Part II. VISITOR MANAGEMENT ISSUES

A. Major Issue Identification

The major issues identified below and subsequent management actions described in the next few pages are the result, to a large extent, of two informal planning meetings, the "Friends of Samoa Dunes" advisory group, BLM staff and information obtained from a visitor survey conducted at Samoa Dunes.

Major Issues

1. How can OHV Opportunities be Expanded?

Comment:

The Samoa Dunes Recreation Area, although small, is one of the few coastal OHV riding areas remaining in California. With the recent closure of nearly all of the Samoa Peninsula to OHV use, this area is receiving even greater use pressures than in past years . Visitor use is estimated to double each year for the foreseeable future . Consistent with the July, 1995 Arcata Resource Area Resource Management Plan Amendment, the primary management objective for this area is to promote and provide for a variety of OHV riding opportunities.

Considerations:

2. Public Safety

Comment:

The fact that this relatively small (300 acres) area accommodates approximately 150,000 visitors annually and is open to OHV use poses an inherent safety problem. Many of these safety concerns can be dealt with using proper educational tools, signing and separating incompatible recreation activities.

Considerations:
3. Surfing

Comment:

Surfing has become, and will continue to be a popular recreation activity at Samoa Dunes. Use has tripled over the last three years. The rate of this increase is slowing slightly and is anticipated to level off in a few years as competition for available space on the water reaches a point when many surfers will go elsewhere. A substantial number of surfers use 4WD vehicles to access the waveslope; while others either park at the end of Bunker Road or Jetty Road. A typical surfer may visit Samoa Dunes two to four times a week when the surf is up, with an average stay of approximately three hours.

Considerations:
4. User Fees
Comment:

For the last six years, the U.S. Congress has recommended that users need to pay a greater share of the expense to recreate on public lands. The Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 further addressed this premise by amending the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. By amending this Act, Congress liberalized the criteria for charging fees in campgrounds, and allowed agencies to charge fees for specialized sites such as managed parking facilities, boating ramps, etc. The 1995 Visitor Services Improvement and Outdoor Legacy Act was proposed so that agencies would establish recreation fee programs designed to generate 75 percent of the annual cost of providing visitor services for any particular recreation site. Should this bill or something similar be enacted, Congress intends for the BLM to charge the public for providing visitor services on the public lands. This means all users of the public lands including hikers, equestrians, mountain bike riders, campers, OHVers, etc. Currently, 100 percent of the amount of fees collected from BLM recreation sites are returned to the Resource Area from which they generated.

Considerations:
5. Resource Protection/Monitoring/Enhancement

Comment:

The 40-acre Endangered Plant Protection Area is closed to all public use and the 130-acre Wetland Protection Area is closed to vehicle use. These closures provide protection for the endangered Humboldt Bay wallflower and beach layia, as well as habitat for many wildlife species. Monitoring of these resources and restoration of dunes that have been taken over by exotic plants continues on an anntral basis. The two areas are protected with post and cable barriers that need repair and maintenance periodically.

Several historical resources exist at Samoa Dunes. The Humboldt Harbor Lighthouse, constructed in 1856, and numerous World War II ammunition bunkers provide valuable historic information and lend themselves to public interpretation.

Considerations:
6. Illegal Mushroom Picking

Comment:

Every winter a portion of the vegetated dunes are disturbed by visitors searching for mushrooms. Populations of endangered plants have been impacted by this illegal activity, and a concerted effort has been undertaken to protect this important habitat.

Considerations:
7. Accommodation of Other User Groups

Comment:

A wide range of recreation activities occurs at Samoa Dunes in addition to OHV riding and surfing. These'include fishing, hiking, sightseeing, beachcombing, wildlife viewing, nature study and picnicking. How to accommodate such activities within this small area and minimizing user conflicts should be addressed.

Considerations:
8. Management Coordination Between Agencies and User Groups

Considerations:
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