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VIEWING 10 - 18 OUT OF 31 BLOGS.
Wilderness Bill Needs a Thumping!
DATE: 08/27/2008 14:28:02 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT! Attention Motorized Recreationists!BRC has been working with the Pirate4X4.com crew on several recreational access issues. Right now, they are working diligently to generate a big response to the Boxer/McKeon Wilderness Bill from the OHV community and they need your help. Pirate's goal is to generate 2500 letters or more that BRC can deliver to Congress in opposition to this bill. Time is ticking down and the BlueRibbon Coalition wants to help them exceed their goal. Please help. I have pasted a copy of the Pirate4X4.com request below, please take a couple of minutes to read it over and pass it on!Thanks in advance for your support,Ric FosterPublic Lands Department ManagerBlueRibbon Coalition208-237-1008 ext 107________________________________________________The Pirate 4x4 Land Use Crew Needs Your HelpDear Motorized Enthusiasts,Pirate4X4.com needs to make a personal request to all OHV enthusiasts everywhere. We would never make this kind of request unless it was extremely important, and unless your response had a good chance of making a difference. Here is the situation:Years ago, key staff from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as leaders from some of California's radical anti-recreation groups, made a commitment to keep the historic Furnace Creek Road open. Well, guess who has not kept their promise? The anti's are going back on their word and trying to close this trail forever. The Forest Service, politicians, and other land management agencies are going back on their commitments to the OHV community. Not only that, now they are asking for even MORE Wilderness in that area! U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and U.S. Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon are proposing a bill that would designate 400,000 acres of Wilderness in Mono County, CA along the CA/NV border. 40 years ago the Wilderness Act was passed to protect land from development and things like mining and commercial clear-cut logging. This act is an OUTDATED act, and NONE of these things are happening in this specific area. There are many other ways to manage this land than to shut it down to everyone. While some routes would remain in this "roadless" area if the bill passes (supposedly to keep the OHV public satisfied) this bill would close many others, including the Furnace Creek Road, a popular 4x4 route which has been in existence since BEFORE Inyo National Forest was even created. The road was used at the turn of the last century for ranching and mining, but there is evidence of use since the mid to late 1800's! Here's the kicker: Years after the federal land managers and the radical anti groups made a commitment to keep the Furnace Creek Road open, they want to use this Wilderness bill to go back on their word!We REALLY need your help on this one. We have a GOOD chance of making a difference and, at the very least, saving this historic trail if we get a big enough response. This is a tremendous opportunity. If we ALL team up to fight for each other, we can pack a huge punch. PLEASE take 5 minutes to join enthusiasts from across the country and send a letter! We've modified our letter generator so that the job is easy. We've even provided a sample letter to help you in writing your own. Here is what YOU can do:Step 1:Go to the letter generator at www.pirate4x4.com/letters and click on the Boxer and McKeon Wilderness Bill link. That will take you to the letter page.Step 2.Follow the directions on that page. Either write a personal letter (the preferred method) or copy and paste the sample letter.Step 3.Click , then PLEASE forward this letter on to your friends and family. One more thing:Pirate4X4.com has made an agreement with the BlueRibbon Coalition that if we can get 2,500 letters from the generator, BRC will print them all out, go to Washington DC and HAND DELIVER the stacks of letters to Senators and Representatives. That way we can maximize the impact and they can't just "delete" an e-mail from us... THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! The Pirate4X4.com Crewwww.pirate4x4.com PS - BRC's Executive Director, Greg Mumm, has been on several trips to Washington DC lately and he reports that the anti-recreation lobby has been very active! BRC has submitted written testimony in a House Subcommittee hearing on OHV use, and last month he testified in person at a Senate Subcommittee. BRC has also been involved in a new General Accounting Office (GAO) study on OHV use. The anti-recreation zealots are setting the stage for a very aggressive legislative and regulatory strategy for 2009.This election cycle will be very important for the OHV community. PLEASE register to vote Get BRC's Latest News & Alerts via RSS!http://feeds.feedbur ner.com/BlueRibbonCoalition ##thanks, Del View Entry
Volunteer Leadership Training Gets National Support
DATE: 08/27/2008 13:01:10 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
