Conservation Easements and Confusion at Davis NCA Meeting

The Recreation HQ has for a number of months shared concerns about how OHV use will be treated in Obama’s Great Outdoor Initiative. The General has kept riders informed about the various FOIAs and other efforts to day-light information on either new National Monuments or National Conservation Areas.

Update on July 8 LA Meeting and Glaring Absence of OHV in Obama Plan and State Proclamations
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-obama-outdoor-program-la.html

Today, the General, on behalf of BRC and my friend Dave Pickett AMA D36, attended the Great Outdoors Meeting hosted by Congressman Mike Thompson and U.C. Davis.
There were a number of other OHV representatives there including Amy Granat (Cal4WD) and Nick Haris (AMA). Several riders attended as well.

Rather than having a focused meeting on Outdoor recreation and the proposed Berryessa-Snow Mountain NCA plan, this meeting meandered on several non-recreation topics and was strangely bizarre and abstract. The panel included Cong. Mike Thompson and a several heavy hitters from the Obama administration including Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality.

I don’t think the topic of recreation was even mentioned by the main panel. Also, the sub-panel (mostly private land owners not in the NCA boundary) gave 3 presentations on conservation, conservation easements, and the need for Congress to fund various entitlement programs that benefit the aforementioned subjects.

While conservation programs are important, HQ felt the panel missed the opportunity present the proposed Berryessa NCA and to highlight outdoor recreation.

At the end of the two panel presentations, Congressman Thompson passed the microphone around the room for people to speak. Most speakers there praised the Obama administration and many asked for taxpayer funded eco-handouts from the federal government.

Several pro-access speakers got up and championed access to public lands. The General used his one minute of fame to pick up on what the EPA panelist said about how the feds should…”base programs on what works.” HQ could not agree more and, in fact, suggested to the panel that when they go to an area of the country… to simply pick up the phone and call the Regional Forester and ask him/her for the most successful and collaborative recreation programs in their district. Had CEQ called Randy Moore (R5 Regional Forester), he would have told them about how the Inyo National Forest is a model of how to get things done. CEQ should have then invited Inyo staff to be on the panel and give a presentation.

At the end of the day, the Davis meeting was confusing and disappointing. I did get to say hi to Nancy Sutley and gave her my business card and said I would see her at the LA meeting tomorrow. The General also talked with the proponents of the Berryessa plan and told them that any proposal must protect what is the largest and most successful destination federal OHV recreation program north of the LA area. And, that they must do a better job of outreach and communication when making a proposal that could impact OHV.

HQ also talked with Thompson’s staff and urged them to meet with local users, county governments, and other interests BEFORE launching any legislation.

Finally, HQ thanks the riders who showed up for a lesson in politics and process. It takes time to become an effective OHV advocate and coming to meetings such as the Davis event is part of the learning process. Thanks to all those who came to the program.

I hope to see some of you down at the LA Outdoor Meeting tomorrow.

Update on Obama Outdoor Program - LA Meeting July 8

The Recreation HQ wants to make sure that riders in CA (and elsewhere for that matter) are aware of (and hopefully can attend) upcoming “listening sessions” related to Obama’s Great Outdoors Initiative.

Obama’s Outdoor Initiative
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/
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PHOTO: BRC's Don Amador at a tour during Region 5's Recreation RAC Meetings in Mammoth Lakes July 22-25
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On July 8 there will be a session at Occidental College near Glendale California. The General and other OHV leaders will be in attendance and the HQ would like to encourage you or somebody from your club or OHV business to attend and help represent responsible OHV recreation at these events. If you plan on attending be sure and send an RSVP to the email contact in the link below.

Info for July 8 Meeting at Occidental College
http://www.oxy.edu/x10121.xml




According to BRC…this is the list of other meetings scheduled throughout the country
June 28 Charleston, SC
July 1 Seattle, WA
July 8 Los Angeles, CA
July 15 Asheville, NC
July 25 Minneapolis, MN
July 29 Hudson River, NY
August Maine/New Hampshire
Other sites TBA

The General must be perfectly honest when he says the HQ is concerned about the glaring absence of OHV or motorized recreation even being acknowledged in any of the program’s narratives. Equally troubling is that none of the states (even pro motorized stated like Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona) mentioned OHV in any of their outdoor recreation proclamations.

See States that issued Proclamations
http://www.funoutdoors.com/node/view/2486




The Recreation HQ expects BRC and other groups such as ARRA and AMA to be issuing updated notices on these events. In fact, AMA recently issued such an alert.

See AMA Alert
http://www.ama-cycle.org/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp




OHV has a great story to tell about our volunteer efforts, our championing a responsible land-use ethic, our family involvement, and being a user-pay/user-benefit program. Let’s be sure and bring those messages to these events.



See 2008 FS Update (107 pages) for an overview of OHV recreation trends nationwide
http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/IrisRec1rpt.pdf




The above report is a good read for club and industry leaders who want an overview of OHV recreation in the U.S. in preparation for the listening sessions.


Stay tuned for updates on these Outdoor meetings.

ACTION ORDER - Send Letter Today on National Monument Issue

The Recreation HQ knows that a lot of you have been following the Obama “National Monuments” issue and that The General filed a FOIA appeal on March 17 because the Department of Interior basically denied BRC’s February 19 FOIA request.

History of BRC’s FOIA on Obamuments
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/04/obamuments-saga-continues-congress.html

As some of you know, a number of western legislators have been trying to obtain those secret documents since February but are getting stonewalled as well. Recently, House Resolution 1254 was drafted to force the Obama Administration to comply with their own promise of transparency.

