Donstradamus Issues Top Ten OHV Predictions for 2012

10 - Off-roaders and mountain-bikers unite to fight against several Wilderness bills in UT, MT, and ID.


9 - FOX News does a fair and balanced feature story on managed OHV recreation. It is so interesting and factual that Bill O’Reilly sends his producer, Jesse Waters, to do a follow-up story at the Imperial Sand Dunes and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

8- EPA’s Environmental Justice program adds the protection of OHV recreational access to public lands as new tenet. EPA appoints an OHV representative to their National Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

7- The Forest Service realizes the 2005 Travel Management Rule has created more problems then it solved. The agency withdraws the rule and allows each Forest to decide when to develop travel plans. Trails that meet the Montana 3-State EIS criteria are grandfathered in as “designated” system trails.

6- After Romney wins the GOP nomination; Newt Gingrich changes his position on Global Warming and cuts a new ad with Al Gore where they both embrace the need for “cap and tax” legislation. The video is shot with both men sitting on a bench carved out of old growth redwood to illustrate carbon sequestration.

5 - A major Wilderness organization starts its own “OHV” group. It claims to represent off-roaders who believe the best way to protect OHV recreation is to ban it.

4- A well-known “jeep-type” tour guide on the Rubicon Trail decides to switch vehicles and start using highly modified side x sides. This new venture starts a national debate on which vehicle -- side x side v. “jeep-type” -- is the better and more reliable trail rig. Blogs explode with opinion.

3- Several large green foundations withdraw support from the Center for Biological Diversity because their lawsuits seeking to ban OHV recreation on public land or “minimize” FS road networks have not been cost effective. To keep donors, CBD joins forces with several mainstream conservation groups to support OHV recreation on designated roads, trails, and areas.

2- Rocker motorcycle enthusiasts, Twisted Sister and Tommy Lee, host fundraiser in LA for OHV advocacy groups. The event raises about $2,000,000 dollars to help keep trails open.

1- Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination for president and selects Jon Huntsman (a dirt-biker and SX fan) as his VP. Both attend several off-road events and speak to the crowds.

# # #