Stop the Ban on Kids on OHV’s

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Attention BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

HELP STOP THE FEBRUARY 10TH BAN ON YOUTH OHVS

On February 10, 2009, a new law regulating lead content in certain products will go into effect. This could adversely affect companies that manufacture or distribute youth model all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles. Dealers that sell and service those products would be impacted as well.

The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) have urgently requested the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and federal legislators to take a common sense approach to implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's lead provisions.

SVIA and MIC have announced their intention to join several of their member companies in filing petitions with the CPSC for emergency relief from the provisions. They are also seeking a temporary final rule to exempt ATV and motorcycle parts in order to avoid major disruptions to enthusiasts, to the member companies' businesses, and to the companies' dealer network of thousands of small, independent businesses, which employ tens of thousands of Americans.

Go here for more and a sample letter: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=934

Thanks for your help on this important issue,

Del

BlueRibbon Coalition working with Ruffed Grouse Society (and others) in this win!

Minnesota Court sides with conservationists in Superior National Forest lawsuit

Decision allows US Forest Service to move forward

Coraopolis, Pennsylvania - Sportsmen and women are among the winners in a significant legal victory in a case regarding the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) joined with others including the Minnesota Forest Industries, Inc., Minnesota Timber Producers Association, All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota, Blue Ribbon Coalition, Lake County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to defend important habitat management projects being proposed by the US Forest Service.

In 2008 the Sierra Club and other preservationists had filed suit to halt implementation of the recently revised Forest Plan - claiming that because the Plan allowed habitat management projects adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) it would affect the wilderness character of the BWCAW and, therefore, should not move ahead.

Read more here >>>

Superior National Forest Decision in Our Favor

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Hawthorne Phill Morud
Public Lands Director Past President
BlueRibbon Coalition ATV Association of Minnesota
208-237-1008 ext 102 218-686-2748
DATE: January 22, 2009

RECREATIONAL GROUPS PRAISE SUPERIOR FOREST DECISION

ST PAUL, MN (January 22) - Trail-based recreation enthusiasts are praising yesterday's court decision rejecting the Sierra Club's challenge to the 2004 Revised Superior National Forest Plan.

The All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota (ATVAM), along with the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), both recreation advocacy groups, intervened in the case on the side of the Forest Service. The lawsuit included challenges to the analysis of potential impacts to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, as well as the accuracy of the road and trail inventory used by the Forest Service. The decision, penned by U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, ruled in favor of the Forest Service and concluded that the agency had not acted arbitrarily or capriciously in adopting the broad prescriptions of the Revised Forest Plan.

The Superior Forest released a formal Travel Management Plan in December 2008, which designates areas, roads and trails for vehicle travel. Under agency regulations, that decision is subject to administrative appeal by those participating in the decision making process, including the Sierra Club, ATVAM, BRC and many others.

"We are certainly pleased by this outcome," said Phill Morud of ATVAM. "Recreation is an increasingly dominant use of our National Forests and we feel this suit was an effort to delay and divert agency energy from active recreation management," Morud concluded.

"Thousands of visitors have a stake in effective management of the Superior, and with the dismissal of this suit hopefully we can all focus our attention on management of specific roads, trails, and areas of the Forest," added Brian Hawthorne, BRC Public Lands Policy Director.

# # #

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org

Easter Jeep Safari and BRC

If you get the annual Red Rock 4Wheelers Newspaper for Easter Jeep Safari, please check out our BlueRibbon ad on page 36. Wow, the Red Rock boys supported BRC with this comp ad space and great exposure. THANK YOU. Full page and in color.

Be sure to get your name in the hat to attend Moab this year as it's going to be a good one, with fun for all and lots of great trails and activities. It's a one-of-a-kind event. There's nothing quite like Moab.

See you on the trail,

Del

Romping in the Snow (advice and helpful tips)

Go Romping In Snow This Winter

By Tom Severin, Badlands Off Road Adventures

With the snow we've been getting in the mountains lately, a lot of four-wheelers are itching to fire up their vehicles and go plowing through the white stuff. Whether over Cajon Pass, through Big Bear area, or just to Grandma's house, driving off road in snow is a lot of fun. Winter driving offers its own set of challenges; the following tips will help ensure your trip is a pleasant one.

