Advocating for Saving Trails
For
All Terrain Vehicles and Off Highway Vehicles
Support My Advocacy
Recreation in the forest is the fastest growing activity among families. The low cost of camping to observe the wildlife, the views that nature provides, and to be able to utilize motorized vehicles in order to get to areas least visited by people.
Motorized vehicles, such as All Terrain Vehicles, have become the most used in recreating in the forest. Families can afford to purchase these items because the activity that they will use them for has little or no cost at all. From single rider ATV’s to a two person ATV’s and then the Side x Side units that are called Recreational Trail Vehicles (RTV). RTV’s can carry the family camping gear, meals, supplies, and even the family dog. (Providing the area they are riding in permits pets)
Motorized vehicles also provide the provision for handicapped people to enjoy the forest as well. An ATV uses a thumb throttle and a RTV uses a foot pedal to the power plant. RTV’s can be adjusted to have a thumb throttle in special cases for handicapped people. If it wasn’t for these vehicles than most handicapped would not be able to enjoy our forest at all. More and more each year the manufacturers develop safer and more reliable recreational vehicles that meet the standards of the National Safety Institute.
The people that are spending their vacations and weekends in the forest recreating, return often because of the low cost along with what they really get out of it.
Being among nature, wildlife, and out of the cities, is what is bringing the family unity back together again. There are clubs and groups that these families want to be a part of so they may be educated much more in this recreation. Groups and clubs also bring new friends for all to enjoy each other’s company while recreating.
As more and more people are becoming a part of these groups and clubs, they are finding out what is about to be lost……Family Recreation and our freedom to enjoy our forest. To find out the cause of this problem is that our very own government is making for a very upset family. Most people never hear of what our government does that affects all of us until we find out the hard way, when we try to recreate.
When a forest area is closed, who hears about it? Was there a notification in the local newspaper? Does the family find out when they drive a very long distance and are unable to recreate because of uninformed actions? This is how Advocating is growing in this country. There are many actions by our government failing to notify the public that our very own forest has a lock and key to it now.
Advocating; someone who supports or speaks in favor of something
This may be the definition of the word but there is much more to it than this. A person, who spends much of their time researching government information, phone calls, letters, leg work, and also finances, is doing much more than speaking out or supporting.
Advocating has many tasks that must be applied while working to educate people for saving trails. Educating ones self and acquiring the proper information is just a start. Asking for help from those groups that have spent decades or more developing camaraderie with the departments within our government is another way. Then we have to seek the means to financially support our actions and logistics.
After much of this has been concurred, hopefully, than we can start to move on to the reason we are advocating. Like getting to know those who oppose what we are trying to save, our rights to recreate in the forest. Finding out about who really manages our forest and how they go about it. The United States Department of Agriculture is the parent of the United States Forestry Service and we need to know more of both of them.
One needs to know the plans of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of our forest. The USDA implements many actions that will affect the way people recreate in the forest. These actions will come in many forms and rules that can change whether an American Citizen will be able to enjoy their recreation with their family.
So as an Advocate, we must learn what our opponents are planning and the actions that will affect us. We educate ourselves by reading the reports that the United States Forestry Service (USFS) comprise from the self appointed committees and researchers from the findings of the activities from people in the forest. These people in the forest make an impact by means of;
> Camping > Hiking > Wildlife watching > Horse back riding > Bicycles
> All Terrain Vehicles > Off Highway Vehicles > Motorcycles > 4 X 4 Vehicles
> Jeeps > Family Vehicles
According to USFS, the impact from people being in the forest causes problems for the management (USFS) attempting to maintain areas for wildlife, recreation, and plants. The problem is when a citizen – Stakeholder - request such reports from scientist, the response is that they are not available until the final decision has been made. Here is when the confusion begins from this request. If the USDA/USFS has already made a decision by closure of the trails to prevent the activity from the people, than why is it that these reports are not available?
Even well after the actions of closure have been implemented, a Rule has been made of it, and the ink has dried, getting these reports is still the same – Not Available.
So we spend a great deal of our time requesting reports, that are to be available to the public, and we are told the same thing each time – Not Available at this time. So, even after years have passed those reports still are not available to the public.
Many changes must be implemented with in our government of USDA/USFS on how Planning Rules, Public notification, Emergency Actions of Closures, Scientific Research, Public Access to Reports, and so much more when it comes to our recreation in the forest. The education of the public from USDA/USFS is lacking in many ways. Ask any person that you come in contact with during a day as to what they may know of USDA/USFS and the reply is shocking. Like the “USDA handles inspections of beef” and the “USFS takes care of national parks”. At least those were the most educated responses that I get when I asked any person that question.
So why is there such a need for people to advocate to save our recreational rights to enjoy our forest responsibly? Aren’t there other people to do this for all of us? What can I do that will make a difference? Will anyone even listen to me about saving the trails?
