Strong opinions on trail closures

By KRIS REILLY, Editor

They were distinctly different people from different walks of life: horseback riders, hunters, hikers, rock hounds and gear heads. But they all said pretty much the same thing: Keep public roads and trails open.

A steady flow of visitors showed up Saturday for an open house meeting to discuss a Bureau of Land Management plan that could prohibit the use of off-road trails throughout the Mojave Desert.

John Wallace of Lucerne Valley said he owns “several four-wheel drives and motorcycles,” which he enjoys using for recreation. He questioned whether it was truly a conservation effort or just “a federal land grab” and “stealing our freedoms.”

“I’m concerned that my daughter and my friends’ kids and future generations aren’t going to be able to go out and explore the same things that we explored because that road doesn’t exist anymore,” Wallace said.

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