ContactsBlueRibbon Coalition
- Phone: (208) 237-1008
- Fax: (208) 237-9424
- Email: braction@sharetrails.org
- Webpage: http://www.sharetrails.org

Date: 08/03/2009

POCATELLO, ID (August 3) -- The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) has announced its 2009 General Membership Meeting, which will be held in Rapid City, South Dakota, on October 9th, 2009. Amongst the many important things to be discussed at the meeting, the BRC Board of Directors Election is among the most important. Members who plan to attend are asked to RSVP so that further information can be provided as it develops. RSVPs may be sent to Mary Jo Foster online through our contact center, or by phone at 1-800-258-3742, ext. 105.

This year, three board members are up for re-election: Sonia Bartz, currently serving as BRC President; Maureen Healey, currently serving as Co-Chair of the BRC Legislative Committee; and Joni Mogstad, currently serving as BRC Treasurer. Information about this year's candidates can be found on pages 12 and 13 in the August 2009 issue of BlueRibbon Magazine (view online here).

Members in good standing are eligible to vote online at www.sharetrails.org/ballot, via mail-in absentee ballot, or at the Rapid City meeting.

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The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. http://www.sharetrails.org

Date: 07/29/2009

The National Park Service (NPS) has reopened the comment period on a proposed rule for winter use.

The proposed rule would replace the 2004 rule reinstated last fall by the US District Court for the District of Wyoming, which governed snowmobile and snowcoach access in the parks for the 2008-2009 winter season.

It would allow up to 318 commercially-guided, Best Available Technology snowmobiles and up to 78 commercially-guided snowcoaches per day in Yellowstone through the 2010-2011 winter season. It would also govern long-term snowmobile access in Grand Teton and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, including access along Grassy Lake Road, and on Jackson Lake for licensed anglers.

The proposed rule and an electronic form to submit written comments are available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

The public can find the proposed rule here: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064809fa1b8

Written comments may be submitted through this website, in person, or by mail. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax, or e-mail. All public comments on the proposed rule must be received or postmarked by midnight, Eastern Time, September 8, 2009.

The National Park Service intends to analyze the comments submitted last fall and during the next 45 days before making a decision on the proposed interim winter use plan. Depending on this process, NPS is planning to issue a final rule to implement the decision on or before November 15, 2009.

The proposed rule is available on CD or in hard copy by written request to Yellowstone National Park, Management Assistants Office, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190. Document requests may also be made by sending an e-mail to yell_winter_use@nps.gov, by calling 307-344-2019 during normal business hours, or by sending a request via fax to 307-344-2025.

Background:

On September 15, 2008, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion that vacated and remanded to the NPS the 2007 Final Environmental Impact Statement, 2007 Record of Decision, and 2007 Final Rule.

Because the Courts ruling left no provision in place for snowmobile or snowcoach use, the National Park Service issued the Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment Part 1 (1.9 MB pdf), Part 2 (745 Kb pdf) on November 3, 2008. The preferred alternative would have allowed up to 318 snowmobiles and 78 snowcoaches per day into Yellowstone for 3 winters. All snowmobiles would have been commercially guided and would have needed to conform to Best Available Technology (BAT) emission and sound level requirements. During the life of the plan, snowcoach operators would have been required to implement BAT for their vehicles (BAT requirements for snowcoaches go into effect in 2011).

On November 7, 2008, however, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming issued an order directing the National Park Service to reinstate the 2004 rule for snowmobile and snowcoach use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. This rule allows up to 720 commercially-guided, BAT snowmobiles into Yellowstone, and up to 78 snowcoaches per day.

JUST REMEMBER: PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN; PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

_____________________________________________________________________

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. http://www.sharetrails.org

Date: 07/29/2009

The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) has announced the dates for the second module of their Public Land Advocacy webinar series. This 4-part series is designed to assist government agency personnel, OHV enthusiasts, and other interested parties with creating and maintaining sustainable OHV trails.

The webinar is free to all due to funding provided by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, as well as the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative Program.

The second module is entitled Trail System Planning - Part 1. It will cover the basic principles of trail management, called the 4Es, and will go into the details of building trails for OHV recreation that are environmentally sound and sustainable. The module will also introduce land managers to the OHV recreationists and talk about their needs and wants in a trail system so that your trails can be designed to make recreationists want to stay on them.

The other three modules are:

The first module, Route Designation: How did we get here?, gave enthusiasts a look at how the forest service designates routes, their structure, and their planning process. The third module, Trail System Planning - Part 2, takes over where the second module ends and talks about signing and mapping, monitoring and maintenance of trails. The fourth module, Making it Work, will help riders understand how to be effective in their efforts to influence the decisions that will determine where they can ride.

