HQ Gives Kudos to Ryan Henson for Forest Service Award

The General wants to acknowledge his counterpart, Ryan Henson, from the conservation/environmental movement for receiving a well-earned award from the USDA Forest Service. Ryan, a policy director for the California Wilderness Coalition, was presented on November 30 with R5’s Regional Forester’s Award for “Partner of the Year.”


See Dec. 6 FS News Release on Henson Award
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/news/2010/employee-awards.shtml

HQ has worked with Henson on a number of legislative issues including the 2006 North Coast Wilderness Bill (HR233), the new OHV program (SB742), and the Del Norte County/FS/User OHV Stakeholder Group. The General has also met with Henson to discuss strong pro-OHV/trail protections should the potential NCA designation for the Berryessa/Snow Mountain area ever come to fruition.

It’s not often HQ recognizes a representative from the environmental community since The General has found most of them to be disingenuous and not trustworthy. Unlike numerous enviros I have worked with, Henson has proven to be a man of his word and somebody I can call friend.

Henson also has a long history of supporting managed OHV recreation at designated areas such as Stonyford, Upper Lake, Cow Mountain, and Chappie-Shasta.

This recognition should not be taken as an endorsement of his Wilderness agenda but rather a simple acknowledgment of his hard and effective work for his constituents.

Congrats Ryan… you deserve this award.

Green Cabal and IMBA Push or Support Stonyford Designation

The Recreation HQ thanks a local OHV advocate in the San Jose area for the heads-up yesterday regarding IMBA’s support for a National Conservation Area designation for much of the Mendocino National Forest including the Stonyford OHV Area. As many of you know, a NCA designation historically by definition restricts motorized access and at the end of the day (i.e. King Range NCA) usually BANs OHV use via regulations or the eventual “Wilderness” designation.

IMBA Blog on Wilderness Conference and Stonyford NCA
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=615893

See HQ Blog on IMBA Drinking Wilderness Kool-Aid with OHV War History Lesson
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/01/imba-drinks-wilderness-kool-aid.html

While researching IMBA’s support for hosing OHV use and other multiple-uses (while naturally promoting mtn. bike use) on the Mendocino National Forest, The General was not surprised to see the green cabal of the usual suspects (The Wilderness Society, California Wilderness Coalition, and the Sierra Club) and a new group called Tuleyome pushing for a NCA (or Monument) designation for the Stonyford OHV Area.

The Wilderness Society Overview of Snow Mountain/Stonyford NCA Proposal
http://wilderness.org/content/california-berryessa-snow-mountain

Tuleyome Overview with Maps and Outline of Stonyford Proposal
http://www.tuleyome.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=27

As DOI continues to stonewall BRC and pro-access congressional representatives on our requests for documents related to national monument designations at Stonyford and elsewhere, The General believes the aforementioned pro-Wilderness groups will be the ones found to be actually driving the Obama National Monument plan vs. Interior bureaucrats concocting this scheme in a vacuum.

Article on Congressional Hearing Yesterday
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700029888/Democrats-thwart-Rep-Rob-Bishops-move-to-obtain-national-monument-documents.html

Yes folks there is bad news, the OHV Wars continue. Battles will continue at Clear Creek, the Eldorado NF, and at Oceano Dunes and Carnegie SVRAs. New battles will be fought at Stonyford, the AZ and CO OHV programs, the OR Dunes, and other OHV areas.

However, the good news is that we have rural counties stepping up to the plate and joining our fight against land closures. Both Glenn and Colusa counties have passed resolutions against the Stonyford Obamument. San Benito County just reopened their county roads and has sent letters of support for historic OHV use at Clear Creek. Shasta County is filing an appeal on the Shasta Trinity travel plan. Others like Del Norte County are fighting back as well. Be strong, we are not alone any longer.

The General, once again, wants to thank all of you who have answered the call to join in the fight and defend our access rights.

To Join BRC or donate to the cause go to:
https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/join_or_contribute/?c=1

Feel free to comment on this blog topic today in the comment section or send The General a PM at: damador@cwo.com

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