The 'Top 10' In Land Use and Access Survey
By
Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador
We
have an opportunity to help our
friends in industry, business and the media to keep our trails, lands
and riding areas open. However, they always ask the same question, and
that is: "Just what are the big issues and where are the trouble spots
that we should be helping with?"
I'd
like to be able to give them a
unified answer- from all of us. I ask you to help me tell them just
that: where do we really need help in land use and access?
And
I request that you don't just
read this article, but that if you have an answer or a suggestion or an
idea, that you crank out an email and tell me. Or send a letter. Heck,
you can tie a string to a pigeon and send it flying. But let's put our
heads together and come up with a national breakdown of our problem
spots, trouble areas, targets for closures, and things we need
financial help with.
Here's
the deal. No matter where I go
in my role as a BlueRibbon Ambassador, I run into folks with problems
in their particular area that are hard to deal with and seem like
uphill battles. Usually there is some form of government involved. And
usually there are a bunch of volunteers who have real lives and jobs
trying to make sense of government, regulations, anti-access closure
groups, endangered species, and etc. And almost always there is not
enough money to adequately address the issues. We have yet to find a
simple solution to this dilemma.
All
of our organizations, groups, and
clubs are trying to help with these problems, and many are focused on
certain areas. We are all trying. But one of the hurting bottom lines
of this is that we do not have enough money or full time people to make
a huge difference.
If
someone were to ask you, in your
area, where to throw money to help keep a trail or riding area open,
where would that be, and why? And if they were to ask you to list the
biggest problems we face as a community of four-wheelers, what would
those be (in order)? I'll give you a couple examples.
For
me, Trail Boss of the Friends of
the Rubicon, I would have to put the Rubicon Trail on top of my
personal list of areas that need more attention, money and resources in
order to keep this icon alive and well. As far as biggest problems, I
would have to say that our image as recreationists is still our biggest
battle. So there are two examples; image; and the Rubicon Trail. Can
you come up with more? Will you?
My
own vision from this effort would
be that we find a way to capitalize on this information, update it
annually or so, and use it for all our friends and benefactors that
might want to help us now and in the future. Heck it might even help
our national and regional organizations find more unity and common
ground in their efforts also. I'll publish the list or lists on my web
site and in magazines/newsletters, as well as on many web sites around
the country, including the BlueRibbon Coalition.
Here's how to
get in on this opportunity:
Fill out the
form I have developed on my web site here:
http://www.delalbright.com/Forms/form_top_10.html
Or write to me
here:
Del Albright,
BlueRibbon Ambassador
BlueRibbon
Coalition
4555 Burley
Drive, Ste. A
Pocatello,
ID 83202
I
know this is a bit of an unusual
column for me to write. But I think this could really help us in the
future. So please take a moment and get your two cents in the mix.
Thanks, Del