The workshop modules were developed in cooperation with the American Motorcyclist Association, BlueRibbon Coalition, Motorcycle Industry Council, Off-Road Business Association, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and United Four Wheel Drive Associations.

For more information, and to register for the webinar sessions, go to www.nohvcc.org, or call 800-348-6487.

Module 2, Trail System Planning - Part 1, will be held on the dates and times below:

August 10th at 6:00pm Central August 13th at 12:00pm Central August 26th at 10:00am Central

Thanks in advance for your involvement,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

_____________________________________________________________________

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. http://www.sharetrails.org

ContactsGreg Mumm, BRC Executive Director
- Phone: 208-237-1008
- Fax: 208-237-9424
- Email: brgreg@sharetrails.org
- Webpage: http://www.sharetrails.org/staff/#GregM

Date: 07/28/2009

POCATELLO, ID (July 28) -- A well-recognized national recreation advocacy group, the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), is partnering with a popular distributor of off-road apparel, parts and accessories--Rocky Mountain ATV-MC (RMATV-MC)--to provide recreationists with an extra incentive to get involved in protecting their recreational access.

For a limited time, any new, renewing or extending, member of the BlueRibbon Coalition will receive a $25 gift card in the mail directly from RMATV-MC. According to Mary Jo Foster, BRC Administrative Director, "Anyone is eligible to take advantage of this offer. Existing members can get the gift card simply by renewing or extending their membership, and enthusiasts who are not currently members can get the gift card by joining a great team."

Greg Mumm, Executive Director of BRC, is excited about the program. "This program is a win-win for everyone and that makes it a no-brainer decision. You help to protect trails by joining, renewing, or extending membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition, and you get to buy what you wanted to buy anyway from Rocky Mountain ATV-MC. You can't lose."

To take advantage of this unique offer, members and prospective new members need only visit the BlueRibbon Coalition online at www.sharetrails.org/rmatvmc. Additional information on the program is also available.

For those who choose to participate in the program, there is a wide variety of items to use the gift card on. RMATV-MC has everything from off-road footwear to brake pads and easy-to-install rooftops for your UTV. Visit www.rockymountainatvmc.com for details.

# # #

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public lands and waters, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents of 10,000 individual, business, and organizational members for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742 www.sharetrails.org

Date: 07/28/2009

We have never experienced such a relentless onslaught against OHV recreation and access as we are right now. Almost daily, we learn of some new planning initiative, a new piece of Wilderness legislation, a new lawsuit, or new attempt to rip-off dedicated OHV registration fees.

BRC is drawing from our unparalleled experience to turn the tide and build lasting solutions that make sense for the land and the people. Your membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition is critical. Now is the time to join together and expand our influence on the issues.

With the help of Rocky Mountain ATV-MC, we've made joining, renewing, or extending your membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition especially worth your while. For a limited time, we are making you this special "no buts-no brainer" offer where you can join BRC and literally double the value of your money:

Join-renew-extend your membership in BlueRibbon Coalition now and you will get a $25 gift card from Rocky Mountain ATV-MC!

Do the math: $29.00 BRC Membership
-$25.00 Gift Card
$ 4.00 Your final cost

YOU CAN'T LOSE!

It's the right thing to do-at the right time
You're helping to save trails
You stay informed on issues
Righteous deal for you
Join-Renew-Extend membership in BRC for a full year
Get the gift card-buy what you wanted to buy anyway
Final membership cost to you is $4

Hands down, there has never been a better opportunity to help protect trails through membership in the BlueRibbon Coalition. Won't you please join with us? We've made it very easy for you at www.sharetrails.org/rmatv

Share this with your friends-we'll give them the same opportunity when they JOIN!

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The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public lands and waters, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents of 10,000 individual, business, and organizational members for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742 www.sharetrails.org

Date: 07/22/2009

The Clearwater National Forest, located in northeastern Idaho, announced the release of their Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for managing motorized uses on the Forest's roads and trails system. The Forest Service (FS) is asking for your input during a 45-day public review and comment period, which will end on August 31, 2009.

All travel management documents and maps can be downloaded from the Forest's website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/. Copies of the DEIS are also available at Clearwater National Forest offices and many local libraries, including those at Orofino, Deary, Elk River, Grangeville, Kamiah, Kooskia, Lewiston, Moscow, Pierce, Potlatch, and Weippe in Idaho, as well as Superior and Missoula, Montana.

