BLM News Release

For Immediate Release: June 8, 2007


Juniper Dunes Cooperative Agreement Clarification

SPOKANE – The recently signed cooperative use and lease agreement between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and a local land owner (Mr. Steven DeRuyter), which allows public use of a portion of Peterson Road to access BLM lands in the Juniper Dunes area of Franklin County, Washington, only applies to the portion of Peterson Road which is owned by Mr. DeRuyeter.
The remainder of Peterson Road, to the south of the lease agreement portion, is privately owned, and there the BLM does not have an agreement in place for public use. Anyone wishing to use the southern portion of the road must obtain permission from the other private land owners.

In April 2007, BLM announced the completion of a cooperative use and lease agreement with Mr. DeRuyter which would allow the public to use a portion of Peterson Road which was previously blocked by a locked gate. This agreement only covered the portion of the road owned by Mr. DeRutyter. The BLM is continuing to work with Franklin County, local landowners, and the recreation community on a long-term strategy to secure permanent public access to the area.

Juniper Dunes has been a popular regional outdoor recreation area for decades. Its amenities include large sand dunes, a designated wilderness area, important nesting areas for several species of hawks, and a large area open to off-highway vehicles.

More information, to include a map of the area, is available on the internet at http://www.blm.gov/o...pokane/newsroom.

So, is there access or not?? Looks like there are other landowners that could block access if they wanted too. Hope BLM will be persuing agreements with the rest of the land owners.

Map that shows the lease agreement

http://www.blm.gov/o...ictions_map.pdf

So how much area is not off limit compare to before?

Nothing has changed as far as where you can and cannot ride. The only thing the News Release is doing is pointing out that the road past where you turn off of Peterson Road to get to the trailhead is not to be used unless you have permission from the landowners there.

Please look at the map that the link above takes you to. It is very clear there. You come in on Peterson Rd and take a right to get into the riding area, just as we always have. Do not continue on Peterson Road past that turn unless you have permission.

bbbom said:

I think you are wrong in your statement. The statement from BLM says permission from property owners south of the agreement witch means property owners from the Pasco/ Kahlotus highway all the way to the agreement. If that is true it might be tough to get permission. A lot of the property on the way in is owned by a real-estate investment co. out of Illinois