trapperb1
05/10/05, 7:00 AM
The following letter has been sent to the Imperial County Sheriff to request that the night time Comp hill closure be removed for the next duning season starting in October.
__________________________________________________ ____________________
May 5, 2005
Sheriff Harold Carter
Box 1040
El Centro, CA 92244
Dear Sheriff Carter:
On November 19, 2002 the Imperial County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that places a dusk-to-dawn curfew at Competition Hill in the Glamis area of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Your office, in conjunction with the El Centro Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested this temporary closure to deal with law enforcement concerns.
The American Sand Association opposed the curfew and encouraged checkpoints at the entrance to Comp Hill to identify liquor violations, illegal activity or other rule violations. Beginning in January of 2002 the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), the BLM and a coalition of law enforcement agencies implemented “Zero Tolerance” enforcement methods. Since then both the ICSO and BLM law enforcement leadership have publicly acknowledged significant improvement on numerous occasions.
In an October 25, 2004 report to the California State Parks Off Highway Motor Vehicle Commission Jim Keeler of BLM included the following information:
“Law Enforcement Summary- For upcoming 04/05 Season
• El Centro is working cooperatively with the BLM National Office and the American Sand Association on a safety education campaign.
• BLM will also be instituting an alcohol initiative this season in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
• Our objectives for the season are the same as last year and will include:
o Public Safety
o Alcohol
o Drug Enforcement
o Minors in position of alcohol and/or illicit drugs
o Resource protection
Overall, the BLM feels that things are improving in the Dunes and continues to work cooperatively with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department. Together, both agencies are continuing to monitor compliance of the Competition Hill closure and will be assessing the situation as the season progresses.”
On September 30, 2004 Nicole Gilles and Cathy Kennerson of the United Desert Gateway, Jerry Seaver, Chairman of the ISDRA Technical Review Team and I met with you and your staff to discuss, among other things, the removal of the Comp Hill curfew. You indicated that following the 2004-05 season that your office would reassess the need for the curfew.
This letter is to formally request that the curfew be removed commencing with the Halloween weekend of 2005. Based on discussions with law enforcement personnel, the techniques currently employed by the coalition will attain the desired level of safety for ISDRA visitors and your personnel. BLM management has acknowledged that ISDRA has been returned to the “Family” recreation opportunity of years gone by. The ASA will strongly support the use of checkpoints at the entrance to Comp Hill during the evening hours on the holiday weekends to enforce the existing ISDRA rules and regulations.
Bob Mason,
Chairman American Sand Association
__________________________________________________ ____________________
May 5, 2005
Sheriff Harold Carter
Box 1040
El Centro, CA 92244
Dear Sheriff Carter:
On November 19, 2002 the Imperial County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that places a dusk-to-dawn curfew at Competition Hill in the Glamis area of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Your office, in conjunction with the El Centro Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested this temporary closure to deal with law enforcement concerns.
The American Sand Association opposed the curfew and encouraged checkpoints at the entrance to Comp Hill to identify liquor violations, illegal activity or other rule violations. Beginning in January of 2002 the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), the BLM and a coalition of law enforcement agencies implemented “Zero Tolerance” enforcement methods. Since then both the ICSO and BLM law enforcement leadership have publicly acknowledged significant improvement on numerous occasions.
In an October 25, 2004 report to the California State Parks Off Highway Motor Vehicle Commission Jim Keeler of BLM included the following information:
“Law Enforcement Summary- For upcoming 04/05 Season
• El Centro is working cooperatively with the BLM National Office and the American Sand Association on a safety education campaign.
• BLM will also be instituting an alcohol initiative this season in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
• Our objectives for the season are the same as last year and will include:
o Public Safety
o Alcohol
o Drug Enforcement
o Minors in position of alcohol and/or illicit drugs
o Resource protection
Overall, the BLM feels that things are improving in the Dunes and continues to work cooperatively with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department. Together, both agencies are continuing to monitor compliance of the Competition Hill closure and will be assessing the situation as the season progresses.”
On September 30, 2004 Nicole Gilles and Cathy Kennerson of the United Desert Gateway, Jerry Seaver, Chairman of the ISDRA Technical Review Team and I met with you and your staff to discuss, among other things, the removal of the Comp Hill curfew. You indicated that following the 2004-05 season that your office would reassess the need for the curfew.
This letter is to formally request that the curfew be removed commencing with the Halloween weekend of 2005. Based on discussions with law enforcement personnel, the techniques currently employed by the coalition will attain the desired level of safety for ISDRA visitors and your personnel. BLM management has acknowledged that ISDRA has been returned to the “Family” recreation opportunity of years gone by. The ASA will strongly support the use of checkpoints at the entrance to Comp Hill during the evening hours on the holiday weekends to enforce the existing ISDRA rules and regulations.
Bob Mason,
Chairman American Sand Association