The DEIS consists of four alternatives, a No Action Alternative along with three Action Alternatives. The alternatives purport to address the nearly 4500 public comments that were received from November 2007-February 2008 in response to the Clearwater National Forest's travel planning proposed action.

BRC and Idaho's Panhandle Trail Riding Association submitted substantial input. It will be interesting to read how our input has been incorporated into the Alternatives. Stay tuned for a full review and a BRC Action Alert.

If you enjoy the Clearwater, we encourage you to look over the maps and send comments to the Forest. Comments should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the DEIS.

Send Written Comments To: Kamiah Ranger Station, Attn: Lois Foster, Travel Planning Team Leader, Rt. 2, Box 191, Kamiah, ID 83536. Send Electronic Comments To: comments-northern-clearwater@fs.fed.us (Please put "Travel Planning" in the subject line of e-mail comments)

For more information, contact Lois Foster, Team Leader, at 208-935-4258.

JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

_____________________________________________________________________

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. http://www.sharetrails.org

Date: 07/21/2009

Yesterday, Greg Mumm, BRC's Executive Director gave an update on the effort to re-authorize the highly successful Recreation Trails Program (RTP). While the program enjoys support from many lawmakers in Washington D.C., the "game of play" right now is the effort to include the program in the House Transportation bill. And as of last Friday, only 19 Congressmen had formally signed a letter of support.

As most all of you know, the RTP Program is an assistance program of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The program takes federal gas tax dollars you pay for off-highway use and makes it available for both motorized and non-motorized recreation projects.

Greg is optimistic at this point, but concerned that so few have formally indicated their support. We need you to contact your Representative today!

We are asking all BRC subscribers to take action on the alert below, and please forward this information to friends and family.

Thanks,
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition

BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Please Contact your Representative today to help save the Recreational Trails Program!

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) has been a vital source of funding for recreational access and trails since its inception in 1991. BRC is proud of our lead role in founding the original 'RTP' program - the Symms National Recreational Trails Act. As such, we ask your support to help ensure it is reauthorized this year by Congress.

Funding for RTP comes from the federal gas tax you pay at the pump as a calculated portion of fuel that is used for "off-highway motorized use." The program was last reauthorized for three years in 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU.) This law is about to expire at the end of 2009, and the Recreational Trails Program will expire along with it unless it can be authorized and funded in the next national surface transportation bill, the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009.

U.S. Representatives Mike Michaud (D-ME) and Tom Petri (R-WI) have just release a bi-partisan "Dear Colleague" letter urging members of the House of Representatives to sign a letter to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in support of RTP. The letter thanks the leadership for including the RTP in the bill.

The letter also encourages appropriate funding levels to sustain the program through the year 2015, requests funding for a much-needed study on off-highway vehicle fuel use by the Department of Transportation, and asks for adjusted funding for the Federal Highway Administration to continue to effectively administer the program.

Copies of the Dear Colleague letter and the letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee can be found on our website at www.sharetrails.org/rtp/

It is critical you contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives and encourage him/her to sign the letter.We urge you to send an email or make a phone call to your representatives office today. Explain how important the RTP is to the recreating community and to your organization specifically. Suggested text for your email can be found below in this alert.

If you need help identifying your U.S. Representative, the BlueRibbon Coalition has provided you with a handy tool in our Rapid Response Center at www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/. All you need to do is type in your zip code.

More information on the Recreational Trails Program can be found on our website under the RTP button at www.sharetrails.org, located on the left-hand side of the page.

Thank you for taking action today to support the Recreational Trails Program.

Greg Mumm
Executive Director
BlueRibbon Coalition

Suggested email text:

Dear XXX,

On July 10, 2009, U.S. Representatives Mike Michaud (D-ME) and Tom Petri (R-WI) began circulating a letter to the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in support of the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). As my representative, I would encourage you to please sign on to this letter.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides vital funding for trails all across this country, both motorized and non-motorized. There is overwhelming support for this remarkably successful program from all walks of life. This program needs to be reauthorized this year in order to remain a viable source of funding for recreational trails.

The leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has provided the necessary language to continue the program in the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. The letter from Representatives Mike Michaud and Tom Petri thanks the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership for this action. The letter also further encourages the appropriate funding levels to sustain the program through the year 2015, requests funding for a much needed study by the Department of Transportation on off-highway vehicle fuel use, and asks for adjusted funding for the Federal Highway Administration to continue to effectively administer the program.

Again, I am asking that you please contact the offices of either Representatives Mike Michaud (D-ME) or Tom Petri (R-WI) to sign on to the letter as soon as possible. There is a July 17th deadline to collect signatures.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and helping Americans of all walks of life to continue to recreate responsibly.

Sincerely,