Topics

31

National Issues / Obama's Great Outdoors Initiative Session in Philly July 27th

« on: July 21, 2010, 07:15:29 am »

Opportunity to Have Your Voice Heard on July 27th     
ARRA recently sent an alert notifying you that earlier this year President Obama held a conference on America’s Great Outdoors and established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to be led by the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Chair of the Council of Environmental Quality.  The initiative is tasked with reconnecting Americans, especially children, to the outdoors and to receive public input and ideas.

Part of this initiative includes a series of Listening Sessions around the country, including a July 27th session in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss land conservation, recreation, and reconnecting people to the outdoors.

It is vitally important that the Administration hear from you about how you recreate on and enjoy public lands.  If you can attend, please take this opportunity to make it clear that millions of Americans responsibly enjoy motorized recreation on public lands.  If you can not make it to the session you can still submit comments on the America’s Great Outdoors website here: http://ideas.usda.gov/ago/ideas.nsf/

More details about the Philadelphia Listening Sessions:

When:

Tuesday - July 27, 2010, 1:00pm - 4:30pm

What:

Public Listening Session on President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Where:

WHYY, Inc. Independence Mall West
150 N. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
http://www.whyy.org/about/directions_phila.html

Who:

Senior national and local leaders from the Environmental Protection Agency, Council on Environmental Quality, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior and Department of Defense will be present to hear your recommendations and to participate in a conversation with you about America’s Great Outdoors.

Register: 

To pre-register, email: Rosanne_Ruffo@nps.gov and provide your name, organization and primary area of interest:

Connecting community-based historic preservation and recreation
Job and volunteer opportunities in historic preservation and outdoor recreation
Heritage education and other ways to engage Americans of all ages and origins in our history, culture, and natural bounty
Building upon State, local, private, and tribal priorities for historic preservation
Historic preservation's role in the America's great outdoors initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda

32

Regional Issues / George Washington NF Prepares to Revise Access, Roadless Area - public comments

« on: April 22, 2010, 07:49:24 am »

George Washington NF Prepares to Revise Access, Roadless Area & Wilderness Management

March 10, 2010 – George Washington National Forest in Virginia and West Virginia has published a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and revised Resource Management Plan (RMP).  Some of the major issues to be included in the RMP revision are access, roadless area and wilderness management.  Proposed actions relating to these issues include: 1) identifying one new area and three additions to existing wilderness areas that comprise about 20,400 acres as recommended wilderness study areas; 2) expanding the current remote backcountry management area allocation to include more of the Inventoried Roadless Areas and update the management direction for these remote backcountry areas; 3) providing that areas in the potential wilderness area inventory that are actively managed and are not recommended for wilderness study, would remain in active management; & 4) revaluate road access needs.

Comments of the scope of the RMP revision will be accepted until May 7, 2010.  Comments may be submitted by email to: comments-southern-georgewashingtonjefferson@fs.fed.us with “GW Plan Revision” in the subject line or by mail to:

George Washington Plan Revision
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019-3050

 

Additional information found online:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/forestplan/revision/index.shtml

33

Regional Issues / Deadline for DCNR recreation public input is on Monday July 20!

« on: July 15, 2009, 08:23:42 am »

Deadline for public input approaching! After July 20th, they won't listen for another 5 years!

If you can read this, then you have internet access and NO EXCUSE not to make a few comments to preserve your sport in your state. It only takes a few minutes of your time to give PA the message the 4x4 recreation is still alive and well. Please go to the website and tell them what you think and what you would like to see for the future.

http://www.paoutdoorrecplan.com/comments.htm

Thanks for your help!

- Dave


Make sure you make your opinion known to shape the future of our sport in PA on public land!

"Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan public input period closing
A comment period available on this web site—set up to provide the public with a chance to weigh in on the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)—will close on July 20.

While a series of public meetings have already been held, those interested have still been able to provide feedback at the site; along with viewing Research and draft recommendations. Every five years, Pennsylvania produces a plan that provides citizens, policymakers, and recreation professionals with a snapshot of current trends and issues in outdoor recreation. SCORP helps set the agenda for state recreation policy, planning, funding, and implementation for the next five years and beyond. Public input to this process is critical—ensuring a broad representation of interests, views and ideas."

Those on the Sproul trip will attest there are decent opertunities to trail ride in the state forests. And there are many more behind locked gates. Everyone needs to let the state know that we want to keep what we have and get even more.

- Dave

34

Regional Issues / PA DCNR public feedback meetings on Recreation June 1-3

« on: May 08, 2009, 09:11:30 am »

This was in DCNR's Resource eNewsletter:
 
Pennsylvania Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan input sessions
June 1-3, 2009. DCNR staff, along with Penn State University researchers, will host three public input sessions to provide comment and recommendations for the 2009 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Attendees will get a chance to provide input on a set of draft recommendations produced by a multi-agency task force of recreation specialists led by DCNR.
Every five years, Pennsylvania produces a plan that provides citizens, policymakers, and recreation professionals with a snapshot of current trends and issues in outdoor recreation. The plan also helps set the agenda for state recreation policy, planning, funding, and implementation for the next five years and beyond. Public input to this process is critical—ensuring a broad representation of interests, views and ideas. The sessions, all 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., will be held:

•   June 1 – Four Points by Sheraton, Pittsburgh North;
•   June 2 – Ramada, State College; and
•   June 3 – DeSales University, Bethlehem
 
____________________________

If anyone can attend any of these meetings that would be great. For those that can’t, I contacted the organizer and the material will be available on DCNR’s website when the meetings get closer. We’ll also be able to provide online feedback.

