Debate Over Desert Use

I own a 4-wheel drive vehicle; I’ve known the pleasures that legitimate off-roading can bring; I’ve enjoyed the freedom to camp at will anywhere on the desert. Such behavior was acceptable years ago when the desert environment could withstand the impact of a limited number of users. Now my activities along with all other desert users must be managed in order to maintain the desert we want to leave to posterity.

Exploiters, even relatively innocent ones, have always had to be “locked-out” by the creation of parks and wilderness areas. Usually these have been commercial interests that at least had a utilitarian point of view. But to destructively exploit in the name of fun as the off-road user community would do is simply vandalism disguised as recreation.

ROBERT B. CATES

Chatsworth