AGENCIES FOCUS ON OFF-ROADING IMPACT.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley station are joining in a multi-agency effort to strike a happy medium between off-road riders and nature lovers.

The local station, as well as the Palmdale station and officials from the Angeles National Forest, are all applying for funding from the California Off-Highway Recreation Division to fund enforcement and restoration programs.

``We've had such severe damage to the hills and resources because of the vehicles,'' said Sgt. Roger Wallace of the Santa Clarita sheriff's station off-highway vehicle enforcement team. ``We've identified 22 areas of concern where riders have caused severe erosion and, in some places, a loss of habitat for endangered species.''

Forest Service funding would be used for trails and facilities maintenance, signage, wildlife and cultural resource protection and wildlife habitat restoration while the sheriff's requests would cover enforcement costs.

``The Santa Clarita station is asking for $97,000,'' Wallace said. ``This is our fourth year of requesting and getting some funding for the program. The first and third years, we were funded for $55,000; in the second, we only received $20,000.''

In the last 12 months, the team has made two arrests, given out 350 citations and 314 warnings.

Wallace said that the grant amount would cover estimated overtime costs of $95,000 and $2,000 in travel expenses to send representatives to Sacramento to comply with grant requirements.

The only local areas where off-highway riding is legal are the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area above Castaic, Angeles National Forest's Rowher Flats area off Sierra Highway and portions of Drinkwater Flats in Bouquet Canyon.

The station team includes two sergeants and six deputies who take specialized four-wheel-drive vehicles into the areas to patrol and ticket offenders.

``Our biggest problem are garage riders, who ride their bikes down the streets and into the hills,'' Wallace said. ``A lot of them ride on private property and that's trespassing.''

The teams go out on a random basis, looking for violators and checking riders for equipment compliance as well.

``A lot of the riders don't have spark arresters on their vehicles, and with the high fire danger that's a major problem. We have to do something to curb the damage to the land and natural resources,'' said Wallace.

Comments regarding the grant application can be submitted to Wallace via mail at 23740 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355, via e-mail to rewallac(at)lasd.org or faxed to [phone]. The public comment period expires Aug. 1.

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

9 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 4 -- color) Sgt. Ron Olfert, above, listens to the concerns of an alleged off-road trespasser while on patrol. Below right, Deputy Mike Konecny writes out a citation while on patrol. Bottom left, Konecny prepares to continue his patrol with Olfert, and, below left, Olfert writes a citation to an alleged trespasser.

(5 -- 9) Clockwise from above, Sgt. Ron Olfert and Deputy Mike Konecny patrol the dirt pathways as part of the Off Road Enforcement Team through the Los Angeles County sheriff's station in Santa Clarita on Saturday morning; Olfert writes a citation while deputies Konecny, left, and Mike Lorenzi discuss the next area to survey; Olfert looks at an open beer can and some marijuana found on a trespasser sitting in his car in Canyon Country; and Olfert, left, and Konecny patrol both dirt and city roads.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News