Today, April 15, 2026, BRC filed a formal Motion to Intervene as a defendant in Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Nada Wolff Culver et al. (Case No. 3:21-cv-07171-SI), in the planning area known as WEMO, currently before Judge Susan Illston in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
On January 23, 2026, the court issued an order that went far beyond anything BLM analyzed and proposed— closing an addition 2,200 miles of routes in the Western Mojave desert. BLM's own planning process, after years of environmental review and public input, left ~6,247 miles of the original 16,000 mile network open for OHV use. The court's order cuts that number to approximately 4,047 miles, eliminating 73 percent of the original network.
As we reviewed this decision it was clear we had to act because, in this case, no one is representing you.
The plaintiffs, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, are the ones who pushed for these closures. The federal defendants, BLM and the Department of the Interior, are tasked with balancing multiple land uses and cannot advocate specifically for OHV recreation. There is no one in that courtroom fighting for riders, families, small business owners, or the millions of people who depend on access to the West Mojave.
So, BRC is stepping in to fill that void.
BlueRibbon Coalition has formally filed a motion to intervene to:
- Defend your right to access public lands
- Challenge a decision that goes far beyond what was ever analyzed
- Preserve the ability to appeal if federal agencies walk away
Why It Matters
The January 2026 order imposed closures that were not analyzed in any of BLM's NEPA alternatives and effectively rendered between one and 1.5 million acres inaccessible to motorized recreation. That is not a regulatory adjustment. It is a court-ordered shutdown driven by litigation from anti-access organizations.
WEMO is not a remote wilderness. It sits roughly midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and its route network has served BRC members and supporters for generations. Many rely on motorized access due to age or physical disability. These routes connect people to dispersed camping, rockhounding areas, and public lands that have been part of the OHV community's identity for decades. WEMO and the OHV community support countless of small businesses that have served California's tourism and rural economies. WEMO is also within the California Desert Conservation Area, where Congress expressly directed that OHV recreation be provided for and protected.
The legal standard for intervention is on our side. Federal courts recognize that intervention is appropriate — even after a judgment is entered — when a party has distinct legal interests that existing parties are not positioned to represent. BRC's members hold congressionally recognized rights to OHV recreation in the California Desert under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and those rights are directly at stake.
If BRC is not granted intervention and the federal defendants decline to appeal, there will be no one left to challenge this ruling on behalf of the riding community. The closures could stand indefinitely.
What's Next
If granted intervention, BRC will be positioned as a formal party in the case with the right to appeal. The Center for Biological Diversity has already stated it opposes BRC's intervention. The federal defendants have taken no position.
BRC will continue fighting through every available legal avenue.
How You Can Help
If you ride in the Mojave, if you've ever camped out there, if you know someone whose livelihood depends on OHV access to the West Mojave, this case directly affects you.
Because these closures are primarily being driven by action in the courts, we are doing what we can to show up to be part of that fight. However, we also need to fight with every tool in the toolbox to get these trails reopened. We've produced an in-depth WEMO report with a list of Action Items on how you can help. Please read the report. Become knowledgable about this case, and speak up when others are parroting anti-access talking points.
Act on all of the Action Items. And be sure to share the WEMO report or this page with your entire network!
Finally, legal intervention at the federal level requires experienced attorneys, extensive briefing, and sustained commitment. BRC is a nonprofit organization funded entirely by its members and supporters. Fortunately, with support from our members, we've been able to hire a full-time staff attorney & start laying the foundation for a legal center dedicated to fighting for our access to public lands in the courts. That means: No retainers. No billable hours. Did we mention they're off-roaders too?
But we still need you in this fight to support their work. Consider becoming a member or making a donation to our legal fund.
We stepped in because the recreation community deserves a voice—and because if this approach goes unchallenged here, it won’t stop here. Stay tuned. There’s more to come.
You can read the Intervention Motion here.
