Las Vegas Bicycling Community Website

I received an email from one of the local bicycling meetup.com organizers today that definitely threw me for a loop!!  The email stated that he received an email from Kathy August of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) in which “She has asked us not to plan any cycling events at Red Rock Canyon unless you contact her first.”  You can imagine my shock when I read this.  After all, we just went head to head with the BLM on entry fees for road cyclists at the Red Rock Scenic Loop.  Certainly, there has to be some reason why she would request that we contact her first if we decide to ride up in Red Rock.  So, I called her personally to find out the scoop.

Here’s the response I received from Kathy:

“We have seen a tremendous growth of use at Red Rock Canyon NCA over the last ten years. Not just the scenic drive but the entire NCA. Part of BLM’s management strategy is to work with local commercial and organized groups to make sure the recreationist experience can be a good one and that our resources, the reason folks come out to Red Rock Canyon, are conserved. One management tool we have for that are permits.

BLM, nation-wide, has three types of Special Recreation Permits which we issue, Commercial, Competitive, and Organized Groups. With each of these the event/outing are analyzed to determine if the event falls within the General Management Plan for the Conservation Area, and if this event with the cumulative impacts of other events and other groups, will have a positive,neutral or negative impact on the resources, natural, cultural, and others. This process requires input minimally from our resource specialists .

Due to the popularity of our areas, trails, and facilities at Red Rock Canyon, we are asking groups of more than 12 individuals, to contact us to see if their event would require a Special Recreation Permit or not. Another option we have is to issue a “Letter of Agreement” for groups which fall into the “grey area”. This letter gives groups, such as small hiking, biking, or church groups, guidance on how to make sure their group can visit the area and still not need a permit.

At this time, unless overlooks, parking areas, or other facilities are utilized, this does not necessarily apply to highway 159 or 160.

Information on this process can be found at the following websites:

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_information/permits.html

or

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_information/permits/special_recreation.html

and on the Red Rock Canyon Website’s ” Planning your Visit” page :for “organized Groups”:

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca/planning_your_visit.html

We are working hard to insure all visitors have a pleasant and enjoyable time and to make sure all the things that make Red Rock Canyon unique and special are there for years to come.

Please feel free to contact us to Preserve this jewel of a resource.

Lee Kirk or Kathy August at 515-5000″

So…what does this mean for our group rides? It means, for example, that if we plan on having 44 riders in a group at Cottonwood, that we instead, find a way to break up the group into smaller groups of 10-12 riders at a time. Or, we ask for a Letter of Agreement that will have stipulations in it that we must abide by to ride in a larger group, without a permit. Or, if it is a special event or for a commercial purpose, that we apply for the permits needed. No matter what, Kathy did say to me that they are willing to work with us to insure our continued enjoyment of the Red Rock National Conservation Area, but they ask that we work with them and notify them if we plan on having a group that consists of more than 12 people using the trails or riding the scenic loop.