Fumes fill the air as a group of dirt bike riders rev their engines and gear up to set out on a rocky, rugged trail at Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area, or SVRA. Studies of expanding Carnegie SVRA have identified devastating impacts of off-highway vehicle use on the unique and fragile Tesla Park land.

Friends of Tesla Park, an alliance of individuals and organizations, are dedicated to protecting Tesla Park as a historic and natural resource park and preserve.

Members of FOTP asked the Livermore City Council in February to ban dirt bikes from Tesla Park to preserve several endangered creatures, plants, and historic Native American artifacts.

“I believe that the reason it is so important to preserve Tesla Park is because it is so rich in nature, beauty, history, culture and watershed. All are important because they cannot be replaced once they are destroyed,” said Nancy Rodrigue.

Rodrigue is one out of ten committee members on the Steering Committee of Friends of Tesla Park. Rodrigue has played a key part in supporting the preservation of Tesla Park for the last two and a half years.

“You can’t rebuild sacred Native American sites, you can’t re-dig the mines, you can’t reintroduce the endangered species, and you can’t replant all 3,000 acres with native plants and trees,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue believes the wildlife corridor will be hard to replace and the nesting Golden eagles are likely to expire.

“Creek pollution and erosion of the landscape would increase dramatically if we don’t have these off-highway vehicles banned,” said Marilyn Russell at a city council meeting.
Russell taught field biology for many years at Livermore High School and represents Tesla Road Resident Alliance.

Although the general plan is to protect Carnegie SVRA’s natural and cultural resources, it also provides California families the opportunity for high quality recreation.
Riders of all ages and skill levels are welcomed to venture across more than 1,300 acres of a variety of terrain.

Consequently, dirt bikes pump oil and gasoline pollution into habitats provided by Tesla Park that numerous ecosystems are surviving off of.

Irreversible damages with devastating biological impact would result from opening up the park to dirt bike use.

The large support to ban dirt bikes from Tesla Park has prompted negativity from the off-highway vehicle riders themselves.

“[Off-highway vehicle riders] have attended county, state and local meetings as a mob and have written very strongly worded responses to our efforts,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue states most of these riders are from outside of the Livermore community. Although their presence gives California’s off-highway motor vehicle recreation department support, it’s not constructive support.

According to the OHMVR program, an economic impact study currently being conducted by several industry associations has preliminary findings that indicate the direct annual off-highway vehicle-related expenditures exceed $10 billion in California.

As well, the Outdoor Industry Association’s report in 2012 estimated $66 billion in direct annual off-highway vehicle related expenditures nationwide. Therefore, the benefit to California’s economy is evident in the sales of off-highway vehicles.

Due to the popularity of dirt biking and other recreation trends, increase of visitation and new wildlife conservation regulations, plans for expanding Carnegie SVRA have been an issue since 2004.

Support to permanently protect the fragile Tesla Park land continues to grow. The draft environmental impact report will be released for public review and comment in late summer or early fall 2014.

The Livermore community would like to keep existence of peace and quiet, livestock, horses and vineyards, which are all present within Tesla Park land.

The environmental impact report will ultimately define the outcome on the issue of whether or not Tesla Park will become a non-motorized off-highway vehicle recreation park.