Well, at this time, the USDA/USFS is changing their Planning Rule to fit the needs of the “New Monument Bill” that our President has just signed. The “Monument Bill” will affect all Americans who even thought about being in our own forest when it is considered by law a “Monument”. For which this means, No Person by any means may be in the forest. So, do we really need advocates for this? If it is closed and no one can be in it or even use it than why is an advocate even needed?
Once We, The People, let this action take place and let it become law then the basis of The New Planning Rule will prevent any one from being in the forest at all. An Advocate will educate many other people as to the actions being brought fourth from USDA/USFS, where people can Comment to oppose this, where people can Appeal this at, and then continue to fight for our rights to recreate in the forest. Much information is not revealed freely by our government in order for certain actions to continue, to prevent the awareness of the public or any opposing from the public.
At any given time a person may open the web site of USDA or the USFS and go through the many proposed actions that will be implemented with out the public’s knowledge. According to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the public is to be informed of what may affect any of us, what we may have concerns of, or if we oppose something. Guess how that is supposed to happen? Well, as I have been told way too many times before, it is up to the Public to check and see what is going on in our government that may affect the Public or concern the Public.
Really? Oh, Yes Sir! And then there is the direction from the government that any person may go on the government web sites and find out what is happening. So that means that every American is supposed to have access to the World Wide Web and constantly monitor what our government is doing or plans on doing? The direction that the USDA/USFS is supposed to notify the Public in a local newspaper of any actions they are proposing is not law anymore? What has our government come to now since the World Wide Web is so widely used? According to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the Public is to be notified by local newspapers of any actions and that the Public may comment on, in a thirty day period – and judged by that government department.
So why it is that Advocates of Saving Trails are really needed then? Because as noted above our very own government is not there to “help” or even “inform” the Public as the law so states. The House of Natural resources has many “Bills” that are combined so heavily that even the Congressman and Senators are not aware of what may be in the “Bill” all together. This is where Advocates research and compile the information that will affect our recreational rights with our Families and Friends.
There are many people who work to help prevent the closure of recreational trails in our forest. The USDA/USFS is not the only federal departments that affect our recreation either. There is the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife, and then there are state forest departments along with the counties with in those states. Plus there are those private groups that oppose motorized recreation in the forest and have a great deal of financial support, from large corporations, in which to employ people to make sure the forest is not touched by motorized vehicles.
The opposing groups have been at this much longer than Recreational Groups have and have acquired much more financial support by telling corporations that it will make them “look good” to the public to support their cause. Trails all across these United States are in danger of never being opened again because of those who oppose. There are Trails in Federal Forest and State Forest that will be closed to motorized use because those who oppose want them all to them selves.
So, what do we tell our children’s children when they ask “What is it like in the forest? Are there animals in cages there too?” It is coming to this sooner than we can imagine if we don’t stand up and speak for ourselves. If all of us don’t unite and work as one instead of against each other, than we will be forcing ourselves out of the forest. It doesn’t take much for a person to voice their concerns and protect their rights to recreate in the forest. It sure will take a lot more to even have a trail considered to be opened or built after trails are obliterated.
So what do Advocates of Trails really do? Ask yourself this, if a person always depended on another person to make decisions for them all of the time, than where would that person be in life? Isn’t this what our government is doing? An Advocate will educate as many people as possible so they are informed in order to make their very own educated decision to protect trails. Advocates are very passionate about what they do and the results from their actions are well worth it. The pay check is more than any person could ask for too, the right to recreate in our very own forest!
So as an Advocate of Saving Trails I ask for your assistance by;
Ø Support your local clubs – join them – it helps support their actions
Ø Support your state club and organizations – join them
Ø Write to your Local Representative, Senator, Congressman and let them know
Ø your concerns
Ø Advocate to Save Trails – it will help to educate others less informed
Advocating to Protect our Rights to Recreate in our Forest Responsibly and Safely
ROBERT D.BROOKS ouachitaatvadventureclub@yahoo.com
By Supporting My Advocacy you are helping to STOP CLOSURE of trails and educate other trail users that need to know what we are all up against with the USDA / USFS.
BlueRibbon Coalition is a well established entity that works hard to save trails, but, there is not the support of the local people from Oklahoma east to Virginia and from Florida north to Indiana, for them to be involved like they are in the west.
Any contribution made will help in the logistics required to advocate.
Supporting may be done in many ways:
> 2 Up ATV > Rig with toy hauler > Cellular Web Card > Communications
> Ham Radio - portable > Printing > Funds for fuel > Funds for Travel
This is just to name a few of the things required when one advocates and exhausts their own funds.
Don't depend on just a local club or the few friends that say that they are working to Stop Closure to really get it done. Support an Advocate who spends most of their time for this cause, and are very passionate at advocating.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated and put to a very good cause....our recreation in our forest.
