ATV Source - Press Releases - Blue Ribbon Alert 1

To: All Multiple-Use Recreationists:

From: Clark Collins, Executive Director
Blue Ribbon Coalition (www.sharetrails.org)

RE: MULTIPLE USE RECREATIONISTS TO CALL-IN ON MARCH 7

Tell the Forest Service not to listen to the Extreme Preservationists who are spreading lies About Responsible OHV Recreation!!!

For many years, the extreme preservationist movement has stated that its goal is to seek a permanent BAN of responsible off-highway-vehicle (OHV) recreation on all public lands. They have been largely successful in implementing a functional BAN of sustainable forestry in our national forests and now they have targeted OHVs for that same fate.

On March 9, the anti-everyone-but-me crowd is planning a national call-in day to the US Forest Service urging them to (functionally) BAN all OHV recreation on lands managed by the Forest Service. We have to upstage them in a massive way by preempting their strike with one of our own!

On March 7, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, along with a number of multiple-use recreation and resource groups, is planning a national PRO-OHV call-in day. The reason for having our call-in on March 7 is because if we don't separate our call-in by at least one day...our legislators and federal agencies might CONFUSE our call-in with that of our opponents.

This is a maximum effort campaign by our side and all of us need to make sure that we burn up the email, phone, and FAX lines into the Forest Service. Please reroute this ALERT to your own communication networks so that our voices will be heard by Chief Dombeck.

Please email, phone, and FAX your positive comments about how important responsible OHV recreation is to millions of Americans. Be sure and tell the Chief about how OHV recreation relates to your family or business.

Here are some things you might include in your comments.

1) OHV users are protecting the environment by promoting user ethics as outlined by groups and organizations such as; Tread Lightly!, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, United Four Wheel Drive Associations, American Council of Snowmobile Associations, National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, and the American Motorcyclist Association (list other groups in this list as well)

2) OHV users contribute thousands of man/woman hours each year on volunteer programs that protect and preserve our natural resources.

3) OHV users support managed recreational opportunities on Forest Service lands.

4) While most OHV users support the original intent of the 1964 Wilderness Act to protect lands untrammeled by modern man, the lands currently available for multiple-use must be managed and remain open for the general public to use and enjoy for a wide variety of opportunities.

5) OHV users do not support the Presidents roadless directive that could CLOSE millions of acres of prime multiple-use recreation areas that have established and legal recreational roads, trails, and dispersed campgrounds.

6) Tell the Chief that you want him to ask for funds to adequately support the Forest Services recreation and trail programs. For many years the Forest Service has said they support recreation but they have NOT asked for the appropriated monies to do so.

Please call, email, and FAX to the numbers below on March 7th (if you can't get through on the 7th continue on the 8th):

Chief Mike Dombeck
Email: Mike.Dombeck/wo@fs.fed.us
Fax: (202) 205-1765
Phone: (202) 205-1661

Again, thanks for your time and effort to promote and protect responsible OHV recreation on our public lands. Don't let the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads, and other extreme preservationist groups cast aspersions on all the hard work that you have done to make OHV recreation the family-oriented sport it is today.

End of Alert

Make sure your rights are protected. Help us in "Preserving Our Natural Resources FOR The Public Instead of FROM The Public." Click on the logo below, it will take you to their membership form. Print out a copy and fill in the appropriate info and then send it in with your payment. If you don't want to fill out a form, give Blue Ribbon a call at (800) 258-3742. Tell them that ATV Source referred you!!