vb
March 12th, 2003, 03:11 PM
folks this is really important. hope you can make it.
COHVCO rarely uses these lists except for truly important issues. If
you care about the Taylor Park riding around Gunnison and Crested
Butte, your help is needed. Please forward this to others who
have a stake in protecting access to this special place.
Background:
National forests are managed according to a massive plan created every
10 - 15 years. Many of the Colorado national forest plans have gone
through updates. In each instance, motorized (and
increasingly, mechanized) recreation has been cut. Although COHVCO and
many others have provided input, we have always been fighting a
defensive battle just to keep what was previously
open. And once the plan is decided, it's in effect at least decade.
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests will
begin updating their plans soon. The fantastic recreation in these
forests (home of Taylor Park and the Colorado 500)
demands a more effective approach. Rather than repeating the cycle of
previous losses, COHVCO plans to prepare a recreation-friendly
alternative. Environmental groups have done this for years.
COHVCO submitted a request to the Colorado OHV registration fund to
pay for creation of the alternative. To be effective, such an
alternative must deal thoroughly with the specifics of the affected
forests. That means hiring knowledgeable professionals to deal with
soils, water issues, wildlife, etc. COHVCO requested OHV registration
money to pay for the necessary consultants.
The grant request scored well. Environmental groups were upset that
OHV users might use OHV registration money to create a balanced
proposal. They have been lobbying the Colorado State
Parks Board members to deny this grant. The decision will be made this
Friday, 3/14 in Denver.
Action request:
As stated by COHVCO Executive Director Jerry Abboud, "the Parks board
will meet this Friday, March 14th at 1313 Sherman St, Denver, Rm. 318
at 8:30 a.m. to approve grants and take public
comment. Grant #114 requires the OHV public to make an appearance en
mass to testify, however briefly, in favor of the COHVCO grant.
Without a strong public presence, the grant will be lost.
Hope you can attend, bring friends, invite others, get who you can to
show up."
There is one other option to help. If you can't attend the meeting,
send an email to Tom Metsa (thomas.metsa@state.co.us), the head of the
Colorado State Parks OHV program. Express your
support for approving the forest planning grant. It's important that
you ask that Tom deliver a copy of your input to the board prior to
the vote.
Sometimes numbers are on our side. Remember your epic rides in this
area, and help us win.
Thanks,
Dan Blankenship
danb@cohvco.org
===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE===================
COHVCO rarely uses these lists except for truly important issues. If
you care about the Taylor Park riding around Gunnison and Crested
Butte, your help is needed. Please forward this to others who
have a stake in protecting access to this special place.
Background:
National forests are managed according to a massive plan created every
10 - 15 years. Many of the Colorado national forest plans have gone
through updates. In each instance, motorized (and
increasingly, mechanized) recreation has been cut. Although COHVCO and
many others have provided input, we have always been fighting a
defensive battle just to keep what was previously
open. And once the plan is decided, it's in effect at least decade.
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests will
begin updating their plans soon. The fantastic recreation in these
forests (home of Taylor Park and the Colorado 500)
demands a more effective approach. Rather than repeating the cycle of
previous losses, COHVCO plans to prepare a recreation-friendly
alternative. Environmental groups have done this for years.
COHVCO submitted a request to the Colorado OHV registration fund to
pay for creation of the alternative. To be effective, such an
alternative must deal thoroughly with the specifics of the affected
forests. That means hiring knowledgeable professionals to deal with
soils, water issues, wildlife, etc. COHVCO requested OHV registration
money to pay for the necessary consultants.
The grant request scored well. Environmental groups were upset that
OHV users might use OHV registration money to create a balanced
proposal. They have been lobbying the Colorado State
Parks Board members to deny this grant. The decision will be made this
Friday, 3/14 in Denver.
Action request:
As stated by COHVCO Executive Director Jerry Abboud, "the Parks board
will meet this Friday, March 14th at 1313 Sherman St, Denver, Rm. 318
at 8:30 a.m. to approve grants and take public
comment. Grant #114 requires the OHV public to make an appearance en
mass to testify, however briefly, in favor of the COHVCO grant.
Without a strong public presence, the grant will be lost.
Hope you can attend, bring friends, invite others, get who you can to
show up."
There is one other option to help. If you can't attend the meeting,
send an email to Tom Metsa (thomas.metsa@state.co.us), the head of the
Colorado State Parks OHV program. Express your
support for approving the forest planning grant. It's important that
you ask that Tom deliver a copy of your input to the board prior to
the vote.
Sometimes numbers are on our side. Remember your epic rides in this
area, and help us win.
Thanks,
Dan Blankenship
danb@cohvco.org
===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE===================