In the summer of 2010, the BLM released its long anticipated Environmental Assessment (EA) relating to a proposed exchange of lands between the BLM and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Tribe). This is of big interest to trail users because three of the parcels to be transferred to the Tribe include: (1) Section 36 that contains the Garstin, Araby, Berns, Shannon, Theilman, and goat trails; (2) Section 16 that contains a long section of the Skyline trail; and (3) another Section 36 that provides access to the Dunn Road Trail, through the Dry Wash Trail Road to both the Palm Canyon Trail Road and Indian Potrero Trail. The BLM and Tribe, anticipating public concern over this, have stated that the public will continue to have access to these lands after the exchange. However neither the BLM nor the Tribe are in a position today to guarantee continued and/or free access to these areas for all times.

The primary difference between who controls the land is that management proposals affecting BLM-administered lands would be subject to a public process; decisions made by the Tribe are not. So there is no guarantee that public access under Tribal control would at least be as good as it would otherwise have been under BLM control. The management agreement between the two parties states the Tribe may impose restrictions, but there are no provisions for input from trail users into the process to determine what restrictions should be implemented. By mid-November, 2010, the Desert Trails Coalition submitted two sets of comments to the BLM covering these and other issues that were raised by the EA.

In February of 2011 the BLM announced that, due to issues raised through comments submitted in the EA review process, it will begin the process to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). “Public scoping meetings” are currently expected to be held in January of 2012, subject to the completion and timing of pre-cursors to those meetings. The purpose of the meetings will be to help the BLM determine which issues need to be addressed and the extent of analysis to be done under the EIS.

Learn more about the BLM's Environmental Assessment (EA), with a description of properties to be swapped:

Click here

What can you do to support the Desert Trails Coalition work?

Thank you for expressing your interest in this exchange and sending comments to the BLM. If you submitted comments to the BLM, you will receive information from them about upcoming “public scoping meetings” for the EIS. You can also check the BLM web site for information about those meetings, or check this page for future updates.

Thank you for your support!

Desert Trails Coalition's Response:

The DTHC is a member of Desert Trails Coalition (DTC) as are the CV Hiking Club, Desert Riders and other trail user groups. Click the following links to read the two Coalition letters:

First DTC Letter


Click here to download

Second DTC Letter

Click here to download

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