Once again, Better get some while you can...

"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde

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You never know what tomorrow will bring so go ride your EBike today or walk your pooch
Fear the Yeti
"Go ride your bike today, don't let the old man in.."

Mike

The only thing I can offer is if everybody waits for somebody else to start the process, it will never get off the ground. You stated We the People are getting screwed by the Government. So who is taking the stand against the tyranny?

SDMBA has worked with various parties as much as they can but there is a much larger voice out there that will have far more pull. We saw that voice in January at the protest ride in Mission Trails. It is not about a one-time, feel-good event. It requires continual pressure to start the change.

The links that are posted above are only one way to approach this. Is it the best? I don't know but I am willing to bet the majority of people who read this post don't look at the documents and of those that do, few will take any action.

These boards are good for getting the word out to the public but it is the public that needs to do the heavy lifting. As with the Del Mar Mesa, Mission Trails, and now Sweetwater, I have preached this over and over - show up to posted meeting, make face time with the appropriate officials, make phone calls, and most importantly, write a letter supporting more recreational opportunities for mountain biking. Survey Monkey and other "save the trails" polls are worthless in the policy maker's eyes.

Much of the closures are the result of actions years ago. Your efforts now will not yield immediate results. Instead, it is what will help change/shape policies for years to come. I believe it is lack of immediate gratification that many choose to stay on the sidelines and that is a hugely damning course of action. I will not say you will get everything you want, but if you don't shoot for the stars, you will never get off the ground.

Right now there is a lot of anger in our community. Rather than letting that tear us apart as has happened in the past, use that anger to fuel a multi-pronged approach for improved trail access. If not, we will all reap the lack of our effort.

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The world does not revolve around you but your actions impact us all!

Tyranny may be a bit of an overstatement - but I get your point... bad policy-making, special-interest incest, political partisanship, selective hearing, etc. etc., are not tyrannical in the historical sense, but do represent break-downs in our system of representative government.

Who is taking a stand? Ummm, apparently not enough of us - take a look (locally and nationally) at the Registrar of Voters statistics regarding adult voter registration and subsequent voting participation in elections... yeah, now there's some apathy for ya'. Recent Gallop poll indicates only 7% of respondents express confidence in Congress - an all-time low. I wonder how many of the other 93% access information on issues and candidates and then make informed voting decisions, in effect, "taking a stand" ? Again, I assert, not enough.

The real Tyranny is the one of self-imposed ignorance that most Americans choose to wallow-in.
Pew Research poll indicated 41% of respondents could not name Joe Biden as the Vice-President.
That's pathetic.

I'm gonna go lube my chain before I get further discouraged.

I'd like to meet one of those 7%ers......they're about as rare as that .1% that has cashed in on the development issue here, it seems like..

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Scum on a Bike

I estimate 300+ people attended this meeting and enthusiastically conveyed to USFWS that closing trails and restricting access to public lands without an attempt to collaborate with, and acknowledge the wants/needs of the human species, is a plan for failure... I hope that the Agency will, as promised at the meeting, factor-in public comment in making a final decision. All trail user groups were well represented - lots of equestrians - 99% of the general public speakers were opposed to any of the alternatives offered that closed viable trails. More trails (not less) with a partnership for management that includes agencies and user-groups working together, was a strong theme from the speakers. I think it went well... but time will tell how responsive our government is to the passion expressed tonight.
The best part was, I got to meet bajamtnbkr!

Ha, ha!! It was great to meet you too Erache, and thanks so much for showing up today, I agree with you, I think it will make a difference letting them know not only what we want but what we are more than willing to do with them to preserve the Refuge AND our trails. Time will tell.

Thank you for going and I wish you all the best. This is not a short nor easy figt. With time and some luck, I hope you get the comprehensive tails network you deserve. I only ride down there 2 or 3 times a year but it is far more than the river trail each time. I am enthusiastic we are seeing a cohesive and large group representing trail user needs ratber than the in-fighting we have elsewhere in years past.

Please keep us updated on the current events no mater how small.

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The world does not revolve around you but your actions impact us all!