Re: SBNF OHV Guide

Lending support to measures that change legal OHV opportunities into illegal ones is counter-productive to our own best interest. It would be like lobbying for more Limited Use trails, or to re-open an area to OHV use that has been closed, and expecting environmental interests to go along with it, just to get along.

We'd be helping the "larger agenda".

See, the problem stems from the fact that we've been lied to so often, and betrayed so many times, that we don't trust anyone who is attempting to levy new restrictions on OHV use any more. The liars have poisoned the well.

I have no problem with stepped-up enforcement of trespassing laws such as PC 602. I have no problem with stepped-up enforcement of existing noise, dust, and nuisance laws (I believe it's PC 415 and other local county ordinances). I have no problem with increased presence of law enforcement and even some increased penalties. What I have a problem with is less legal OHV opportunity, and that's what 3973 does.

3973 makes the most popular forms of staging illegal or cost prohibitive, therefore it severely limits the ability to ride on legal trails. It's sort of like claiming you don't want to ban firearms, but you ban the ammunition.

Bottom line is that the trust has completely vaporized from the discussions. Agreements are based on trust, and those who consider themselves our enemies are to blame. We don't trust them with the keys to legal OHV use. Restore the trust by refusing to work with environmental groups, and you may have something to work with.

I have volunteered to work on citizen OHV patrols in Juniper Flats if BLM wants me to do so. I have no problem with that. I am motivated to help curtail illegal riding. I simply won't participate in or support anything that converts legal OHV use to illegal OHV use.