Here's another aspect of the situation. Designated Wilderness Areas not only prevent the public from enjoying those lands but they impede law enforcement from patrolling for illegal activities. Smugglers and illegal immigrants are already breaking the law, so they use these areas as a corridor to enter the United States, creating thousands of roads and vehicle trails across the landscape.
As a rule border agents can patrol and pursue suspects on foot or horseback only. These restrictions date back to the Wilderness Act of 1964 which established millions of acres of federal protected land and for the most part barred permanent roads and prohibited motor vehicles, motorboats, aircraft and any other “mechanical transport” from entering.
Agents can only drive into the wilderness areas in an emergency situation. An emergency situation is described as – “human life, health, safety of persons within the area, or posing a threat to national security” — and the pursuit is “reasonably expected” to result in an arrest. But then it gets even more trickier. When this happens, border patrol must notify local federal land manager to report on what happened. If the manager determines there was “significant” environment impact, they have to submit a written report. The paperwork never ends.
Chazz Layne wrote:BorregoWrangler wrote:There was still a lot of construction going on then too. I'd like to head out there again and check it out sometime. I know a few good routes to take.

Sounds like fun, but there's no way I'd head down there that on that side of the river...

Hey, what's wrong with our side of the river? Bring your guns and we can make a shooting trip out of it too.
