West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

Particular features or land-characteristics may make a given area highly desirable for acertain type (or types) of recreational activity. For instance, flat, expansive terrain is oftendesirable for recreational activities such as target shooting, plinking, driving for pleasure, andmore quick-paced race events. On the other hand, mountainous terrain is often more conduciveto such activities as rock (rope) climbing, rock hounding or technical four wheel rock crawling.The relative proximity of the Mojave Desert to urban centers makes it easy andconvenient for recreationists to visit those “hot spots” and other areas having the features thatthey desire. About 85% of all visitors to the Mojave Desert are from the urban areas of SouthernCalifornia. The BLM public lands are closer to the Los Angeles basin than most other similarrecreation areas, such as Death Valley National Park, and offer a far wider variety of recreationalexperiences.Motorized vehicle access, or at least the degree of access, into areas affects thedesirability of that area depending upon the nature of the recreational activity. Access is itself afeature or characteristic that may or may not be sought. For example, a recreationist hoping tophotograph or film particular wildlife undisturbed in its natural habitat would not want access soconvenient that it attracts a large number of other visitors. Recreationists seeking to hike andcamp in remote, difficult to reach areas to experience solitude would not find a location that hasready access from a major highway to be desirable. Conversely, a recreationist seeking to ridehis dune buggy over sand dunes with groups of other people would appreciate easy access.Publicity about an area’s recreational opportunity often attracts users. Although some ofthis publicity can come through the mainstream news media (newspapers, television newsreports), much of it comes by “word of mouth.” A recreation club (motorcycle riding club, fourwheel drive club, dune buggy club, hiking and camping club, equestrian endurance riding club,rock hounding club, rock climbing club, photography club, or wildlife viewing club) may sendout newsletters to its members identifying areas that have those features that are considered idealfor the type of recreational activity that the club engages in. This promotes discussion amongclub members about those areas, and encourages them to recreate there. Recreation clubs areoften drawn to hot spots where people participating in that particular type of recreation cangather and socialize.Publicity is not limited to recreational clubs. Individuals share their experiences witheach other through “word of mouth.” A camper may learn of an excellent campsite thatpossesses desirable features or characteristics. Through one-on-one conversations betweendifferent campers, such an area can become a “hot spot.”Guidebooks and maps publicize favorite recreation sites. Guidebooks are available thatdescribe areas in the Mojave Desert that offer significant rockhounding and gem collectingopportunities. These guidebooks typically describe the areas of interest in sufficient detail to leadrecreationists to the most promising regions for the activity. Maps published by the AmericanAutomobile Association are particularly popular, for they indicate areas where different types ofrecreational activities occur. Because they are widely distributed, areas highlighted on thesemaps can receive a great deal of notoriety.Chapter 3 3-240