As with all four-wheeling, remember the buddy system. That is, always go out with at least one other vehicle. It's fairly easy to get stuck in snow, and the cold just compounds any difficulties you may experience. Read the whole story here: http://www.4x4wire.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=9&Itemid=84

Del

4x4 Responsible Trail Ride Video

United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) has a new (short) video on the home page that is really awesome – and good to use/show at club meetings and public education workshops or gatherings. In a quick few minutes, this video captures a day trip (trail ride) with the drivers meeting, safety notes, a pack it out message, trail closures, and more. It's worth a watch.

http://www.ufwda.org/

Del

Elite Internet Army Needed – Help with Land Use and Access

On behalf of the BlueRibbon Coalition and my role as an Ambassador for BRC, I offer you a chance to become part of an elite team of access soldiers. BRC Senior Staff, Stacie and I are launching an effort to build a better network of communications in the Internet/Blog world for access and land use issues.

We are determined to experiment with a variety of ways to improve Internet communications, help you better understand the recreational world, and provide you the opportunity to make a
huge difference in saving our trails and our sports. We are looking to find a few select individuals to become the eyes and ears of our access efforts, in particular our BlueRibbon Kickin' Access Technology Team (KAT Team).

The job is easy – post, listen, lurk, communicate and notify. There is no cost to you; you only gain. J We are hoping to take advantage of what you already do in the web world. We need to expand our army and improve communications across the board – and across the Internet world. You can help.

This effort will help all access oriented organizations, and in particular improve our network of communications in the BlueRibbon Coalition – the one-of-a-kind, national grassroots, multiple-use recreation organization. As KAT Team members key into hot topics, be they 4x4, dirt bike, buggy, atv, snowmobile, sand, or UTV, we will find the right folks to include in a solution or communication exchange.

Help us put to rest the unrest by improving and enhancing the entire off-road Internet communications world.

Here's what it takes to be part of the KAT Team: http://www.delalbright.com/Access/access_team.html

Del

Don Amador, BlueRibbon, Blogs to the World

If you'd like to keep up with the latest from Don Amador (be sure to bookmark this one), he has gotten into the Blogosphere. Check out Don's personal Blog (the General speaks).http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/
It'll be a great place to chat with Don too, if you have questions for him.
Del

Stacie Albright Featured in Outdoor Magazine

I’m really proud of Stacie. She is the featured star in a piece on “Leading Women in the Outdoors” of Sticks & Stones Outdoor Adventures Magazine (Fall 2008 Issue).

It’s all good and she really shines. I’ve attached a pic to give you a taste of her new fame (no fortune tho). This is a pdf file of the story: http://www.staciealbright.com/Pages/sticks_stacie.html

It’s way cool.
Del

Johnson Valley (and Hammers) Letters Needed

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

SEND A LETTER TO HELP SAVE JOHNSON VALLEY

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

The Marine Base at Twentynine Palms is considering expanding because they claim to need more room for training purposes. The proposed expansion could functionally close most, if not all, of the Johnson Valley OHV Area. In order for the Marines to expand the base they need to go through a public process called the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In NEPA, it is very important that the OHV community submit letters during this scoping process requesting the Department of the Navy analyze impacts they feel would be made by the proposed project and to offer alternatives. Now is the time when we can have an impact on the proposed project. The deadline for submitting these comments is January 31, 2009.

Get the whole story and letter details here (download/read the BRC Alert in WORD)

http://www.delalbright.com/Access/jv_hammers-letter.doc

Thanks for your help in continuing to save the Hammers and Johnson Valley,

Del

CA: Wilderness Proposal; Urgent Notice of Meeting

URGENT NEWS from Ron Schiller, High Desert Multiple Use Coalition:

The California Wilderness Coalition (CWC) is proposing to close off a large chunk of public land around Trona, Great Falls Basin, and the Slate Range outside of the China Lake Navy Base. A public meeting will be held Tuesday Jan. 13^th in Trona regarding the CWC proposed wilderness bill that they hope Senator Feinstein will soon introduce in Congress.

Please be there and speak out against this new Wilderness.
Read the notice here (pdf).

Thanks, Del

Street 2 Dirt Website and Forums

There's a fairly new off-road website out there offering all kinds of OHV chat and tech talk. Street 2 Dirt has tons of good stuff to offer you no matter what you ride or drive (quad, 4x4, buggy, rail, bike, etc.). Stac and I have started posting up some land use info there as well. So trail-saving is on their list. Cool.

Check them out and let me know what you think: http://www.street2dirt.com/

Del