Don Amador, aka the General, is the voice of reason and an important ally in our fight to preserve OHV recreational opportunities. Check out his blog to get an idea of some of the threats we are facing. See the following which is included in Don’s blog about land closures due to illegal immigrant and drug smuggling:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/18/federal-lands-arizona-travel-warnings-place/
“Dennis Godfrey, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management’s Arizona office, said roughly a dozen signs were posted earlier this month along the Sonoran Desert National Monument advising that travel in the area is not recommended due to “active drug and human” smuggling. “It is a corridor for smugglers of all types,” Godfrey told FoxNews.com…

Similar signs have been posted at the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and the Coronado National Forest, which covers nearly 1.8 million acres in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico…
‘This is one of those things that the Department of Interior does not want to publicize,” said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, ranking Republican on the House ‘Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee.. ‘

Don also has a link to a speech given by Forest Service Chief detailing the four threats to our forests and grasslands, fire and fuels, invasive species, loss of open space, and unmanaged outdoor recreation.
http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2004/speeches/01/idaho-four-threats.shtml

“But Americans are faced with growing threats to their quality of life. I think Jack Troyer recently spoke to you about the four major threats—fire and fuels, invasive species, loss of open space, and unmanaged outdoor recreation.
Each year, the national forests and grasslands get hundreds of miles of unauthorized roads and trails due to repeated cross-country use. We’re seeing more erosion, water degradation, and habitat destruction. We’re seeing more conflicts between users. We have got to improve our management so we get responsible recreational use based on sound outdoor ethics.”

As Don points out, we are under constant attack from our government. From trying to protect us from ourselves with threatened closure of Forest Hill and Downieville, to the outright closure of Clear Creek, to the closure of recreation on public land due to illegal immigration and drug smuggling, to the Forest Service’s assessment that off highway vehicle recreation is one of four major threats to our forests and grasslands; we are under constant assault.

The anti OHV community is strong and powerful beyond its numbers. It is enlightening that the next to last sentence, “We have seen more conflicts between users”, is how Dale Bosworth sums up the threat posed by OHV use as one of the four great threats to out public land. These conflicts are more than likely conflicts between those folks who oppose all OHV use and our OHV community. This is the essence of our battle with the federal bureaucracy which is more in tune with city based anti access groups than with the American public, especially the locals who actually use these forests and grasslands. It is time to stay informed and band together with like minded individuals to fight these nefarious groups and their tools in Washington.

Don’s investigation into ties between our government and anti assess organizations is enlightening, especially contacts concerning supposed health risks to the public. Go to the sites that he offers and you will be just as concerned as he is. As Don says;

“What trail enthusiasts (motorized and non-motorized) should be concerned about is that there IS a well thought out strategic effort by the green/governmental complex (EPA, Cal EPA, DTSC, CBD, TWS, etc.) to close OHV trails on FS and BLM lands due to undocumented “health risks” to the public.

Has this closure effort reached the level where the HQ can claim there is a conspiracy to close OHV off public lands? That time may come very soon, but in the meantime The General believes there is a well coordinated effort by greens group and their supporters (or hostages) in the federal government to restrict or ban historic OHV and other uses on public lands.”

Visit Don’s site for more information and ways to make a difference.

Thank you.