AZ Gov. Jan Brewer Stands Up Against Illegal Invasion

Last week, the Recreation HQ stated that public access is 180 degrees backwards when you have federal land agencies telling OHVers that travel restrictions or bans exist on roads and trails in the desert because they have ceded those lands to illegal drug and human traffickers. On the flip side, you have those same federal land agencies closing historic roads and trails to legal residents on forests like the Shasta Trinity NF, Tellico NF, etc.
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PHOTO: The General On A Trail in AZ

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June 21 Blog on Criminal Invasion
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/06/criminal-invasion-closes-public-lands.html

In recent years, there have not been many Governors who have stood up against land closures. However just a few days ago, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer posted a video on the internet near one of the travel restriction signs (shown in the June 21 blog) posted on federal lands in her state.

Video of Jan Brewer Standing Up Against the Illegal Invasion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDlN7VLmXQ

The Recreation HQ sent Gov. Brewer a thank you today regarding her fight. Feel free to send your own message to her at:

Brewer Comment Link
http://azgovernor.gov/contact.asp

The General believes that when a politician takes a stand for us regular folks… we should support them.

Thanks in advance for your continued vigilance.

Toxic Trails, CCMA, and You

The General has long stated to his riding buddies that he does not believe in federal government conspiracies. That long held axiom is based on the fact the he knows a lot of federal land managers at various levels and for the most part they don’t have the time or inclination to craft a conspiracy let alone carry it out.

However, the latest push by the Sierra Fund, a Nevada City-based eco-group chaired by Patty Brissenden (wife of former anti-OSV/OHV OHMVR commissioner John Brissenden) may cause The Recreation HQ to rethink that concept.

Some of you have seen the recent article about “Toxic Trails” in the Sierra.

SF Chronicle Article on Toxic Trails
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-06-23/news/21921340_1_mine-waste-rand-mining-district-arsenic

It is no coincidence that the closure of Clear Creek to OHV and other uses is cited as the model of how an agency should close lands to the public when a “dangerous” chemical or compound is discovered. The Sierra Fund cites its support and partnership with various like-minded green groups, foundations, and Cal/EPA Note also that other popular OHV areas at Foresthill and Downieville are cited in the article as potential closure targets.

Sierra Fund Support List for Toxic Trails Report
http://www.sierrafund.org/campaigns/mining

Cal/EPA Eco Justice Working Group
http://www.calepa.ca.gov/EnvJustice/IWG/Default.htm

After reading about who belongs to the working group, it should come as no surprise that in the BRC FOIA documents the BLM at CCMA cites Cal EPA/DTSC’s demand that CCMA be closed to OHV as the onus for the current closure.

See Blog on EPA Corruption at CCMA with link to FOIA documents
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/01/epa-violates-public-trust-at-clear.html

What trail enthusiasts (motorized and non-motorized) should be concerned about is that there IS a well thought out strategic effort by the green/governmental complex (EPA, Cal EPA, DTSC, CBD, TWS, etc.) to close OHV trails on FS and BLM lands due to undocumented “health risks” to the public.

Has this closure effort reached the level where the HQ can claim there is a conspiracy to close OHV off public lands? That time may come very soon, but in the meantime The General believes there is a well coordinated effort by greens group and their supporters (or hostages) in the federal government to restrict or ban historic OHV and other uses on public lands.

Now is not the time to give up but redouble our efforts to fight back. Thanks in advance for your support and commitment.

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.

HQ Closed June 22-25 for Meetings

The Recreation HQ will be closed from June 22-25 as The General (on behalf of BRC) will be attending FS meetings. HQ will reopen on June 28.

Video Update on High Noon Rally in Eureka

As followers of this blog already know, average citizens (heroes in my book) are fighting back against government overregulation, environmental extremism, and federal programs that attack our personal freedoms. You have also seen rural counties (Del Norte, San Benito, Shasta, etc) standing up for the access rights of their constituents.

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PHOTO - The General (aka Cuttenkid) at his home in Cutten with some fish he caught (circa 1966)

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In the last few days, you have seen fishermen and a candidate for the California Assembly rally in Eureka against corrupt government and the creation of ocean “Wilderness Areas.”

