02/22/2026
The Western Mojave Trails.. The California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) is actively engaged in the 2026 WEMO Remand and Remedy process to defend continued access to our desert riding areas.
The newly released mapping associated with Desert Tortoise Critical Habitat and WEMO route designations demonstrates the scope of what is at stake. This is not a minor adjustment. This is a large-scale connectivity and destination issue that could permanently impact how families, clubs, and responsible recreationists access California’s desert. This Is Not a “Small” Closure... Some will attempt to minimize this by focusing on percentages or acreage. That framing is misleading. This is not merely about miles and acres. Thank you to Randy Banis- Friends of Jawbone for creating this list of the severity of this closure.
It is about:
Destinations
Connectivity
Access to historic and cultural sites
Recreation-based economies
Community identity
Renowned OHV destinations now rendered inaccessible for an unknown duration include:
Randsburg
Kramer Hills
Husky Memorial
Red Mountain to Cuddeback to Black Mountain to Inscription Canyon to Copper City Road
Wiley’s Well
Government Peak
Red Mountain Caldera
Steam Wells
Grass Valley
B1A Memorial
Superior Valley
Coolgardie
Coyote Lake
Alvord Mountains
Surprise Tank
Ord Mountains
Edwards Bowl
Iron Mountains
Fremont Peak
Historic Dale Mining District
Historic Rand Mining District
These are not fringe spurs. These are core destinations embedded in the culture and history of the West Mojave.
The Collapse of Connectivity
Equally significant is the loss of route connectivity:
Randsburg to California City
Randsburg to virtually anywhere
WEMO to NEMO connectivity
Barstow to Baker and Las Vegas overland routes
Green sticker vehicles stranded on the fringes (unable to legally use highways as go-arounds)
Slash-X riders limited westward into Stoddard only
Loss of Stoddard to Johnson Valley connectivity
Loss of connectivity with Mojave Trails National Monument (3,600 miles of designated OHV routes)
Loss of overlanding continuity between Barstow, Mojave Road, and Mojave National Preserve
Fragmentation is often more damaging than simple mileage reduction. A broken network is not a functional system.
Impact on Local Communities
This is also an economic and social issue.
Businesses that have supported OHV recreation for generations may not survive prolonged closures.
In many desert communities, those businesses are the only available gas stations, markets, or supply stores.
Tens of thousands of local residents ride these routes regularly; these are neighborhood trail systems.
The West Mojave represents the closest large-scale OHV trail network to Los Angeles.
This is daily life for many families — not a once-a-year destination.
And this access is not limited to motorized recreationists.
These routes are used by:
Rockhounds (Kramer Hills is the #1 rock collecting site in the West Mojave)
Chukar hunters (Cuddeback and Ord Mountains are among the best chukar hunting areas in California)
Overlanders
Roadhounders
Explorers of historic mining districts
Outdoor educators and families
Public land stewardship must always be at the forefront. Responsible users care deeply about what is out there. Access and stewardship are not mutually exclusive — they reinforce one another.
Immediate Implications for WEMO
As a result of this ruling, the Bureau of Land Management must now initiate a timely and procedurally rigorous process to determine the future of the WEMO route network.
This will require:
Additional environmental analysis; Formal plan amendments or revisions; Compliance documentation; A structured public comment period; There will be substantial work ahead for everyone who values access.
CORVA will:
Participate directly in the administrative process; Submit detailed technical comments; Coordinate with allied organizations; Keep members informed when comment periods open; Mobilize responsible engagement.
However, members must understand this clearly:
There is no guarantee these closures are temporary; Assuming this will simply revert back to “how it was” is dangerous and unrealistic;
The previous WEMO planning effort took eight years — and that was when BLM had significantly greater staffing and budget resources than it does today.
If delays stretch long enough, a future administration hostile to OHV recreation could allow closures to become entrenched. History provides precedent. We cannot ignore that risk.
Moreover, without regulatory reform addressing BLM’s minimization criteria obligations within desert tortoise critical habitat, it may be functionally impossible to re-designate routes in certain areas under current standards.
This is a structural policy problem — not merely a litigation setback.
The Department of Justice Must Act; The Department of Justice must appeal this ruling. The case must proceed to the Ninth Circuit and, if necessary, to the United States Supreme Court.
Failure to challenge this decision signals acceptance of judicial land-use policymaking.
Conservation matters. CORVA supports lawful, science-based management. But sweeping closures of this magnitude must come through:
Congressional authority; Transparent rulemaking; Updated defensible science; Public participation; Not unilateral judicial decree; Broader Federal Policy Reality; Two additional points must be stated clearly:
CORVA opposes the mass disposal of federal public lands. We support strategic land swaps that consolidate ownership and eliminate the 1860s checkerboard legacy — but wholesale divestiture is not the answer.
Recent federal administrations — regardless of party — have not consistently prioritized OHV access. Significant regulatory relief or pointed congressional legislation may be required to permanently resolve the WEMO issue.
Absent structural reform, we may face repeated litigation cycles for another decade — or worse, lose these routes permanently through successive anti-OHV administrations.
This issue ultimately requires executive leadership and congressional engagement to correct.
CORVA’s Commitment
CORVA strongly opposes this ruling.
We do not oppose conservation.
We oppose governance by litigation.
We oppose policy imposed from the bench.
We oppose precedent that jeopardizes every mile of public access nationwide.
We will fight:
In the courts; In the administrative process; In the policy arena; In Congress, where necessary; We will be there every step of the way;
We will keep you informed; We will mobilize when your voice is needed; We will fight to the end to protect our access; Public lands belong to the public.
This is not just about 2,200 miles.
It is about destinations, connectivity, community, economic survival, and the future of responsible recreation in the American West.
CORVA will stand firm on behalf of our members.
Respectfully,
Mike McGarity
President, CORVA
