The first of what will likely turn out to be many meetings to deal with the Wilderness proposals that are depicted in the maps from Senator Feinstein's office, is scheduled for August 18, 2008.

The maps are available at http://www.pfjv.org/FWP.pdf

This will be a data collection and strategy session, as opposed to a meeting per se. Each of you is invited to bring your knowledge of the area's shown on Senator Feinstein's maps, and your suggestions for how, as a partnership, we can proceed to combat this proposal now, before it becomes a full-fledged bill, and in the future, should Senator Feinstein decide to move forward and submit a bill.

From what I was told already by Feinstein's staff, she has not committed to this bill yet, but rather that the proposal is being pushed by the California Wilderness Coalition.

The meeting will take place from 3 to 8 PM so that most can make it at some time during that time frame. The idea is to gather data from "desert experts" on each proposed wilderness area and then set up groups to work on the identified issues, similar to what we did with CDC. We can also set up our strategy for going forward. People with expertise in each area will then 'own' an area.

I expect that people may come and go during the 3 to 8 PM time period, I'll be there the whole time to facilitate the data collection.

I will have as many of the BLM Desert Access Guides as are available for review but please bring your maps also, so that we can combine all of the information. The more data that we can develop to counter the Wilderness proposal the better chance we have to defeat it now.

If you know of anyone that may want to, or can contribute to this effort to stop this proposed Wilderness before it goes any further, please let them know about the meeting, have them get in touch with me or collect the data and bring it to the meeting.

I want to collect as much information as possible and get it on the maps and in writing, so that we can figure out the best course of action.

Several of you have mentioned names of people that I should invite, but neglected to provide their contact information, please share this message as appropriate.

In the next week, I will send out additional information on the specific areas that the Senator is considering.

This Wilderness proposal is vastly different from what we faced in the S 21 days. With this proposal we are facing several different situations, in that it's a combination of converting existing WSA's to Wilderness, adding acreage to existing Wilderness, creating some totally new Wilderness and adding a couple Wild and Scenic rivers. It's a bunch of little (and not so little) pieces, it's the old divide and conquer tactic, and it's all our job to bring and keep everyone together.

The meeting will be held at:

J's Maintenance
3550 Foothill Blvd.
Glendale, Ca

Thank you and I welcome your participation.

Harry Baker
Chairman
bakerhab@aol.com
818-705-3930 - home
818-370-3582 - call

Hi Wayne,
Are these areas different than the McKeon Wilderness bill?
Buck

why is it that we offroaders cannot legislate a land grab for our sports??

Its is seperate from McKeon/Boxer bill

Pretty sure most of the proposed areas between them are seperate

Wayne

Yeah, I was comparing the maps.
The Feinstein closures are huge, (again)
The Boxer/McKeon closures fill in the gaps and close some stuff in the local (LA) mountains.
Does the one at the LittleRock area include the ohv area that is temporarily closed for the toad?

since im not at home, im hav'n a hard time telling where those aeras are.

are the existing riding aera's now? or are the already closed, and just being set up for a different desigination?

the maps suck, they dont show roads and most of the major landmarks are left off.
as if they want them to appear as an area that nobody would mind closing.

Alot of it apears to be the area around the I40 to the river and below. also looks like it may affect a buggy ride from octillo springs to across the border. Real hard to say as the larger you make themap the harder it is to see it. It also include some area around table mountain wich is a stones throw from Anzo Borega, an area my Aunt and Uncle visit every year. They took me ounce when I was a little tike and thus sparked my love for the desert, off roading, and camping. at about 8 years old that area is reasponsible for the reason I live in the high desert. This looks like nothing but more eco-nazi trouble!!!






edit cause my spelling and punt. suck

Bingo! Very good point.

We had a window of opportunity in the past regarding the ISDRA. That window may open soon again.

I had a very pleasent conversation a couple of days ago about this very subject with a few of the "OHV leadership". They now seem more open to this concept.

Any more details on this window opening and your conversation?

we, as off road enthusiasts, are constantly on the defensive...reactionary, if you will.....we need to go on the offensive....

find some ohv friendly legislators and get to working

PM me Mike, this has to stay quiet for now.

you will not find many of those in this state bro, thats why you wont get an "offensive" movement here. im seriously considering moving to utah one day. its off-roader heaven up there!

We had a very interesting and informative meeting yesterday.

In all, there was about 25 or so folks in attendance. A great mix of seasoned land use folks and some rather newer players. Harry Baker lead the meeting and did a gret job.

To dispell and inaccurate information out there thus far, I did learn that this "proposal" is no a Senator Feinstein proposal, but rather one of the California Wilderness Coalition that has been submitted to the Senator for consideration.

There as a meeting of some of the leadership yesterday with Feinstein's staff. It was productive and we were requested to provide information to the Senator if and when she might take this a step further.

I found that refreshing from staff.