KTM/FMF Kick Off May as "Protect Your Right To Ride Month"

Something very cool and exciting is starting May 1, 2009. KTM and FMF have joined together to promote May as “Protect Your Right to Ride Month.” KTM is doing a giveaway of a brand new 250 XC-FW equipped with a Q4 muffler.

If you are a rider, all you have to do is go into your local KTM shop and sign up for a membership with BRC or AMA (businesses can sign up with ORBA) or show your BRC or AMA membership card and get an entry into the drawing to win the new bike.

When you go into the shop, The General is asking that you also buy some KTM products or other aftermarket accessories to help support the dealership. That is what I will be doing! Don’t just sign up for a membership for yourself… sign up each member of your family as an individual member.

I expect some news releases on this promo in the next day or two, but here is some initial info on this project at FMF’s new land-use site:
http://www.soundoffmc.com/


Here also is a link to KTM’s dealer network to find your local shop
http://www.ktmusa.com/Dealer-Locator.77.20.html


Please fwd this note to your email networks and get folks to sign up and also buy some products at the dealer.

Thanks for your service!!!

April 24 - Update on Smokey Bear ATV Ad

The General thanks all of you who recently sent in feedback and complaints about the continued airing of the now infamous 2008 Smokey Bear ATV ad. As you know, the BRC, AMA and other OHV groups requested that the ad be pulled.

In response to our collective request, the Ad Council did send out a request to media outlets to pull the ad in 2008. However, it appears that some TV or radio departments did not get the message.

Based on BRC’s April 13, 2009 letter requesting The Ad Council review of our continued concerns, they responded today with a letter basically asking for our/your help in tracking the unapproved airing of these ads.


**********************************
April 13, 2009 BRC Letter to Ad Council
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Smokey-Bear-ATV-Ad-April-2009/BRC-Letter-0001.pdf

*********************************
April 24, 2009 Ad Council Response and Request for Help
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Smokey-Bear-ATV-Ad-April-2009/Ad-Council-Response-Letter.pdf

*********************************

On Monday, the BRC will be sending out an alert to its members (sign up on the BRC Alert System if you want to get such alerts)

*********************************
BRC Alert System
https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/lists/?p=subscribe&id=2

**********************************

That alert will be asking you and your friends to monitor TV and radio shows for the airing of the ad and then contact Helen Cleveland with the details so that Ad Council can do the appropriate follow-up.


CONTACT:

Helene Cleveland
Fire Prevention Program Manager
USDA Forest Service
hcleveland@fs.fed.us

Thanks to all of you who made The General aware of this issue.

# # #

Thank God for Good Samaritans

A lot of us talk about how great it is to be part of the “off-road” family. Sure we have good times riding or driving on trails or sitting around the campfire telling stories, but
a trait that may not get enough attention is the willingness to help a fellow off-roader in distress.

While on my way home on April 19 from the Billy Ray Memorial Trail Ride at Stonyford, I had a blow out on my rear truck tire which sent my official F250 BRC land use battle wagon and my 23 ft Weekend Warrior trailer into a series of ugly fishtails and jackknives on Interstate 5.

After coming to a stop with the truck now separated from my trailer (the ball bolt snapped) and pointed north on southbound I5, the trailer was sitting across both lanes
of the freeway with no way for me to get the trailer off the road.

Fortunately two families of dirt-bikers stopped almost immediately to help. Being in a state of shock myself, I was not thinking clearly. Thank God for these Good Samaritans who were quick witted and backed one of their trucks (with a trailer hitch) up
to the trailer and towed it to the side of the road.

To make a long story short the truck and trailer are in the body shop. It was a miracle that nobody got hurt and that nobody hit my truck or trailer.

The General just wants to give a very well deserved and sincere THANK YOU to those
off-roaders who took the time to help a fellow rider in distress. God Bless you for that.

# # #

EARTH DAY ALERT - EPA Starts Public Comment Period on CO2

Since this is Earth Day, The General has decided to share his views on this subject.

As some of you know, The General as been watching the debate on “Global Warming” for some time now. He is also old enough to remember the “Ice Age is Coming” craze in the late 1960s/70s.

What has been confusing to The General is that carbon dioxide (humans breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2 as part of our living process and plants absorb CO2 and produce oxygen as part of their life process) has been more or less named as a “pollutant” by our government with a claimed considerable adverse effect on the climate.

