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Home  News Latest What can I do ?
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New opportunities to help keep our trails open are now available. A visit to your legislator, county supervisor or congressman has tremendous value in preserving your access to public lands.
Organizations and lobbyists can do a lot, but politicians at every level respond best to their own local constituents. One person that takes the time to e-mail represents 20 like opinions, one that calls represents 30, one that writes represents 100, and one that visits in person represents 500 fellow voters.
All of that is well and good but where can you make a difference? Starting with the County Supervisor, green sticker funds can be requested by the counties from the State Commission. These grant applications can be used for law enforcement, facility maintenance and repair, and even land acquisition. Green sticker fees arte going up to create a larger pool for meeting the needs of local public access for OHV recreation. County supervisors should be encouraged to apply for worthy projects and their applications carry weight.
At the state level, Assembly Members and Senators can be asked for help on the US Forrest Service Trail Inventory Process. Local economic impacts will be felt if people stay home from the forests due to loss of access in gas stations, stores, rental businesses, and in the sale of state hunting and fishing licenses. Video presentations from Stewards of the Sequoias will soon be available to clubs to create talking points for discussion with legislators on these issues and impacts to local economies. As this process moves forward loss of camping access, trails to ride, and reasons to visits public lands will diminish and we will lose even the awareness that these lands have been closed if nobody visits them. Legislators should also be encouraged to support and expand the State Park system and the OHV program in particular.
At the federal level, congressional representatives and even senators should be lobbied to help with the USFS route inventory process like state representatives. They should also be asked to oppose the wilderness bills that will close large areas to OHV recreation.
Websites such as: www.calaccess.net, www.cal4wheel.com, www.landrights.org, www.partnershipforamerica.org, www.stewardsofthesierranationalforest.org, www.arra-access.com or, www.stewardsofthesequoia.org all have great updates on the latest issues on land access locally and across the nation. Some include easy to use links to make your opinion known. Check them out, add your name to their e-mail lists, join their organizations and support their efforts.
Get involved and get heard. Your voice and your opinion count! |
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