Those Lovable Trees

Here we are again.

I simply can't believe that I have enough to fill this every week, yet, time and again, I do.

First off.

ALERT!

There are now land owner issues at Pain Hill. There is a very small chunk of the area that is privately owned and not part of the state forest. I was contacted just recently regarding this issue pertaining to the Wheelin 4 Healin event taking place there this past weekend.
It seems as though, according to the landowner, that the best road in the forest is actually not a road but his neighbor's and Uncle's land. (this one particular land owner is not affected by our use).
These are roads that were specifically given to me from the now retired unit manager for that area.
I am waiting to hear back from the current unit manager on this. Until further notice, please request a map from me with the current state forest roads on it before venturing in there.
Thank you!


CT ATV Bill

From Aili (EC4WDA CT land Use Rep): April 30th.

Due to a typically governmental cluster****, our bill died in Finance Committee.

It was a miscommunication on which chair of the committee would be there, and neither showed up, so the final meeting on which our bill had to be voted on, never took place. So we (and a whole lot of other groups with bills in committee) are pretty disappointed, especially due to the "death" of the bill having nothing to do with its content. We knew we were up for a fight with a pretty fair chance of losing... but this just stinks.

There are other options like tacking our issue onto another bill by amendment on the house floor, but its harder that way. We're strategizing later this morning via conference call, and will keep everyone posted if something more comes up.

As soon as I hear more, I will surely forward it along.


Land Use Seminar May 17th

The CCJC has the pleasure of introducing Dave Brill from EC4WDA. Dave is extremely active in the ORV world his resume speaks for itself.....

Land Use Chair, EC4WDA
VP and LU Chair Region D Northeast, EC4WDA
Pres. Eastern 4 Wheelers
Blue Ribbon Coalition NLUAC Northeast Rep.
SEMA/SAN State action leader
CTU/COALT
NOHVCC
Tread Lightly! Trainer
North American Motorized Recreation Council BOD

He has agreed to put on a "Land Use Seminar" for us and the community. This is a great event that you should attend to get the feel of the region in regards to our beloved sport.

Date and Information:

May 17th

Mass Maritime Academy, Nantucket room (Bay State Conference Center)

10am Seminar Start

Coffee, Pastry, Fruit Starting 9am

Ending around 2pm

If we take a lunch break around 11:30 or 12

Fees: Non CCJC Members $25.00

Brunch can be purchased from Chartwells (our sponsor) for $6.00. Brown bagging is ok to....

Please RSVP to Dan Stepnick

danstep@capecodjeepclub.org, or danstep@thekitchenstudio.com,

COY HILL CLEAN UP canceled.
Originally scheduled for next weekend, May 10th.
The town and state both have gone missing and will not respond to Joe Ostrenga.
Also, someone has gone in and done some cleaning of their own.
This from Joe:

Greetings,
First, I want to thank everyone who has stepped up and volunteered to help clean the Coy Hill area. It is greatly appreciated! Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that the cleanup scheduled for May 10th, 2008 has been canceled. During our final preparations to acquire the dumpster, we conducted another trash survey this past weekend. To our surprise, much of the trash and larger objects have been picked up. While this is somewhat good news, at this time we do not know who has cleaned the area. I drove through again today and verified that there isn't enough trash to even fill my truck and therefore does not justify the expense of a dumpster or large cleanup effort. A scaled-down cleanup may be planned at a future date and will most likely be incorporated into the repair work to several of the damaged private properties. Please check the FOCH forum for updates.
Again, I want to thank everyone who has volunteered and apologize for this unexpected cancellation.

Thank you,
Joe Ostrenga
Team Leader
Friends Of Coy Hill

OHIO Issues

From Bill Kaeppner, President, OMTA, associate member of EC4WDA.

Last Monday the Vinton County Commissioners vacated 4 roads. The “Reason” was inexcusable inappropriate use in the area.

This is the same area OMTA tried to get a RTP grant on in 2005 to stop the inappropriate use and make it a sustainable riding area. I was surprised to find out we did not get notification that an action was eminent form the Ohio DNR.

I gave each commissioner a copy of the law that showed that what they were doing was against the law. Unfortunately it did not matter to two of them.

We need to appeal and win. The precedent that commissioners do not need to follow the law as well as other issues must not be allowed to stand.

We have one lawsuit now that has languished for years.

OMTA has very little money and at this time has not found an Attorney to work for us. I will be going to the court Monday to see what I can do to get court time before the time limit to file an appeal ends.

I am afraid this will set a precedent.

Any help would be appreciated.

Bill Kaeppner

www.ohiotrails.org

614 404 6189

Local Article on this.

Access to Cape Hatteras

From Americans For Responsible Recreation Access (ARRA)

If you think that access issues are the exclusive domain of the western part of the United States, think again. For the folks who live near and/or visit the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, beach access is becoming a life and death issue especially as it relates to their local economy.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore
North Carolina
Visit the National Park Service NPS.GOV website for current news about the OHV access. By way of background, back in 2007, the National Audubon Society, the Defenders of Wildlife and Southern Environmental Law Center filed suit in a Federal District Court against the National Park Service because the Park Service did not have a travel management plan for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. In an attempt to resolve the lawsuit, the Park Service negotiated an interim agreement to satisfy the concerns of the plaintiffs. The long and the short of it is that the interim plan would ban OHV travel at night during the peak summer and shoulder seasons and altogether at certain breeding grounds. The proposed plan is subject to approval by a Federal judge and that approval could occur within a matter of days. The interim plan, once official, would remain in effect until a permanent OHV management plan is completed by a deadline of April 1, 2011.

Needless to say, sport fishermen, OHV enthusiasts, and the County Commissioners for Dare and Currituck Counties are less than pleased. To be blunt about it, they are livid. The national economy is hurting local real estate sales, high gas prices are cutting down on vacation travel, and limiting access to some of the most exciting sport fishing grounds on the east coast seems to be the last straw. To those who like to cast out that first line at the crack of dawn, the new regulations will make that a little more difficult. Perhaps they will have to pitch a tent for a sleepover on the beach, but then, I'm not sure that's legal either.

A number of ARRA members have contacted me and have asked why we haven't focused on the Cape Hatteras issue. They are exactly right. We should have and for this oversight, our apologies. We do know that a number of citizens in North Carolina have been contacting their congressional delegation in hopes that the Congress will intervene to ensure that OHV access to Cape Hatteras remains unrestricted. For them, beach driving and surf fishing are beloved local traditions dating back far before this particular National Seashore was created in the 1930's. Congressional pressure is certainly needed to change this situation. The Park Service claims that the interim plan will not adversely impact access to the Seashore. That's not what local folks think. We will check back in a couple of months to see who is right, but on the face of it, it seems like the Park Service is trying to put a positive spin on a bad outcome.

Also from ARRA

Participate in the Travel Management Survey

ARRA, in cooperation of with a number of other national groups, is sponsoring a survey on the U.S. Forest Service Travel Management Rule process. If you have participated in the implementation process or even if you haven't, your input is important. If you haven't already completed the survey, please click here.

Legislative Quick Hits from SEMA.

