MichiganChapter, Right? I think every board out there is familiar with you. Here is some of your other thoughts from TLCA's forum. You still have failed to tell us specifically who's "house cleaning" or which "buddies" you want removed and what you want to change. Be specific, Sir! Which leaders and/or groups from the OHV community are you unhappy with? I could be wrong and biased, but the majority of the wheelin' community is young; atleast at heart.
MichiganChapter Wrote:
I certainly wish that our OHV community was as protective of its routes as you folks are out there. Our national orv organizations in this important area encourage 'leaders' in our community to become part of their boards....yet 'look the other way' when these same people grab large chunks of our land to be shut down to everybody but themselves. ("shared trails" my arse).
The more important issue here was the one that Mark brought up earlier and one that was maybe overlooked by many:
"...What I see though, is a much bigger problem. These pics reminded me of Bill Burkes open letter 2 years ago about what he saw at Moab and the total lack of regard for the enviroment with some wheelers...."
These national orv organizations aren't going after these 'average we don't care wheelers' who might possibly just send them some money in someday...any more than they are demanding that these cyclists finally join this multi-use community in anything resembling good faith. They rudely dismiss anybody pointing out the HUGE poorly maintained trail systems that we caretake today if it involves taking away money/grants from their 'buddies' and any talk of finally privitizing work with modern equipment in an environmentally responsible manner. And recently they've even sunk into ignoring demands that even their community sponsored workshops be actually published by the very same government employees that they invite to them.
I'm guessing that Bill Burke penned that letter in the hope that somebody in this community damn well start STANDING for something; rather than cow-towing to the lowest common denominators among us for a number of bad reasons. When one gets rudely ignored/treated and accused of seeking to "disrupt" public workshops because he simply seeks to get that workshop date published (and done correctly0 before the damn deadline blows past....what in the heck do you think our young people seeking to ask similiar questions will be faced with and how many of them will ever be interested in being treated like that again? If I'm exagerrating what has been happening over all these years: What's the average age of these leaders today and who in the heck is out there TRAINING to take their place? Brainwashed kids from AMA parents who could care less what the rest of the community does(hey, we ride 'em all!)...as long as they grab a certain number of trails each year that nobody will ever enjoy?
If our national orv leaders can't seem to strap a set on and be as "no-b.s." as Mr. Burke seems to be about responsible multi-use wheeling and the need to call every single person out here on the carpet that needs it (with the same happy result witnessed here IF they are willing)...what kind of effective 'community' are we aspiring to become....in the first place?
You know, it's unfortunate that folks have to act in this manner.
I recently approached your former 'fearless leader' on some of these same issues involving very familiar individuals to him at the national level....and frankly received the same insulting response dressed up much more 'p.c.' in its insiulting nature.
I called/wrote the national orv organizations and manufacturer reps about the dates for these meetings not being published where the public recieives its official info regarding same....more insults and even an e-mail copyed to me that was forwarded to others speculating on whether I would "disrupt" the workshop itself for simply attempting to get these dates posted!
I have asked why orv organizations/individuals affiliated with these national leaders and well known to them; should be allowed to operate anonymously at the "22,000 member" representative level here at the largest maintained trail sytem in our nation. (please Google "Michigan Recreational Riders Association" in operation for over two years with no one individual/orv group even named).
I have asked why orv advisory board members continually refuse to display their contact info
DNR - Department of Natural Resources while readily accessible snowmobilers ("men-like" representatives) have absolutely no problem being reached anytime and without screening by the state.
DNR - Department of Natural Resources
"...Board members may be contacted through the staff assistant..."
I could go on and on for page after page concerning this public's right to be informed/involved....right on up to yesterday; when I was informed that the orv community had made absolutely no effort to contact our Forestry service about publishing these workshop dates when informed of the absence of same...this after insisting to me via e-mail that the community could not "force" them to do so!.(heck, the only communication that these people have gotten with less than 6 days for everybody....has been from only THEIR superiors regarding the same damn outline we've got!).
At the last Michigan orv advisory board meeting (meetings shaved down from 6 times a year to 4 without a word; with our official non-partisan stenographer taken away to boot) there was one cyclist, one atver, a few fullsize guys and 3 members of the general public...one questioning the DNR's ecological caretaking of the system we have presently.
This meeting immediately followed a first-time-ever appearance by this anonymous MMRC arrogantly throwing an edict before 'our' un-elected board that they quickly/unanimously agreed upon sans any kind of published commentary from even one of them.
My point here is that the level of participation at both the local and national level isn't an "accident" or some kind of "sign of the times".
It is a direct refelection of the kind of treatment one receives above for simply questioning this community's willingness to act like men and women should when inquiring as to the public's role in (quote/unquote) "their" arrogantly inspired business.
The average age of these national leaders tells us all we need to know about the individuals young and old who have come before these people in the past... and the scores of outright rude personal experiences I've run into in these short 7 years tell the rest of that sad non-inclusive story without a doubt.
Our young people aren't going to put up with this arrogant kind of crap in the future....and they shouldn't. Unfortunately, by that time....it will be much to late to consider repairing this blatant issue of accessibility and respect.
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