H.R. 1254
http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HastingsMonumentResolution.pdf

The Recreation HQ has already sent a letter today and the General wants you to do the same and take a minute and use the letter generator that has been provided by our good friends at ARRA. This letter will be sent to key Members of Congress asking them to support H.R. 1254. There will be an important vote regarding this issue on April 28.

ARRA Action Alert and Letter Generator
https://secure3.convio.net/arra/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=223&autologin=true

Feel free to insert a personal message in the above letter about how this might impact Stonyford or some other riding areas in the West.

Thanks for doing this today!

The Obamuments Saga Continues - Congress Takes Action

The Recreation HQ continues to object to the Department of Interior’s continued stonewalling of The General’s March 17 FOIA Appeal to obtain documents about the 3rd party dealings the DOI had with pro-Wilderness groups regarding the designation of Obamuments throughout the country including the Stonyford OHV Area in Northern California. This stonewalling is in conflict with DOI’s “Promise of Transparency” on April 7.

April 7 DOI Promise of Transparency
http://www.doi.gov/news/doinews/2010_04_07_news.cfm

BRC March 17, 2010 FOIA Appeal
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/?story=689&filter=media

Based on the following action by Congress today, it appears that Western Legislators are also frustrated with DOI’s refusal to be forthcoming with requested information related to Obamuments.

April 13 Western GOP Resolution and Info on Obamument Issue
http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=180575

The General asks you to remain vigilant on this and other land use issues and thanks you in advance for your support.

Obama "Outdoors" Interview and Access

As western lawmakers including Congressman Rob Bishop and BRC wait for requested information from the Department of Interior regarding the suspected monument discussions between preservation groups and federal land agencies, The Recreation HQ remembers that candidate Obama gave an interview on natural resource issues to Field and Stream in 2008.

PHOTO: BRC's Don Amador on a designated trail at the Stonyford OHV Area - smack dab in the middle of the Snow/Goat Mtn. National Monument proposal

Cong. Bishop News Article on Wait for Info
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700020430/Bishop-blasts-Obama-administration.html

BRC FOIA Appeal
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/?story=689&filter=media

Colusa County Opposes Stonyford OHV Monument Plan
http://www.colusa-sun-herald.com/news/county-4445-national-president.html

Often times political junkies like The General look through these interviews for hints at what a candidate’s views are on any given issue. Since ACCESS to public lands is a key tenet of the HQ, The General remembered that Obama mentioned “access” in the 2008 interview when he said, “…if you talk to sportsmen in my home state of Illinois, they will tell you that I've always been a forceful advocate on behalf of the rights of sportsmen, on behalf of access for sportsmen…”

Link to that 2008 Field and Stream Interview
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2008/09/exclusive-interview-senator-barack-obama

I think the off-road community will know more after the April 16 White House Great Outdoors Summit (the fact that the WH released that info late Friday afternoon – which is the proverbial dumping grounds for bad news – could be a harbinger of things to come) when the stakeholder names are revealed and the tone and direction of the summit are known.

Will the White House live up to its hint of support for access or will it issue National Monument proclamations that have little or no local support?

The Obamument saga continues….

US Chamber of Commerce Joins Monument Battle

The Recreation HQ has received scores of PMs from riders who remain in a state of shock regarding the recently day-lighted secret effort by the Obama administration to draft a plan to designate a series of National Monuments throughout the West.

As The General pointed out, some of these proposals are popular OHV recreation sites including the Stonyford OHV Area on the Mendocino National Forest.

It is encouraging to see bipartisan support in Utah to defeat theses ad hoc designations without Congressional approval and public input.

See SLT Article on Utah Effort
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14450119

The Recreation HQ is also pleased to see the US Chamber of Commerce echoing BRC’s call for legislation to address our concerns.

See Feb. 22 US Chamber of Commerce Letter to Obama Administration
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/National_Monuments_US_Chamber_of_Comm.pdf

Just as The General protested the CA Route Inventory and Designation process because it was crafted behind closed doors without a formal public process, The Recreation HQ believes it is important for riders to stand up and voice their strong opposition to any attempt by the administration to misuse the Antiquities Act to give political favors to anti-OHV groups.

Thanks for your service!

Obama Administration to Attack OHV Areas?

I know many of you are already tired of the “good news” related to being an OHVer. Our SVRA’s are under attack. Our federal riding areas are being sued by anti-OHV groups asking for dirt-bikes and other motorized forms of recreation to be banned or severely restricted. The Forest Service is proposing to close almost 100% of all single-track and ATV trails on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Other Forests are closing thousands of miles of forest roads to green-sticker vehicles.

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Photo: See the description of the "Berryessa Snow Mountains" National Monument in the internal document below
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Just when you think you have seen it all. This alert comes. Thanks to some pro-access legislators, The Recreation HQ has learned that the Obama administration is planning to use the Antiquities Act to bypass Congress and designate millions of acres as “National Monuments.” The General remembers all too well what the Clinton/Gore team did a decade ago when they designated a number of national monuments including the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

See WND Story about that fight in 2000
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=18055

See internal DOI document day-lighted to the public by Congressmen Doc Hastings and Rob Bishop (see page one for ref. to Stonyford OHV Area)
http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/UploadedFiles/AntiquitiesDocument.pdf

See Congressional letter objecting to misuse of the Antiquities Act to lock up public lands and to acquire more private property
http://republicans.resourcescommittee.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Ltr_to_Obama_Re_AntiquitiesAct_021810.pdf

Per chance any of you discount the potential impact to OHV in Northern California, look on page one of the internal document. You will see that a majority of the Stonyford OHV area would be designated as a national monument… effectively closing the area to historic OHV use. Other riding areas would be impacted as well.

I know the AMA and BRC are working on this. Just as in the Cinton/Gore fight, The General will be engaged in this battle as well.

If you have not joined BRC please do so NOW! Send this blog to your riding buddies.

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