It appears some members of a California-based off-roading group, Friends of Sand Mountain, are unhappy with the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe's participation in the discussions over recreational use at Sand Mountain.

They are trying to rally support for a boycott of the tribe's gas station and convenience store as payback of sorts for the tribe's request that one route up Sand Mountain be restricted. The fliers are posted on a Web site, www.DuneGuide.com, and we've heard a few are circulating around town.

This is an exceedingly petty and spiteful way to approach negotiations.

The Lahontan Valley Environmental Alliance, Fallon Tourism and Convention Authority, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others have been seriously trying to forge a compromise that allows multiple-use of the big dune without undue environmental damage to the area. Members of these organizations have invested a lot of time and energy in trying to accommodate a diverse group of dune users.

The answer is a negotiated solution to the growing conflicts. It doesn't make sense to carve the dune into areas for special interest groups, i.e., this area reserved for Native Americans, over here for off-roaders, another area reserved for the blue butterfly and this spot is for the exclusive use of whoever.

Sand Mountain is big business in Fallon. Just look at all the dune buggies, motorcycles and sand rails, most hauled by vehicles with California license plates, that come through town every weekend to gas up and get supplies. Fallon is the last stop and benefits economically from the dune. Getting a buy-in on a plan from diverse groups is needed to ensure the dune remains open to all. If the conflicts escalate among users of the dune, the recourse by federal officials may be severe restrictions or limiting the number of people allowed to visit the recreation area.

There must be a compromise forged between all groups - the tribe, off-roaders, environmentalists. Taking pot shots at the tribe in the form of a boycott of one of its enterprises is not productive to this process in any way.