On April 17, the EPA ruled that certain Greenhouse gases (specifically CO2) endanger public health. The agency started a 60 day public comment period for people (including OHVers) to give opinions on the subject and how said ruling could or will impact their families.

**************************************************************
Noted scientist, Roy Spencer, has written lot about the subject and his views can be
seen at: http://www.drroyspencer.com/
**************************************************************

**************************************************************
US Chamber of Commerce Letter on Subject
http://www.uschamber.com/press/releases/2009/april/090417_epa.htm
**************************************************************

**************************************************************
For a link to submit comments to the EPA go to:
http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment/downloads/Instructions-comments.pdf
**************************************************************

The General believes in good stewardship of our natural resources and of our family budgets as well. What concerns him is that it appears we have our public land and environmental policies being driven by folks with a political agenda grounded more
in myth than in science and common sense…. the impacts of which are not good for the environment, recreational access, or our economy.

Several years ago, noted author and eco-critic, Michael Crichton, wrote a book exposing many green-myths including Global Warming. Even if you don’t agree with that premise, I would encourage you to read his book. Heck, I read Al Gore’s book – Earth in the Balance… so what is good for the goosed is good for the gander.

****************************************************************
Book Review of State of Fear
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/media/?story=374

****************************************************************



The General will be submitting comments and hopes you will as well.

Update on Youth OHV Lead Issue

Hey guys… good to be back. One of the questions that I fielded during my leave was for an update on the OHV lead issue. As most of you know, there are two remedies underway.

One – The second CPSC commissioner cast his vote on April 17 in favor of a stay of enforcement of the ban. The General agrees with MIC Counsel

MIC News Release
http://www.mic.org/news041709.cfm

that at best this would be only an interim solution which still may not “fix” the problem. There is a school of thought in the OHV community that a stay of enforcement would not prevent a lawsuit brought by an overzealous anti-OHV group, a state attorney general, or some other interest that has a political agenda guised as concern for public health.

I believe just such an example exists at Clear Creek where you have an agency that initially stated to OHV groups that the reason they were closing Clear Creek was because they “had been threatened” with a “health-related” lawsuit. Since there is not one documented case of mesothelioma from naturally occurring asbestos (the kind that is at Clear Creek) one might draw the conclusion that because there are cases of lead poisoning (i.e. eating old lead paint chips, etc -- and not from eating dirt bike parts!) that we could see a flood of public-interest lawsuits filed if the “Youth OHV” tenets of CPSIA are not enforced.

Two – For some time, The General has been asking his troops to support a legislative fix to this crisis. In the Senate there is S. 608 and in the House of Representatives there is H.R. 1587. Continue to ask your Member of Congress to support those efforts to find a permanent fix to this grossly unfortunate situation.

The saga continues…

The General is in the Field - April 17-19

Will return to my post at HQ on April 20.

Bruce Ogilvie - We Lost Another Great Champion

The General is deeply saddened by the passing of Bruce Ogilvie. The loss of this great person with his impressive OHV resume comes at a time when I just got back from a memorial for AMA Dist. 36 legend, Eddie Diaz. On top of that, I am preparing to leave for the Billy Ray Memorial Trail Ride this weekend at Stonyford.

I did not know Bruce very well, but I always admired his racing prowess and development of various Honda off-road dirt-bikes such as the XR400. He was approachable and took phone calls from enthusiasts with questions about bike set-up, such as when my friend (a Forest Service OHV Master performer and fmr. Dist. 36 champion) had questions about the suspension on the early model XR400.

**************************************************

Honda News Release

http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=789

**************************************************

The General is sincerely moved by Bruce’s battle with cancer and the family’s request that riders donate blood in his honor. I lost my dad to cancer about 10 years ago and both my sister and I donated both blood and platelets to help with his 2 year battle and appreciate just how important those donations are to patients who are fighting for their lives.

Folks, we are losing too many good people. Somebody from the East Oakland Moto Bros came up with an idea that we have occasional “Celebration of Life” parties where we honor people who are still with us. I think that is a great idea!

In Bruce’s honor, I ask that riders make an appointment to donate blood or -even better- ask if you are a good candidate to donate platelets. The General will make his blood/platelet donation next week.

Godspeed Bruce, Eddie, and Billy Ray.