doorfx
Active VIP Member
A significant step change for sledders, flat landers or mountains is to get organized. Up in the great white north of FMM, we have been part of the consultation about our own Woodland Caribou and declining populations. The folks lobbying the Government to minimize or shut down access to area that have caribou know a lot about caribou and their habits.
What they do not know is why the populations in some areas keep dropping. By a system of elimination, they 'propose' what to do to stop the populations to the Government.
First on deck would be oil companies and other industries, but they have lawyers and are very organized to ensure they get what they want by learning how lobby the Government them selves.
What we lack is organization. A few years ago, I was very much a Lone Wolf rider, liked to do my own thing. Made camp fires wherever I damn well pleased, rode off across fields, Crown Land like I owned because I thought I did, just like any other tax payer should be able to declare. My S&M name came from a nick name I got because I loved running my quads in muskeg and I was not happy until I made it across or through every hole in Alberta.
Well I was wrong.
The more I learned, the more I realized I was wrong about crown land or trails being mine. Every square inch of the land in Alberta and probably BC, is spoken for and documented by dispositions, Traplines, Wild Life reserves, PLUZ's FLUZ's, Notations, Treaty Lands, Parks and industries that exploit the natural resources.
That's why when some one posts something not knowing the info, we (the organizers and the advocates of public land access) become unhinged because some of us know what happens if this misinformed statement gets used against the effort to keep the access.
The Y2Y and other lobbists groups are well funded and organized and in some cases I do agree with some of what they are doin to preserve sensitive areas, but unless they are kept in check, they will take more that what is needed and no one to stop them unless we organize ourselves and say Enough is Enough!
What can you do?
Join a Club
Learn about the processes of the Government and who are the stake holders looking to control access
Listen to those who have already have taken those steps and support them. Many are on this site and are very well informed. Ask them questions on how to help.
Start looking after your riding areas.
Stay on permitted areas
Be the Big Sister/Brother to inform those that go beyond the rules (booze, vandalism, garbage, eco damage, etc). Be ready to defend your riding areas with police reports and pictures of abuse against those who do not give a crap about your riding areas.
My morning rant, now I am going riding today, Happy trails and stay vigilant.
Well said!!