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JPFreek - Index

JPFreek - Spring 2008 - Index

Getting Getting Getting Involved Involved Involved in in in Land Land Land Use Use Use
and and Access Access Issues
Issues
By By Del Del Albright
Albright
Are you looking for information on land use, conservation,
closures, and/or getting involved in keeping our public lands
open to public access? Are you trying to figure out what clubs/
groups you should join or support? You came to the right spot.
Step 1: Join your local club (four-wheel drive, snowmobile,
ATV, motorcycle, equestrian, whatever your interest may be), join
your regional/state club (in CA such as CA4WD), and/or join a
national organization like the BlueRibbon Coalition.
Get the point? Join! Pay your dues to an organization that fits
what you think is doing the right thing. Support them with
money and your volunteer time. It takes dues and membership
to make something happen. That’s where it all begins. Honestly,
if you can’t go to meetings, just send money (dues, contributions,
etc.). Be part of organized multiple-use organizations to show the
public what we’re really made of.
It’ll be those of us in organized recreation that eventually gives
us a credible image.
Step 2: Advocate for your sport. Do things like speak up to
your family and friends. Even do more than just talk: “Adopt” your
local Fed (USFS Ranger or BLM Manager).
The “Adopt-a-Ranger” idea comes from my friend and
compadre, Tom Crimmins (USFS retired). Tom is a trails consultant
who used to work in the OHV efforts of the Forest Service. He
tells me that recreationists are out-numbered by far when it
comes to being a familiar face around federal office buildings.
Environmental proponents, however, are well known.
So that means we’ve got to get our faces in the offices of our
local federal land managers and get to know them on a first
name basis. Take them on club runs. Take them on rides. Go with
them on field trips.
Get on their mailing list. Schedule coffee or morning break
informal meetings with them. Make a “friend” in the office who
can keep you posted on office activities that might be
appropriate for you to be a part of (somebody’s retirement or a
building dedication or luncheon or whatever). Go on field trips
where possible, such as OHV grant proposal projects. Be part of
their local list of contacts when “input” is needed to a decision.
“Adopt” them as one of your own.
Step 3: Recruit and include others to do the same things you’re
doing.
We’ve got to re-establish our image (motorized recreationists of
all types), so the public sees that we’re really the good guys. We
are the true conservationists and environmentalists. The
opponents to off-highway motorized recreation have developed
our image for us: they make us look like we’re bad guys. We’ve
got to change that. We’ve also got to police ourselves.
It takes all of us working together and doing our part. We need
to build membership in organized recreation by recruiting
anyone and everyone who has an interest in keeping public
lands open to the public. Get others to write letters, adopt their
local fed, and reach out to recruit even more folks.
Step 4: Do your part when it comes to expressing your opinion
in writing to anyone and everyone that will listen. Write letters -
handwritten works just fine. Be sure to tell your elected officials
what you believe in. Write them once a year at least. For every
time you go on a ride, write one letter (or make one phone call).
It boils down to this: JOIN, ADVOCATE, INCLUDE OTHERS, and
WRITE LETTERS! If you’re an acronym kind of person, you’ll have
noticed that the above steps spell out “JAIL.” Our public lands
don’t belong in jail, behind bars! They belong to you, me, and all
fellow off-highway enthusiasts.