Petition against OHV task force

[Jeepy]

www.petitiononline.com/r2rns/petition.html

I found this on an ATV site but the suggestions in the report could have drastic consequences on Jeeping. Take a look and please sign, we need a massive response. Hopefully the gov'nt will look at it.

P.S. if it's not clicky somebody help me out!

[toohot2bsingle]

Petition is a great idea!! So far 774 signatures!! Hope to see more interest so that we don't lose our trails... Unfortunately it's something we may have to consider for the future...

Andrea

[Sandboxcowboy]

My 3 contributions makes 779

We neeed more ppl to read this and sign it.
If u dont at least make the effort to try to save our trails then u dont have right to complain if/when they shut em down!

Just my $.02

Justin

[subigon]

If you are in favor of ATV's, SkiDoo's, Quads, 3 Wheelers, Dirt Bikes, Moto Cross Bikes, and every other Motorized recretional vehicle having a place on the abandoned Railway Line beds and open to travelling on public land: then read, understand and then sign the petition.
I feel it is a waste of time. Having spent 2 years on the Annapolis Valley Trails Society. The aim off the Off Highway Task Force was just that. " OFF HIGHWAY" A Jeep is a Registered, Inspected, and Insured with a liscened driver that 99% of it's life is spent on controlled, regulated, and patrolled roads, highways, streets, etc: The Task Force DOES NOT have any objective , mandate, goal, or direction, to enter the discussion about Highway vehicles (such as our Jeeps)

so again if you operate, own, or plan to use OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLES then you should have been involved a year ago when this was open for input.

Just my 2 Cents worth - having been part of the fact finding committee.

[Creepy]

I agree completely. The time to act and get involved was last year.
There was tons of info put up about community meetings, petitions to sign, who to call, political people to call, mla's, etc, etc, etc.

Here are some statistics on "our" input to the OHTF.
community meetings:
Halifax: 75attending/20 speakers
NewGlasgow:120/19
Sydney: 42/14
Tantallon: 160/28 (kinda good turnout - theChad and Duane were at this one I think)
Truro: 85/21
Kentville: 110/16.

1400 peeps in total. 327 speakers.
This is the worst: 714 replies by internet. The link was up on the board, and there were lengthly disscussions. keep in mind this is a total #, pro and con.
I'm assuming the majority were haters of engines.

Please don't shoot the messenger here, but we suck at fighting for our rights. There are probably more than 714 hits on here per day, but nobody could fire off a little email to save thier sport.

The Task Force also granted a 6 month extension after the original deadline for submissions from the public, to allow for the unorganized to try and get their shit together.

They did everything totally fair, it's our own fault.

edit: I reread that - I should clairify and say that the people who did work thier asses off and kept the proposed changes to what they are now deserve a huge thanks. (You should have read the first report b4 thet granted the extension.) THANK YOU!!!!!
The problem is in the apathy of regular Joes, not in the work of people organizing a defence.

Jan MacLean

[sportsguy]

I agree Jan - that first was last year. I met 3 times with my MLA after the meeting to ensure he had numbers, quotes, etc. he could use in the legislature when this came to discussion. In the end, it was put aside for the year - but it will be back.

For now, if folks want to protect what we call OUR SPORT, it's never too late to track down your MLA, get some face time and clearly state why what we do is not problematic and why the proposals do not adequately address our concerns.

If you wanted scary, you should have gone to a meeting to hear some of those speakers...and the Task Force themselves were clearly stacked for a purpose. In teresting to note, though, that the purpose was not to close access off to us Jeepers.

Read and reread that thing - understand it fully (at least the parts which potentially may affect us Jeepers) - find your MLA - get face time - make it clear why you (and your MLA) should not support this proposal.

Duane

[Jeepy]

I drive both so it will still suck if they severely restrict atv's. I agree that our apathy is pathetic, myself included. One part of it that worries me is " a network of trails should be developed and atv use restricted to that network". That's doesn't affect jeepers until one of these crunchy granolas is out for their yearly hike and meets a bunch of jeeps in the area they thought no atv's (read motorized vehicles) should be in. If they ban atv use in most areas it will be a precedent to ban jeepers too.