Summary of SEMA-Model Street Rod/Custom Vehicle Bill

• Defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom vehicle as an altered vehicle manufactured after 1948.
• Provides specific registration classes and license plates for street rods and custom vehicles.
• Provides that replica vehicles and kit cars will be assigned the same model-year designations as the production vehicles they most closely resemble and allows the use of non-original materials.
• Exempts street rods and custom vehicles from periodic vehicle inspections and emissions inspections.
• Provides that vehicles titled and registered as street rods and custom vehicles may only be used for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, etc. and not for general daily transportation.
• Exempts street rods and custom vehicles from a range of standard equipment requirements.
• Allows the use of blue-dot taillights on street rods and custom vehicles.

To date the SEMA-model bill has been enacted in various forms in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington. The bill is currently pending in Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The measure was also introduced and approved by the Wyoming House of Representatives last year. However, given the short legislative session, there was not enough time for the measure to be considered by the Senate. The bill will be reintroduced in 2009.


Automotive Caucus

The SEMA-supported caucus is a bipartisan group of state lawmakers whose common thread is a love and appreciation for automobiles.

Here the current members that pertain to our EC4WDA membership:

Chairman
Assemblymember Bill Reilich
(New York)

Connecticut
Representative Toni Walker

Delaware
Senator Steven Amick
Representative William Oberle Jr.

Kentucky
Representative Charlie Hoffman
Representative Reginald Meeks

Maine
Senator Douglas Smith
Representative Richard Cebra
Representative Carol Grose
Representative Lawrence Jacobsen
Representative Everett McLeod Sr.
Representative Peter Rines
Representative Nancy Smith

Maryland
Senator J. Robert Hooper
Delegate Don Dwyer, Jr.
Delegate Barbara Frush
Delegate Cheryl Glenn
Delegate Barry Glassman
Delegate Benjamin Kramer
Delegate Warren Miller
Delegate Richard Weldon

Massachusetts
Representative Robert Hargraves

Michigan
Senator Glenn Anderson
Senator Ron Jelinek
Representative David Agema
Representative Fran Amos
Representative Bill Caul
Representative Joe Hune
Representative Rick Jones
Representative Kathleen Law
Representative Richard LeBlanc
Representative John Pastor
Representative Tom Pearce
Representative John Proos
Representative Bettie Cook Scott
Representative Joel Sheltrown
Representative John Stahl
Representative Lorence Wenke

New Hampshire
Representative Michael Reuschel
Representative Kevin Waterhouse

New Jersey
Assemblymember Richard Merkt
Assemblymember Charlotte Vandervalk

New York
Senator Jeff Klein
Senator Thomas Libous
Assemblymember Jim Bacalles
Assemblymember Greg Ball
Assemblymember William Barclay
Assemblymember Philip Boyle
Assemblymember Daniel Burling
Assemblymember Marc Butler
Assemblymember Nancy Calhoun
Assemblymember Mike Cole
Assemblymember James Conte
Assemblymember Janet Duprey
Assemblymember Steve Englebright
Assemblymember Joseph Errigo
Assemblymember Ginny Fields
Assemblymember Gary Finch
Assemblymember Mike Fitzpatrick
Assemblymember Dennis Gabryszak
Assemblymember Joseph Giglio
Assemblymember Steve Hawley
Assemblymember Janele Hyer-Spencer
Assemblymember Brian Kolb
Assemblymember Peter Lopez
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo
Assemblymember David McDonough
Assemblymember Marcus Molinaro
Assemblymember Bob Oaks
Assemblymember Thomas O’Mara
Assemblymember Jack Quinn
Assemblymember Andrew Raia
Assemblymember Bill Reilich
Assemblymember Joseph Saladino
Assemblymember Teresa Sayward
Assemblymember Mark Schroeder
Assemblymember James Tedisco
Assemblymember David Townsend Jr.
Assemblymember Rob Walker

Ohio
Senator Lance Mason
Senator Robert Spada
Representative John Hagan
Representative Lynn Wachtmann
Representative Kenny Yuko

Pennsylvania
Senator Michael Waugh
Representative Scott Conklin
Representative Patrick Harkins
Representative Scott Perry

Rhode Island
Senator William Walaska
Representative John J. Loughlin II

Vermont
Representative Joseph Baker

West Virginia
Delegate Robert Beach
Delegate Cliff Moore

If you see your rep listed, pen a quick email note to them thanking them for their membership in the caucus and let them know just a little about you and your club.

If you DON'T see your rep/sen listed, email them a quick letting them know that their fellow congress members are on the caucus (list who) and ask if they'd like more info on it.
If they respond, send them to this link: State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus

If you don't even see your state listed, contact your legislators and send them the above link.



Again, enough to make most of you go to sleep at your keyboards.
Hopefully some of you made it this far and will take the few minutes to act on the above issues.

It truly will be the difference between having places to go wheeling and not.

Talk soon,

Dave Brill

Slowin Down

Despite the fact that I haven't been able to sit and actually write something in about two weeks, there isn't a whole lot of stuff taking place.

I've been out wheeling a couple of times and hiking in northern VT. Tis the season.. when most weekends I'll be gone, which means that getting my blog out will be hit or miss in terms of schedule.

So... what DO we have happening?

Regional:

The road/trail known as Undisclosed is in the news. Previously thought to be closed, it took awhile for anyone who really knew the area to get in and check out the situation. A few weeks ago, I was able to get up there and do some scouting. The only signage were two signs. One read," Road Closed, Pass at own risk". The other: "OHV/ATV prohibited from roads. " There were two symbols, one of a bike and one of a quad with the typical "NO" symbols over them.
Seeing as we drive registered and insured, passenger vehicles, we ARE allowed on the roads within a state forest.
Undisclosed is OPEN.

Old Chester
OCR, in western MA was the center of some concern recently. A landowner at the end of the road emailed Steve Alhiem to complain that a "Jeep club" (which he named) had trespassed across his land. The landowner has signs up and his phone number is rather easy to read. He has asked that if any club needs to cross his land that they contact him. Technically the road does legally cross his property. However, in the past, we had always turned around before reaching that point so as to not disturb the elderly couple that lived in the house at the end. This will continue to be the case,as the new landowner has kids and pets. We will install an unlocked chain gate just past the point where we have always turned around along with a sturdy sign with the landowner's name and number. So, things have not changed, just please, if one needs to cross the property, please contact the owner via the numbers listed on the signs present.



In CT, our ATV bill has made it through the Environment Committee, the Finance Committee and is now in Transportation. It seems as though there was some language that was attempted at being added that was credited to a representative who did NOT add the language. He is making sure the language will not be added. There is still the matter of universal registration. If that language ends up in the bill, we will be forced to kill it.
Still, we'd like everyone to write their senators/reps and tell them to support bill# 5602
Find your congresscritters at: http://www.cga.ct.gov/


SIGNING

We have begun posting signs on the town and state forest roads on which we travel. So far, we have signed Pain Hill/Bear Den Rds , Tunnel Rd, Old Dodge Rd. and Old Florida Rd. There are several different signs available. Large yellow ones that read: "Stay on the Trail or Stay Home" These have the NEA and EC4WDA logo/web addies on them as well. We also have red one that read: "Respect Landowner Stay on Trail" There are also white arrow signs available. These were handed out at the most recent EC4WDA Northeast Region D meeting.





Recreation on private land in the Northern Forest region of New England.

Several months ago, many of us rec'd and filled out a survey RE recreation on private lands in the Northern Forest regions of Vermont, NH and NY.
The stats were published a couple of months ago. They have been holding round-table discussions and the next one is in VT, May 8th.
You can see all of the above, plus some by visiting their site : http://www.privatelandaccess.org.
If you able to attend, please let me know.


