes, there will always be environmental issues and people on the other side of the fence [I wish there was not a fence] but remember that the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Park System is solidly on your side and that it does not have a fence bordering it, it stands on the open ground guided by the mandates of the Chappie/Z'berg legislation. What about people that are, in essence, you?
Anybody who deliberately drives off the pavement in a motor vehicle, street or off-road licensed, is an off-roader in the loosest sense of the word, particularly if they are on Public Lands. That counts. We all have experienced the vehicle speeding through a congested area or spinning doughnuts and throwing up clouds of dust in our faces and campsites. We have seen the kids and their asinine beer parties. We have seen burning pallets on routes of travel or popular sand dune areas. We have experienced the loud party that sets up within easy earshot. We have seen the obviously drunk driver and the crazy drivers that take over an area. We all have seen the filth left behind. The vandalism! The inappropriate gunfire! The burned trucks and cars! And what happens at Glamis is outrageous and an affront to any responsible American! Well it is time for responsible off-roaders to make a stand because you have seen the enemy and it is YOU!
Yes. As employees at Ocotillo Wells SVRA it is our job to deal with these things on so many different levels. The fact remains that all of the above are no longer isolated occurrences. The fact remains that it is not practical or possible to differentiate between the responsible and the irresponsible when it comes to statistics and newspaper articles. We, as employees, know the difference but the fact remains that these things happen in areas dedicated to off-roading. Off-roading is under siege! All the good that the off-road community does, all the responsible off-road activities and recreation that takes place is colored darkly by the actions of a minority of "off-roaders". I know that a lot of you are fed up with what is happening on the Public Lands that you so enjoy, the lands that you are so concerned about being closed.
Here is a partial answer. We all are familiar with the Neighborhood Watch program in various communities. That is what we need on our Public Lands, whether they are in Ocotillo Wells SVRA, Glamis or just wide-open desert. The stewards of off-road lands are not and cannot possibly be omnipresent. We need as many eyes and ears as possible. If you see something that you believe is illegal or blatantly inappropriate and if you can get to a telephone, report it. For the general Ocotillo Wells area, 1-800-452-2051 will put you directly in touch with our Imperial County Sheriff Radio Dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Being awakened out of a fitful sleep is part of our job. Believe me, we want to know if something is going on. License plates, vehicle descriptions and descriptions of suspects can be extremely helpful. Don't put yourself in the line of fire so to speak. Anonymity is not a problem. This season we hope to institute an amateur radio reporting system. If you are a radio operator off-roader and want further details, please call our office at 760-767-5391.
We want and need a pro-active off-road community. Come to think of it, you need it, too. We are one. Get involved!
Oh! By the way, welcome back to the desert! Let's make a difference.
Annual Desert Cleanup
Volunteer a morning to clean up a small piece of the desert that someone has fouled.
Saturday, November 3 is the Annual Desert Cleanup at Ocotillo Wells. For your AM efforts we will feed you a pretty tasty PM BBQ on the house. The afternoon BBQ will give us an opportunity to personally thank many individuals and organizations that have volunteered countless hours over the years in the support of off-roading. This will be an opportunity to meet some dedicated members of the off-road community, to thank them for their efforts in preserving your priviledge to off-road and to learn more about the "inner sanctum" of off-road politics and the OHV program.
Meet at the Ocotillo Wells Ranger Station at 7:30 AM. We'll provide some tasty morning treats during the Cleanup signup. Bring gloves and personal water. We provide drinks, too. The BBQ begins at 12:30. It will be at poolside at Mobiland RV Park. We will do our best to satisfy you. If you have any questions or reservations about participating please call us at 760-767-5391. Thanks!!
by John Ruddley
State Park Ranger
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
October 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quiet enveloped me when I exited my vehicle. It was an extraordinary morning because there were no jet contrails angling out of the western sky and there was no sound of aircraft. Period. Tuesday morning was poignantly beautiful. It was the kind of ordinary desert morning where, save for a few clouds brushed onto a powder blue sky, all that occupied that infinite canvas was a pale moon suspended over the peaks of the Peninsular Range. Coyote seemed particularly non-chalant in his walk away from the approach of my patrol vehicle. Jackrabbit floated through his leaps and bounds. The boundless views of mudhills and badlands skyline and distant ridges and mountains were clear and sharp.
I presume many of you realize you have experienced such a morning, except perhaps for the absolute silence, in this great desert region so close to home. Many of you may not realize this scene or perceive it because your desire to be here is driven by a narrower vision of off-roading and having fun. Just the same, most of you have experienced this freedom of the desert. It is not the freedom experienced by past generations nor will it be that of future generations. It is that of the here and now. Don't "wane reminiscent" but do hold the good times dear. As with freedom on a much grander scale, it comes at a price. It demands responsibility, understanding that the actions of one person or group may result in consequences for the entire off-road community. It warrants vigilance and responsible and thoughtful participation because you, in part, may be culpable for those consequences if you turn a blind or ignorant eye.
