Table Of Content1
O
r
Draft 0
Draft Imperial Sand Dunes
Recreation Area Management Plan
(RAMP)
Prepared by
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
El Centro Field Office
1661 South 4th Street
CA
El Centro, 92243
March 2002
SCO/LW569.doc/02075000
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
ElCentro ResourceArea
1661 South4thStreet
F.1Centro, California92243-4561
Inreplyreferto:
CA-670.24
1610(P)
Date: March 29, 2002
Dear Reader:
Enclosed for your review is the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Management
Plan (RAMP). This is a comprehensive and detailed management plan designed to
provide a variety ofsustainable offhighway vehicle and other recreational activities, and
to maintain or improve the conditions ofthe special status species and other unique
natural and cultural resources while creating an environment to promote the health and
RAMP
safety ofvisitors, employees, and nearby residents. The Draft is written to
address current management issues and challenges, the greatest ofwhich is to encourage
appropriate recreational use and discourage inappropriate use within the Imperial Sand
Dunes Recreational Area, while respecting the freedom ofvisitors to enjoy their own
unique recreational experiences.
RAMP
The Draft has been developed within the general and regional guidance ofthe
California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan of 1980, as amended, and once
CDCA
approved would be tiered to the Plan. This management plan represents the
implementation ofthe preferred alternative that is described and analyzed in the ISDRA
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), The DEIS is available for your review
under separate cover.
A preliminary step in developing the management program for the Draft RAMP involved
identifying relevant issues, concerns, and opportunities. Public participation in the
development ofthe issues, concerns and opportunities was encouraged. In developing
the Draft RAMP, the issues, concerns and opportunities were used to identify the
environmental conditions, services, goods, and uses that are expected from the Imperial
Sand Dunes Recreational Area. Continued public participation is very important to the
success offinalizing and implementing the Draft RAMP.
Public meetings will be held to obtain public input on these documents. All meetings
will occur from 7:00 -10:00 p.m. The dates and locations ofthese meetings are as
follows:
CA
April 9, 2002 El Centro, City Council Chambers
1275 Main Street
CA
El Centro,
April 11, 2002 Long Beach, CA The Grand
4101 East Willow Street
Long Beach CA 90815
,
AZ
April 15, 2002 Phoenix, Phoenix College
1202 West Thomas Road Phoenix,
AZ
April 18, 2002 Brawley, CA Brawley City Council
A
225 Street
CA
Brawley, 92227
April 23, 2002 Yuma, AZ Yuma Civic and Convention Center
W
1440 Desert Hills Drive
Yuma, AZ
CA
April 25, 2002 San Diego, Marriott Mission Valley
8757 Rio San Diego Drive
CA
San Diego, 92108
In reviewing the Draft RAMP, one will notice that it consists offour chapters. Chapter
one ofthe Draft RAMP explains the purpose and need for the RAMP. It also describes
how the Draft RAMP is related to other documents. Chapter one provides a discussion of
the ISDRA, including a detailed description ofthe area, resources and current status.
This background information is the foundation ofthe Draft RAMP. This information will
be built upon in future chapters.
RAMP
The second chapter ofthe Draft provides a discussion ofthe issues, concerns and
opportunities that were identified during the public scooping process.
The third chapter presents management goals and management actions for the ISDRA.
Some ofthe goals and actions are for the entire ISDRA. They are referred to as ‘area
wide goals’ and ‘area wide management actions’. Other goals and actions are for only a
BLM
portion ofthe ISDRA. Chapter 3 discusses the nine separate geographic areas that
proposes to use to assist in the management ofthe ISDRA. These areas are called
BLM
management areas in the Draft Ramp. Using management areas will allow to
manage different geographic areas ofthe ISDRA to meet different goals, such as one area
could be wilderness, another area could be rural camping and another area developed
camping. The management areas are: Mammoth Management Area, North Algodones
Dunes Wilderness Management Area, Gecko Management Area, Glamis Management
Area. Adaptive Management Area, Olgilby Management Area, Dune buggy Flats
Management Area, Buttercup Management Area, and the Buffer Zone Management
Area.
Chapter 4 contains a table ofthe management actions described in Chapter 3. The table
ofmanagement actions includes a schedule for the actions, the anticipated source of
funding and the estimated cost ofthe action.
BLM RAMP BLM
Again, greatly appreciates the public’s review ofthe Draft and DEIS.
BLM
welcomes both positive and negative comments. will use the public review and
RAMP
comments to improve the Draft EIS and Draft and develop a final EIS and fmal
RAMP. The public comment period for the Draft RAMP and DEIS is 90 days. It begins
March 29 and ends June 28. Thank you for your time and interest in the ISDRA.
Sincerely,
Greg Thomsen
Field Manager
1
Imperial Sand Dunes
Recreation Area Management Plan
MARCH
DRAFT: 2002
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
California Desert District
El Centro Field Office
1661 South Fourth Street
El Centro, California 92243
Abstract
The Draft Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) has been developed within the
general and regional guidance of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan
CDCA
of 1980, as amended, and once approved would be tiered to the Plan.
This plan is considered a major federal action that could significantly affect the quality
of the human environment. A detailed Draft Environmental Impact Statement was
prepared in accordance with the regulations at Title 40 CFR Part 1500. These
regulations implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This Draft
RAMP
represents the implementation of the preferred alternative as identified in the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Draft Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation
Area.
If any particular provision of this plan, or application thereof, to any circumstance or
person, is found to be invalid, the remainder ofthis plan and the application of that
provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.
SCO/LW569.doc/02075000
