Monuments FOIA Update - Did Green Lobby Influence Treasured Lands Program in 2009?

Designated OHV Trail in Stonyford Monument

As many of you remember, HQ, BRC, Congress, and other access interests had concerns in 2010 about the now infamous leaked DOI documents regarding its “Treasured Landscapes Initiative” that proposed to designate National Monuments throughout the West.

Article on TLI and Monuments
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/50066713-78/salazar-bishop-listening-memo.html.csp?page=1

Based on those concerns that the proposal had been cooked up behind the scenes in smoke-filled backrooms with environmental groups, Don Amador, on behalf of BRC, filed a FOIA in February 2010 to see if those concerns were valid. That initial FOIA saga was filled with FOIA denials and appeals.

2010 FOIA Saga and Shell Game
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/06/national-monument-shell-game-continues.html

Then in June of 2010, Amador filed another FOIA to again try and ferret out any back door deals. Finally on Friday, May 13, 2011 (almost one year later), the BLM complied in part with the FOIA request. Under provisions of the “Deliberative Process Privilege of Exemption 5 of FOIA,” DOI/BLM redacted portions of the 405 pages of released documents. But, DOI withheld 2,016 pages of documents from the FOIA.


HQ has done an initial review and found that most if not all of the info was NOT relevant to the FOIA request. Our search was for evidence of where the agency had collaborated with environmental groups in 2009 while failing to include other publics and Congress in those discussions. No documents were provided that showed such enviro collaboration. Remember it was the agency’s narrative at the time that assured the public the plan was not unfairly influenced by the green lobby.

However, one email (dated 11/9/09) did reference a letter outlining thoughts from The Wilderness Society related to Salazar’s Treasured Lands Initiative.

Link to 11/9/09 Email in FOIA Response
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/FOIA_DOI_Response_May_2011_TWS.Jones0001.pdf

May 2011 DOI Partial Response to BRC FOIA
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/FOIA_BLM_response_May_2011_Stonyford0001.pdf

Did anybody really think the agency developed this plan in a vacuum without direct input from the green lobby? Don’t be ridiculous! It looks like the FOIA shell game continues because another FOIA appeal will have to be filed seeking a copy of the referenced TWS input.

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HQ ACTION ALERT - Cong. Hearing March 1 - Send Letter About "Wild Lands" Policy NOW

New "Wild Lands" Policy Signs

Per chance some riders are not aware of a Congressional hearing tomorrow regarding the Department of Interior’s new “Wild Lands” policy, HQ wanted you to be sure and utilize the BRC’s letter generator to let Congress know how you feel about more land closures.

Earlier today, BRC issued a National Alert on the congressional hearing tomorrow. Although the main focus of the hearing is how this 21st Century de facto Wilderness designation could impact rural economies and businesses, HQ believes recreationists should weigh about their loss of access as well.

BRC Alert with Background Information and Letter Generator
http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=1306

HQ already sent a letter in using this system. It is real easy. Please take a few minutes to send in your letter about how you feel regarding this new (it’s really nothing new… just a not so cleaver repackaging of Wilderness or other non-motorized land designation/classification schemes) closure plan.

HQ knows a lot of you have been fighting other state and federal land-use battles throughout the West, but it is important for you and your friends to stay on point and send in a letter on this issue too.

Thanks in advance for your service!

OHVers Attend Obama Outdoor Event in LA on July 8

The Recreation HQ wants to commend all the OHV clubs and members who took time away from their busy schedules to attend Obama’s Great Outdoors Presidential Initiative held on July 8 at Occidental College near Pasadena, California.

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PHOTO: Brochure Handed Out at Event

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The riders and public land access interests that attended the event include Cal4WD, AMA, AMA D 36/37, Dirt Diggers South, NOHVCC, ALAA, CORVA, ORBA, BRC, High Desert Multiple Use Coalition, and California Equestrian Trails Coalition. I apologize to any groups I missed but things were a bit hectic.

The event started off with the Mayor of LA trying to make some political hay to a largely sympathetic crowd. The General felt the jabs although expected were inappropriate and actually detracted from what should been bipartisan advocacy for the recreation and outdoor goals of the Initiative.

A number of speeches were given by cabinet level officials… some of which challenged the group to tell them what works and what doesn’t and if they should simple get out of the way. I wrote that challenge down to be brought up during the breakout sessions.

The following sub-panel was comprised of various interests that mostly supported conservation easements and more federal funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The token conservative on the panel was a spokesman for the California Cattlemen’s Association. He lauded conservation easements and the LWCF but saved his credibility in The General’s opinion when he stated his concerns about federal overregulation and land-use restrictions.

The last panelist to speak made an interesting comment about how CEQA was designed to stop projects. I couldn’t agree more!

After the sub-panel presentations, a short video was shown. Every outdoor recreation group was highlighted except OHV. The video showed mountain bikers in a number of slides along with hunters, hikers, water skiers, equestrians, snow skiers, etc.

Great Outdoors Video (sans OHV)
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/Americas-Great-Outdoors-Video.cfm

Before the group was adjourned for the 1 hour breakout sessions, the microphone was passed around for about 30 minutes. Meg Grossglass from ORBA, spoke to the Obama administration officials and the over 750 people in attendance about how the OHV community had been wrongly left out of the video when, in fact, OHV recreationists are a major land use partner with the Forest Service and BLM via our state OHMVR grant program and our volunteer efforts. She got a good round of applause!

The rest of the folks that got to speak on the microphone were mostly there to praise the administration and ask for more federal funding for their favorite projects. The last speaker represented the recreational fishing community and said her folks sympathize with the OHV community as a “hated” user group since they too have seen fishing banned in many streams and rivers due to federal/state environmental rules and regulations.

See Blog on Proposed Ocean Wilderness Areas on N. Coast
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/06/video-update-on-high-noon-rally-in.html

There were a number of breakout sessions and OHV was well represented in most, if not all of them. The General pointed out in his session that the feds should review model programs of federal/state/local/community collaboration such as exists on the Inyo NF. That Forest has worked hard to have a holistic program that -unlike the Obama plan to date - includes OHV/OSV as an important partner in the recreation matrix.

After HQ’s presentation to the EPA officials who were facilitating his breakout session, one EPA official asked, “What does OHV stand for?” I explained it is sometimes referred to as off-road recreation and then he cocked his head indicating that he might understand what that term means. His ignorance of a major recreation stakeholder was not very reassuring. Both EPA officials seemed stunned when a board member of the California Wilderness Coalition told the feds that BRC and other OHV groups often work with them on land-use legislation.

On the other hand, Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, knows OHV/OSV very well from his work with COHVCO in Colorado. The General and other OHV interests must continue to attend the “listening sessions” and insist that OHV being included in the Initiative and be formally recognized as a valued land-use partner. Secretary Salazar knows better..

Be sure and check out the Obama Outdoor Website for future meetings and make sure that your club or organization has representatives at those events.

Obama Outdoor Website
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/

Thanks again to all those public land access interests who have attended these events. Your service is appreciated by the HQ and the OHV community at large.