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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is hosting several in-person and virtual public and stakeholder meetings to gather input on the development of off-highway vehicle grant proposals for submission to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Grants support off-highway vehicle management activities, including visitor services, law enforcement, resource protection, planning and monitoring, and maintenance on BLM-managed public lands.

“These grant funds help us manage, protect, and maintain the many BLM off-highway vehicle recreation areas in the District,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch. “We welcome public input on these important grant funds, as the input received at these meetings is used to develop our grant applications.”

Grant applications are being prepared for the 2024 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 4.

Stakeholders and members of the public are invited to attend any of the meetings below. Participants are invited to join meetings virtually, by phone using the dial-in information, or attend in-person. The meeting schedule is as follows with options for participation below:

Needles Field Office: Feb. 21

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. scoping meeting and 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. stakeholder meeting

In person: BLM Needles Field Office, 1303 S Highway 95, Needles, CA 92363
Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/VBbS50QwTix

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 160 805 1054 / Passcode: 304433

Barstow Field Office: Feb. 22

4 -5 p.m. scoping meeting and 5 - 6 p.m. stakeholder meeting

In-person: BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/YH1g50QznW1

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 291 7162 / Passcode: 636079

El Centro Field Office: Feb. 22

3 - 4 p.m. scoping meeting and 4 - 4:30 p.m. stakeholder meeting

In-person: BLM El Centro Field Office, 1661 S 4th St, El Centro, CA 92243

Phone: 866-763-8176 / Passcode: 9991496#

Ridgecrest Field Office: Feb. 22

4:30 - 5:15 p.m. stakeholder meeting and 5:15 - 6 p.m. scoping meeting
In-person: BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S Richmond Rd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/wR4o50QwTpN

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 942 9567 / Passcode: 990837

Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office: Feb. 27

2 - 3 p.m. scoping meeting and 3 – 3:30 p.m. stakeholder meeting

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/MzyA50Qzn4P

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 160 121 0531 / Passcode: 436977

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 5 to May 6, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, 92311, attention Caleb Scruggs; cscruggs@blm.gov
• BLM El Centro Field Office, 1661 S 4th Street, 92243, attention Michael Mujica; mmujica@blm.gov
• BLM Needles Field Office, 1303 S Highway 95, 92363, attention David Roan; droan@blm.gov
• BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, 92262, attention Kris Ellis; kellis@blm.gov
• BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S Richmond Road, 93555, attention Katrina Meyer; kmeyer@blm.gov

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division is funding the planning efforts through an off-highway vehicle planning grant. The state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing more than $35 million annually collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle sticker registrations. The program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by providing financial assistance to cities, counties, districts, federal agencies, state agencies, educational institutions, and federally recognized Native American Tribes and non-profit entities.