ItsYourLegacy
I am working on trying to gather some of the info that you asked.
Trying to figure out and list what we have lost is a very daunting task.
You have been around longer than me in this fight to keep lands open, and you might have a better list than me, and how much we have lost over the years.
If you wanted to include everything that is a National Park, Wilderness, Monument, then that list is pretty easy...."
I think listing what we have lost is great...just as long as my suggestion isn't used as anything but yet another window dressed 501c3 marketing tool ("look at this!") list and nothing else. You know as well as I (which is 'why' I highlighted the 'why') that the actual story behind each fight is a thousand more times important than simply the result for our children's future educational benefit. The gray-hairs in these offroad non-profits have been using this 'shiny object' (bumper stickers with cute slogans, graphics) strategy for decades now. The internet has afforded them the opportunity to tell every single land loss story in detail complete with villains and heroes. We have begged them here at the local level to become involved where it really matters when they LOSE time after time in regards to multi-use issues. They've been blatantly arrogant for decades now in this regard. They don't control these bureaucratic carers...we do. If telling the true story of how we continually lose instead of win threatens a non-profit's designation? Then it's time to rethink how said organization is organized.
"...I can tell you who have not been OHV Friendly in the past:
Boxer, Feinstein to name two from my home state.
Reid from Nevada is not OHV friendly. There is a who's who list of those in Washington DC that dislike us.
If you want a list from someone who may have it already, that would be Don Amador at his TrailPac..."
I think you misunderstand us. We aren't looking for the story of how someone voted or what trail was closed for the past 50 years. We're looking for the guy who wants you to buy him lunch or get him out of work for the day. We're asking to be let in on the conversation with our employees. The people making these decisions and blocking properly maintained access (sorry, but that means pay-to-play in the 21st century) aren't elected. They are easily flustered when challenged arrogant individuals who needed to be confronted decades ago.
The old fart offroad leaders on cruise control presently forcing young leaders such as yourself to do the heavy lifting were these bureaucrat's lunch, dinner and beautifully sited convention partners in the 'golden age' of you-rub-my-back-I'll-rub-yours era (now) quickly coming to an end. They want you to play the same game and I'm hear to tell you (as I believe Trump would offer) that these old goats have literally been making a career out of losing and need to be fired.
"...As a 501.c.3, at BlueRibbon Coalition, we have to be careful about how we put this information out also.
We are not allowed to promote one candidate over another and so we have shied away from a list like this because of the potential legal implications. I am not against a list like this, but it is one that BRC should not be putting together because of the legal implications...."
Again, this isn't about candidates. It's about back room deals to keep just as many of us off of public lands as possible. Constantly losing is one thing and yes, we understand the enemy. Not going after that enemy with a vengeance and/or training our young people to do the same using these losses as easy to understand examples is the inexcusable part.
We're tired of bringing the problem to you guys in detail and having it thrown back at us if we were unable to grasp it in the first place. Give us the bureaucrats that have been leading you guys along like little pets as our land use rights were trampled and we'll take it from there. We know how to hire/take advice from attorneys and even more importantly run the nasty political campaigns needed to actually move the ball down the field (finally).
Bumper stickers don't scare the crap out of career bureaucrats...pitchforks and lanterns do.