Hold on, mojavegreen. Are you saying that there are no wingnuts involved in the environmental movement or among the private property owners who are attempting to end OHV use?

I'm curious just what you consider environmental extremism?

I honestly believe OHV users are once again being jacked here. It's happened dozens of times, and we have just about 5% of public lands in California available to us for legal OHV use. How little would you expect us to put up with, when 17% of California homes house at least one OHV? We've been beaten over the head for 35 years by environmental groups. They have lied to an ignorant public, used the ESA as a political tool, planted evidence of endangered species in order to chase out all other groups but themselves, falsified testimony in open court, and used the power of the courts to dictate public policy to federal agencies when they can't get elected officials to carry their water. What you are seeing is 35 years of being pushed around now coming out in the form of a public backlash against the abuses. I don't in any way condone illegal riding or bothering homeowners, but it sort of pales in comparison to what has been done to us over the last few decades by some of the same people who helped get 3973 passed. The frustration you feel is the frustration we have felt for 35 years. Let's put this in perspective.

Sometimes, governments give in to special interest groups. Sometimes, individuals who are sucked in to the hype and rhetoric surrounding a particular legislation are lied to by those who are leading the charge. It's easy to slip into a mob mentality. Incredibly destructive people have been elected to political office by citizens who actually had a choice. Sometimes, ordinances crafted by a committee end up with something to violate everyone's better judgement. The favorite restrictions of a few extremists end up in the mix because bureaucrats figure if everyone claims to be equally pissed off, it must be ok. Some hate that it goes too far. Some hate that it doesn't go far enough. Some simply hate the guy next door with the loud buggy 10 years ago. Some just hate the fact that they were all alone 10 years ago, and now they have to put up with people every day.

If you are trying to tell me that there are no people who simply want to use restrictions against OHV use as a tool to end all OHV use, then you're not dealing with reality.

I'd be upset if someone was using my private property in a way that was against my wishes. But I wouldn't seek a county ordinance that goes well beyond trespassing. I'd post my property and insist that trespassing laws be enforced just as they were in Paul's case. I'd visit the trespassers while they are on my property, and if they attacked me, they'd be seeing the business end of a 45 auto until the Sheriff arrived. And I'd be insistent that Code Enforcement be given the authority to enforce all trespassing, noise, and dust abatement laws, especially if the Sheriff was too busy to be bothered.

I most cerainly would have demanded answers as to why existing laws weren't being enforced. And I would not have allowed Dave to become your defacto spokesman. He is not helping your cause. He's one good reason there is such a backlash against this ordinance right now. If he'd simply kept his trap shut, you'd see about 5 OHVers at the review meeting of BoS on 3973. As it is, you'll likely see 250! He's the best thing that happened to our movement.

As I've said before, the people who see value in 3973 are the people whose ox is not being gored. Turn the tables and see what happens.