OHIO/OMTA

Here is the most recent news from Bill Keappner.

OHIO MOTORIZED TRAILS TODAY

This has been a busy year for OMTA and off pavement recreation. OMTA scans the “legal sections” of 6 southern Ohio newspapers. We put out the alert last month when Vinton County posted vacating notices for 3 roads we use. OMTA was the only motorized organization or club to show up. No organization except OMTA testified for our use at the Vinton County Commissioner hearing April 23rd.

The parts of the property that are “not the road” will be closed off by what ever way the owner can. If you ride the area be aware. Trespassing will not be tolerated! I would not be surprised to see some private security in the area. Anyone trespassing will be dealt with to the limits of the law to set an example.

As of April 23 commissioners’ hearing the roads are still open. There is a follow up commissioner meeting April 28th. Check www.ohiotrails.org for status before you ride the Richland Furnace area.

Legislative issues

“Reciprocity” OMTA with the help of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources had language added to a bill to restore reciprocity. The bill has passed and has been signed by Governor Ted Strickland. Your ATV “tag” will soon be honored by states with like registration. Pennsylvania is an example where it will be honored.

Remember when we told you the Farm Bureau and the Railroad Association sought to have a law to mandate registration and allow confiscation of all off road vehicles. OMTA headed that off. OMTA with co-operation from the Ohio Snowmobile Association are working on model legislation. It is in legislative services now. Legislative service takes the bill and turns it into “Legal Speak”. The new bill will give us control of our tag money. Increase the tag fee return from $1 a year to $10. Provide for safety training. The bill will rework the temporary registration process. It will allow corridor leasing. Corridor leasing would allow leasing a “trail” from private land owners to create destination trail systems. Michigan “CCC” trails are an example of a destination trail system.

Are you a grant writer? We are actively looking for grant writers. We could have a lot more opportunity to ride. If you have a talent OMTA can use it for the sport please help.

From legislation to advocacy to protecting our members from unjust law enforcement, OMTA is working for off pavement recreation everyday! There is NO OTHER organization in Ohio that is working for wheeled recreation in Ohio. There is no other organization working on legislation for wheeled recreation. Only OMTA members showed up for the Vinton County hearing.

Get involved, join OMTA as a club and as an individual, help our legal defense fund. The suit now open has cost $5000 so far and will cost at least $6000 more. If we have to appeal in the Richland Furnace area it will cost too. If you want to keep our X roads you have to be involved. If you do not care about them then who will?

OMTA is building a state wide member club association to provide state wide riding opportunities for all members. E-mail Matt Mesarchik OMTA’s Club Chairman at Muddyrabbit @ RideTheRed.net

Bill Kaeppner

OMTA

NATIONAL ISSUES


Pirate 4x4 takes aim at the Tellico issues. Online Rally Planned
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=676594

House clears wilderness bills, Earth Day resolutions (04/23/2008)

Eric Bontrager, E&E Daily reporter

The House passed four land-use bills yesterday, including two to designate wilderness areas in Oregon and West Virginia, along with three resolutions in honor of Earth Day.

H.R. 5151, from Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), would add about 37,000 acres of wilderness West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest through expansions of the Dolly Sods, Cranberry and Otter Creek wilderness areas as well as protecting three new wilderness areas across the forest.

The bill cleared the House 368-17.

H.R. 831, from Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), would transfer 12 acres of Tongass National Forest land that sits within the city of Coffman Cove, Alaska. The land, once used as an administrative site by the Forest Service, now lies vacant and adjacent to a parcel of land planned for a new ferry terminal.

Young's bill passed 382-0.

By voice vote, the House approved Rep. Peter DeFazio's (D-Ore.) H.R. 3513, which would protect about 13,700 acres of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, in an effort to protect the watershed for rivers used by coastal salmon and steelhead. It also designates 10.8 miles of rives as wild and scenic.

H.R. 3734, which would rename the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, was also approved by voice vote.

Earth Day bills

The House also cleared three resolutions in celebration of Earth Day.

H.Res. 1117, authored by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), declares the support of the House for the goals and ideals of Earth Day and the technology needed to achieve it. It encouraged the Energy Department to increase its efforts on developing renewable energy and energy conservation technologies.

H.Res. 1112, introduced by Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), recognized the International Year of the Coral Reef and the work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to preserve coral reefs around the world.

H.Res. 891, sponsored by Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), celebrates 35 years of space-based observations of the Earth by the Landsat spacecraft that have helped further the study of climate change.

Lastly, an article from Del Albright:

The “Collaborative Process” for Access Issues

Do we need more group hugs, and will they solve anything?

Or will motorheads be having espresso with the enemy? –

By Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador

Collaboration (the collaborative process) is getting more and more popular with government agencies stuck with tough political decisions involving public lands. Rather than unnecessarily ending up in court, or wading through countless repetitive hours of NEPA meetings, the collaborative process seeks to find cooperation where competition has previously existed.

We should be fully prepared when our chance comes to participate in the collaborative process. But here are some things to consider carefully before you invest your time.

Read and download article here (Word or Adobe .pdf):

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

2 Weeks... well, maybe 3

Its been three weeks since the last blog. I have been very busy at work and haven't been able to get on this confounded machine as often as I usually am. As I mentioned last time we met, once the season really kicks in, I may even be harder pressed to get these out every week. I will try my damnedest to make them happen though.

Several of things right off the top of the bat:
CFPA ANNUAL TRAIL MAINTAINER WORKSHOP, April 26th, 2008
Coy Hill Rd Clean up: May 10th
Land Use Seminar, Cape Cod Jeep Club, May 17th.
National Trails Day Clean Up, Nipmuck State Forest CT. Sat. June 7th.

Trail Maintainer Workshop

Join Connecticut Forest & Park Association at our annual trail maintainer spring workshop. The date for the workshop will be Saturday, April 26, 2008 and it will be held in Chester, CT on the Cockaponset State Forest property. Learn the basics of trail design and maintenance of pedestrian/hiking trails while working side-by-side with seasoned trail volunteers. Projects will include bridge building, water bar construction, side-hilling, brushing, blazing and safe tool usage. Construction of handicap access trails will be included this year.

Everyone is welcome. Meet at 8:30 am at Cockaponset State Forest. From Route 9 take exit 6 and head west on Route 148. Turn right on Cedar Lake Road. At 1.7 miles turn left to sign for Pattaconk Reservoir Parking. Bring water, lunch, work gloves and dress appropriately for outdoor work. Tools will be provided. Rain date is Sunday, April 27. To register, or for further information contact workshop leader George Arthur by calling 860-871-0137 or email trailsarthur2@comcast.net. Or call CFPA at 860-346-2372 or email info@ctwoodlands.org.

COY HILL Clean Up:

Saturday, May 10th.
Info as per Joe Ostrenga, Team Leader for the Friends of Coy Hill:
Ok everyone! The time you were waiting for has arrived. We are putting together a clean up day in the Coy Hill area on May 10th, 2008. The maintenance portion will be scheduled at a later date due to environmental concerns. Details are still being worked out, but we will need shovels, hoes, rakes, gloves, and plenty of manpower to help pick up trash. If you have a camera, bring that too, as this is our chance to show the towns we are the good guys and want to make things right. We also anticipate media coverage. The meeting time will be 9am and the meeting place is TBD until we finalize details with the dumpster/transfer location. Also, we will need trucks and vehicles with trailers for rubbish removal, but I would like to try and keep vehicle impact on the roads to a minimum and carpool where we can (The dumpster location will hopefully have plenty of room for this).

