February 22, 2006

Mark Heuston, Wonder Valley
Richard Howard, Flamingo Heights

Summary of Activities:

On February 22, 2006 Richard Howard and Mark Heuston performed a visual reconnaissance for recent ORV damage on public and private lands in the Eastern portion of Wonder Valley. The survey focused on known ORV activity areas, with particular attention to the Cleghorn Wilderness Southern Boundary and the historic stage stop ruins on Chadwick Road. Signs of significant ORV damage were photographically documented, with a total of 52 images reviewed and archived to date. More images may be forthcoming pending film processing.

Significant Findings:

10:17 - Intersection of Shadow Mountain Road X Poleline Road, Cleghorn Wilderness Boundary. Boundary incursion, vehicular tracks going North @ 300 feet past BLM wilderness boundary marker to an older illegal dump site. New debris at dump site consisting of three 8 ft lengths of RR track steel.

Photopoint 01: Looking North at incursion tracks.
Photopoint 02: Tracks and BLM boundary marker.
Photopoint 03: Detail of tracks

10:37 - .4 miles East of Shadow Mountain Road on Poleline Road. Observed extensive damage to desert pavement of fossil alluvial surface caused by a massive complex of "donuts" incised into the surface by more than one ORV acting in concert. Damaged area measures @ 165 feet East to West and extends @ 625 feet into the Cleghorn Wilderness as measured from the BLM Wilderness boundary markers. Total area damaged estimated at 1.4 acres in size.

Photopoint 04: "Donut" damage looking North.
Photopoint 05: "Donut" damage looking NNE.
Photopoint 06: "Donut" damage looking North.
Photopoint 07: "Donut" damage looking North.
Photopoint 08: "Donut" damage looking South.
Photopoint 09: "BLM boundary marker deliberately run over, back side.
Photopoint 10: "BLM boundary marker deliberately run over, front side.
Photopoint 11: ORV tracks near "donuts".
Photopoint 12: "Donut" damage looking East.
Photopoint 13: "Donut" damage with BLM boundary marker looking North.
Photopoint 14: "Donut" damage with BLM boundary marker looking North.
Photopoint 15: "Donut" damage with BLM boundary marker looking North.

11:07 - 1.9 miles East of Shadow Mountain Road on Poleline Road, otherwise described as Poleline Road X Copper World Mine Road. Observed new BLM boundary markers on either side of Copper World Mine Road at Cleghorn Wilderness boundary. Evidence of recent rock scatter on road extending @ 200 feet past boundary markers, possibly to discourage vehicular access.

Photopoint 16: Copper World Mine Road showing boundary markers and rock work, looking North.
Photopoint 17: Copper World Mine Road showing boundary marker, closer view looking North.

11:49 - Returned to location .4 miles East of Shadow Mountain Road on Poleline Road to obtain detail shots of ORV tracks at "donut" damage site.

Photopoint 18: detail of ORV tracks at "donut" damage site.
Photopoint 19: detail of ORV tracks at "donut" damage site.
Photopoint 20: detail of ORV tracks at "donut" damage site.

13:12 - Documenting ORV convoy tracks at intersection of Shadow Mountain Road X powerline access route that runs parallel to and on the South side of Amboy Road. Heuston made direct visual observation of ORV convoy on February 19, 2006 at 11:40 hours passing this location going East accompanied by the sound of a sand rail and several quad runners. Tracks observed on ground at this site are consistent with a sand rail known to stage from a cabin near Meriwether X Raymond Way.

Photopoint 21: detail of ORV tracks.
Photopoint 22: detail of ORV tracks.

13:22 - Hollywood Lane X same powerline route as 13:12 entry demonstrating continuity.

Photopoint 23: detail of ORV tracks.
Photopoint 24: detail of ORV tracks.

13:32 - Midway Road X same powerline route as 13:12 entry demonstrating continuity. ORV convoy apparently continued East at this point.

Photopoint 25: Track detail, West.
Photopoint 26: Track detail, East.
Photopoint 27: Track detail, East

13:49: Drove on to Chadwick Road, then South on Chadwick to the branch road that loops West through the historic stage stop area. Picked up ORV convey tracks again at the intersection of the branch road just North of the Stage stop site where in intersects with an undesignated ORV route that diagonals in from Midway road. The ORV convoy apparently came into the stage stop area on this undesignated route.

Photopoint 28: View to NW along undesignated ORV route towards it's intersection with Midway Road.
Photopoint 29: detail of ORV tracks at this location.
Photopoint 30: detail of ORV tracks at this location looking West.

14:06 - Historic stage stop site. Observed new evidence of quad runner and ATV tracks under trees surrounding ruins and going directly over the adobe ruins. A circular ORV track is beginning to develop over the adobe ruins, and down cutting into the ruins and surrounding soil is beginning to occur. Tracks appear to be recent, with little or no evidence of weathering or bioturbation by wildlife.

Photopoint 31: detail of ORV convoy tracks in clearing West of trees and ruins.
Photopoint 32: detail of ORV convoy tracks in clearing West of trees and ruins.
Photopoint 33: detail of ORV convoy tracks in clearing West of trees and ruins.
Photopoint 34: ORV tracks going under trees and into ruins from the West.
Photopoint 35: ORV tracks going under trees and over ruins from the West.
Photopoint 36: ORV tracks going under trees and over ruins from the West.
Photopoint 37: ORV tracks going under trees and into ruins from the East.
Photopoint 38: detail of ORV track going under trees and into ruins from the East.
Photopoint 39: detail of ORV track on top of ruins.

14:06 - Images 40 through 46 document continuing heavy ORV abuse of sand dune complex to the South of the site. As testimony to the recent heavy degree of ORV abuse around the stage stop and surrounding dune complex, note that the distinctive tracks left by the sand rail described in today's 13:12 observation notes are almost totally obliterated by a myriad of newer ORV tracks, even though the aforementioned tracks had apparently been left on site only two days before.

Photopoint 40: Top of dunes looking ESE towards stage stop.
Photopoint 41: Top of dunes looking ESE towards stage stop.
Photopoint 42: Top of dunes looking South.
Photopoint 43: Route down North Dune face.
Photopoint 44: Route looking South up dune face.
Photopoint 45: detail of ORV convoy tracks in clearing West of trees and ruins.
Photopoint 46: detail of ORV convoy tracks in clearing West of trees and ruins.

15:12 - Drove back to vicinity of Shadow Mountain Road to look for possible ORV damage there. Found recent ORV damage and fresh route incursions at a location South of Indian Trail (not the stage route) and 300 feet South of Shadow Mountain Road. Route and extensive "donut" type damage both appear to have been caused by a quad runner and / or ATV.

Photopoint 47: ORV damage looking South from Indian Trail.
Photopoint 48: ORV damage looking South from Indian Trail.
Photopoint 49: ORV damage looking South from Indian Trail.
Photopoint 50: New illegal ORV route looking West.

15:39 - Location @ 1/2 mile North of Amboy Road on Hollywood Lane. Illegal dumping and route proliferation. This site is believed to be on state school lands. (section 16)

Photopoint 51: Hollywood Lane looking North.
Photopoint 52: Hollywood Lane looking South.

16:00 - Finished survey, returning home.

22:06 - Today's images reviewed and archived.