It always starts at the top. Chief Abigail R. Kimbell of the USDA Forest Service has updated the USDA Strategic Plan for FY 2005-2010 with a supplement for FY 2007 through 2012. She singles out ORV's impacting ecological integrity...calls for an increase in roads intended for passenger car use (but not ORV use)...and calls for increased management of off-highway vehicle use. This means more closures nation wide under the guise of "stewardship". In my humble opinion she and the Department of Agriculture should be the person and agency upon which we concentrate our efforts.
The following are from the USDA Forest Service Strategic Plan: FY 2007-2012
"The condition of the land, recreation facilities, and transportaion infrastructure, including off-highway-vehicle access, must be considered if we expect to preserve high-quality recreation experiences."
Objective 4.1
Improve the quality and availability of outdoor recreation experiences.
e. Performance Measure: Percentage of road systesm intended for passenger-car use that is suitable for passenger-car use.
Objective 4.3
Improve the management of off-highway vehicle use.
a. Performance Measure: Percentage of NFS lands covered by new motor vehicle use maps reflecting a designated-use system of roads, trails, and areas.
Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 4
note: this is the first listed of nine points...
"Provide tools, guidance, and resource management to provide a safe recreation use and to prevent or mitigate the ecological impacts of recreation activities (including off-highway vehicle impacts)".
________
I wonder what (including off-highway vehicle impacts) really means? I also wonder how current the "new motor vehicle use maps reflecting a designated-use system of roads, trails, and areas" will be.
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Archie
TCLA # 17226, FLCA # 189
I ♥ MUD
1976 FJ40
2008 RAM "the mother ship"
Last edited by avandermast : 01-05-2008 at 05:31 AM.
Reason: Correct misspelled word
Archie,
Thanks for the info. Knowing thy enemy is rule #1 in any conflict.
__________________ Rick C ~ ~ I aim to misbehave. 2007 GSJ15//Ti Ag//4WD AT All-Pro bumper, USB links, IFS skid, Extreme LCA links, LCA skids & Bandi mount Bud Built trans skid/crossmember/gas skid Metal-Tech red sliders OME 886/895 springs & shocks Super Swamper 34" LTBs Warn 9.5xp/Masterpull line Demello rear bumper
It doesn't surprise me. The local forest service guy here in Santa Fe is best buddies with the two groups trying to stop all ORV in this area. Some public meetings were announced to these two groups way in advance but the rest of the public were notified only a few days in advance.
I had my FJ keyed at the last open meeting. The intolerance and one-sided viewpoints of some of these anti ORV folks just floors me.
We need to be better organized and more vocal.
How about a short meeting about this at the Summit? Give out lists of contacts etc. Maybe have sign up for Thread Lightly and other similar groups at the Summit?
Tomas
Santa Fe
__________________
"If you can't stand the heat, don't eat the freakin' chile, Pendijo!!"- Over Heard at Molly's Restaurant in Santa Fe...Wise Advice
I know in Colorado, there are MANY active ORV enthusiasts assisting the FS in preparing the trail use maps. I've volunteered to help, but haven't been able to just yet. Most of the guys helping are ATV types. Nice thing is, the ATV & motorcylce crowd use the same roads I wheel on to get to their trails, so we'll be OK here in CO.
Tellico 4/05/2008
I'd like to see everyone with an ORV that is street legal or on a trailer in Murphy and Tellico this weekend. It's the first Saturday after the trails reopen from winter.
Let's put a face and a visual on who and what we are.
Toyota, Jeep, truggy, buggy....doesn't mater as long as it is there.
We need to show Murphy who we are, what were about and how much money we spend. I'm putting together ground work for a parade of rigs in town. Then spend an hour or two in town and go trail ride. A pot-luck supper at Crawfords that evening. trail ride on Sunday or go home. Just be there to support our community.
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Archie, thanks for posting that up. It's always interesting to see what new and fun things the FS is going to come up with to support their current agenda.