In order to keep this as coordinated as possible, please reply to Zaedock@msn.com with the following info:


Name

Club

Vehicle type (Jeep, truck, etc.)

Trailer Y/N

Number of open seats



With this list, I will be able to assign cleanup teams. Trouble areas will be identified soon and maps will be assigned to every group.
Thank you all for your patience this past winter. It is greatly appreciated. I hope that we can make a difference in this troubled area.



Take care,
Joe


Joe Ostrenga
Team Leader
Friends Of Coy Hill



Baystate Jeepers Inc.
North East Jeep Organization, Inc.
North East Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs.



Land Use Seminar May 17th.
Hosted by Cape Cod Jeep Club.

This was originally planned as an event for Cape Cod Jeep club, however, they have chosen to open it up for any EC4WDA member.

Cost is $25 per person.

Here is the info from the CCJC site.

The CCJC has the pleasure of introducing Dave Brill from EC4WDA. Dave is extremely active in the ORV world his resume speaks for itself.....

Land Use Chair, EC4WDA
VP and LU Chair Region D Northeast, EC4WDA
Pres. Eastern 4 Wheelers
Blue Ribbon Coalition NLUAC Northeast Rep.
SEMA/SAN State action leader
CTU/COALT
NOHVCC
Tread Lightly! Trainer
North American Motorized Recreation Council BOD

He has agreed to put on a "Land Use Seminar" for us and the community. This is a great event that you should attend to get the feel of the region in regards to our beloved sport.

Date and Information:

May 17th

Mass Maritime Academy, Nantucket room (Bay State Conference Center)

10am Seminar Start

Coffee, Pastry, Fruit Starting 9am

Ending around 2pm

If we take a lunch break around 11:30 or 12

Brunch can be purchased from Chartwells (our sponsor) for $6.00. Brown bagging is ok to....

Please RSVP to Dan Stepnick and to make arrangements for payment at

danstep@capecodjeepclub.org


National Trails Day Clean Up, Saturday, June 7th

This is still in the planning stages but is a definite go.
We will be cleaning up the Pain Hill and Bear Den Rd sections and the new/old Breakneck section.
There are two vehicles that will need to be removed plus other sundry debris and garbage.
I am working with the Unit Manager to finalize where we'll meet, where we'll put the garbage, etc.


Local stuff:

The scouting is still going well. Members from ADK Jeeps have now stepped to the fore to help with some western MA and NY roads.
We will also be setting some dates to get onto pieces of private but open to the public lands to do some work. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on that as it happens.

During our (Eastern 4 Wheelers) club ride this weekend at Pain Hill, we hung signs at all the trouble spots, directing people to Stay on the Trail, Respect the Landowners and the arrow signs. I have had requests for these signs. I will have them for distribution at the Northeast Region D Mtg coming up within a couple of weeks, April 20th, GolfQuest, Brookfield, CT.


ATV BILL

The changes have been posted and include universal registration. This is bad because universal registration for ALL ATVs means that if you never plan on taking your snowplow ATV on state land, you'll still need to register it. Like registering your John Deer Lawn tractor.
Also, it will give law enforcement the ability to simply write citations for even having an unregistered ATV in the back of your truck or on a trailer.

The bill has now moved to the Transportation Committee. We are attempting to get the wording changed there to avoid the UR deal.

More word as it comes out. We may need to work quickly and en mas to either kill it if they refuse to work the wording or to make sure it passes if they do reword.


NATIONAL NEWS:

SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance) BOD members convicted of stock swindling.

Federal authorities have said that the group, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, commonly called SUWA, was not involved in the cases, which led to the convictions of its treasurer, Mark Ristow, and another board member, Bert Fingerhut, who was once SUWA’s chairman. Each man pleaded guilty last year to using stock conversion schemes to swindle banks across the country of a total of more than $15 million.

But a letter signed by 45 Utah state legislators, most of them Republicans, asked SUWA to disclose details of its finances, meeting-minutes correspondence and other transactions involving Mr. Fingerhut and Mr. Ristow or occurring during the period of their criminal activities.

To read the entire article: New York Times

The questions raised by the UT legislators of course include how the stolen money was used. Was it used to support any SUWA actions? Was any SUWA money used in the conversion schemes?

To read the letter sent to SUWA from the UT legislators: LETTER

Hopefully, others will catch word of this have the cohenes to publish it and keep up on it and let JQ Public know that these mega greenie, ant access groups are BIG money and just maybe some of their money has come from not so kosher means.

PUBLIC LANDS: Many proposals, one roadblock face Senate land-use package (04/03/2008)

Eric Bontrager, E&E Daily reporter

In terms of controversy, most public lands bills don't make a big splash.

Proposals for a new wilderness area, authorizing conservation studies and approving small land transfers make up a large portion of the bills that pass through the Senate every year, most going unnoticed to all but a few.

But dozens of such proposals cleared by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the 110th Congress have found themselves in a holding pattern for months, sidelined time and time again by other bills that required the Senate's more immediate attention.

Senate leaders have made several failed attempts to bring the proposals, consolidated into a single bill, to the floor, and each time the package is growing larger and larger as more public lands proposals are added.

The latest package, S. 2739, which combines 62 smaller bills, is tentatively scheduled to be considered after the Senate finishes consideration of housing legislation.

Included in the bill are dozens of proposals for new heritage areas, water projects, National Park Service authorizations and wilderness designations.

"It's kind of a virtual kaleidoscope of proposals aimed at protecting and preserving our public lands," said Leslie Jones of the Wilderness Society.

Wild Sky and other designations

Among the most noteworthy of former bills now part of the public lands bundle is a proposal to create the Wild Sky Wilderness area in Washington state. The bill designates approximately 106,000 acres of low-elevation, old-growth forest in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest as wilderness, one of the highest levels of protection Congress can bestow to public lands.

When the House passed the bill last year, it came as a victory for Wild Sky sponsor Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and environmentalists, who for more than six years could not convince the GOP-controlled House to approve the measure.

The Senate approved the measure in three previous sessions of Congress, but the bill never got past former House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-Calif.). Pombo argued that about 13,000 acres did not meet the requirements of the 1964 Wilderness Act and should be removed from the final bill.

While Wild Sky is the only wilderness designation, the package contains more than a dozen National Park Service proposals. Most are minor housekeeping bills that propose boundary adjustments or a couple extra acres of land for a national park, but some proposals call for new historical areas, monuments and museums across the country.

Most of these proposals were generally well-received, with the Bush administration supporting, among others, a study of extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition.

The administration also supports a study on whether to establish memorials at areas in Texas where large remains of the space shuttle Columbia landed after it disintegrated during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, and another study on sites in Arizona, California and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement.

But support for the assorted national proposals is not universal. In fact, administration officials told the Senate Energy Committee that they could not back many of the bills, including a proposal to designate the Wolf House -- the oldest public structure in Arkansas -- as a unit of the National Park System and name the library at Ellis Island after Bob Hope.

Heritage areas and water projects

The Bush administration has also been lukewarm on the designation of new heritage areas. The package includes three new heritage area proposals, considered by some to be a public-lands equivalent of pork lawmakers can bring home to their constituents, as well as a feasibility study on designating another heritage area along the coastal areas of Oregon.

