BLM What can you do?

Your desert riches  Drive only on designated routes and obey post-

Off Highway Vehicle Recreation ed signs. Keep dogs on leash. Endemic In terms of OHV recreation, this scenic Chuckwalla  Camp within 100 feet of route’s centerline. DWMA and Meccacopia SRMA provides many miles  Do not touch tortoises. Harassing/collecting In Chuckwalla & of open routes. The Bureau of Land Management them are violations of state and federal law. Meccacopia (BLM) established the DWMA to protect the federally  Pack out trash. Waste takes longer to decom- listed threatened desert tortoise and 38 special status pose in the desert, and also increases raven and animal species. populations.

Discover the Rewards of Responsible Recreation  Park your vehicle or set up camp in previously used or disturbed areas. OHV riding provides the opportunity to get away from the rush of everyday life and builds family traditions.  Watch for tortoises on a roads and trails, espe- cially during and after it rains. Careless operation of your OHV can cause damage.  Look under your car before diving away. Tor-

By using common sense and courtesy, following the toises rest in the shade of parked cars. laws and posted signs helps ensure that what is avail- ● Palm Springs South Coast Field Office Office Field Coast South Springs Palm ● California able today will be here to enjoy tomorrow.  Watch tortoises from a distance. Getting closer than 10 feet can cause a defensive response of All BLM-managed public lands in California are empting the bladder, which can be fatal. designated in vehicle-use categories: Limited Areas are open to OHV use, subject to post- Ride Responsibly ed restrictions. OHV travel is limited to designated The desert is a delicate ecosystem. It has evolved open routes. No cross-country travel is permitted. to survive sparse water and intense sun but not the The Chuckwalla DWMA is a limited area. effects of human activities. Illegal and inappropri- Closed Areas are closed to all motorized vehicle use, ate OHV use has resulted in soil compaction, habi- for example a wilderness areas. Wilderness areas, tat degradation, habitat fragmentation, and erosion. marked with signs, are open to hikers and horseback It can take the desert more than 100 years to heal riders but prohibited to motor vehicles. from this damage. Open Areas are open to vehicle use any- Desert Safety Tips where within the posted boundaries. Travel Travel in the desert can be an adventure. It can off established routes (cross-country) is also be a disaster if a breakdown or sudden change permitted. There are NO open riding areas in weather catches you unprepared. Harsh weather in the DWMA, SRMA, or Riverside County. conditions can turn a desert outing into a tragedy. Open riding areas are located in San Ber- Acquire knowledge of desert survival skills. Travel nardino and Imperial counties. in pairs for safety in backcountry area. A gallon of Open Routes are open to all motorized water per person, per day is the absolute minimum. vehicle use, subject to posted restrictions such as driving only on designated routes. Bureau of Land Management Examples are Red Cloud and Summit Rd. Palm Springs—South Coast Field Office Limited Routes are open to all motorized 1201 Bird Center Drive vehicle use except during a limited time Palm Springs, CA 92262 period when it is closed. The only one in (760)833-7100 E-mail: [email protected] this DWMA is the Meccacopia Trail, closed from June 1 to Sept. 30 to protect wildlife www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings access to critical water sources. Open routes in limited areas are marked with this How to explore Meccacopia SRMA and Chuckwalla DWMA OHV touring for recreation opportunities: Munz Cholla (Opuntia munzii) ( cognata) Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) must stay on approved Mecca Aster routes of travel while touring within the Meccacopia Munz cholla is the largest cholla Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), the and like all cholla it should be Chuckwalla Desert Wildlife Management Area looked at and not touched. The (DWMA), and other public lands within the Palm ground around the plant will often Springs South Coast Field Office. There is no ap- be covered with dead stems and proved cross country travel or free play areas such living segments. These can at- as hill climbs and riding around within camps sites. tach themselves to you or ani- Very large OHV Open areas are available for unre- mals with the slightest touch to stricted OHV use in nearby San Bernardino and Im- help disperse the plant across the perial Counties. desert. Removing spines can be extremely painful. Mecca Aster is a perennial shrub that is endemic to

Recreation opportunities valued in the Meccacopia California. Its range is limited to the Mecca and Indio Munz cholla is a shrub-like tree SMRA and Chuckwalla DWMA are destination riding, Hills where it grows on the slopes and bottoms of can- that grows between 6 - 13 feet tall and almost as wide. access to day hiking, photography, camping, nature yons. Look for this flower on hikes in the Painted It has a few yellowish-green flowers in May which de- study, picnicking, shooting, hunting, and scientific/ Canyon area. It has a lilac-tinted bloom that is similar velop into a dry fruit. It can be found in dry, gravelly or education study. to a daisy. Find it in full bloom between January to sandy places within the creosote bush scrub communi- June. ty at elevations of 480 - 1,920 feet on the Chuckwalla

Mountains. Look for it close to the Bradshaw Trail. How do your choices effect plant growth? Orocopia Sage (Salvia greatae) Illegal OHV travel and illegal dumping through Mecca aster and Orocopia sage habitat may kill or damage mature plants and reduce the establishment of new plants. Staying on designated routes, obeying posted signs, and putting trash where it belongs will help to protect this area and ensure the survival of Munz chol- la, Mecca aster, Orocopia sage, and other plant and Joshua trees are endemic to the Mojave Desert. animal species.

What is an Endemic Plant? Importance of Endemic Plants Some plants are found in only one small place in the Orocopia sage is a rare species. Its range is limited to These plants are important because they create world. These species are not widespread and are the mountainous high desert of southern Riverside unique habitats on which certain wildlife species de- given the name of endemic plants. These are natural- and northern Imperial Counties, mainly in the Oroco- pend on for survival. Some human activities, such as ly restricted to a particular type of habitat. Unique pia and Chocolate Mountains. The habitat of Oroco- illegal cross-country travel by OHVs, are threats to combinations of soils, climates and other biological pia sage is in gravelly or rocky soils on broad bajadas natural areas and endemic plants. Trampling vegeta- factors result in plants adapting over time to survive in or alluvial fans and desert dry wash. It may occur on tion with OHVs jeopardizes mature plants and inhibits these habitats. Endemic plants run a higher risk of rocky benches above the flood plain of a wash, as the the establishment of new plants. Soil compaction pre- extinction because of their geographic isolation. For in Salt Creek Wash along the Bradshaw Trail. This vents growth of vegetation, reduces water absorption, example, the Joshua tree is endemic to the Mojave shrub grows to 3’ tall with sharp-pointed leaf edges and destroys soil micro-organisms. Degradation and Desert. The Munz cholla, Orocopia sage, and Mecca and pinkish-purple flowers which bloom between destruction of habitat are primary reasons for declines aster are endemic plants of the . March and April. Photos: M. Masser, B. Wood in plant and wildlife populations.