The US Fish and Wildlife Service announce plans to withdraw a propose rule to extend Endangered Species Act protections to a distinct population of greater sage grouse found only along the California-Nevada border.

After a yearlong review of the bi-state Sage Grouse population, the FWS has determined that the threats are no longer as significant as was believed when FWS first proposed listing the bird as a threatened species in 2013.

On Sunday President Donald Trump extended the voluntary national shut down for another month, until April 30. The initial 15-day period of social distancing urged by the federal government expires today and the President decided to extend the guidelines when the current modeling showed that they should expect the coronavirus pandemic to peak within the next few weeks.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the lockdown which includes shelter in place and distancing measures will continue on through at least the end of April but also possibly through mid-June.

Shelter in Place Order

The order takes effect immediately and remains in place "until further notice." Californians are not allowed to leave their homes except for essential purposes. The mandatory order allows Californians to continue to visit gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, takeout and delivery restaurants, banks and laundromats.

On March 2, 2020, the Friends of Jawbone, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, submitted grant proposals for the 2019/2020 Grants and Cooperative Agreements grants cycle through the California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division.

This meeting was like most meetings, long and dry, with comments from CORVA, Friends of Oceano, AMA District 36, Cal4 Wheel and more. Topic for the meeting was about the Transformation of the OHV Division into the Parks and Rec. Further topics brought up were Carnegie and Oceano.

The Marine Corps will temporarily close the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area to the public beginning Thursday 30 April through Monday 11 May 2020 in order to conduct military training. The closure period will include the necessary time required to conduct pre- and post- inspections of the land with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Marine Corps will provide notification when the area is reopened for public access.

On November 21, 2019, the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Joaquin, Stockton Branch, rendered a jury verdict in favor of managed OHV recreation at the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA).

I attended SLO Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Oceano Dunes SVRA hearing in Arroyo Grande yesterday and came away very disappointed in the way California State Parks just rolled over and gave the local APCD everything they wanted.

The Marine Corps will temporarily close the Johnson Valley Shared Use Area to the public beginning Thursday, April 30 through Monday, May 11, 2020 in order to conduct military training. The closure period will include the necessary time required to conduct pre- and post-inspections of the land with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Marine Corps will provide notification when the area is reopened for public access.

GOV. NEWSOM VETOES CARNEGIE BILL – Big victory last night for everyone associated with OHV recreation. Congrats to all of the activist men and women who attended hearings, sent letters, made phone calls, or provided insight while all the time remembering that we are stewards of this generation who protect responsible OHV recreation for future generations of California families.

If approved, the $1-billion solar energy project would generate 870 jobs and $72 million annually during peak construction, and deliver power to 117,000 homes in Southern California upon completion. The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on actions that would allow the proposed development of the Desert Quartzsite Solar Project, a 450-megawatt solar development in eastern Riverside County.

The publication of the draft Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register through the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, Aug. 10 will signal the start of the 90-day public comment period, which will end on Nov. 8. In addition to the draft EIS, other documents made available for comment include the Environmental Impact Report and draft Land Use Plan Amendment.

Many people are voicing complaints about the pending loss of their favorite trail and are threatening to file a lawsuit. Sounds simple. But, is it that simple?

Keep in mind, to file a lawsuit, you must have “standing” and prove that you are “harmed” by the decision. So, just what is “standing” and what is “harm”?