National heritage areas are locations "where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography," according to the National Park Service, which helps oversee the program. There are currently 37 national heritage areas or corridors, including the entire state of Tennessee.

The administration has urged lawmakers to hold off on any new heritage areas until they create a legislative framework to organize and manage the heritage area system before approving new sites, but it has not stopped lawmakers in either the House or Senate to propose new areas.

Heritage areas in the Senate package include the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania; the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in New York; and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area in Illinois. All three proposals were cleared by the House last October.

The package also includes multiple water-related proposals, including one for the management of the Platte River that would authorize the Interior Department to resolve disputes over the recovery of several endangered species -- the whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover and pallid sturgeon -- and still allow irrigators to use the river.

The effort, first offered by Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), is expected to cost about $317 million over 13 years. Interior would pick up half the tab, while the states would pay the rest. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) offered a companion measure that includes $157 million to carry out the Platte River recovery plan.

LEGISLATIVE QUICK HITS from SEMA

Sticker Shock!
Proposals Seek to Add Additional Taxes and Fees on the Purchase/Use of Trucks and SUVs

With gas prices on the rise, the last thing consumers want is additional fees for purchasing and operating a vehicle that meets their needs. However, some lawmakers are seeking to penalize consumers for purchasing and driving trucks, SUVs and other vehicles through increased taxes or surcharges.

This has become an ongoing trend as legislators in Hawaii, New York and Vermont are considering proposals that would limit consumer choice by making popular performance and luxury cars, as well as SUVs, light trucks and minivans, substantially more expensive to own and operate. California and Washington are among the states that have recently rejected these “gas guzzler” bills, based on high constituent opposition. The SAN continues to educate lawmakers that additional taxes unfairly threaten consumer safety, choice and jobs, and that a new federal energy law will provide market-based solutions.

“For the most part, these bills will restrict ownership of larger cars and trucks to the wealthy who can afford to pay the surcharge,” said Steve McDonald, SEMA vice president of government affairs. “The legislation targets lower- and middle-class individuals who need and depend on these vehicles to transport their family, operate their small business or participate in recreational activities.”

In presenting that message, enthusiasts in Washington state were successful in defeating two bills that sought to tax vehicle owners in an attempt to reduce motor-vehicle emissions. The first bill would have established two separate progressive fees for state motor vehicles based on (1) engine size and (2) calculations of carbon emissions. These fees would have been collected by the state at the time of initial vehicle registration and at subsequent renewals of registration. The second bill sought to establish a progressive annual excise tax for all passenger motor vehicles based on the EPA’s fuel-economy ratings. This tax could have required some vehicle owners to pay up to $240 each year.

In response to constituent correspondence, the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee indicated concerns with the proposals and that the hearings would not be scheduled on the bills.

To provide a comprehensive approach on fuel consumption and climate change, the SAN supported landmark federal legislation in 2007 raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks by 40%, to an industry average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The SAN worked with the automakers and other industry associations as part of the CAFE Coalition to help negotiate a compromise approach that would allow carmakers to reach a fair and attainable standard. The law spurs new technology while providing time to apply such breakthroughs to mass production. This approach should ensure against unnecessary disruption to the marketplace, businesses and workers. Unlike the state laws under consideration, the new federal law preserves the ability of the consumer—whether a small-business owner or the parent of a growing family—the option afforded by pickups, minivans and SUVs available for cargo room, performance, towing and hauling capacity. The new law will also significantly reduce carbon-dioxide emissions since CO2 is a byproduct of burned fossil fuel. Finally, the federal approach provides a national solution, as opposed to a potential patchwork of state rules.

For more information on this position or other legislative issues, visit the SEMA Action Network website at www.semasan.com.

Caucus Corner

Dear SAN Members:

As chairman of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus, I wish to extend my thanks for your continued efforts on behalf of the motor-vehicle hobby. Since assuming the chairmanship a year ago, I have made it my number-one priority to expand the Caucus so that together we can ensure that this hobby is protected for years to come.

As you are aware, the Caucus is a non-partisan group of state legislators whose common thread is simply a love and appreciation for automobiles (from pre-World War II classics to street rods to ’60s-era musclecars to late-model imports and everything in between).

Through the combined recruiting efforts of my fellow Caucus members and enthusiasts like you, the Caucus now has members in all 50 states and more than 240 members nationwide. I am gratified that our coalition of state lawmakers continues to raise the motor-vehicle hobby’s profile in the state legislatures and in the public’s eyes.

While I am extremely pleased at how the membership numbers have increased, our work is far from done. By this letter, I am asking your help in educating your state legislators about the benefits of Caucus membership and encouraging participation by your lawmakers.
There is no specific obligation in joining the Caucus. New members must only agree to list their names among other state legislators around the country who have also agreed to associate themselves with this great American hobby.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
New York Assemblyman Bill Reilich
Chairman, State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus
New York State Assembly (134th Assembly District)

New York SB 6934: Amends traffic laws to prohibit the use of any device created to block either a radar or laser use by police officers.

Rhode Island HB 7621: Modifies the salvage vehicle code so all salvage vehicles receive the same title. Also changes existing law so that salvage vehicles that can only be used for parts will have “for salvage parts only” stamped on the title.

To comment to your legislators go to www.CONGRESS.org and simply type in your zip code.

You'll be told who your legislators are. Click send an email and then type up a quick note, telling them whether you agree or disagree with these bills. Let them know you are their constituent.

Yeah, I know a lot to digest this week. Mostly due to the fact I haven't published a blog since March 16th. 3 full weeks.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at:

E4WBrill@aol.com

Ying and Yang

Someone told me the planets must be aligned based on the news item where we have worked out a deal to gain access to certain state forest roads here in CT. Unfortunately, the same day, we were told that Lakeview is CLOSED. Without getting into many details, the fact of the matter is that what we have been driving is mostly designated enduro motorcycle course. Please stay away and pass the word to other forums, clubs, etc. Lakeview is CLOSED.
The good news of the whole issue is that Aili will be sitting with the Unit Manager within the next couple of months to pour over maps and designate at least one if not more 4x4 roads. This is totally due to our great working relationship with the forest personnel.

More bad news: Northfield/Erving should be considered CLOSED as well. It is a powerline trail that has been run without too many issues for many years, however, our thought is that before we end up with another Coy Hill, we should get our permissions lined up before we head back. I have asked the NTC step to the fore and make contacts with the landowners. We will keep everyone posted as to what comes of this.

The ATV Bill in CT has PASSED the Environment Committee. This is BIG news as it has never made it out of this committee over the last 3 years of trying. Granted, it appears as though the Environ Com has edited the language a bit to possibly include universal registration. If this is the case, we will end up having to kill our own bill. We are waiting to find out the edited language.

I sure am glad Steve got me writing these blogs every week. With so much taking place, if I was waiting till the end of each month to put these together, I'd have a book or I'd simply be missing items. There is a lot of activity happening and there is obviously enough to write about every week!

As Steve mentioned, the signs are here. Thanx to Scott from NEA and their sign contact, we have 400 white with black arrow signs and about 100 signs that recommend that people Stay the Trail. These will be hung along our public roads to inform the JQ Public of what is legal and what isn't and to direct them in the correct direction. I will be handing them out to clubs at the region mtg in April.