See my June 17 blog on Rally with a link to a news article
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/06/high-noon-rally-in-eureka.html

The rally by about 100 pro-access people was largely spiked by local media and the one news article gave about 1/2 of the print to the one green spokesperson that showed up.

The Recreation HQ wanted to share a video of the rally that recently surfaced. The General says that these folks who have taken a stand against closures deserve our support.

7 minute video of the High Noon Rally in Eureka
http://www.youtube.com/user/KarenBrooks2010#p/a/u/0/xisy_l7EJUY

If you want to send these fishermen (some are BRC members) a note of support, feel free to contact Dennis Mayo, founder of the Eureka-based pro-access group Open Beaches and Trails at: openbeaches-trails@suddenlink.net

Feel free to post a comment on this blog or send The General a PM if you want the HQ to continue posting stories about people fighting for freedom.

Thanks in advance for your service and support!

Criminal Invasion Closes Public Lands in AZ

The Recreation HQ wants to lend its voice and support to Congressman Rob Bishop’s effort to reclaim public land that either has been closed to recreational access or has warning signs placed describing the danger posed by illegal drug smugglers and human traffickers.

PHOTO: BLM Warning Sign in AZ

Article on Public Land Closures and Restrictions on Federal Lands
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/18/federal-lands-arizona-travel-warnings-place/

I don’t know about you, but The General believes things are about 180 degrees backwards in this country right now. Instead of acknowledging that dangerous criminals are invading this country through our southern borders, the Forest Service (and by default the BLM) claims that OHV use is one of the major threats to public lands.

See the infamous FS 4 Threats Speech where OHV use is lumped in with wildfires, invasive species, and loss of open space as the 4 major threats to public lands. And yes, this speech was the launching pad for the equally infamous Travel Management Rule that is ironically closing Americans who love trails (i.e. Shasta Trinity NF closing 100 percent of single track trails) out of their own public lands while at the same time doing little to protect our access rights in Arizona and other places on the southern border.

4 Threats Speech
http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2004/speeches/01/idaho-four-threats.shtml

Maybe it is time for the federal land management agencies to push the reset button on TMR and focus their resources to stop criminals from entering this country rather than trying to make criminals out of law abiding citizens who simply want to use and enjoy historic access routes on federal lands.

It’s time to stop the madness.

Book Review - Climategate - A 21st Century Eco Update

As The General prepares to write a book review of Brian Sussman’s must read book Climategate, he is reminded of the 1993 treatise of the environmental movement called
Trashing the Economy.

On page 3 of that book, the Institute for Policy Innovation wrote, “The rapid growth of government regulations may very well be the single most important obstacle to U.S competitiveness here and abroad.”

In light of government programs like the Travel Management Rule and landscape level closures such as the BLM’s interim “no-human use” prescription for the Clear Creek Management Area, the Recreation HQ would like to rephrase the aforementioned quote to state, “The rapid growth of unchecked government regulations may very well be the single most important obstacle to our personal freedoms both at home and with regards to public land access.”

I believe Climategate gives the reader a 21st century update on just how 1960-1980s era radical environmentalists and their supporters in Congress, the media, and the administration – as so aptly described in Trashing the Economy – are enacting their nightmarish eco-agenda that has very little if anything to do with “protecting the environment.”

Sussman does an excellent job of connecting the dots that exist between eco-icons and/or their schemes/concepts such as Gaylord Nelson, Fred Singer, Carl Pope, Carol Browner, Richard Nixon, Paul Ehrlich, Al Gore, Rachael Carson, Earth Day, EPA, Agenda 21, United Nations, Cap and Tax, An Inconvenient Truth, Global Warming, and the Clean Air Act.

As freedom loving Americans and riders, I would urge you to get Sussman’s book so you have a better understanding of what we are up against. It is no joke. The greens are serious about banning OHV use on public lands. You may say how do you know? My response is because that is what they have told me in person and I believe them. You should too!

For those of you who want a more comprehensive historical overview of the environmental movement, I would also suggest that you buy Trashing the Economy and read it before Climategate. After reading both books, you will better understand our opposition.

To order Climategate go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Climategate-Meteorologist-Exposes-Global-Warming/dp/1935071831

To order Trashing the Economy go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Trashing-Economy-Runaway-Environmentalism-Wrecking/dp/093957117X

Thanks for your service!