Motorcycle Shop Owners Worried About Lead Ban

It appears that more users and shop owners are becoming aware of the Feb. 10 BAN on youth

OHVs. The General continues to urge riders and dealers to visit the office of their Member of Congress - TODAY. I think a lot of folks are slowly coming to the realization of just how great an impact this BAN will have on business owners and family OHVers.

Here is a news article on this issue:

http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/feb/04/some-frustrated-lead-mandates/?print

For info on how to send letters... see info below in yesterday's blog.

Economic Stimulus and Trails

I keep getting asked by my readers about rumors they are hearing regarding additional monies for trails and recreation in the economic stimulus bill recently passed by the House.

I don’t want to debate the merits of the bill but simply share with you what I think it means.

It looks like the House Appropriations Committee has proposed over $4 billon dollars for the Forest Service, BLM, NPS, USFWS, and the USGS.

I’m not certain but I think the US Senate reworked the stimulus bill and chopped almost $600 million from the House version.

I talked with one Forest Service staffer and they thought the agency is slated for about $1 billion dollars for facility maintenance/restoration, prevention of wildfires/fighting wildfires, and some for trails/recreation. The BLM, NPS and other agencies would receive funds as well – However, I think those amounts are still up in the air.

At the end of the day, I feel certain the land agencies will “get some” of the stimulus package. But the question remains... Even if recreation and trails receive a funding allotment, when summer rolls around will those funds be “reallocated” to fighting wildfires or some other non-recreation project the agency decides is important?

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Forest Service "Trees and Trails" Concept

Recently key trail and recreation stakeholders were invited to attend a meeting in Fairfield, California with Region 5/Forest Service where they unveiled Randy Moore’s “Trees and Trails” vision for the future. Randy is the regional forester for R5.

Trees and Trails Concept:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/news/2008/trees-trails.shtml

As some of you know, the FS has historically focused on the extractive industry where often "Recreation" is at the bottom of the priority and funding list.

On behalf of the BlueRibbon Coalition, I attended the mid 1990s Forest Congress and the 1999 Recreation Congress where the FS and stakeholders talked about recreation but not much was done.

This Trees and Trails concept is the first FS "recreation" oriented theme/effort of any size/scope that I have seen.

The group voted to move forward with having the agency look at starting a state-wide stakeholders group this year. Also a number of other concepts were voted on.

There was a lot of enthusiasm in the room and it appears the FS and other trail partners want to work together for the good of trails, the forest, and recreation.

I know we have been disappointed in the past with the agency's lack of attention or focus on recreation issues, but I think this appears to be something more substantive and may actually have a chance to succeed. Maybe recreation will no longer be considered as the “crazy uncle in the basement” but rather be invited to sit at the table with the other adults.

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Mixed Up on Mixed-Use

The General has received a number of comments off-line on my recent mixed-use blogs. The consensus so far is that Region 5 may have created unneeded bureaucratic hurdles regarding the process required to reclassify a ML 3 road to a ML 2 road. Those required steps in the Jan. 2009 R5 mixed-use memo include;

Mixed use analysis;
Analysis of the proposed change in public use;
Modification of Road Management Objectives and associated Infra data;
Entrance strategies to modify driver expectations, such as surface roughening;
Signing changes, including consideration of the following:
Installation of a sign stating that the road is “Not maintained for passenger car use,” and
Converting standard horizontal route marker signs to vertical route marker signs; and
Determining if any structural changes to the road are necessary, including removal of culverts, installation of rolling dips, and “out-sloping”.

As various national forests in CA go through travel management planning, I have not seen a lot of Forest proposals to reclassify a significant number of ML 3 roads to ML 2 roads. However, I am aware of the Plumas NF reclassifying approximately 130 miles of ML 3 roads to ML 2 roads about 1.5 years ago in a separate planning effort. Kudos to them!

With ever decreasing federal recreation budgets and reduced staff, I think Region 5 should consider streamlining their reclassification requirements – particularly in rural or remote areas with little or no accident history – and champion reclassification efforts to address budget issues and provide additional OHV recreational opportunities.

I also think in rural areas that some counties are interested in supporting increased public access (including OHV use) on county roads (combined use), ML 3 roads (mixed use), or an expedited ML 3 to ML 2 reclassification process.

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New Skate (and future BMX) Park Opens in Oakley

With all the talk of doom and gloom regarding our economy and continued assaults on our access to public lands, I wanted to share just a bit of good news. The City of Oakley California officially opened its new Creekside Park today.

I remember back when I was a kid and we called skateboarding by its original name – Sidewalk Surfing. And yes, I did “bust my buns” more than just a few times skating along Campton Road in Cutten, (a rural suburb of Eureka) California.

The new park in Oakley includes a much needed skateboard area, future BMX track, BBQ sites, and other amenities. I talked with one of the City’s police officers at the gas station several days ago and he thought Oakley was being proactive and forward thinking by providing kids a safe and legal place to recreate. I agree.

I know a number of cities in west Contra Costa County have been asked to put in similar skate parks, but many of them refuse to provide this type of recreation outlet for their youth. I guess they would rather have them buzz people at the shopping mall. Sad when civic leaders have no vision. Kudos to Cindy Coelho (Sr. Rec. Leader for Oakley) and the City of Oakley for this new park! Also, helmets off to Raley’s for providing refreshments for the grand opening.

I hope you don’t mind me sharing this small slice of optimism in these difficult times. And, I hope it reminds more than a few of you about the “good old days” when we were kids. Those times look pretty good from my perspective.

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