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A couple of days ago, I promised to post what I came up with for a letter to the Marine Corps regarding the possible acquisition of the Johnson Valley OHV area. Off-road enthusiasts have been kicked out, ticketed out, locked out, and legislated out of off-roading opportunities for decades on end. We are usually perceived by outsiders to be reckless individuals with little-to-no regard for personal safety or for the welfare of the places in which we play. Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of off-roaders are honest, hardworking people who enjoy being outdoors and enjoy the personal challenge that off-roading provides. Since we as a community have been excluded from many of the areas we used to be able to play in, the remaining open areas have steadily become more valuable to us. The Johnson Valley OHV area is one such place. My first trip to Johnson Valley was in 1986 as a dirt bike rider. I rode a 1982 Yamaha YZ 125 that at the time had a non-functional kick-starter and had to be push-started. I remember stalling my bike in a wash full of deep sand and basketball-sized rocks randomly scattered about. The deep sand and rocks made push-starting the YZ even tougher than it normally was, but I mustered enough strength to push the bike up to a jogging pace, hop on, pop the bike into gear and let out the clutch. The bike fired up and I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the dirt. This was the first of many trips to Johnson Valley. More recently, the Johnson Valley OHV area has become part of my profession as a journalist working for 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine and for Off-Road Magazine. 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine places its emphasis on trail rigs that are usually used in tricky terrain at low speeds. This includes Jeeps, Toyota 4x4 pickups, Ford’s first-generation Broncos, Suzuki Samurais, and similar vehicles. Off-Road Magazine, on the other hand, places its emphasis on prerunner desert trucks that are capable of running through rough terrain at higher speeds. The new generation of side-by-side UTV’s, such as the Yamaha Rhino, are also covered in the pages of Off-Road Magazine. That I am able to go to Johnson Valley and photograph vehicles built for very different types of off-road use is significant. Because of the sheer amount of open space and the variety of terrain in the Johnson Valley OHV area, I am able to capture a wide spectrum of off-road activities. In addition to the vehicle types I’ve already listed, a large number of Johnson Valley OHV users ride dirt bikes and quads. My professional involvement relating to the Johnson Valley OHV area is much larger than me and my salary. The vehicles and events that are depicted in my stories result in media exposure for a number of off-road specialty companies. This media exposure in turn drives customers to their doors. Furthermore, these same off-road specialty companies help the publishing company I work for when they choose to purchase ads in 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine or in Off-Road Magazine. I know I need to be specific here, so it’s time to name some names. Off-road specialty companies that have received media exposure through the editorial work I’ve done in Johnson Valley include Mickey Thompson Tires and Wheels, BF Goodrich Tires, Toyo Tires, Hannemann Fiberglass, King Shocks, Walker Evans Racing, All-Pro Off-Road, Warn Industries, Currie Enterprises, Total Chaos Fabrication, Fox Racing Shox, Camburg Engineering, Bilstein Shocks, Nitto Tires, American Racing Wheels, C&D Fabworks, Deaver Spring Company, Mastercraft Seats, HJC Helmets, Pyrotect Safety, Crow Enterprises, Lowrance GPS, Fabtech Motorsports, Sway-A-Way, DMZ Fab & Race Prep, Suspension Innovation Motorsports, Lee Manufacturing, Donahoe Racing (now Icon Vehicle Dynamics), Kartek Off-Road, MDR Racing, M.O.R.E. Racing, Marlin Crawler, Interco Tires, The Hi-Lift Jack Company, and Goodyear Tires. Beyond the list of companies whose livelihoods will be adversely affected by the loss of Johnson Valley, there’s human safety to consider. The loss of each off-roading area puts greater numbers of off-roaders in fewer OHV areas. If Johnson Valley is lost, the Stoddard Valley OHV area near Barstow is the prime candidate to see increased OHV use. Stoddard Valley, especially the area near Outlet Center drive has already been the scene of several tragic off-roading accidents. Increased traffic within Stoddard Valley can only bring more near-misses and tragic accidents. Nobody wants to be the one to fulfill this prediction, but I can’t see any other outcome if Stoddard gets more crowded. There’s more. Thieves target off-roaders and their equipment. Stoddard Valley, with its close proximity to I-15 and to Barstow, has been the scene of lots of theft. Interstate 15 and the community of Barstow provide a quick getaway for thieves. Increased use of the Stoddard Valley OHV area will result in more thieves targeting those who go off-roading there. With all of this in mind, I respectfully request that the Marine Corps abandon the possible acquisition of the Johnson Valley OHV area to expand the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and choose other options instead. If the off-roading community loses Johnson Valley, we will have taken yet another hit. Livelihoods, and possibly lives, will be lost. Kevin Blumer
Assistant Editor, 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine
Contributing Editor, Off-Road Magazine
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