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A CALL TO QUILLS!
An alternative to closures
By Del Albright
(Note: Author Del Albright is a longtime OHV and land access
activist who is currently a BlueRibbon Coalition Amabassador
and the State Environmental Affairs Coordinator for the
California Association of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs as well as
being involved in many other similar groups. Feel free to
re-publish this article in any electronic or paper OHV
publication; Del wants to get as many OHV folks fired up as
possible!)
No more
Mr. Nice Guy. I've had it! Our recreation is in serous
jeopardy, I don't care
what you ride. Whether a dirt bike, buggy, 4wd, ATV, PWC,
sled, or wake skates behind a boat, WE Are in trouble.
I am writing this as me, Del. I am
not claiming to represent any group or organization that I
work for, represent or am a member of. This is from my guts
telling me we had better change the way we're doing
business, or we're gonna lose our motors. I am getting
firmer and staunched in my positions on land use and
access. But we need an army of people getting in the game
so our voice can be heard.
BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE
Now I'm not playing Chicken Little here, either. The sky is
not falling. But from my experience around the continent,
the atmosphere is sure shaky. Tune in here and see what I
think we need to do before it's just any further down the
road, too late.
To make a long, bring tears to your
eyes, story short, this is the gist of the problem:
1. Our image is so tainted we're an easy target
for bad press and closures due to the few
yeh-hoos and dip-wads out there.
2. We deserve some of the bad press - we are not
policing our own.
3. By not showing up and speaking out as much as
our opponents, we are the vast minority, under
dog, get stepped on groups.
4. We are a HUGE army waiting for the call to
help manage our public lands, but we're not there
in mass.
5. We wait until the gate is up before we ask for
help or get involved.
Now with that in mind, I have
some fixes. If
you've read this far, I am HOPEFUL that you will do more
than read. ACT. Act now. Get your friends to act. Do not
take my gut instinct, based on 22 years in this business,
lightly.
IN SIMPLE TERMS
Stand up and quit rolling over! Get
aggressive and assertive about your recreation. Here's how
In simple terms:
FIRST: Let's clean up our web sites and bulletin
boards where some people think they can talk like inmates
and make us look like idiots. Clean them up now. Change
the rules of posts if you're a moderator. Get rid of the
idiot behavior and let's start showing some responsibility
towards shaping our image. If you're posting to BBS's, then
post like an adult. Get a private list somewhere if you
need to launch out; but not where our opponents can see you.
SECOND: if you're not a member of EVERYTHING you can
afford to be, then you're not in the game all the way. JOIN
every local, state, and regional organization you can. And
JOIN BlueRibbon Coalition. It is through membership that we
build strength and find money to fight the battles.
THIRD: Be an advocate for your sport. Include
others. Do ride a longs. Get political. Do not think you
can let someone else do it for you. Get some training. Get
some help. Do whatever it takes, but do it now, before YOUR
gate goes up. Get a Trail Patrol or Neighborhood watch
started on your trails. Advocate for responsible use; dump
the dip-wads.
FOURTH: Set the example in everything you do in your
sport. Ride responsibly. Camp responsibly. Drink
responsibly. Behave like EVERYONE in the world is watching
and evaluating your actions. Have fun, yes. But realize we
are threatened like never before. I've never seen so many
closures and potential closures on the horizon. I've been at
this a long time. Please take heed and act now.
FIFTH: Pick up your pen. That's why I called this
article a "Call To Quills" (pens). Pick it
up and write a letter. I don't even care to whom you send
it. Just start to write. Tell your
congressman how you feel about multiple uses of public
lands. Tell your Commissioner/Board of Supervisors how you
feel about your right to ride responsibly. Tell somebody
something. Get your voice out there. Be heard. Be in the
game. Tell them you're tired of rolling over and
compromising. Tell them you want no net loss of public land
riding opportunities. Tell them no more unreasonable
compromise that means loss for us.
WORK WITH THE FOLKS WHO WORK WITH US
We are not well-represented when the
letters are counted at the end of the day. We have to
change that, or just give up the effort. I for one am not
ready to roll over or give up any more. I'm in there with
teeth barred now.
On the other hand, continue to work with
the great land managers who ARE working with us, trying to
help us, and seem like they have a balanced approach to
their job. Even if you don't get your way every time, do
support those land managers who you know are trying and
fair.
Support those good politicians who believe in giving us a
chance to recreate on public lands. And in both cases, where
there are bad land managers, or bad politicians, put them in
the dip-wad category and work to get them dumped!
Do it now. Do something. Please do
not sit by and wait. We can't wait. Emergency closures
should be reserved for when management fails.
So, if you're not in the game, then chances are, management
will fail. Pick up that quill.
Del
Visit my web site for more help:
www.delalbright.com
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