THE HEIST OF THE GREEN STICKER PROGRAM
2/24/2007
My name is Ed Waldheim, I am 68 years old resident of California City, California. I have
been fighting for the rights of off roaders since 1978 when President Nixon signed the
executive order to create the California Desert Conservation area.
I have been commissioner two separate times for the OHV program appointed by two
different Governors one Republican and one Democrat. I have been CORVA president
for 14 years. We have created nine non-profits groups such as Friends of Jawbone,
Friends of El Mirage, Friends of Oceano Dunes, Friends of Dumont, Friends of Kern
County OHV Parks. Our groups groom trails with rented tractors, quads, rakes, sign trails
with our volunteers.
In 2006, I attended 221 meetings (see the calendar of meetings at www.corva.org
under calendar) over the years I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles. My five
month old Prius now has 24,900 miles on it, no joke.
I do all this for free; I never get paid for anything. CORVA does not have a paid staff and
no one gets paid except to get the newsletter out. We have a lobbyist in Washington
DC, something no one else has except AMA national office, we have lobbyist in
Sacramento and proud to be partners with Ecological group made up of ASA, ORBA, San
Diego Off-Road Coalition, D-37 AMA and CORVA to have a full time attorney on staff.
Why this note to you at Truckhaven. Mike Bishop from ACORVA, CTUC and CORVA
has agreed to pass these flyers and newsletters out to everyone he can reach to tell you
that we are in big trouble. Our OHV program, Green Sticker
program has finally been hijacked the Environmental Zealots and do everything in their
power to discredit the off road community.
They tried to shut us down in Truckhaven with the CBD lawsuit. The only problem they
came across is CORVA who stopped them cold. Go to our March ORIA newsletter or
www.corva.org to get the full story.
Today you are having fun in Truckhaven because our attorney on behalf of our 5 partners
was able to beat the CBD in court. But that victory will not be long lived unless we keep
up our side of the fight. Remember these guys never quit. They want to see us in the
Pacific Ocean.
They want to deny you and I our opportunity to ride and recreate. Make no bones about
it. We are at war for our very survival of our sport!
The commission has cut all funding for operation and maintenance. No agency received
a dollar to fix trails, clean restrooms and many did not get enforcement money.
Our OHV program comes up for reauthorization in Sacramento and bills by the
Environmental Zealots are being introduced as we are introducing our bills.
The fight is on.
Now you, the off-road public have to step up and do you part. We at CORVA and other
organizations . "We are the vehicle of representation and we need all of you to work on it to
make it more powerful. In Sacramento we are of no consequence, for 15 years we get 100
people to come to lobby day. We should have 5000 people; block the streets, the
hallways in Capitol Building. In other words we need to make sure that the legislators
know that you exist out there .That you are real and that you are passionate about your
sport.
Up until now, we are not even on their radar screen, that fact is perfectly clear by the
appointments they make to the commission all. They have finally taken over and killed
our State of California OHV Program.
Agencies are now trying to figure out how to pay staff to keep areas open. If
you think this does not affect you think again.
March 19, 2007 Monday in Sacramento, we need every single person who is at
Truckhaven this weekend and at the Tierra Del Sol event in Ocotillo Wells to come to
Sacramento. Take vacation time, take sick time, car pool to Sacramento, ask your club
to pay for your gas, borrow money whatever be there. If you are not there. CORVA and
all the other organizations will be hard pressed to save our sport. To date, they have
done a good job on us, why because of our total apathy to the political process.
Truckhaven was saved this time; but will you be there to help us on the next round with
donations, with membership, with manpower to protect your sport?
As of 2-22-07 the CBD filed an 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue claiming that OHV
activities at Truckhaven are causing a "take" of Peninsular Bighorn Sheep in violation of
Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act. As you can see, they are using "science" to
prove their point. I cannot stress enough how important it is that we ramp up on the
technical side so that we can challenge their claims. If we don't, consider Truckhaven
closed for the indefinite future. This is war. We can either adapt or fight back with equal
fire-power; or we can go home and stay there.
We need you in Sacramento, no excuses; we need every single
member of clubs, play riders, anyone who recreates in California
needs to be in Sacramento.
Join us in Sacramento on March 19, 2007
Registration is on www.clorv.org