For decades it’s been an off-road enthusiasts playground
– miles of unlimited open space that welcomes the throaty roar
of a motorcycle or the reverberating thunder of a four-wheeler with
open arms.
For decades it’s been an off-road enthusiasts playground – miles of unlimited open space that welcomes the throaty roar of a motorcycle or the reverberating thunder of a four-wheeler with open arms.
For decades, the Clear Creek Management Area has been used for a plethora of activities in the 50,000 acres of terrain located about an hour south of Hollister. And in the past 30 years it has become one of the most sought-after destinations for the state’s off-roaders, with 90 percent of the park’s facilities being open for their use.
But due to environmental concerns, some of that space could be reduced soon, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Those plans are prompting both environmental and off-road groups to threaten to file lawsuits against the agency.
Some parts of the park have a unique soil composition that supports rare plant and animal species, which have adapted to the area’s harsh conditions, said George Hill, assistant field manager at the BLM Hollister Field Office.
Among those is the San Benito evening primrose, a federally-listed threatened species, and a convergence of four different conifer species that don’t coexist anywhere else, Hill said.
However, the soil in that area is desirable for off-highway vehicle drivers. The unique landscape creates a myriad routes from beginner to advanced levels, Hill said.
The BLM currently is working on a plan to amend the miles of designated routes off-roaders can ride on. The Clear Creek network of about 400 miles of routes could shrink to approximately 270 miles, Hill said.
“If you just look at the numbers, it can seem like a large reduction in routes, but if you actually take what the public uses in what we’re proposing, those numbers are much more similar,” he said. “Undoubtedly there are a small percentage of our users that have used routes beyond the 400 miles, but you have to provide a balance between a federally threatened species and sensitive resources… and have a network of routes that provide sustainable recreation opportunities that we have the ability to manage.”
The BLM has had plans to re-route some of the trails and limit areas of the park for years – with an analysis to restrict use in 1986 and in 1998 – but has never followed through.
Currently there are two groups with varying interests that have notified the BLM that they intend to file law suits – the California Native Plant Society Center for Biological Diversity, and a recreation group, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, Hill said.
The fact that off-roaders, along with people camping, hunting wild pigs or hiking, have frequented the area for the past 30 years and the species that have survived needs to be taken into consideration, said Bill Dart, executive director of the Blue Ribbon Coalition.
“In spite of the fact that the BLM hasn’t done it’s job… and off-roading’s popularity is the highest it has ever been, that tells me we can have recreation and take care of plant species, too,” Dart said. “We’ve always supported the protection of plant species… but make sure the area remains viable as a recreation area.”
A spokesperson for the California Native Plant Society did not return phone calls Tuesday.
Hollister resident Margie Ghione has been frequenting the park for years with her family, who are all off-road enthusiasts, she said.
Riders who have enjoyed the freedom Clear Creek has afforded them for years could be upset over the changes because they’re just that – changes, Ghione said.
“The old farts don’t want to change,” she said. “For the new people, I don’t think they’d even know.”
Two meetings will be held to get public comment on the plan, most likely in August. The BLM hasn’t set a date or location, but the meetings most likely will be in the Hollister and Coalinga areas, Hill said. The BLM hopes to have a final plan amendment at the end of the calendar year.
For more information call the Clear Creek Management Area at (831) 630-5060.
