May 27, 1999

FROM: Del Albright

Life is no longer the same in land use issues. I’ve never seen so much interest (nationwide) in keeping our public lands open. This new interest has kept me really busy. In this report, I’ll give you an update on my activities to include:

1. North American Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC)
2. Utah Shared Access Alliance (USA-ALL)
3. Land Use Network
4. Resource Education Network
5. Stanislaus National Forest, Calaveras District and the PIR Group.
6. Blue Ribbon Coalition
7. Moab and the FIGHT BACK Forum.
8. Writing/articles

NAMRC: Briefly, as some of you were there, the NAMRC folks have made great progress in continuing the development of this nationwide multiple use council of leaders. At our May meeting in Kansas City it became clear to me that we can do nothing but grow and get stronger in our alliances. I see this group taking a high profile leadership role in national land use issues. I am also happy to report that Jim B, Jeff B and I flew safely, albeit almost upside down, through one of those Kansas tornadoes!

USA-ALL: I spent a weekend in May in Mt. Pleasant, UT, facilitating a Strategic Plan for the Utah Shared Access Alliance (not representing CA4 except informally). This group is fighting to save Utah public lands. Much like California, they are under the gun out there and seem to be a target for environmental radicals. Folks from across the nation have joined in the battle for Utah. I helped them develop a short/long range plan to develop their organization to be more effective in the land use battles.

LUN: The Land Use Network is back, alive and well. For a while there we had gotten off topic (as they say) and wondered all over the map on various issues. I pulled them back recently and we are back to making LUN an activists email list where we can coordinate nationwide land use issues. Subscribers were down about 1/3 and my hope is to lure them back. The interest is certainly there; it’s just that folks don’t seem to have the time to jaw-jack over email like they used to.

REN: The California based Resource Education Network has not accomplished much lately and I cannot tell you why. I’m not sure why. We communicate infrequently over email; but I have hope that our many busy schedules will allow us to join back together to renew our efforts of multiple use coordination, education, and informing.

 USFS: Would you believe that my local Partners In Recreation (PIR) Group managed to convince the USFS, Calaveras District, that the recently released Interface Trails Plan Draft EA was flawed and needed to be re-written because we showed them how the ID Team was prejudiced and biased against OHV recreation. A new EA is being re-written by a competent staffer as you read this. This is a major victory for my local partners.

PIR is a small, localized coalition of wheelers, horsemen, mountain bikers, and dirt bikers.

Therein is part of the answer to keeping our public lands open and winning battles against the bureaucracy: 1) multiple use; and 2) coalitions. I think our primary winning tool is the joining of unlike forces to fight like battles. When dirt bikers, horsemen, and four wheelers stand united on a trail issue, it’s a pretty significant impact! We must share the trails and fight the battles together.

BRC: The Blue Ribbon Coalition continues to grow and do great things for preserving our public lands FOR the public instead of FROM the public. I truly admire the dedication and hard work of folks like Clark Collins, Adena Cook and others BRC members. I am working with BRC President Jack Welch, Snowmobiler Hall of Fame, to ensure that his representation of BRC is multiple use and includes four wheel drive activities. I suggest we remember to invite him/BRC to some of our CA activities/events.

FORUM: In April I attended the Moab Easter Jeep Safari in order to enjoy a few trails and help conduct the first of it’s kind FIGHT BACK (land use) Forum. My trip was sponsored by the Blue Ribbon Coalition. The trails were marvelous, as you would expect. My TJ was awesome. Most importantly the Forum was a total success. This was the first time in 33 years that the Red Rock Four Wheelers had decided to allow a political event at the Safari. Brett Davis, President Utah Four Wheel Drive Association, and I expected about 100 folks to show. Over 400 filled the bleachers in the Spanish Trail Arena. It was incredible. Our Forum cadre and speakers did a great job. Folks were not only impressed, but also motivated in to taking some action to keep public lands open.

WRITING: While in Moab, Trent Riddle, Editor, 4WD and SUV magazine, asked me to do a write-up on the FIGHT BACK Forum. He also wanted a story on road signs and what they mean to users of public lands. I committed to pulling together an article that would educate wheelers as to the MANY trail signs and what they mean. I am in the process now of trying to get folks to send me photographs of the various types of signs that exist on our public lands (Wilderness Study Areas, ACEC’s, Parks, BLM, USFS, etc.). Mr. Riddle is very interested in helping out with public land access issues and I applaud him and his staff for this interest.

As always, I’m available if you have any questions.

Respectfully, DEL