HQ Closed Sept. 26-30 - In the field and at meetings all week

HQ will be closed due to week long field trip and meetings.  Will be back Oct. 3

Thanks and Thanksgiving Thoughts for 2009

As I get ready to shut the HQ down to prepare for, and celebrate, Thanksgiving, The General wants to share a few thoughts with his fellow riders and friends.

It goes without saying that I am very thankful for my family and my relatively good health.

The tone and direction for today’s thought is to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to my many friends and supporters during this past year. That sentiment is extended to those of you who are club members, agency staff, riders, small business owners, law enforcement officers, government officials, web gurus, military members, industry representatives, academics, and others who make up that friend and/or support list. I won’t mention any specific names because you know who you are and I know who you are.

I work for a non-profit organization and, as such, am dependent on the charity and generosity of people and companies that support the cause. Be assured, I am acutely aware of that fact and work every day to respect and honor your commitment and donations.

As you know, The General has faced, and continues to face, a number of very complex and difficult land use issues. 2010 will be just as challenging.

This Thanksgiving, I will snap a salute and raise a toast to you at the dinner table.

Happy Thanksgiving!

July 29 Update on Parks/OHV - Video Included

Based on feedback from a number of riders wanting to know the bottom line on the OHV Program and the State Park System, I wanted to give you my “quick and dirty” overview of the status as it stands today from my perspective.

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Photo at right is BRC's Don Amador on Tolowa

State Park near the OR Border - a park

that could be on the chopping block

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OHMVR – The Good – The core OHV program (SVRAs and grants – approx. 60 million dollars) stays intact.


OHMVR - The Bad - $112 million dollars “borrowed” from several special accounts. Who knows when it will be repaid? The prospect of purchasing new lands for OHV at anytime in the near future looks grim.

STATE PARKS - More Bad - They take a $52 million dollar hit (or 21% reduction) for this year and next. Park administration will wait until after Labor Day to close up to 100 or more non-SVRA units.

5 MONTH BUDGET CYCLE – Even Worse - Sacramento will have to do this all over again (another round of budget cuts at best guess) in a few months.

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Don Amador’s Video Message to Users – Stay Engaged and Involved – Also take advantage of new Rocky Mtn. ATV/BRC Membership Program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHpxsczkSp8

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Rocky Mtn. ATV/BRC Membership Drive
https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/rmatvmc/

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Thanks for your interest and support on land use issues.

State Park/OHMVR Update - Parks Takes a Hit

While many folks are cheering the Governor as he signed the budget today, the General is left with the impression that he witnessed a very dark and ugly day in California’s history.

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Photo at right is from my recent trip to

Rockefeller Forest at Redwood State

Park near Fortuna

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When the Assembly did not approve the budget enhancements (off-shore drilling and taking gas taxes from local governments) the $1 billion dollar hole had to be filled with additional cuts.

The California State Park budget appears to have been one of those targets as well as the OHMVR Program. Although it appears the OHMVR operations (SVRAs and day-to-day administrative duties) and grants program stays intact, the fact remains that over $110 million dollars was “borrowed” from special OHV accounts. That means there will be basically no capital outlay projects or acquisitions for the foreseeable future.

The landscape that used to be the Golden State is now faced with a state park system that may close 100 or more non-SVRA units. State Parks is tasked with a very difficult issue. Also, OHMVR will have to put on hold any plans for new areas.

Certainly the long-term sustainability of State Parks will be based on their ability to find partners, sponsors, and creative methods (we should support those efforts) to become self-supported and more of a user-pay/user benefit program such as the OHV or Boating and Waterways programs.

Also, we are on a 5 month budget cycle so that means we may be doing this all over again in a few months.

If there is a silver lining in the clouds… it is a fact that because of a lot of hard work by unsung heroes (I know who you are and I SALUTE YOU!)… our OHV Program remains. It reminds me of the famous image of the metal structure at the Twin Towers – a Phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Sure things look dark now, but it is during hard times that Californians buck it up and get’er done. Let’s just hope that our leaders in Sacramento have that same metal.

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