Our second summit meeting between EC4WDA Northeast Region and NEA took place on Saturday, March 15th. Three plus hours of communication is difficult to condense into a sentence or two. Suffice to say that between the two organizations, there will be an definite increase in available places to wheel over the next couple of years. I would even venture a guess that by 2010 we may have been able to double what we currently have available.

Lots of NATIONAL NEWS:

Out in Ohio, our compatriots at OMTA have finally passed their reciprocity bill. This will enable Ohio residents to ride with their OH registrations in neighboring states and vice/versa. They are also in the process of proposing more ATV related legislation.



TELLICO TEAM to the Rescue!

NATIONAL RECREATION ATTORNEYS TEAM UP FOR RESCUE TELLICO

BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) are teaming up with their nationally recognized attorneys in the fight for project "Rescue Tellico." This alliance amongst the groups and their attorneys, in cooperation with Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, is an historic undertaking. The groups will consolidate their efforts, bringing together their collective expertise, resources, and other strengths derived from their grassroots memberships. Collectively BRC and UFWDA represent over half a million recreationists committed to responsible and sustainable vehicle-based recreation on public lands.

"BRC and UFWDA have worked together on other access protection lawsuits in the past, but this effort combines our attorneys and resources into a single litigation team", stated Greg Mumm, BRC's Executive Director. "Unlike past efforts to support each other in various endeavors, this new alliance actually unifies the work of both law offices and the organizations of BRC and UFWDA into a single presence", stated Wayne Groom, President of UFWDA.

Rescue Tellico is a program to protect off-highway vehicle (OHV) access in the Upper Tellico OHV Area located in North Carolina, a premiere OHV destination throughout the Eastern Seaboard and Southern U.S.

Better guidance, enforcement needed for ORV use, experts say (03/14/2008)

Eric Bontrager, E&E Daily reporter

Critics of off-road vehicle use said yesterday that Congress must take a larger role in preventing destructive use that is threatening some of the West's most valuable natural resources.

While administration officials said they are working hard to keep public lands protected, witnesses told the House National Parks Subcommittee yesterday that federal land agencies' inability to enforce rules on ORV use was coming at a great cost.

Unmanaged ORV use can take a great toll on natural resources, destroying vegetation and disturbing wildlife. ORVs can threaten private, historical and cultural lands often without retribution because of overburdened land agencies that cannot manage the problem, critics say.

"Congress must step up to the plate," said Jack Gregory, a former Forest Service official and member of Rangers for Responsible Recreation. "The agencies have demonstrated time and time again their inability to address the problem."

Irresponsible use can also threaten public safety, Gregory added, citing a gathering of ORV enthusiasts at Little Sahara Recreation Area in Utah last Easter weekend that produced more than 37 injuries and more than 300 arrests and citations.

The Forest Service's fiscal 2009 budget proposal calls for a $17 million decrease for its law enforcement activities, further threatening the agency's ability to police ORV use. The Bureau of Land Management's resource protection and law enforcement budget faces a net decrease of $365 million in the president's budget.

Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the National Forest System, said the explosive growth in ORV use in recent years has put a strain on land managers' ability to enforce proper use.

With 64 million acres of national forest open to vehicle use, Holtrop said the key is increased cooperation with local ORV groups so they understand the costs of irresponsible use.

"We believe most ORV users want to do the right thing," he said.

Russ Ehnes of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council said the BLM and the Forest Service management plans have shown how active management can be effective against abusive ORV use.

In San Bernardino National Forest, for example, the National Forest Association trains volunteers and organizes patrols to encourage ORV users to use designated routes in the forest so as to minimize their impact.

More from the "What we're up against" file.

KEY WITNESS AT OFF-ROAD CONGRESSIONAL HEARING PULLED — Deputy Sheriff Testimony Blocked as Anxiety Rises in Off-Roading Groups

Washington, DC — In a surprise last-minute move, a key witness will not deliver his testimony at the first congressional hearing on the threats to public safety posed by burgeoning off-road vehicle (ORV) damage to public lands. A deputy sheriff from New Mexico was slated to tell Congress about extensive damage caused by a growing “outlaw” element, according to testimony released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Deputy Sheriff Alan Franzoy of Doña Ana County was not allowed to board a plane to attend today’s hearing before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, chaired by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ). His office offered no explanation for his abrupt withdrawal but off-road lobby groups have mounted a vigorous effort aimed at the first ever congressional oversight hearing on the topic, entitled “The Impacts of Unmanaged Off-Road Vehicles on Federal Land.”

In his un-delivered testimony, Deputy Franzoy, who is himself an ORV rider and instructor and chairs New Mexico’s Off-Highway Vehicle Safety Board, would have sounded this alarm:

“I’ve seen first hand that an outlaw contingent of ORV riders are destroying our land and endangering private property, livestock, wildlife, and other public land users.”

Doña Ana County covers an area nearly twice the size of Rhode Island and sits less than 50 miles from the Mexican border. In his testimony, Deputy Franzoy cited the use of ORVs “by illegal alien and drug smugglers to circumvent Border Patrol checkpoints…” His testimony details other dangers, including –

• “There is absolutely no protection of the remnants of our prehistoric settlers of the Rio Grande Valley” from the ravages of irresponsible off-roading;
• Huge assemblages of off-roaders in unofficial “party areas” which fuel “a variety of criminal activity beginning with underage drinking and drug abuse all the way to violent rapes and murders”; and
• Extensive damage to landscapes. “The scars of misuse will be visible until the end of time.”

“There is no real mystery why this voice was stilled,” commented PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, pointing to a history of intimidation and threats from the off-road community that has caused some agencies to cancel public hearings on ORV issues. “No citizen should ever be afraid to testify before the United States Congress.”

In one off-road lobby alert, the fact that “a sheriff from New Mexico” would testify was known even before the witness list was published. The Blue Ribbon Coalition message urges off-roaders to directly reach out because while their lobbyists “talk to the media often, it's just that most of them are biased against OHV [Off Highway Vehicles] users and rarely print what we say.”

More "get you ticked off" pages from the same site: Testimony

PEER is the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Yeah, it does seem sort of an oxymoron doesn't it? They work for us, paid by OUR tax dollars. Can they have their own personal thoughts and ideas? Of course. Should they be allowed to take those biases and use them to shape legislative processes or "bring them to work"? I don't think so. Something just gets me a bit ticked over it. I don't know.


I'm going to finish off with our need to become politically involved. I've already written on this, but its so important, I'm going to reiterate it as often as I can. When I say politically involved, I mean just being in touch with your legislators.
Let me give you some examples:

Here in CT, we have been working with CTU and OHM and ATV riders. Due to this, we have become more involved with our state forests and have met with several of our legislators. This allowed Aili to pose/answer questions at a legislative hearing that she wouldn't have been able to do normally. We have established new contacts with a couple of state forest unit managers. This all leads to more areas for us to play.

OMTA got their reciprocity bill passed, due to being politically involved.

NEA has developed a secure hold on getting 4x4 designations and changes to their OHV laws in New Hampshire, due to being politically involved.

The planner in Glans Falls has rec'd a whole bunch of emails requesting they include motorized use in the Waterfront Brownfield site planning, due to Steve showing up at a meeting/hearing and speaking.

We will NEED everyone to take a moment at some point and write a letter, email, make a phone call, etc. Know that in doing so, you will be assisting us to better our OHV options here in New England and association wide.

Thats all I can remember right now...

