Juniper Dunes closed again

[rambrush]

Well gang it seems the farmers won again and blocked the road in.
In the late 70's we had sand dunes @ Road 68 in Pasco and then could make the run up to Juniper dunes to play in the sand there as well.
We fought went to a lot of BLM meetings and it was still closed, then it was opened not long ago. Now closed again.
Article follows below and includes a phone # to add your comments

BLM fails again on Juniper Dunes




Published Sunday, August 12th, 2007

When it comes to protecting public access to Juniper Dunes in Franklin County, the Bureau of Land Management is about as effective as a Chihuahua on a leash.
Once again, access to the federally owned wilderness area has been blocked, and yet again the bureau has to be prodded into action.
Just like always.
It started late in 2004, when the principal access road to the dunes was blocked by a neighboring farmer. He said he was tired of careless users trashing his private road and creating possible hazards for themselves and his livestock.
Don't blame the farmer.
After intense public outcry, the bureau did little. It took a letter from U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., to prod BLM into finally getting a deal worked out with the farmer who blocked the road.
That access did not last long. This summer a neighboring farmer blocked his portion of the road.
From the beginning of this oddity, the public and the Herald have urged the bureau to obtain by condemnation a passageway to Juniper Dunes.
And, again from the beginning, the bureau's response (it is certainly no answer) has been simply, "Oh, it'll take too long," or "we don't have the money" or "let Franklin County do it."
Always some lame excuse.
In 1984, the federal government turned 17,000 acres into a wilderness area and invited the public to come enjoy this "Sahara of Washington."
As described by the Herald's Eric Degerman, Juniper Dunes is a remnant of an ecosystem created by the great deluges known as the Spokane, Bretz or Missoula floods.
Some of the dunes are 130 feet high and 1,200 feet long, and the groves of western juniper are believed to be 85 to 150 years old, and form the northernmost community of these trees on the continent.
Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management found time to issue a long list of "emergency" rules for visitors to the Juniper Dunes.
They included:
w Approved safety helmets for all ATV and ORV riders at the dunes. Passengers are allowed only on ATVs or ORVs designed for two or more people.
w Safety flags mounted on a 6-foot whip mast for all vehicles operating off road.
w Current and valid state registration and tabs visible on all vehicles and personal identification carried by all drivers.
w And a ban on using wooden pallets for any type of fire.
So, BLM drew up a comprehensive set of rules for the expected use of the area by citizens but failed to anticipate that the shaky access route could be closed.
It's a strange way to run a government.
Those who would like to visit publicly owned Juniper Dunes without having to trespass should call or e-mail the Spokane District office of the Bureau of Land Management and ask for instructions. Or give some.
The number is 509-536-1200. The web site is Bureau of Land Management or/districts/spokane.
You won't find anything about the road being closed. Too busy for that, we assume. But there are news releases crowing about the agreement that opened the dunes for such a short time.
In other words, lots of yapping.