Just wanted to let everyone know about the swag, freebies and goodies you can get just for taking my leadership course and learning more about saving our trails and keeping our sport alive. Yup, over 20 off-road businesses have chipped in with a HUGE list of stuff for anyone who graduates from my online leadership training course. Finish the course by Dec. 20th this year and get your name in the hat for stuff like a winch, shocks, and more. The idea is to give training to more folks in our jeeping world to help them (you) learn more about leading volunteers, or what it takes to organize an event, run a meeting, or keep a club alive. You work at your own pace. You get free swag, goodies and a shot at some bitchen prizes -- while improving your ability to lead and help keep our sport alive and well. Check it out at http://www.rltc.biz thanks , write if you have any questions, Del View Entry
Southern CA -- Access Lawsuit
DATE: 05/23/2008 12:36:32 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
RECREATION GROUPS RESPOND TO THREATS TO MOTORIZED RECREATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORESTS LAWSUITContacts:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  California Roadless Suit Means More Gates Installed on Forest Service OHV RoutesClick image to enlarge. View Entry
Bikini Car Wash
DATE: 05/18/2008 22:45:53 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
Bikini Car Wash for the Cause
Ok, so I go to this bikini car wash to get my jeep washed, when all of a sudden stuff happened and we nearly lost the wash crew Here's my Trail Boss Jeep getting washed: When all of a sudden, someone throws cold water on the entire wash crew and they nearly quit! But alas, we talked them into staying and continuing to wash rigs to raise money for the cause!!! Honestly, and seriously, this was a fund-raiser for Friends of the Eldorado National Forest (FOE) in order to help keep public lands open, put on by the AWESOME Rock Zombies (4x4 club). The Rock Zombie girls did a GREAT job and a lot of good land use money was raised for the cause. Thanks to all. Del View Entry
Article by Del: Collaboration -- more group hugs?
DATE: 04/26/2008 12:17:08 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
The “Collaborative Process” for Access IssuesDo we need more group hugs, and will they solve anything?Or will motorheads be having espresso with the enemy? –By Del Albright, BlueRibbon AmbassadorCollaboration (the collaborative process) is getting more and more popular with government agencies stuck with tough political decisions involving public lands. Rather than unnecessarily ending up in court, or wading through countless repetitive hours of NEPA meetings, the collaborative process seeks to find cooperation where competition has previously existed.READ the whole article (and download it for your off road friendly web site or newsletter) here:http://www.delalbright.com/Articles/collaboration.htmlThanks, Del View Entry
Moab Easter Jeep
DATE: 03/27/2008 12:10:13 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
Stac and I just got home from Moab and the Easter Jeep Safari. Awesome. Weather was coolish and overcast (with some snow) at the start, but by the end of the week -- totally bitchen and beautiful. We wheeled all week -- Moab Rim, Hell's Revenge, Arches National Park, 3-D, and other trails. Wow. Got to hang out with several great off-road businesses as well, so it was great for our BlueRibbon Coalition stuff. If you've never been to EJS, it's one of those things to keep on our list. Del View Entry
Article, Land use and access, for your use/info
DATE: 01/28/2008 21:08:41 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
For any Editors/Webmasters, or just for your club info:Here is an article for your use (land use and access). Please let me know if you do run it (for my records) and also I’d appreciate it if you’d keep the BRC footer somehow connected with the piece. Thanks, Del## Of Boards and Bureaucracies-And Why So Many Friends Type Groups Are Cropping Up – By Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador People are getting tired of slow moving bureaucracies in government. Tolerance for waiting in line, on-hold phone numbers, being told, “I’ll get back to you,” press one for this or that language, and other such bureaucratic behavior is at an all time low in my experience. This applies as well to our recreational clubs and organizations. We want change. We want something different. And we want it now! Nowhere is this more prevalent than in starting a new club or organization. I hear often the questions of whether to just be a virtual club, or to incorporate, or to be non-profit, or to just be left alone. And why are all these new “Friends” type groups popping up around the country? Where does one start? Go here to read/download the entire article: http://www.delalbright.com/Articles/boards_bureaucracies.html View Entry
United Convention in New Hampshire
DATE: 01/28/2008 12:45:01 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
United Four Wheel Drive is going to have their annual convention in July in New Hampshire. The Northeast Association (NEA) is hosting the shin-dig and it should be a good one. NEA has some great folks and this should be a fun convention if you live near enough to make it. Check out the plan at http://www.ufwda.org Del View Entry
Defining Roads and Trails
DATE: 01/21/2008 11:27:16 / MOOD: feel like wheelin
Definitions of roads, trails and routes are important to know if you want to be in the game of saving yours! Roads Defined -- and Trails as well
One of the first hurdles most of us have to overcome in these land use and access fights, is learning the terms (jargon). On my access web site I offer a pretty comprehensive, yet simplified explanation of roads, trails, roadless and the Travel Management Rule. Feel free to check it out here: http://www.delalbright.com/Access/road_definitions.htm Del
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