October 18, 2007
Hell's Half-Acre Off-Highway Vehicle Proprosal

Photo by Dave Maxwell Chris Hanefeld and Kalem Lenard of BLM Ely Field Office explaining about the Hell's Half-Acre OHV Trail System

By Dave Maxwell

The BLM Ely Field Office is asking for public input on a proposal that would establish a managed Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail system in the area of Hell’s Half Acre in the Hiko Mountain Range about 7-8 miles north of Alamo.

The 45-day public input period closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2007. A public meeting is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, at the Alamo Ambulance Barn.

In presenting the proposal to the Lincoln County Commissioners, Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely Field Office Public Affairs Officer said the proposed system would consist of about 80 miles of existing roads and trails on 7,000-plus acres of public lands in the Hiko Range. The designated, signed and maintained multi-loop system would provide OHV enthusiasts, known as “rock-crawlers,” with a quality recreation experience while providing for public land health by focusing use and stemming proliferation of new roads and trails. The proposal includes public education and outreach, as well as resource monitoring.

Rock crawling is an increasingly popular specialized type of OHV recreation that utilizes highly modified four-wheel drive vehicles to traverse extremely challenging terrain, such as the boulder-strewn washes in the Hell’s Half-Acre area.

Hanefeld said the proposed trails are in the wide area north of where the Yucca Chuckers group usually holds their annual dirt-bike rally and that’s where the entrance to most of the trail system would be. He said that the area does include some of the habitat for the desert Tortoise and desert Big Horn Sheep, plus a few known archeological sites, which may present concern for some people. He said the BLM Ely Field Office would be doing some Section 7 consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, plus Nevada Wilderness and the Sierra Club.

Commissioner Wade Poulsen pointed out that at the Hell’s Half-Acre site is where the town of Alamo has identified 1000 acres as a recreation area for picnicking and camping, hiking, etc. However, he didn’t think the proposed OHV trails would interfere with what Alamo has in mind, and the two in combination could be a benefit for both