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[highbeams]

I would venture to say, and this may be a wild guess but it is based on many conversations, that over 80 percent of wheelers do not have a clue about the battles being fought over land access rights. It is not their fault, we as a community are not that well organized,and a lot of the guys are casual wheelers going out 2 or 3 times a year for a picnic, It really does not bother them until after the fact. We as avid wheelers are doing a swell job of educating the public about Tread Lightly, but we do not really get into land wars a lot.
One of the biggest topics among wheelers is which vehicle is the best. It is argued so much that a rift is created between brands that has a negative effect when it comes to land issues. We really need to pull together instead of apart on this.
Although many of us do join groups like Corva, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, and Tread Lightly, our numbers are pathetically small. Here at AD4x4 we choose to promote Tread Lightly because of the recognition the government gives them, but more than that the extreme Good they have proved to do during their short history. They already have the governments ear so half the battle is over and the snowball is not constantly traveling uphill. We talk about them, and encourage all members to join.
I would like to mention that we do have wonderful groups fighting the legal battles, and we should examine these and place a membership check in the ones we can agree with. every little bit helps and we are fighting well funded Associations. We do have a much better way to fight this on our local level, let me explain.
Now, I do not want to be seen as slamming the Sierra Club here, I feel they do good in areas, but have a ridiculous and wrong vision on land access.
The Sierra club is very well funded, and are a money gathering machine. They use tactics such as showing baby seals being clubbed, fish dieing in polluted water, or a fire ravaged forest in mailings explaining how they alone can stop such things, such things as wheelers running over squirrel is drunken glee and killing deer, and explain how they can get us banned from forest. As the person is aghast at pictures probably produced by the grounding of the Exxon Valdez, they explain that without having to leave the comfort of their 4000 square foot homes they can simply write a check for 100, 200, 500, or a 1,000 dollars and leave the rest up to them. Writing the check sooths the average members conscious and they are relieved they have done correct and throw those pictures away as fast as they can.
We however fight for every dollar we get, it is like pulling teeth. And trust me, the green organizations are collecting money by the bucket loads.
How can you fight that? I can give you a simple way that out weighs a lot of that, your labor.
Getting in, and participating into events such as the upcoming Calico Cleanup goes further than a lot of picture showing to green supporters. Action.
The BLM is terribly under funded, and they have very little means to clean up areas affected by all forms of recreation. When a group of Wheelers steps up to the bat, Organizes and pulls off a day with over 700 volunteers to clean up an area, not just after wheelers, but after all forms of recreation, then they have an answer next time they are told by green groups that we are tearing up the land. They point out the hours turned in by OHV groups who without pay, and with little recognition, go out and do the labor that the BLM has neither the manpower or funds to do. We become a wanted, and needed resource for them to draw upon. They find they need us
think about it, a weekend of wheeling, during which time you spend 1/2 a day cleaning up in a organized manner.
I Believe I will be spending this Presidents weekend in Calico CA Picking up trash, showing the government who really cares, cares enough to actually do the work, and helping to keep trails open.What do you Believe or would you rather be doing something else? It is a weekend of fun.