The Hammers (Johnson Valley, CA) Needs Us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kurt Schneider

E-mail: kurtuleas@pirate4x4.com

El Dorado County: October 28, 2008

Pirate4x4.com unveils online letter generator to fight for OHV access
Pirate4x4.com uses newest campaign for Johnson Valley and the Hammers to announce letter generator.

The largest Off-Road website in the world, Pirate4x4.com has added a new tool for OHV enthusiasts to voice their opinions on route closures across the nation.

Piate4x4.com's new letter generator will enable Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts of all types to send out letters via e-mail to many different decision makers at once. Unlike many "form letters' campaigns that have been used in the past, this new letter generator allows users to type their own personalized letters and then send them off to several pre-determined e-mail addresses at once.

The current Pirate4x4.com letter campaign with the generator focuses on the United States Marines Corps expansion in to the Johnson Valley OHV area in Southern California. The Johnson Valley area is currently maintained by the BLM, and it contains the Hammers trail system which is considered a "Mecca" for OHV enthusiasts. The area is also used by many different types of recreationists including a broad range of motor-sports and hobbies; motorcycle and MX enthusiasts, ATV riders, sand-buggies, rally cars, hikers, campers, rock-hounds and RV-ers. Johnson Valley is also the home to the famous "King of the Hammers" 4x4 race that is held every year in the valley as well as many other sanctioned desert races.

The Marine Corps base at 29 Palms is now proposing a land withdrawal of 180,000 acres from the BLM in order to increase its training facilities for live-fire drills. This expansion would effectively shut the public out of this area and erase one of the most important trail systems for OHV users off the map forever.

This particular effort is not the first time Pirate4x4.com members have been active in land-use issues. The Pirate4x4.com letter generator has also been used for several issues important to the OHV community including addressing the Boxer/McKeon Wilderness Bill, The Greenhorn OHV area, and helping to defeat a Smokey the Bear OHV public service announcement that portrayed OHV users in a bad light.

On March 12, 2008, the website also held a "virtual rally" to show opposition to the proposed expansion. During a 4-hour period, almost 1,500 participants voiced their opinion while over 27,000 views of the rally were registered. In the first hour of the rally, traffic on the website was so heavy that many rally participants could not log onto the website to voice their concerns, post family photos, and pleas for its traditional uses to be left alone. The rally thread currently has been viewed by over 57,000 people. To view the rally responses, please visit www.pirate4x4.com/jv

Pirate4x4.com is the largest off-road website in the world with over 110,000 members and a million visitors to the website a month.

The Pirate4x4.com letter generator can be found at: www.pirate4x4.com/letters

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If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Kurt Schneider, e-mail Kurt at kurtuleas@pirate4x4.com

 

Off-Road Expo, Pomona, CA 2008

Off-Road Expo in Pomona, CA is an awesome consumer show for enthusiasts as well as businesses, vendors and dealers. But for us, the buyer and looker, this is one heck of a show.

Held every October in Pomona, CA, it's a must see for me. I go in my capacity as a BlueRibbon Ambassador to help ensure the future of our sport, while supporting those businesses that are members of BlueRibbon. Check out the rock crawling, celebrities, and new products in this photo essay (pics):

http://www.delalbright.com/Articles/expo_2008.html

Del

Dutch Oven Cooking (from Tom Severin)

Tickle The Taste Buds With A Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens are a great way to bring the taste of home cooking to the outdoors. To better understand Dutch ovens, I turned to fellow Outdoor Adventure USA member Bruce Crabtree. Bruce has been cooking with Dutch ovens for over 15 years. He recently joined us during a ham radio program to share his thoughts. To hear the entire program, click on this link:
http://www.oausa.net/on-air-nets/48-on-air-nets/91-cooking-with-a-dutch-oven


A Dutch oven is actually a cooking pot that's designed to be heated by charcoal or a campfire. They are made of cast iron because iron offers a uniform distribution of heat. Dutch ovens are most often used for baking goods, but are also used to cook with. People make soups, casseroles, and other dishes with a Dutch oven.

Dutch ovens can be purchased at most outdoor stores such as Cabela's, Sports Chalet and Bass Pro. Wall Mart has a limited selection. Stick with high quality Lodge or Camp Chef brands.