Know that there are people that are perceived to be part of the off-road community simply because they leave the pavement behind when they reach the desert. Some of them are irresponsible and thoughtless in their actions. They are in it for themselves, possibly out of ignorance but likely out of selfishness. Either they fail to consider the broader-ranging consequences of their actions or they simply do not care. They are robbing all of us, albeit slowly, of the freedom of the desert. I know some of you might unwittingly take the desert and off-roading for granted, perhaps even seeing the two as an inalienable right. How many off-roaders do see things that way? I imagine some off-roaders can't possibly appreciate what they have here simply because they have no idea of how limited and restricted off-roading is in other parts of our great nation. What we have here in SoCal is pretty incredible! Make no mistake about it. Without the vigilance of responsible and devoted off-roaders, and without responsible and thoughtful off-roading, that "right" will slowly but surely erode away. It will be future generations' loss with a finger pointing back in our direction.
Know that there is a small fraction of the off-road community, dedicated and devout off-roaders, that volunteer, proportionally, a tremendous share of their time and energy in furthering the cause of off-roading and in protecting its future. Share the load. Become involved. Participate in clubs and organizations that further the causes of off-roading. Without an understanding of the government bodies, groups and processes that ultimately control off-roading locally and nationwide, how can you possibly understand any of the undercurrents in the controlling forces? The above entities will help you in this endeavor. Get to know at least the basics and spread the word. Become enlightened as to what off-roading really is. Be vigilant to both internal and external threats to off-roading and the freedom of the desert. Give something back to off-roading. Give something back to the desert you know and love.
All right. Enough. The way I see it, you come out to Ocotillo Wells or anywhere else in the desert for a day or a weekend to escape. You have to understand though that your form of recreation/sport and relaxation is threatened. Yes, there will always be environmental issues and people on the other side of the fence [I wish there was not a fence] but remember that the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Park System is solidly on your side and that it does not have a fence bordering it, it stands on the open ground guided by the mandates of the Chappie/Z'berg legislation. What about people that are, in essence, you?
Anybody who deliberately drives off the pavement in a motor vehicle, street or off-road licensed, is an off-roader in the loosest sense of the word, particularly if they are on Public Lands. That counts. We all have experienced the vehicle speeding through a congested area or spinning doughnuts and throwing up clouds of dust in our faces and campsites. We have seen the kids and their asinine beer parties. We have seen burning pallets on routes of travel or popular sand dune areas. We have experienced the loud party that sets up within easy earshot. We have seen the obviously drunk driver and the crazy drivers that take over an area. We all have seen the filth left behind. The vandalism! The inappropriate gunfire! The burned trucks and cars! And what happens at Glamis is outrageous and an affront to any responsible American! Well it is time for responsible off-roaders to make a stand because you have seen the enemy and it is YOU!
Yes. As employees at Ocotillo Wells SVRA it is our job to deal with these things on so many different levels. The fact remains that all of the above are no longer isolated occurrences. The fact remains that it is not practical or possible to differentiate between the responsible and the irresponsible when it comes to statistics and newspaper articles. We, as employees, know the difference but the fact remains that these things happen in areas dedicated to off-roading. Off-roading is under siege! All the good that the off-road community does, all the responsible off-road activities and recreation that takes place is colored darkly by the actions of a minority of "off-roaders". I know that a lot of you are fed up with what is happening on the Public Lands that you so enjoy, the lands that you are so concerned about being closed.
Here is a partial answer. We all are familiar with the Neighborhood Watch program in various communities. That is what we need on our Public Lands, whether they are in Ocotillo Wells SVRA, Glamis or just wide-open desert. The stewards of off-road lands are not and cannot possibly be omnipresent. We need as many eyes and ears as possible. If you see something that you believe is illegal or blatantly inappropriate and if you can get to a telephone, report it. For the general Ocotillo Wells area, 1-800-452-2051 will put you directly in touch with our Imperial County Sheriff Radio Dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Being awakened out of a fitful sleep is part of our job. Believe me, we want to know if something is going on. License plates, vehicle descriptions and descriptions of suspects can be extremely helpful. Don't put yourself in the line of fire so to speak. Anonymity is not a problem. This season we hope to institute an amateur radio reporting system. If you are a radio operator off-roader and want further details, please call our office at 760-767-5391.
We want and need a pro-active off-road community. Come to think of it, you need it, too. We are one. Get involved!
Oh! By the way, welcome back to the desert! Let's make a difference.
Annual Desert Cleanup
Volunteer a morning to clean up a small piece of the desert that someone has fouled.
Saturday, November 3 is the Annual Desert Cleanup at Ocotillo Wells. For your AM efforts we will feed you a pretty tasty PM BBQ on the house. The afternoon BBQ will give us an opportunity to personally thank many individuals and organizations that have volunteered countless hours over the years in the support of off-roading. This will be an opportunity to meet some dedicated members of the off-road community, to thank them for their efforts in preserving your priviledge to off-road and to learn more about the "inner sanctum" of off-road politics and the OHV program.
Meet at the Ocotillo Wells Ranger Station at 7:30 AM. We'll provide some tasty morning treats during the Cleanup signup. Bring gloves and personal water. We provide drinks, too. The BBQ begins at 12:30. It will be at poolside at Mobiland RV Park. We will do our best to satisfy you. If you have any questions or reservations about participating please call us at 760-767-5391. Thanks!!
