NEWS RELEASE

For Release: September 2, 2003

Contact: Steve Razo (909) 697-5217 or Jan Bedrosian (916) 978-4616

CA-CDD-03-72

 

BLM sets Imperial Dunes fees for 2003-2004 season

 

After extensive consultation with visitors, vendors and off-highway vehicle (OHV) groups who enjoy the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in eastern Imperial County, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has set new fees for the 2003-2004 season to allow the agency to better recoup its costs of managing the popular area.

 

While the fees for both recreation visitors and vendors at the Dunes will be higher, they are lower than recommended by an outside business consultant hired by BLM to evaluate the area's costs and comparable fees at other popular recreation sites.  The consultant and BLM gathered input from a wide variety of interests, including a local citizen's advisory group called the Technical Review Team (TRT).  Those comments and suggestions were incorporated into a recently completed business plan. 

 

Under the new fees, Dunes recreation visitors will pay $25 per week or $90 for a season pass starting October 1, 2003.  The business plan recommended $30 during non-holiday weeks, $60 during holiday weeks, and $180 for a season pass.  The old fee was $10 per week or $30 for a season pass.  The new passes will soon be available in local shops, online, and onsite.

 

TRT Chairman Jerry Seavers said, "We appreciate BLM taking the TRT's views into account and making adjustments in the fees that we believe are more workable and fair.  The TRT will continue to work with BLM to help ensure the fee system is accountable and visible to the public.  We also believe the fees should be reassessed every year to ensure actual management costs are reflected."

 

Vendors who sell supplies, equipment, souvenirs, etc. will also see their fees increase.  BLM and the business consultant conferred with individual vendors to gather their views on how to make fees more in line with comparable market rates, but still allow small vendors to compete.  The new fees will be $30 a day during non-holiday weekends, $60 a day during holiday weekends, and $25 a day during the week.  Previously, they paid $25 a day for the first 20 days and $15 a day after that. The BLM also plans to reconfigure the size of the vendor areas on Gecko Road to allow for bigger operations, which means vendors previously paying for multiple areas would be provided one larger area.

 

BLM El Centro Field Manager Greg Thomsen said the agency will also be working to increase fee compliance and asked for the OHV community's cooperation. "We've heard numerous concerns from OHV organizations that the BLM needs to increase fee compliance in order to keep fees as low as possible. With everyone's cooperation we can keep the fees lower and still provide improved facilities, law enforcement, visitor safety, and resource conservation needed at this popular area."

 

BLM has made no decisions on recreation fees for BLM-managed OHV areas in other parts of the California Desert.  BLM is continuing its outreach and consultation efforts with users and other interests concerning these areas, including Dumont Dunes, El Mirage, Johnson Valley, Stoddard Valley, and Rasor.

 

The final business plan is available online at http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/.  Details on the fees, frequently asked questions, and more information about the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is available online at the same site or by calling BLM's El Centro Field Office at 760-337-4400.

 

-BLM-

 

Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/dune_faqs_9-2-03.html

 

California Desert District Office
22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, California 
(909) 697-5200