The ovens come in a variety of sizes, with the most common being 10" and 12" wide. A 12" pot holds six quarts of food and will serve four to six people. For two to four people, a 10" pot should be sufficient. Be sure you purchase a "camp" oven with 3 little legs and a lip on the lid to hold hot coals.

New ovens have a waxy coating to prevent rusting. Wash in soap and water to remove the coating. The next step is to "season" your pot. Use a paper towel to apply a light coat of vegetable oil (many people use Crisco brand) to all surfaces of the pot and lid inside and out. Do not use lard or other animal fat. It will turn rancid over time.

Place the covered pot in your gas grille, close the lid, and heat to 425 degrees, baking for one and one-half to two hours. This process causes a lot of smoke, so don't be alarmed. Season several times to give your oven a nice, non-stick surface.

Now you're ready to cook. Since most folks use charcoal we'll focus on that. To determine how much charcoal to use, remember the "plus 3/minus 3" rule. Add three coals to the size of your pot for the lid. Subtract three to get the number of coals needed underneath. So, for a 12" pot, you'd use 15 briquettes on the lid and nine underneath.

Form a ring of charcoal under the pot; do not have any coals directly underneath or you'll develop a hot spot. That's not important for the lid. Coals can be placed evenly across the top. This arrangement will create an internal temperature of about 350 degrees. Add charcoal if you need a higher temperature. Each additional briquette increases the internal temperature by about 25 degrees.

Most dishes and baked goods cook in 45 minutes to an hour. Rotate the oven every 15 minutes to ensure even heating, and be careful when serving your meal. The oven is heavy and very hot.

Some Do's and Don'ts to consider:

1. Do clean out the pot after every meal. Condensation will form on any leftover food, which will cause the pot to rust. A paper towel is usually all you'll need to remove food scraps.
   
2. Don't store without drying. Wipe it thoroughly with a towel or heat the oven over a stove.
   
3. Don't clean with soap. The porous surface of the oven will capture some of the soap, resulting in an after taste. If the oven has been cleaned with soap, rinse it thoroughly with hot water.
   
4. Don't use steel wool or abrasive cleaners. These will scratch off the seasoning and make the oven susceptible to rusting. However, you can use steel wool to remove rust spots.
   

Dutch ovens are a great way to bring authentic cooking to the outdoors. With a little practice you can become a hit with your friends during your next off-road adventure.

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I am attending the SEMA show in Vegas on November 4th. Let me know what stuff you are interested in having me look for. I can't promise anything but it might happen if I know in advance!

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There are 3 more clinics that will pretty much wrap up the year.

The last Sand Clinic is at Pismo on November 22nd. Sign up now. http://www.4x4training.com/TrainingClinics/sandclass.html
Sand is way different then dirt and rocks. Come and learn what we have taught those who rescue people on the sand with life threatening injures.

The Winch Clinic is Friday December 5th. We always hold them on a weekday to lessen the risk of someone running over our lines and hurting themselves. http://www.4x4training.com/TrainingClinics/Winch.html

This clinic will take you from basics to advanced. Most winch owners seldom use their winch and do not have the experience necessary to use it within safety limits. This clinic will give you all you need to be safe and to extract yourself from an extreme stuck!

The Rocks Clinic is December 22nd. It will be held at Calico Mountains near Barstow. This is the course and route highlighted in the September 2008 issue of Perterson's 4 Wheel magazine – "Practice Makes Perfect" by Kevin McNulty. Sign up at http://www.4x4training.com/TrainingClinics/Rock.html

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I hope to see you on the trails!

Tom Severin, President
Badlands Off Road Adventures, Inc
4-Wheel Drive School
310-374-8047
http://www.4x4training.com
Make it Fun. Make it Safe.

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Tahoe Forest Plan Meeting in CA Bay Area

Tahoe National Forest OHV Meeting scheduled October 29 in Bay Area

By Amy Granat

Meeting to be held Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 6:30 PM in Pleasant Hill, CA

Off Highway Vehicle users have only one chance to affect the outcome of Route Designation in their favorite forest. The time for the Tahoe is now! If you ride or drive a motorcycle, ATV or 4WD you must attend.

To help you understand the Forest Service proposed plan, Friends of Tahoe Forest Access (FOTFA) is sponsoring a meeting in the Bay Area with representatives from the Tahoe National Forest. Tahoe Forest officials will give a presentation of their proposed plan and answer questions from the audience. Maps may be reviewed for 30 minutes before the presentation.

