Land Use this week.

It seems as though I'll be pushed even further into the 21st century now. Posting to a blog, that will eventually be set up as an rss feed that will link live, directly into club websites and into their email folders.

What I have done in the past and will continue to do, is post info out to email lists too. So, if you are subscribed to this, you may very well get this in other forms via the EC4WDA Land Use list or via my personal land use list.

A lot has been happening spread out over several forums and I'm not sure where to start of if I even should start.

First, I'll let everyone know that there is a video available from Trails In Trouble. org aka Friends of the Sequoias Chris Horgan heads up those groups and we met him at the NAMRC meeting this past November.

This video is being made available to us for FREE. Although it can also be purchased as a way to help support the Trails In Trouble organization out in Cali. It can be viewed HERE. I am ordering one for every club in our Northeast Region. I am also going to order some to be available for at least every other region within EC4WDA. I would like to make a donation to this cause for nothing else but to help support the efforts put into producing this DVD.

Next up is another in the "what were up against" dept. Throughout our dealings with the JQ Public and our legislators, we feel very strongly that everything thing we say is truth. That always isn't the case with the antis. They feel so strongly that motorized use shouldn't be allowed in the forests, that they will simply outright lie in order to make their points. The same holds true for their position on other agendas too.

Here is an article showing that in action:

Earthjustice's Clean Water Poll Comes Up Short

Peyton Knight takes a close look at Earthjustice polling on the Clean Water Act:

Last month, the environmental activists at Earthjustice breathlessly released the results of a poll the group had commissioned that supposedly reveals rural voters' feelings on the Clean Water Act. The purpose of this classic push poll is to give the impression that rural voting districts support a vast expansion of the Clean Water Act, and therefore, would support the Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421 and S. 1870), a bill designed to bring federal regulatory authority to every field drainage ditch, pond and prairie pothole in the nation. However, a look at the actual polling data reveals a different story than the group presents in its press release.

For example, in its press release, Earthjustice claims: "Results from the survey of 300 randomly selected rural voters in each of three congressional districts in Illinois (15th), Ohio (18th) and Tennessee (4th), polled in mid-December, show that more than three-fourths of those polled
indicated they were very concerned about pollution of lakes, rivers and streams."

This simply is not true. The poll results clearly show that an average of only 55 percent of those polled responded that they were "very concerned" about "pollution of lakes, rivers and streams." Thus, Earthjustice inflated the poll's actual results by over 20 percent. In addition, the results show that a clear majority of those polled (roughly 63 percent) do not have ANY concerns about drinking water straight from the tap. This bit of inconvenient truth failed to make it into the Earthjustice press release. Christine Matthews, president of the firm that conducted the poll for Earthjustice, states in the press release: "The notion that farmers might view environmental regulations as excessive was absolutely not in evidence here."

This may be true, however, only because Matthews' company didn't bother to ask many farmers. The polling data shows that a whopping 77 percent of those polled do not "currently own, operate, or work on a farm."

Earthjustice also trumpets that 55 percent of those polled agreed with the poll interviewer that "the government has not gone far enough with laws to protect the environment and to keep our water free from pollution." But considering the usual one-sided nature of push polls, this particular poll's 5.6 percent margin of error and the fact that those likely to be most affected by federal clean water regulations (i.e., farmers) weren't truly represented, this number is hardly impressive. In fact, nearly half of those questioned either responded that "the government has gone too far with laws regulating environmental protection which has hurt businesses and landowners," or didn't care enough to have an opinion.

To contact author Peyton Knight directly, write him at pknight@nationalcenter.org

On a national level, thats all I have in this week.

On to regional issues:

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the EC4WDA's Northeast Region's activity schedule for 2008 - http://www.undergroundjeeps.net/EC_Schedule.html

There are well over 100 events on this list, with an easy way to contact each and every club. That means that as EC4WDA Northeast Region members, you can attend any of those rides as long as the host club has room for you. One can easily be out wheeling every weekend of the year and then some.
This massive amount of rail riding however, has its downfalls. It means that a LOT of trucks will be out on our roads, trails and private lands.

In this end, we would ask that as clubs, we try to take it easy on the roads and trails we drive. Simply put, follow the Tread Lightly! principles. Keep attempts at getting over an obstacle to a minimum. Try to keep from doing "pick up runs" to the trails local to you on a regular basis and hook up with one of the rides that is going on the same weekend.

Lastly, I'm not even sure if I should get into this...

The roads at Coy Hill.

For the background, head over to http://www.friendsofcoyhill.org/forums/index.php Look around and read.
OK, now that you've done that, it has been agreed upon by both the NEA and EC4WDA that despite the fact that the town roads are not closed, we as organized associations will not drive in the area until all matters are settled.
For the record, the only part of that area that was EVER legal was the road. All the other great wheeling was not legal, only allowed due to a state WMA manager looking the other way.
Recently, Rich B. decided to go against what even he had previously agreed with and planned a ride with certain members of his club on the town roads in that area. This despite pleadings from those in the organized wheeling world to not do this. It was supposed to take place today. I have not yet heard whether he went through with his plans. Obviously in doing so, he would hurt the credibility of those who have worked closely with the town and state to make things smooth out.

I think thats it. At least for now...

Talk soon,