Nitro’s Wondering’s

I’m just wondering why people would pay a membership to a club and then never show up. I understand that some folk’s have those job’s that require to work 24/7 year round or seems that way.

What I’m getting at is like all other things everyone wants this or that and the same 6-10 people show up. We try to set up rides and things, even asked to input. I know there are times when thing’s happen unexpected.

I can pretty well tell you that the ones that show up have lots of fun, on trail and just sitting around camp.

I know some members have really nice and new vehicles, and don’t what to damage them , I agree with them , if I owned a newer truck I would be the same way, well I am with ole red, she isn’t new but she is mine.

Take a look at club points, there you can see who is active in club outings & meetings. Not all point’s are from club rides, some are from attending meetings, clean ups, adopt a hwy, sending in newsletter articles (members only), getting new members and so on.

 I have said it before and will say it again, I would like to see more of the membership get out to events.

Wondering Nitro

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have started to fight to maintain access to back-country trails.
 Meanwhile, environmental activists are trying to declare additional areas off-limits to the off-road vehicles, saying they disturb wildlife and hikers, cloud up streams and cause erosion of trails and hillsides. The new rule could help put to rest a controversy over a related Clinton-era policy, said the Blueribbon Coalition's Collins. A
 Clinton policy banned most logging, mining and other commercial uses in 58.5 million acres of national forests where no roads are built. But under the new policy, if states, counties or others are able to establish a network of legally recognized "highways" through those acres -- even if the highways are dirt roads or something less -- it
 would give those fighting the so-called "roadless" proposal ammunition. At least that's what Collins hopes.
 "That's why we have a real interest in it," he said. "It does have the potential to influence this debate."
 In national forests, those trying to open a route to motorized travel would have to show that the route existed prior to the establishment of national forests -- around the turn of the last century for most places in the Pacific Northwest. In many places, though, miners preceded establishment of the forests. Old maps can pinpoint their
 routes. "You're talking about going back and doing some fairly detailed research in old historical documents," said Paul Turcke, a Boise, Idaho, attorney who represents off-road-vehicle enthusiasts, including the Blueribbon Coalition. It's clear that counties and states have the right to try to open up the old routes. Cities would, too, under the new rule. It remains to be seen whether private groups such as off-road-vehicle clubs could sue to open the routes.
 "If I had to predict, I would say the trend is going to be toward  more private interests being involved," Turcke said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Perfect World

  You’ve probably heard of Utopia. The so called perfect world. Hopefully by now, you have given up on that fantasy. It is one of those things like a Unicorn– beautiful to dream about, but make-believe nonetheless. I copied the previous article titled Bush opens up backcountry trails to vehicles in it’s entirety because I thought you should read a little of what they have on the other side of the fence every once in a while. Part of the article told the OHV enthusiasts point of view, and the other told the Environmentalists point of view. Same issue, but two sides. In my fantasy of a perfect world, we would all get along no matter what, and there would be no heated debate over issues such as this. But, there is no such thing as a perfect world, is there?  Nope.

   Since we live on a planet filled to the brink with peoples of different values, cultures, and beliefs, we simply must stand up for a piece of what we want out of the world. For us, the prospect of all these old routes being reopened for vehicular use is like a dream come true. But, if we want to believe in this Unicorn, we’ll have to wake up and grab it by the horn before someone hides it away in a zoo– gone before we realized its full beauty.

   Enough with the ramblings of my slightly romantic side. What the heck is it I am trying to get through your thicker than concrete skulls here? This is just another (albeit substantial) opportunity for us to flex our collective constituent muscle and write, call, visit– whatever our elected officials and tell them that we support Bush’s plan to Open up backcountry trails to Vehicles. To be honest with you, I think that such a broad sweeping plan is doomed to fail, as we do need some-some roadless areas. After all, we can’t be the only ones who get to have what we want. I think that this plan is good raw material that could be fine tuned through regional management with some federal control. I think the most important thing it could do is reverse many of the ill devised Clinton Era initiatives that we all know and love.

   So will there ever be such a thing as a Perfect World? No, but if we don’t act when the opportunity presents itself, then eventually the other side will have theirs.

Rich “River Rat” Reisz