OUTNUMBERED 500 to 1

[uss]

We are losing our access to public lands at an alarming rate.

Why is this happening? Because our pro-access organizations are WAY underfunded and their membership numbers are abysmal. The Sierra Club can walk into a senator's office and say they represent 2.4 MILLION people....our own organizations can't do that combined. And that gives us way less voice where it matters: with our legislators who only think about potential votes.

Despite there being over 53 million OHV enthusiasts in the USA, the Sierra Club's membership base outnumbers us by about 500-1. While our organizations HAVE saved trails and are fighting tooth and nail for every inch of trail, they need YOUR HELP.

Take a quick second to add up how much money you have wrapped up in your rig.

Now add in all the $$ spent in gas, registration, smog/inspection, camping gear etc. that you had to pay for just to go wheeling/overlanding.

Keeping that total dollar figure in your head: is $45 a year for Cal4 Wheel, your local organization or $35 a year for the Blue Ribbon Coalition REALLY that much?


HERE IS WHAT I AM ASKING YOU TO DO RIGHT NOW:


1. Pick BRC as your pro-access organization

BRC is one of the nationwide organizations, filled with people who are pro-access for not just 4x4's but dirt bikes, snowmobiles, watersports etc.

Individual Supporter 1 year - $25.

Individual Member 1 year - $35, 2 Year - $70.

Business/Club/Organization basic member - $125.

Business/Club/Organization premium member - $300.

https://www.sharetrails.org/support/join-or-contribute



2. SIGN UP (or renew) AND TELL THEM TODD SENT YOU.

Do it now. I am not getting ANYTHING in return for this, they don't even know I am doing this, but I would like to see if we can make a measurable difference with this membership drive.

3. POST UP ON FACEBOOK AND THIS THREAD AND SHARE IT.

https://www.facebook.com/BlueRibbonCoalition/timeline


Even better: please share it on social media if you can. If I can get the approval, and a few vendors on board, I may even turn this into a give-away. Stay tuned and check back occasionally.

Don't rely on the other guy. Our organizations need YOU.

 

[Desert Runner]

We in Southern Nevada saw this happen in the Gold Butte area. Ranchers, OHV groups, land owners, mine operators and a multitude of others, were out petitioned by the Sierra Club types, because they were a National organization and those who live in the area were unable to compete. The BLM gave some lip service, but reality was that for all that, the fix was in. The locals who should have had a much bigger influence in deciding land use, were marginalized. Similar to what happened in Utah, they just had public officials willing to cross swords with the DC establishment.

On a side note, our former senator had aspirations with Chinese investors for a few projects. Luckily our newspaper got a line on that, and public outcry nixed any development in the area, the wilderness designation still went through in parts of this geographic area. This area once was more populated, and the dirt primitive road system deteriorated. After The dam was built, and St. Joseph being abandoned on the river, this area of the AZ strip became unreachable to all but the hardy.

 

[grubworm]

This thread is a year old and I only see the one reply from Desert Runner. I followed the link Navy-Jeeper posted and the Blue Ribbon Coalition sounds like a good thing to support. I am wondering if anyone saw this and donated and just didn't post? I figured a thread like this would have gotten some love on here, but the thread seemed to have died on the vine pretty quick. I'm thinking about donating and wanted to check the pulse of the members on here and see if maybe others are interested as well and maybe we could pool our money and do an Overland Bound organization membership instead of individual.

Any thoughts? 17,000 members on here so hopefully some of yall have an opinion or something...

 

[Boostpowered]

Well when your only option is to be an outlaw then embrace it. Weve been dealing with the consequences of the sierra club and the epa in texas for quite some time now. The only public places to legally wheel in texas is the beach, designated offroad parks you have to pay to play and big bend. We used to have public use sand dunes out west but that got shut down when they were sold off to a oil tycoon. Yet nearly everyone here has lifted off road rigs so they are still doing it somewhere, i myself go either to oklahoma or arkansas when i feel the urge to offroad. Its not a great feeling to wish the blm had land in tx.

 

[grubworm]

Yeah...I grew up in San Angelo, TX and back in the 70s and 80s, I rode dirt bikes all over. There were reservoirs and dry creek beds and all sorts of dirt roads and trails that were state owned and nobody minded that we rode. Then it almost seemed like overnight and fences were up and no access allowed. I was in the area a good bit and never saw any trash or any damage caused by bikes and there wasn't anyone around for miles to complain about noise, so I don't know the cause for closure. I just figured joining a group like Blue Ribbon might help, I don't know. I did gunsmithing and had a federal firearms license back in the early 90s and I remember the Brady Bill coming out and banning a lot of gun related items. For a while I couldnt even get primers to reload. Then the ATF, in an effort to get rid of small gun dealers, sent me a letter saying I could keep my license, BUT I could be held responsible for any crimes involving any gun I sold. I immediately gave up my license, "voluntarily", of course. Then I saw the NRA step in and push back. A lot of items were still banned, but a lot of the other craziness was stopped. I became a lifetime member because I saw the power the NRA had and wanted to support. Seeing how things were headed back with the Brady Bill, I feel that if it wasn't for a big group like the NRA, even squirt guns would have been banned by now. I have no idea how all the politics works, but the Blue Ribbon Coalition seems to be having success keeping some land closures from happening. I just want to camp and hike and enjoy nature and not be hassled by The Man.

 

[avgjoe624]

i made my contribution and am now a member!

Im sure it will all work out, but as some have said, when offroading and exploring my own country is outlawed,,, then i shall be what i must. Im not giving up what i love just because some fancy group of nay-sayers thinks a few tire tracks will ruin the environment.

 

[grubworm]

part of my overland package is a shovel and axe...now i'll have to add bolt cutters... :)