Talk soon,

ALERT!

I have two VERY important items that need to be addressed right off the bat.

The first is the "Waterfront Plan" for northeastern NY state.

Steve Alheim attended the meeting the other night and found out that several municipalities in his neck of the woods are producing a plan for the use of Brownfield sites. He also found out that no where in their plan did they mention motorized recreation. What better place for us to use than what everyone else doesn't want. Even the antis can't get too upset about us using previously contaminated earth.
He stood up and asked "what about us?" They didn't even realize that there was a need for us to have a place to recreate.
This is what we need:

Please, this needs to be done before Mar 21st. Send an email to the Waterfront Planner at

planner@queensbury.net

Put Waterfront Plan in the subject.

and this is what to say:

Please include motorized recreation in your planning, specifically full size 4x4 use of existing Brownfield sites.
For more information on Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use, please contact East Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association at 1-800-ECST4WD or email to ec4wda@ec4wda.org.
Thank you for the opportunity to address my concerns.

Sincerely,


Of course, if you'd like to add to it a bit and make it your own, please feel free. This is what I wrote:

Hello, my name is David Brill. I represent nearly 5000 full size, registered, insured, 4WD vehicle enthusiasts from the northeast section of the country. I am from CT and and can speak for many of those 5000 when I say that if NY state offered legal off pavement roads/trails or in this case, an OHV park of some sort located on the Brownfield sites, we would travel there to enjoy them. We would also spend a good deal of money while visiting the wonderful state of NY. Please consider that in the small geographic area of New England, it is not uncommon for residents to travel from state to state to recreate.
Please include full size 4WD recreation in your plan.

If you have any questions, you can contact me directly as I am the Land Use Chairman for the East Coast 4WD Association. E4WBrill@aol.com, or 203-676-1286.

Thank you,

David Brill
Land Use Chair: East Coast 4WD Assoc.
V.Chair/Land Use Chr. Region D/Northeast of EC4WDA
President, Eastern 4 Wheelers
Tread Lightly! Master Trainer
Blue Ribbon Coalition
NAMRC
NOHVCC
SEMA/SAN
Guilford, CT

PLEASE DO THIS ASAP. Thank you!

NEXT ONE:

ATV Bill 5602

From Aili:

Here's this year's ATV bill:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/TOB/H/2008HB-05602-R00-HB.htm
Read it over and then voice your opinions to your legislators. Calling is best, letters are second-best, either way, please do it.

Check http://www.cga.ct.gov/ to see who your legislators are.

If your legislators are not on the list, choose one in a district near you. Right now, only Environment Committee members need to be contacted. Other legislators can be contacted when the bill leaves committee.

Environment Committee Legislators:

119 - Roy, Richard Milford
S12 - Meyer, Edward Durham Branford No. Branford Guilford Killingworth Madison
117 - Davis, Paul Milford Orange West Haven
S28 - McKinney, John Easton Fairfield Newtown Weston
067 - Chapin, Clark J. New Milford
S21 - Debicella, Dan Monroe Seymour Shelton Stratford
S06 - DeFronzo, Donald J. New Britain Berlin Farmington
S18 - Maynard, Andrew M. Griswold No. Stonington Plainfield Preston Sterling Voluntown Stonington
121 - Backer, Terry Stratford
134 - Christiano, Tom F. Fairfield Trumbull
105 - Greene, Leonard C. Beacon Falls Seymour
127 - Hennessy, Jack F. Bridgeport
053 - Hurlburt, Bryan Ashford Tolland Willington
037 - Jutila, Ed East Lyme Salem
100 - Kalinowski, Raymond C. Middletown Middlefield Durham
097 - Megna, Robert W. New Haven
122 - Miller, Lawrence G. Shelton Stratford
066 - Miner, Craig A. Warren Morris Litchfield Bethlehem Woodbury
028 - Morin, Russell A. Wethersfield
040 - Moukawsher, Edward E. Groton New London
085 - Mushinsky, Mary M. Wallingford
032 - O'Rourke, James A. Cromwell Middletown Portland
113 - Perillo, Jason Shelton
137 - Perone, Chris Norwalk
076 - Piscopo, John E. Litchfield Thomaston Harwinton Burlington
036 - Spallone, James Field Chester Deep River Haddam
043 - Urban, Diana S. Stonington North Stonington
063 - Wilber, George M. Barkhamsted Canaan North Canaan Colebrook Hartland Norfolk Winchester
064 - Willis, Roberta B. Cornwall Goshen Salisbury Sharon Torrington
041 - Wright, Elissa T. Groton

Some towns have more than one House District. Senate Districts are larger and often more than one town.

If you are from CT, please find your Senator and email or call them.
If you are not, please contact Ed Meyer, he is the Committee Chair.

Put very simply:

I am your constituent, I support Bill 5602. I would ask that you support it as well. There is already a law for registering ATVs in CT. There is no need for verbiage in this bill to address registration.


Thank you,

(your name, address, etc)

If your senator/rep is not listed, please contact Senator Ed Meyer.

Dear Senator Meyer,

My senator/representative is not on the Environment Committee, however, I would like to voice my pinion on ATV Bil 5602. I support the bill. I feel that there is no need for registration to be attached to this bill as there already exists a law for ATV registration. My senator is_______ and my respresentative is_______.


Thank You,

(your name, address, etc)

If you are from out of state contact Senator Ed Meyer.

Dear Senator Meyer,
I am not a state of CT resident However, I would like to voice my opinion on the ATV Bill 5602. I support this bill and would travel to CT if there were lands/trails/roads available for OHV use. I would spend tourism dollars in CT while visiting.


Thank You,


(your name, address, etc)



WHAT ELSE:

Some more very cool news coming out of CT.
Upon contacting the forest ranger for a state forest in CT about doing a national Trails Day clean up of roads that are already used legally, I asked about some that have been closed for years but could they be accessed somehow, seeing as they aren't gated or signed.

His response caught me totally off guard. He owns a Jeep and wants to join a club and is totally into allowing us access. It would be via permission through him. I would act as the liaison and would forward dates to him for him to approve. The dates would have to be submitted about a month in advance. The forest is in northeast CT.
We already have a date scheduled for May 3rd, he will attend with us.




Trail and Road Scouting
This is going well. Several groups have gone out and are posting back their results. We have crossed off many roads but have one in southeastern CT that looks promising, so far.

NH Trails Bureau:
From Scott Hatch, NEA VP of Environmental Affairs

This was a very positive meeting and one that I feel very confident will have positive results. IMHO NH Trails Bureau is willing and eager to see 4x4s become the next official motorized recreational sport in NH. Below are the items we worked on and are to be submitted for the 2009 legislative session. All amendments are being made in cooperation and support of NH Trails Bureau and NH FIsh and Game.


I'm not going to reprint all that was discussed. It centered around changing verbiage and definitions to include full size 4x4s in their planning.
Some other important points that were hit on:

Development of a state-sponsored 4x4 trail network using Class VI Roads
Long term, first step will be sticker program, will need towns on board.

Site specific permitted access on Trails Bureau properties

Long term, after amendment to NH RSA 215A:43 IV. Also see rest of NH RSA 215A:43 as this is used for course and fine filters for trail development.

Trail marking "colors" for 4x4s

Item for agenda at next NH STAC, clarify what color ?blazes? are used for which user group

Training with NH Trails Bureau & EPA for submission of proper paperwork for trail and bridge work

Follow up with Vanessa Burnes at NH DES, can and will offer courses.

