Today we are under attack more fiercely than ever before. Our foes have shown their hand and desire in utilizing the court systems to attempt to get what they want. To read about any of the issues below in more detail and/or to link to the original article please visit us at atv parks, off road parks, and OHV public land issues . Now onto the important topics of the day:
- MOAB Travel Plan Comment Period Deadline is November 30th! - There
are exactly 10 days left to comment on the Moab Travel Plan! Get involved and
make your voices heard. We have been told through various sources that there will
be no extension of the comment period for this plan. to read this alert and begin
today to write your comment letter. The environmentalists are out in full force
on this one. These jackals are trying to take the majority of this wheeling Mecca away from us! The plan that is adopted will be a far-reaching set of regulations that will profoundly affect this area for off-roaders for decades. The BLM is allowing for public comment on the four alternatives until Nov. 30. Read more about the MOAB Land Battle and learn how to comment on the MOAB Travel Plan here.
- Kisatchie National Forest (LA) Eleminates Cross Country Travel by OHVs - The Kisatchie National Forest has finalized their decision to restrict motorized travel to designated routes.Anyone leaving a designated road or trail and traveling cross-country by motor vehicle will be in violation of national forest regulations, and will be fined. The decision will not be enforced until motorized vehicle use maps are available.This decision eliminates cross-country travel by ATVs and OHVs. In this decision we off roaders have lost hundreds of miles of trails once again! Where was everyone on this fight?!
- Willamette National Forest Tail Public Comment Period Closes November 25th - Get your opinion in now. The deadline for public comment on the Willamette National Forest’s study to identify roads, trails, and other areas that will remain open to motorized use, was extended to November 25th. Another battle is looming on this forest. You can bet we’ve hundred of miles of trails at risk here! Learn where to submit your Travel Plan Comments for the Williamette National Forest here.
- Polaris Leads The Way With It’s T.R.A.I.L. Program - Polaris
Industries has recently announced the completion of its second year of T.R.A.I.L.S.
grants. In two years, the Polaris T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program has granted $591,657
in funds to local, state and National ATV Clubs. This is a fantastic program and
is a model for all ATV manufacturers and suppliers to emulate. All companies that
make a living off of these trails should have a similar program to support the
sport. Why aren’t they?
- Children Injured by ATVs is at an All-Time High (in PA) - Title of this
article says it all! According to the article “With two months left in the
year, more children have been admitted to the hospital for medical care this year
than ever before because of injuries caused by ATVs according
to a recent press release from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Folks we can
fix this ourselves by monitoring our kids and protecting them better or the legislators will pass a ton of laws that we don’t want or need to try to get the job done. But something has to and will change because the politicians are not going to
sit by while this problem continues to grow. All we’re doing by not getting it
done ourselves is setting up future problems that we’ll have to live with.
- A Voice of Reason In The Midst of the Utah Land Battles- As this opinion article states “Responsible off-roading has been a great tool for people to see nature that would otherwise be out of reach. Some of the most awe-inspiring places are the most remote, requiring days of hiking. Off-road vehicles allow these areas to be reached within a few hours. People who would be unable to access these sites — such as the elderly or children — are able to experience these majestic sites with the help of a four-wheeler…. Although only a few riders have abused their privilege and have failed to handle themselves properly, we are being punished…”
- Another Legal Shot Fired By Wacko Greenies - On November 1, 2007 The Center for Biological Diversity Tuesday sued the California Department of Parks and Recreation for issuing a multi-year approval of an off-road vehicle race through the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. According to tthe fanatics suit, they charge that State Parks failed to conduct any meaningful analysis of the race’s effects on California’s delicate coastal ecosystem. Hello! Oceano Dunes is an OHV Park!!! It should now be extremely apparent to the most dense off-road enthusiast, the environmentalists are going to sue us over and over again!
- Democratic Members of the House of Representatives Turn ON OHVs - It was only a matter of time before the Libs in Congress banded with the greenies to come after us, and this is the first salvo! A group of House members sent a letter urging the federal government to block off-highway vehicle use in some of Utah’s remote lands, citing the cultural and archaeological treasures that “might” be damaged. One out of every five members of the House of Representatives signed the letter sent to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne - but none of them represents Utah. “I don’t presume to set transportation policy for Chicago or New York,” said Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah. “So I would appreciate my colleagues - none of whom are from Utah - not trying to protect Utah from Utahns.” All but four of the 93 signatories are Democrats (doesn’t it figure?! They love telling everyone else what to do!), 27 come from Western states, and 14 of them are on the House Natural Resources Committee, which has oversight over the BLM. Why do you folks keep voting for the Democrats. If you don’t like the Republicans, fine! Go vote for an independant. The Deomcrats are to deeply in bed with the environmentalistst.
The battles continue, and I must tell you that we are losing way more than we are winning. The Forest Service Travel Plan implementation has cost us hundreds of thousands of miles of trail across this country. and with the now constant pressure of lawsuits on the horizon, we are facing an uphill battle. If you give a damn about your sport you had better get involved now before its to late!
