Be on the lookout for motorized recreation groups bearing gifts and offering to build and maintain trails.

Yesterday,  April 4th, the Committee on Resources heard public testimony concerning the 'Effect of Forest Service Rule Making Efforts on National Forest Recreation'. Of the motorized testimony, I'd like to draw your attention to an innocent sounding statement made by Carla Boucher, of United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA). She said:

 "Instead of massive closures, United (4 wheel drive) is proposing to address the maintenance backlog by having more money appropriated for road maintenance and less money appropriated for land acquisition until the lands the Forest Service manage now can be taken care of. We are also proposing that the Forest Service work in partnership with United Four Wheel Drive Associations and other recreationists through the existing adopt-a-road program. Adopt-a-road is a completely volunteer program in which recreationists and Forest Service employees team up to tackle the maintenance needs of our forest roads, for free!"

This statement is important is because it points to an important strategy being used by motorized recreation groups to gain assured access to, and control of, recreational opportunities on public lands. That strategy is, "Volunteerism and Partnerships."

Volunteerism and Partnerships is easily thought of as a "win-win" and, for this reason, this strategy is becoming a tool to accomplish tasks previously undertaken by federal land managers and previously funded with appropriated tax dollars. Volunteerism and Partnerships is yet another way of ensuring that special interest user groups get what they want - or what they are willing to pay for!

Below is the beginning of a recent speech given by environmental-villain, Senator Slade Gorton. Gorton is speaking about his "Take Pride in America" legislation (S. 1486), a Volunteer and Partnership bill crafted for Gorton by the American Recreation Coalition.

Below that appears a passage quoted from a critically important, and much older document, presented to the Clinton/Gore Administration by ARC's Recreation Roundtable.

Scott 

--- begin quoted ---

http://www.funoutdoors.com/takepride/index.html

"Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I am delighted to introduce the Take Pride in America Volunteer Recognition Act of 1999, legislation which will revitalize and expand an important program created in the 1980's to enhance the legacy of the Great Outdoors.... Our public lands have maintenance and enhancement needs that exceed our ability to fund through general appropriations. We are now experimenting with new recreation fees and other mechanisms to attack a deferred maintenance backlog amounting to more than one billion dollars."

Comments (0) >>

Write comment

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment