Chris Clarke writes about the threat to the Desert Cahuilla Prehistoric Area. He links to this piece posted by the Desert Protective Council.
Check out the links for more explanation, but bottom line, the threat comes from recreational off-road vehicle use. Chris says:
I regard off-road vehicle driving as a socially sanctioned form of sociopathic vandalism, especially in the fragile desert. In southern California especially, the ranks of OHV enthusiasts contain a disturbing proportion of actual thugs. Expanding their access to irreplaceable and fragile desert lands would be an atrocity.
Chris, as usual, is absolutely right, both about the connection between off-roading and vandalism and about the very real threat these folks and their awful machines pose to the wild. (The only people who infuriate me more than off-highway vehicle enthusiasts are those in the fur industry. A repeated willingness to waste fossil fuels while tearing up nature in your ATV is grounds for the termination of friendship in my book.)
In any event, go here and take action.
As a sailor, I feel the same way about jetskiers. They disobey the rules of “Right of Way” on the water, they create wake and chop in small coves, they are often stupid enough to not bother wearing lifejackets, and on a small craft with no means of self-propulsion and not much buoyancy, that can be deadly. Basically, they’re a nuisance at worse and dangerous to themselves, other small craft, and some water dwelling creatures at worst. There’s not much ATV use around my city, but I know that there is much taking place up in northern New England, and I’m always hearing about drunken ATV accidents, or kids and teens getting killed on them for being reckless. Awful.
The same holds true for water skiing and boating with most people on the water–oblivious to others. There’s so much alcohol that goes with the territory. I think the waters are infested with reckless, thoughtless drunks causing accidents, killing people or maiming them for life and for the lucky ones–storytelling about near misses. Drunks just don’t seem to care about anyone. They ruin the whole experience for others.