Make a mental note to participate in these process for 4x4 recreation at the end of the month. I’ll try to post more details when they become available. 
 
- Dave

35

Regional Issues / On Going PA State Forest work. Please thank PA Rep. Boyd.

« on: February 23, 2009, 01:15:36 pm »

No, I haven't given up yet, although the outlook is still very dim.

First off, here is a link to the full public comments as the Bureau of Forestry summarized them:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/sfrmp/Public_Comment_Summary_2007.pdf

The good news is, the voice of the 4x4 enthusiast was heard and documented:

"...Off Highway Vehicles (OHV), Dirtbike-motorcross, and street legal motorcycles.
The 2007 SFRMP Update Process generated numerous comments from additional motorized sports groups interested in seeking access to recreational opportunities on the state forest system.

As a group, these public comment participants felt that designating trail systems that could be available for their pursuits and collecting registration fees from their use represented a compatible and desirable addition to DCNR’s outdoor recreation programming.

Frequently emphasized themes included:
• The generation of additional revenues to the agency and positive economic stimuli to state and local economies from increased utilization of existing recreational infrastructure
• Willingness to cooperate with other user groups and the agency to develop user guidelines and designated areas that would align these pursuits to the overall goals and constraints of the agency
• Perceived cultural and social value of increasing the range of activities available to connect people to nature and the out-of-doors
• Provide positive outdoor alternatives for youth that could compete with indoor activities like video games ...."

The bad news is that it hasn't changed much:

" ... DCNR’s response to Comments Received on Recreational Issues:

Opportunities for Night Sky, OHV, and Street Legal Motorcycle enthusiasts:
...
Improved public use maps with clearer definitions for vehicular travel on the state forest road and drivable trail system will soon be available to better identify existing opportunities for OHV and street legal motorcycles within the state forest system...."

Essentially, they are going to print new maps so we know where we can't be. While this is an important step towards being able to police illegal activity, it really doesn't recongnize the efforts of organized 4x4 enthusiasts to work with the BoF to develop legal places to go.

Fall '08, I contacted PA Representative Scott Boyd http://www.repboyd.com/with concern over my efforts going unheard and the BoF's unwillingness to even talk to me. He agreed to look into the matter and meet with the head of the Recreation Sector of the BoF. He did and his aide sent me a map that the BoF gave them. It's huge, covering the whole state with every road and driveable trail marked. It's a nice thought, but there are no names or references on it anywhere. When I spoke to Rep. Boyd about the meeting he said, "It went the way you would expect it to, I walked in, they told me they have opened everything they can based on liability concerns, and then the meeting was over." He did mention that they know who I am which means I must be making some kind of impression.

My response was that I couldn't understand how 4x4 recreation can have liability concerns when compared to ATV use and even hunting for that matter. By law, we even have to carry liability insurance. Rep. Boyd said he was willing to give it another shot. A couple weeks ago I gave him a packet with many of my notes on the subject comparing the ATV and 4x4 usage, the dangers, the inconsistant development plans, the lack on inclusion, etc.

I'm not sure if he has made his second approach or not, but I ask that everyone send his office sboyd@pahousegop.com a quick email of thanks for his efforts. Not only will this show him that his efforts are appreciated, but it will give some indication that there is more than just me that cares about this issue. Please copy me on your email at ddechri@yahoo.com so I have an idea what impact we may be having.

Short of this effort, I'm not sure what we can do till the next update in 2012. Hopefully by then we'll be prepared to overrun that set of public meetings.

- Dave

36

Regional Issues / WPA-4XTRAC needs help to get Rock Run 4x4 trails opened!

« on: July 28, 2008, 11:53:29 am »

Rock Run is a recently developed multi-use park in western PA. While primarily intended for ATV use, the land was funded with grants from DNCR's ATV fund and is promoted for shared use by hikers, bikers, and equestrians, but not 4x4's.

However, the group WPA-4TRAC - Western PA 4x4 Trail Advisory Committee was formed by some local 4WD club members who were asked to sample some of the Rock Run trails in their 4x4 vehicles. The work of WPA-4XTRAC has lead to a Tots for Tots run last fall and a recent run on new trails at the beginning of the July 2008.

WPA-4xTRAC is calling for 4x4 enthusiast to write emails into Rock Run's managing committe to encourage them to continue 4WD trail development. Please follow the link to WPA-4xTRAC's website, read the full story and tell them you want trails opened for 4x4 use.

http://wpa4xtrac.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=164 There are also some pictures from the recent trail ride.

Not only is this an opertunity to open another off-road park, I think DNCR maybe closely watching the outcome of Rock Run as a model for development elsewhere in PA.