Host Big Rich Klein sits down with BlueRibbon Coalition’s Ben Burr and longtime Johnson Valley advocate Shannon Welch to unpack a fast-moving proposal that could reshape recreation at the Hammers. The U.S. Marine Corps has requested permanent Special Use Airspace (SUA) over Johnson Valley—from the ground up to 8,000 feet—split into four corridors (A–D). While framed as limited use, the Environmental Assessment (EA) seeks a permanent designation via the FAA, not a temporary, training-only restriction.
What’s at stake – Medevac and search-and-rescue flights for everyday users, not just races – Backcountry aviation, personal drones, and private landowners (20,000 acres impacted) – Commercial filming/testing (e.g., Ford), ranching operations, and year-round OHV access – The integrity of a Congressionally Designated OHV Area and its $71M local economic impact. A precedent of closure-by-airspace has been seen at White Sands and Yuma Proving Ground.
Community action – Comment deadline: September 15 – Submit via blueribboncoalition.org/hammers – Blue Ribbon guarantees your comments will be shared. Share widely with your OHV, aviation, ranching, and local business networks
Key points – EA claims “no significant impact,” but provides no enforceable safeguards – Marines told some stakeholders “60 days/year,” yet the EA seeks permanent SUA – Blue Ribbon’s reasonable alternative: a 1,500-foot buffer from ground/elevation to protect civilian use
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:12.400] – Big Rich Klein
This episode is a special Land Use Edition of Conversations with Big Rich, featuring Blue Ribbon Coalitions, Ben Burr and Shannon Welch. We will be discussing Johnson Valley and the Marines’ proposed takeover of the OHV area’s airspace and the impact that such a move will make to the off-road community and all of the locals surrounding the area. Okay, we are all online now, so say hello to Ben and Shannon. It’s so good to have you guys on this. Too bad we’re doing this because of a threat to Johnson Valley, but how are you both doing this evening?
[00:01:53.400] – Shannon Welch
I’m good, thanks. Yeah. How about you, Ben?
[00:01:56.260] – Ben Burr
I’m doing great, too. It’s good to be back.
[00:01:58.660] – Big Rich Klein
Okay, so let’s Let’s just jump right in with both feet. Shannon, you’re the one with the history on the attempted closures of Johnson Valley. Why don’t you bring us up to date on the history for those folks that may not know?
[00:02:18.040] – Shannon Welch
Yeah, sure. It’s crazy to think that I’m not a land use veteran because I was a kid on that site. But basically, I don’t know exactly when it started. I know it really heated up. It was probably a four or five year fight that was the Marine base ultimately wanted to expand 29 Palms Marine base, which is adjacent to Johnson Valley, what we know of as the Hammers wanted to expand and essentially take over all of what we know of as King of the Hammers race area today. That’s how the vast majority of people know it. Those of us that live locally know it as Johnson Valley, and there’s a lot more to it than just the King of the Hammers race course. But that entire area, they wanted all of it and more. They did a very big environmental study. There were lots of meetings. There was years of fighting and pushback in our community saying, No, no, no. Ultimately, the Marine said, There’s not enough of you to care about this. We’re going to win. We’re the Marines. That was essentially what we were told over over again. This was early, well, not early days of pirate, but it was pirate days, and the community really banded together.
[00:03:38.960] – Shannon Welch
Then ultimately, I ended up quitting my job and going to work for King of the Hammers in the middle of this Really, it was how fast can we grow King of the Hammers, to get enough people to care about Johnson Valley, to get enough people to tell their elected officials that this area matters to us. It was a many, many, many years fight. We’ve actually lost a lot of people who were part of that fight. They’ve just passed away since then. I think it would kill them to know that we are back here again. Ultimately, what ended up happening was the Marines got… It depends on who you ask. I say half. I was talking to somebody today who said they got a third. They did get a good portion of land. They got a lot of really good single track. They got some areas that people were unhappy to give up. But ultimately, we spent years, thousands of dollars, lobbyists, all of that. And ultimately, it came down to the Marines were going to get it passed in the middle of the night, basically in a bill. They were just going to get it added on.
[00:04:43.740] – Shannon Welch
We were potentially going to lose all of it unless we drew a line. The line had to be drawn. The line was drawn. What was left, we created a unique scenario. It’s called the Shared Use Area. And the reason for that is the same way that King of the Hammers or District 37 or anybody else out there has to go and get a permit to put on an event. The Marines, because it’s shared use, get to get a permit twice a year for up to 30 days at a time to do their trainings because they insisted that they weren’t going to drop bombs or use artillery or do any of that. So we’re like, why don’t we just share the area? And so that’s where we were at. And we thought it was really amicable and a good relationship with the Marines who are regularly in attendance at King of the Hammers, work closely with the community on that event in particular. And so we were really blindsided when we found out at the end of August that they weren’t coming after the land because ultimately after that got decided, we did get the area, Congressionally Designated OHV land. READ MORE
