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Americans for Responsible Recreational Access is outraged at efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to use camper fees from California’s Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area to fund an environmental study costing $1 million.

ARRA's position is that those fees were clearly earmarked for recreational improvements at the Imperial Sand Dunes  “For the BLM to arbitrarily divert the fees to fund a biological monitoring study is an absolute violation of the intent of Congress", said ARRA Executive Director Larry E. Smith. 

In its new Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) for the Imperial Sand Dunes, the BLM included a requirement for an intensive monitoring effort for various plant species costing about $1 million.  Since funding for the monitoring program from state off-highway vehicle grant money was not available at that level, the BLM decided to make up the shortfall using recreation fee receipts. 

“ARRA has no problem with biological studies such as this one per se,” Mr. Smith said.  “What we find inexcusable is the use of camper fees to fund the study when those fees are supposed to be used for improvements like maintenance of access roads, trash removal and rest rooms.”

ARRA urges all recreation enthusiasts to take a stand against this misuse of funding by sending a letter TODAY to the California Congressional delegation and the BLM using the Take Action button. 

Send a message to your representatives in Congress and the BLM that this kind of diversion of funds from their intended use will not be tolerated!