losing an area close to home?

[smb_racing]

Wayne national forest, which is under an effor for a ten year management plan staged a meeting to collect input from a variety of forest users. As it turns out more of "them" showed up than us.
complete story (click me)

 

[Senior KX Rider]

If I read the article right there were only 6 people there to support the use of the trails.. Thats shameful:mad:

 

[smb_racing]

well there was at issue the fact that the meeting wasn't well advertised, I'm sure if more people would have known about it there would have been a better turnout. I didn't even know it was going on until I saw the paper today :ugg:

 

[MXP1MP]

More enviromental politics its a new tactic sorta, just getting used more widely now what probably happen is they knew about it months in advance since they tend to be on the IN circle of this crap. Here's us last min trying to scramble together. Trust me if I was one of those 6 people there for orv use my voice woulda been good enough for 20 people especially if I was out numbered by a bunch of <cartman voice on> tree huggin hippies :p

 

[DAVE C]

I feel your pain. I just lost my favorite riding spot which was only about 5 miles from my house. However, it wasn't for some environmental reason. It happened b/c a kid broke his neck and the parents are suing the owner of the land. They won't get anything b/c it was only "acceptable" to ride there, not legal. People have been riding there for twenty years. I feel for the kid and his family, but it does suck! Guess he didn't have insurance and the hospital sued them, so they had to do something.

One week later I found out that we lost another spot b/c of the exact same reason. It was a track on private land. A kid broke his neck when he overjumped a double and cased on the next single. :(

 

[JimmyD2]

You have no idea how upset I am at the possibility of losing those trails. This hits WAY too close to home. I thought this crap only happens on the left coast. (no offense)

I am not a member of the AMA. I am not a member of the BRC. That is all about to change. This is all too real.

Roger Koch of the Ohio chapter of the Sierra Club -- the group whose lawsuit led to the court ruling against the last Wayne management plan -- hinted that if the next forest plan excessively favors logging and other extractive interests, this may trigger another lawsuit.

What a damn shame. I guess they won't be happy unless NOBODY has access to PUBLIC land... :think

 

[Camstyn]

To the people concerned about losing Wayne, just curious here, have you done anything to help fight the land closing issues in other parts of the country? They were local to somebody, too.:o

 

[DAVE C]

Lawyers!:mad:

 

[smb_racing]

Cam Mitchell
I frequent the AMA's rapid response site, I frequent the BRC's action page, and I also frequent vote.com to see if they've got anything. This was more of a call for the ohio riders (since we no longer have a land issues forum). This area has great riding, arguably some of the best in the state. Perhaps a thread on losing a local area will make others become more involved in protecting their local areas. This is still the early stages for wayne, but it should be watched closely.

 

[Ol'89r]

SMB.

As you can see, this is not just happening to us West coasters. It's happening everywhere.

Check with your local forest service or park service or whoever manages the land. They should have a list that they will put you on for upcoming events and meetings. I'm on several of these lists for our local forests and they mail information to me far in advance of these meetings.

Also, when you hear about a meeting or a clean-up day, post it in the general forum for all to see. There should be several in your area that will be affected. As far as who shows up. That's another whole subject.

I have been spouting off about land issues since I first came to this board. Apathy is what is going to do us in. Most of us hear what is going on, but, don't have to time to go to the meetings. Have to take the Wife to dinner, taking the kid riding, going to get parts for the bike, gotta mow the lawn etc, etc, etc.

We ALL have to become involved or we will lose it. Don't rely on the 'other guy' to show up. Believe it or not, the land managers do listen to what we have to say. But, if we don't show, they will listen to what the majority has to say.

It is up to us, start a local chapter and get a group of like minded individuals together. Write letters, attend meetings, speak up, attend clean-up days and start your own clean-up and trail repair group. Notify your local newspaper of the event.

I have been talking about this til I'm blue in the face.:( See. But, over the years I have seen so much land closed off to us that it is downright scary.

If we don't start fighting back, we might as well have our bikes bronzed and hang them above our fireplaces. We can tell our Grandkids, "see that, we used to be able to ride those things on the dirt." What is dirt Grandpa? That's the stuff they put the asphalt and all the houses on.

Ok. stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Ol'

 

[lawman]

in my experience, it does not much matter how much notice our side gets, it's still the same few people on our side who will go to those, or get involved in any meaningful way. '89er is right, the other side wins alot of these b/c they seem to care more (& i guess they do care more, if it's true that actions speak louder than words). the riders will whine & moan or blame lawyers, but few will write letters or go to meetings or get involved. they "don't have the time", altho they always seem to have time to ride, don't they? so you & a couple others will end up carrying the load for everyone. if you let the unfairness of it get to you, no one will do it, so you'll just have to do your best to get everyone motivated & then do what needs doing.