NEA inclusion on Trails Bureau website

New website in testing phase, new site will have NEA listed


Some NATIONAL NEWS:

Pirate to hold Virtual Rally to support The Hammer Trails in Southern Cali.

This is the official thread of the Johnson Valley "Virtual Protest" which will take place on March 12th @ 2:00PM.

The simple link to this thread is - http://www.pirate4x4.com/jv

This thread will be opened up at 2:00PM PST March 12. Mark your calendars, and let everyone you know to logon and participate in the biggest online protest in off roading history!!!

National Park System attendance rises in 2007

WASHINGTON – More than 275 million visits were recorded in America’s national park system in 2007, an increase of three million visits from the previous year.

“Despite rising gas prices and the lure of electronic entertainment, this is great news,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. “With all the recreation choices available, national parks still draw more visits than Major League Baseball, the National Football League, professional basketball, soccer and NASCAR combined.” Bomar credited growing interest in the National Park Service Centennial as a big reason for the upswing in the number of visits to America’s national parks and monuments, national recreation areas and battlefields, national wild and scenic rivers and national seashores – 20 different park categories in all.

If you'd like to read the rest of the article, please email me and I'll send it to you.


Weather Channel Founder Blasts Network; Claims It Is 'Telling Us What to Think'
TWC founder and global warming skeptic advocates suing Al Gore to expose 'the fraud of global warming.'

For the whole article, go HERE


Thats a whole lot digest to this week.

There is more I could post on but most of you didn't get this far.

Talk soon,

Still Winter

Yes, its still winter.

The season is nearly upon us however. Is your truck ready?

Are YOU ready?

Its my weekly time to ramble on about Land Use. Every week I think.. "what the heck am I going to say this week?" and yet, I end up with something.

"Ya gotta work to play" as the saying goes. Steve spoke a bit about Volunteers in his blog this week, I'd like to touch on the same for a bit before I hit on news items. In our sport of choice, 4 Wheeling, we have special circumstances unlike many other recreationists out there.

If you fish, for instance, you simply take your poles, bait and possibly boat down to your favorite hole and cast away. Sure, you have to purchase a license but when was the last time you heard of fishermen in a battle with anti's over where they fish? Yeah, they do happen, but MOST fisherman don't worry about them or are even aware of them.

What about golf? Take your clubs, head on out to the course and swing away. Membership dues, greens fees, etc. When was the last time you heard of golfers rising up and protesting on the steps of their congressmen over unfair home-course rules and regs?

In both of those, however, in order to do either, you DO need money. We often get money by working.

Now, how about 4 wheeling? Well, yes, of course we need money.. probably more than many other recreations.
Here's the BIG difference. Our choice of recreational pastime is under constant attack from those who simply feel we should not be in the woods.

Below is an excerpt from a recent article:

The Moronic Sport

ORVs on Public Land

By GEORGE WUERTHNER

I do not accept the premise that abuse of our lands is something that we must tolerate as inevitable. It is our land. It is our children's land, and their children's land. We have a responsibility to pass these lands on to the next generation in better condition than we found them. And we have a collective responsibility to protect our national heritage against the thrillcraft menace.

You hear a lot about "responsible" ORV use and "a few bad apples" from thrillcraft promoters themselves, as well as some government bureaucrats. But these are misleading terms to say the least. What is responsible about tearing up the land? It's like suggesting we ought to promote "responsible wife abuse" or "responsible child abuse." There is no level of violence to our lands that is acceptable. Working with agencies to create designated routes or play areas is just helping to legalize public vandalism. There is no way to use these machines in a responsible manner except to leave them parked in a driveway.

The rest of the article is here: http://www.counterpunch.org/wuerthner01242008.html

That is what we are up against. Have you ever seen an article like that printed about snorkeling or mountain climbing? They only get published with RE to motorized recreation.

We need to work a lot more for what we enjoy then other recreationists.
What does that work entail?

VOLUNTEERING

Whether its VOLUNTEERING to write letters to your congresscritters or attending a hearing on a particular bill. Whether its VOLUNTEERING to help with a clean up or organize a food or toy drive.
Maybe its just VOLUNTEERING to help out on the club level with a BOD position. Helping to layout a flier or passing on a contact for private land.
To coin some ideas from Steve, We all need to shop at the store but what we buy may be totally different each other. We all need to volunteer in order for our sport to survive. Some may be able to help once a year or once every two.. some can work something in every weekend. Whatever your skill, your schedule, etc, we have something you can do to help us all be able to keep wheeling. As Steve mentioned, often, we have to ask instead of hoping people will come to us and offer.. so consider this the question. What can you do to help us all keep wheeling?

News Items:

CT BILL
A bill has been introduced into the CT GA, although right now its in committee. This bill will put a timeline on the state of CT designating land for OHV use.
Aili was a major part of this initiative. She pretty much co-authored the bill. She even attended the hearing just the other day.
It WILL get extreme opposition because of those who feel like the article above.
We will NEED to let our legislators know how we feel EN MAS to make this happen.
As soon as I have the pertinent info, I will forward on to everyone. Be ready!

Some legislative Quick Hits from SEMA.

Associationwide:
New Jersey Historic Vehicles: Hobby-friendly legislation that would amend the state’s current law governing historic motor vehicles to permit their use for pleasure driving one day per week has been introduced in the New Jersey State Assembly. Under current New Jersey law, use of historic vehicles is strictly limited to exhibitions and educational purposes by the owner.

Pennsylvania “Show Car”: A version of SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for “show cars” and provide for special license plates for these vehicles was introduced and referred to the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee for consideration. The bill would permit show cars to be driven up to 5,000 miles per year and would exempt them from the state’s new enhanced vehicle inspection program.

Vermont Scrappage Program: A SAN-opposed bill has been introduced in the Vermont State Senate that would implement a vehicle scrappage program and finance it with a progressive purchase and use tax and higher registration fees for some new motor vehicles based on fuel-efficiency ratings. Funds collected under the program would be used to dismantle vehicles deemed by the state to be “clunkers,” regardless of their historical value or collector interest. If this effort is successful, purchasing the vehicle of your choice could be significantly more costly. Further, this proposed scrappage program could deny hobbyists the availability of vintage cars and parts for restoration projects.

West Virginia Inoperable Vehicles: For the third time, a bill has been introduced in the West Virginia State Legislature that would further restrict the ability of West Virginia vehicle hobbyists from maintaining inoperable vehicles on private property. The SAN-opposed measure would redefine “abandoned motor vehicles” to include vehicles or vehicle parts which are either unlicensed or inoperable, or both, are not in an enclosed building and have remained on private property for more than 30 days. Under current law, the abandoned vehicle law applies primarily to vehicles on public property. The bill would make a violation a misdemeanor offense punishable by substantial fines, community service and jail.

New Jersey AB 1905: Creates a 50% tax credit for the purchase of a diesel-engine conversion device that allows the vehicle to be powered on fuel other than diesel fuel.

New York AB 9877: Prohibits the sale and use of any product that alerts drivers of photo enforcement equipment.

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Our scouting of old, discontinued, unimproved town roads is moving ahead. We are working on other parcels as well. If you'd like to be involved with these, please visit the EC4WDA Forum and head over to the Northeast Region D area.

Think thats all folks.... for another week...

Talk soon,