Certainly, more involvement is necessary, but don't reinvent the wheel. TreadLightly is a great organization, but not one that is going to lobby and interact with the FS on behalf of OHV users. In addition, while some ATV groups are cool with full size OHV, they are not always working with our best interests at heart. There are MANY areas that have OHV trails that are limited to under 50-inches, which includes motorcycles and ATVs and excludes us.
So, my suggestion is to check out BlueRibbon Coalition and United Four Wheel Drive Association. Both are very active in the fight to maintain access of public land for full size OHV use.
__________________ Heather
Titanium '07 FJ Cruiser - #1774!
Red and White 1973 FJ55
TreadLightly! Master Trainer
I know in Colorado, there are MANY active ORV enthusiasts assisting the FS in preparing the trail use maps...Most of the guys helping are ATV types. Nice thing is, the ATV & motorcylce crowd use the same roads I wheel on to get to their trails, so we'll be OK here in CO.
It is curious to me that the orv users in CO....who obviously had great leadership; saw the obvious coming long ago and worked not only together but hand in hand with the USFS on these usage maps...are the ones today not seemingly worried about the head of the USFS claiming (rightfully) that we have had a huge problem in this country (one that was never addressed by the off-road community as anything even so much as resembling a united effort in all these decades leading up to this).
I also see shane's observation above as motorcyclists; atvers and full-sizers actually working together (as opposed to traditionally apart) and somewhat weathering this latest massive storm due to a working relationship (imagine that) forged between all four groups.
Maybe Colorado off-road enthusiasts decided to not allow the government (or even our own non-profit leadership) to drive a stake in between the different user groups for the purposes of creating an "us against them" attitude both on the environmental side or in knee-jerk criticism of government officials in general.
I would futher wager that Colorado off-road groups do not copy; print or handout most of the opinions expressed here and elsewhere on this very topic in their meetings with these same people...which should tell us a lot about where we are at today...in and of itself.
Last edited by Kzoocruiser : 01-06-2008 at 07:56 AM.
I know in Colorado, there are MANY active ORV enthusiasts assisting the FS in preparing the trail use maps. I've volunteered to help, but haven't been able to just yet. Most of the guys helping are ATV types. Nice thing is, the ATV & motorcylce crowd use the same roads I wheel on to get to their trails, so we'll be OK here in CO.
I hope it works out better for you in CO than it has for us in AZ. Working with BLM and NFS has only resulted in more closure here. Sure, we've been (and are being) told that they will actively seek to not only maintain but also open new areas to OHV, only to have our route inventories taken and then summarily shut down one by one. Apparently, this has happened in AZ several times before and new OHV people fall for the same old trick every time.
I wish you the best there, but here in AZ our secrets are being closely guarded.
Sean
__________________
Do you need a ladder, so you can get the **** over it?
I hope it works out better for you in CO than it has for us in AZ. Working with BLM and NFS has only resulted in more closure here. Sure, we've been (and are being) told that they will actively seek to not only maintain but also open new areas to OHV, only to have our route inventories taken and then summarily shut down one by one. Apparently, this has happened in AZ several times before and new OHV people fall for the same old trick every time.
I wish you the best there, but here in AZ our secrets are being closely guarded.
Sean
There's a scary thought.
__________________
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I hope it works out better for you in CO than it has for us in AZ. Working with BLM and NFS has only resulted in more closure here. Sure, we've been (and are being) told that they will actively seek to not only maintain but also open new areas to OHV, only to have our route inventories taken and then summarily shut down one by one. Apparently, this has happened in AZ several times before and new OHV people fall for the same old trick every time.
I wish you the best there, but here in AZ our secrets are being closely guarded.
Sean
Quote:
Fjamming previously said:
There's a scary thought.
For once....I have been rendered speechless.
Last edited by Kzoocruiser : 01-09-2008 at 08:45 PM.
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