Hunters are hoping the newly created Sand to Snow National Monument will be the first national monument in the state to allow hunting. Last week, some 40 hunters from around the region attended the first of a series of workshops designed to seek public input about the monument, created by President Barack Obama in a February 12 proclamation. The 154,000-acre monument includes 71,000 acres of San Bernardino National Forest land and 83,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land—on which hunters have been able to pursue deer, bear and smaller prey, such as coyotes, rabbits and squirrels. Interim monument manager Rebecca Carr Wong, called the series of meetings a chance to “hear what the public wants before we start sitting down to plan for it.” Attendees were given maps of the new Sand to Snow Monument, and asked to circle the areas that would be the subject of their comments. Many had multiple comments about multiple areas. These included concerns about parking spaces near trail heads, trail conditions in very specific areas, number of camp sites and, of course, access for hunters. Hunter and hunting guide Terry Anderson, 67, of Morongo Valley brought another concern to the attention of federal land managers. importance of maintaining the health of the current herds of Bighorn Sheep.
