New Billboards Publicize OHV Ban on Open Desert
Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff, Cathedral City Police Chief Stan Henry and Bureau of Land Management Field Director John Kalish were on hand this morning to take the wraps off of one of the new billboards designed to curtail illegal off roading activity in the Coachella Valley. This morning’s unveiling ceremony took place near a sign located on Expressway 86, facing northbound traffic at Avenue 50.
The other signs are located on Highway 111 at the I-10 entrance to Palm Springs (facing south), on the freeway one mile west of Indian Avenue (facing west), and I-10 one-half mile west of Dillon Road (facing west).
With support from Lamar Outdoor Advertising, the billboards will remind owners of Off‐Highway Vehicles that using them in the open desert of Riverside County is not legal. Riding on approved trails on public lands is lawful, but riding through the open desert is not legal unless it is on private property with written permission from the property owner in the rider’s possession.
For the past two years, the CVAG OHV Task Force has provided enforcement in problem areas throughout the Coachella Valley. This collaborative effort includes the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Palm Springs Police Department, Desert Hot Springs Police Department, Cathedral City Police Department, Indio Police Department and the Bureau of Land Management. Residents in the affected areas have reported a decrease in activity with the enforcement efforts and have thanked the Task Force for its work.
The County Planning Department, with the guidance of a citizen task force, has been researching locations for an OHV park, and will be presenting their findings to the Board of Supervisors in the near future.