[Mike]

<http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/111504.pdf>

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

NEWS RELEASE

For energy efficient recreation
California State Parks on the internet: www.parks.ca.gov
<http://www.parks.ca.gov>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kathy Dolinar

November 15, 2004 (760) 767-5391

Effective November 24, 2004

Restrictions Imposed at Ocotillo Wells SVRA

OCOTILLO WELLS -- Effective November 24, State Park Rangers will rigorously
enforce a
ban on fires and the consumption of alcoholic beverages outside of camping
areas at Ocotillo
Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, California State Park officials
announced today.
In addition, officials said, Blow Sand Hill, Devil's Slide and Shell Reef
will be closed to
camping.

"We are stepping up our law enforcement efforts in response to the large
number of people
who insist on doing the wrong thing and are coming to the Park to party, and
not to ride," said
Superintendent Kathy Dolinar. She said the culprits are drinking, building
large fires, and are
unruly.

Not only is it illegal, but this behavior is also very disturbing to the
many families and others
who come to Ocotillo Wells SVRA for what it was intended and that is the
pursuit of recreational
opportunities, Dolinar said. "But this type of unwarranted behavior is going
to end," she promised.
Dolinar said she has the support of many off-highway vehicle user groups who
are in favor
of the increased efforts to curb the illegal activities.

She said a large number of State Park and local law enforcement personnel
will be on duty
at the Park over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend to ensure that
there is law and
order.

 

[calamaridog]

Sounds like a good thing. Holding people accountable to the rules. They should do this at all OHV areas.

 

[DesertTRD]

I am all for this, Ive been there and people roll up 10 deep and dump a trailer full of pallets and light them on fire, then they get drunk and pass out, if your not there to enjoy the desert dont go, its cheaper to stay home get drunk than it is to cause a problem somehwere else.

 

[YoTRacer158]

i'm all for it too...seems like pismo keeps getting worse and worse also

 

[TheChiefSinner]

I always camp on private property when I am in Ocotilla Wells. I guess it's not camping when you sleep in a trailer. I like camping, but I'm a little old fer sleepin on the hard ground now. Hehehe

 

[kd6ecz]

I was just using Google to look for the web site for a real estate magazine (Real Desert Magazine) and found (of all things) a message thread that is talking about Ocotillo Wells. After reading some of the posts, it would appear that there is a very negative image that the younger folks who drive "pre-runner" type vehicles have in the area. Is this really a big problem in the Ocotillo Wells area?

The recent article you published titled 'ocotillo Wells and the Prerunner Problem' (June 2003) is totally inaccurate and a large part of the problem may seem to have regarding properly identifying and naming the troublemakers here at Ocotillo Wells.

First, there are no true prerunner vehicles operating in or around Ocotillo Wellos. It is sad to blame the true prerunner people for major problems here in Ocotillo Wells. Prerunners do practice down at Plaster City and south to Ocotiilo. Real desert off roaders know what a pre runner truck is and that aprerunner truck costs well over $50,000 to build, as compated to kids who stick a few hundred dollars of plasic fenders on their trucks and think that they are offroaders.

The actual problem people are those teenager who are not off-roaders, who drive mini trucks with fiberglass fender panels so as to pretend to be offroaders. We call them the "mini truck kids." Again, not to assign blame to every kid with a mini truck, but the vast majority of these mini truck kids are the culprits.

Now about the speeders endangering lives of children, campers and otehr riders in the State Park. Your last article incorrectly calls the "mini truck kids" prerunners. Those idiots endangering the lives of other park users are mini truck kids, not prerunners. A park ranger even came to our store a few weeks ago and took pictures of a plain mini truck owned by an elderly couple that never ride in the park. My wife asked what was going on and the ranger told my wife that they were taking pictures of all prerunner trucks for a file to identify troublemakers.

- Fred R. Gramcko, owner, split mountain park.

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6445

The quote apparently came from this site somewhere:
http://www.sandiegooffroad.com/

I was just curious so I thought I'd ask.

 

[BlingTaco]

I'm so glad that we need law enforcement to patrol our open lands even more because idiots like that close our lands. I love cops too and they are always so cordial and give everyone a fair opportunity out in those areas......I mean I've never seen law enforcement take a more aggressive approach to me just cuz I'm in an area amongst idiots like Moab on EJS weekend.....................I imagine those that know me will find the sarcasm.......jeeeeeeeeesus

 

[Mike]

I'm so glad that we need law enforcement to patrol our open lands even more because idiots like that close our lands. I love cops too and they are always so cordial and give everyone a fair opportunity out in those areas......I mean I've never seen law enforcement take a more aggressive approach to me just cuz I'm in an area amongst idiots like Moab on EJS weekend.....................I imagine those that know me will find the sarcasm.......jeeeeeeeeesus

It's not like that everywhere. The cops who patrol the Rubicon are very cool. They use a 'common sense' approach to law enforcement.

Later,
....Mike