[sportsguy]

Jeepy said:

I drive both so it will still suck if they severely restrict atv's. I agree that our apathy is pathetic, myself included. One part of it that worries me is " a network of trails should be developed and atv use restricted to that network". That's doesn't affect jeepers until one of these crunchy granolas is out for their yearly hike and meets a bunch of jeeps in the area they thought no atv's (read motorized vehicles) should be in. If they ban atv use in most areas it will be a precedent to ban jeepers too.

I could be completely forgetting something, but IIRC, there is a definition in place which basically states these proposed rules would not apply to licensed, road-going vehicles.

I do agree, however, with the perspective of being pro-active on this topic. Even if Jeeps are not at risk, the fact that this kind of thinking is gaining traction could, no matter how it's slowly rolled out, have a dramatic impact on our sport/hobby.

[davecar]

I'm in there. Great idea. ;D

[subigon]

Street Licensed Vehicles are not included under the Task Force umbrella. If you keep kackling like a chicken, you could be cook with the flock. Speak and shout only as a 4 wheeler (ATV) or Snowmobiler.
Leave Jeeps out of the equasion.

[tothewall]

Please my next post. You guys are right, I was wrong.

[NSJeepster]

You guys had better take a look at the wording on the OHVT report before you say anymore. We are included and check out the part where it says we have to get permission from the ATV clubs to host our own Jeep events. correct me if im wrong because im just going on what I read

[Creepy]

That's right, Chris.

To hold a rally any size would require a permit from a GOV. selected group, probably the big snowmobile group first, then whoever is best organized as the time passes.

Say for instance, a club run with more than one attendee would need a permit, technically.

Len and Eddie - are you guys seriously suggesting that silence instead of disscussion is the proper route? So as not to draw attention to the fact we may be in a loophole with the licenced insured Jeeps? I mean, fill me in if you know something I don't!

Any gate I've seen that keeps a quad off a trail will sure as hell keep a Jeep out, short of winching it out of the ground. And what would we be then? Tresspassers, vandals. To access public land!!!!

It's a big report, it's avaliable on-line. With a whole wack of people checking out the fine print, we could all as a group figure out what it really means towards our future.

Why it would be suggested to keep quiet is totally beyond my comprehension. What am I missing?

[Jeepy]

I guess I'll cackle some more and risk being cooked (or flamed)
Having read the final report cover to cover there is no mention of jeeps being excluded. They do say " This final report defines off-highway vehicles as mainly all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles , but also motorcycles (dirtbikes , Argos, and all other motorized vehicles operating off-highway."(page 3)

Well gee, that last part sounds like it includes us! You can say jeeps are not included but until I see that in print in the final report, words count for little.

They are concerned with "Wilderness Areas", on page 44 they say " We witnessed a great deal of physical damage in protected Wilderness Areas caused by wheeled vehicles". Gee, Jeeps have wheels but i'm sure they don't mean us. They recommend on page 45 " Prohibit off-highway vehicle use by the public in existing protected Wilderness Areas." The Myra road is surrounded by these areas and Cloud Lake is about 35 square miles on the south mountain less than 10 miles away from Kingston. These are land closures that will continue!

To say it is too late to voice an opinion is somewhat negative. This final report was only released in November 2004 and it is only a proposal to the government. They have yet to make a decision on it.

I think the opinion of our president on a topic that may stop or severely limit our activities should be more than "Amen"
Get a copy of the report, read it and draw your own conclusions.

Flame away

[tothewall]

Upon having read more into this, I have to admit when I am wrong and see what we can do to protect our rights as they WILL apply to us, not as they are spelled out now. Far be it from me to not admit when I am in error. I see what Eddie is saying that sometimes a low profile is better, but after having done some asking around, silence in this case... is NOT golden.

Thanks for being there to lay it out for me gentlemen.