Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Off-road motorcyclists and environmental groups are locking wheels on the proposed closing of 31,000 acres of the Clear Creek Management Area, rugged country straddling Fresno and San Joaquin counties. The EPA found an increased long-term cancer risk for those involved in recreational activities, particularly those that kick up dust. The land sits on one of the largest naturally occurring asbestos deposits and the site of two asbestos quarries. The Bureau of Land Management wants to close the area for the next 18 to 24 months for a risk assessment and EIR. The site attracts some 35,000 people a year, including motorcyclists, hikers, mineral collectors and history buffs. --Joanne Williams