Link to Tahoe National Forest proposed actions and Draft Environmental Impact Statement:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/projects_plans/ohv_inv/DEIS_overview.shtml

This is an important event - the Forest Service didn't put on a meeting for Bay Area residents to ask questions and become informed, so FOTFA, along with the CORVA Comments Project Team and Bay Area OHV clubs put together this meeting for OHV users in the Bay Area.

Come, ask questions, and get involved. If you want to make a difference, you must be informed first! 

• Sign-in and Map preview 6:00 to 6:30 PM
  
• Tahoe presentation from 6:30 to 7:00/7:15
  
• Public questions till 8:30/9:00
  
• Building closes at 9:30
  

Location:
Pleasant Hill Senior Center
233 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
(Parking available in rear)

Get more info on cal4wheel.com

My latest photography is of the famous and mystical Sand Tufa of Mono Lake, CA. Being there is somewhere between Disneyland and a dreamworld of structural fantasy. You won't believe this "rock" and sand formations along the sandy shoreline of Mono Lake.
Check it out:

http://www.delalbright.net/Images/Tufa/index.html

thanks, let me know what you think,
Del

San Bernardino Forest (CA) Releases EA for Motorized Travel

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

San Bernardino National Forest Releases EA For Motorized Travel Plan

The San Bernardino National Forest, located in southern California, has just released their Draft Environmental Analysis (DEA) for the Motorized Travel Management project. The Forest Service (FS) will be accepting comments for the next 30 days.

This project will make limited changes to the Forest's motorized transportation system and implement the 2005 Travel Management Rule. If you would like to review the DEA in detail, an electronic copy on their website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/projects/ohv.shtml. A copy of the DEA is also available for view at the San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor's Office.

The three action alternatives that are presented in the DEA combine many of the comments and recommendations that have been provided at public meetings and from other contacts. This is your opportunity to examine the details about the project, including measures designed to protect resources or alleviate potential problems you may be concerned about. The release of the DEA begins the formal comment period, during which the FS will consider all public comments before issuing a decision.

Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted until November 13, 2008.

THE COMMENT DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 13, 2008

Mail written comments to:

          San Bernardino National Forest
          Attn: Richard Thornburgh, Environmental Coordinator
          602 S. Tippecanoe Ave.
          San Bernardino CA 92408.

The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Email comments to: 
          comments-pacificsouthwest-san-bernardino@fs.fed.us

Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc). Please put "Travel Management" in the subject line.

Fax comments to:
          (909) 383-5586.

If you have any further questions about this project, please contact Richard Thornburgh, Environmental Coordinator, at 909-382-2642.

JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

 

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlueRibbonCoalition

Klamath National Forest, CA/OR, Seeks Comments

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Klamath National Forest Seeks Comments on Motorized Routes

The Klamath National Forest, located in northwestern California, is formulating a new travel plan that will limit ALL vehicle use to designated roads, trails and areas. On October 7, 2008, the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) was published in the Federal Register, beginning the formal NEPA (National Environmental Process Act) analysis for the Motorized Travel Management project.

The NOI initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the EIS. The purpose of the NOI is to invite the public to participate in the Travel Management Project EIS analysis by providing comments about the proposal during the public scoping process. The Forest Service (FS) is asking for your input during the 30-day public scoping comment period.

Although comments are welcome throughout the planning process, providing your comments by November 6, 2008, will allow time for the Klamath National Forest to consider the input during the analysis and in developing alternatives. Completion of the Draft EIS is expected in May 2009, followed by another 45-day comment period.

The Forest urges the public to review the NOI and associated maps and tables at the following website before commenting: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/projects/ohv/index.shtml. A copy of the NOI will be provided upon request. 

Send written comments to:
          Route Designation Team
          Klamath National Forest
          1312 Fairlane Rd.
          Yreka, CA  96097

Electronic comments, acceptable in plain text (.txt), rich text (.rft), or Word (.doc), may be submitted to comments-pacificsouthwest-klamath@fs.fed.us.  Please put "Route Designation" in the subject line. 

For more information, contact Emelia Barnum, Project Leader, by phone:  (530) 841-4470.

JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

 

Get BRC's Latest News & Alerts via RSS!
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlueRibbonCoalition