OHV Grants comments

[Ken@WonderValley]

Looks like S@ndman got his comment in for the OHV Grant
http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25751

[Plays In The Dirt]

Looks like S@ndman got his comment in for the OHV Grant
http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25751

Reading through the comments there sure is a lot of support for this funding, I wonder why that is?

[Dan]

All the COWs have been herded to the website to log their standard lines and vocabulary.

[Ken@WonderValley]

All the COWs have been herded to the website to log their standard lines and vocabulary.

That sure is the truth.

This is a funny comment. This lady moved to Johnson Valley.

It is imperative that OHV Enforcement be funded. I have moved TWICE to get away from their awful noise. It has only been in the last 6 months that our lands have been protected and peace has been restored. Please continue to fund code enforcement! [Kathleen Watterson - 3/31/09]

Want to see a video of Kathleen Watterson?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EQCf43tBBQ

Living in the unincorporated area of S.B. county, I have had SO MANY frustrations of ORV abuse on the easement leading to Yucca Mesa Avenue. Since this dirt road goes up a hill, I can not see if there is a parade of ORVs racing up on the other side below & have nearly been hit as we both come to meet at the top. Or if I were wanting to walk on this road, I might not be able to jump aside in time. These riders feel it is their right to use my easement for their own entertainment. I have NO POLICE willing to patrol this area since my requests have been consistently brushed aside.

Nevertheless, I mention here my support for the San Bernardino County Code Enforcement Grant Application and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department/Yucca Valley Grant Application. As long as there IS a budget for enforcement THERE IS HOPE for help with this issue... YES WE CAN!!!! [Olivia de Haulleville - 3/30/09]

This is Olivia de Haulleville you can see her you tube video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmaIatuBc60

And I really like this one because they forgot to fill in the comment to the COW form letter

Re: Support for San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department/Yucca Valley Grant Application

I am writing to support the grant application for funds to enforce ORV laws in my area. These agencies have an excellent track record of educating the public on responsible recreation and the fair and effective application of the law. I live in a rural community Rim Rock near Pioneer town and I am over run with strangers thinking my land is an off road park. Any help regarding this would be helpful.

(Write about your own experiences with ORV abuse here)

California is experiencing significant budget cuts and ORV enforcement is entirely dependent on these grants to continue to protect private and public lands from ORV abuse. If I can make a contribution please tell me where. [Ron andd Cecilai House - 3/30/09]

[Dan]

Once again, I reiterate: the vast majority of comments in favor of 3973 at the review hearing were complaints about environmental issues. 3973 is not about environmental issues. It was passed because the supervisors were convinced by some very adamant people that they were annoyed, that they felt harrassed, and they even felt in danger. Then, in the review hearing, all they can manage to complain about is the alleged environmental effects of OHVs.

Sort of like getting a law passed that's ostensibly about species protection, then using it to seize control of other peoples' private property and what they can or can't do with it.

This neither passes the smell test nor the laugh test.

[Pharo]

Reading through the comments there sure is a lot of support for this funding, I wonder why that is?

Well organized, funded and trained agitators. Just look at the signers of the feed back at the bottom of the page. I think it’s safe to say Phil Klasky is a professional in this area. After all, he teaches it for a living.

But now that the word is out, look for more replies from people opposed to it.

Later,

PBiZ

[Dan]

If you noticed, most of these people are either retired or unemployed. They have nothing better to do than create stories, call and write the supervisors, call in an occasional random police report to the Sheriff, and otherwise agitate, as Pharo said above. A number of them stated their affiliation with rank and file or management of one or another "preservation society", "friends of....group", "environmental defense society" or one or another euphemism for environmental activist group. It's frustrating for our society to be manipulated by the drama queens at the expense of hard-working familes simply looking for a place to recreate. These people claim to be only against illegal riding, and supporting all responsible OHV use, and never in favor of turning legal OHV opportunities into illegal ones. I call baloney.

[Plays In The Dirt]

If you noticed, most of these people are either retired or unemployed. They have nothing better to do than create stories, call and write the supervisors, call in an occasional random police report to the Sheriff, and otherwise agitate, as Pharo said above. A number of them stated their affiliation with rank and file or management of one or another "preservation society", "friends of....group", "environmental defense society" or one or another euphemism for environmental activist group. It's frustrating for our society to be manipulated by the drama queens at the expense of hard-working familes simply looking for a place to recreate. These people claim to be only against illegal riding, and supporting all responsible OHV use, and never in favor of turning legal OHV opportunities into illegal ones. I call baloney.

Okay Dan, I can understand how that can be. But, playing the devils advocate here, has the thought ever occurred to you that most of those people whom are "retired or unemployed" whom have bought property in the rural desert areas did so to get away from the noise and congestion of the cities to enjoy a quiet country life, only to find that the weekend warriors are shattering their peace and quiet with noise and dust with quads and dirt bikes meant for racing? You know, they have a right to that as well. And too, not everyone across the country that is having the same problems is an environmentalist or a COW.

[Dan]

If you noticed, most of these people are either retired or unemployed. They have nothing better to do than create stories, call and write the supervisors, call in an occasional random police report to the Sheriff, and otherwise agitate, as Pharo said above. A number of them stated their affiliation with rank and file or management of one or another "preservation society", "friends of....group", "environmental defense society" or one or another euphemism for environmental activist group. It's frustrating for our society to be manipulated by the drama queens at the expense of hard-working familes simply looking for a place to recreate. These people claim to be only against illegal riding, and supporting all responsible OHV use, and never in favor of turning legal OHV opportunities into illegal ones. I call baloney.

Okay Dan, I can understand how that can be. But, playing the devils advocate here, has the thought ever occurred to you that most of those people whom are "retired or unemployed" whom have bought property in the rural desert areas did so to get away from the noise and congestion of the cities to enjoy a quiet country life, only to find that the weekend warriors are shattering their peace and quiet with noise and dust with quads and dirt bikes meant for racing? You know, they have a right to that as well. And too, not everyone across the country that is having the same problems is an environmentalist or a COW.

I'm with you, PITD. THere are generally two types of people who have moved to the high desert. There are others, but the majority fits into one of these two groups.

One type moves there to experience quiet sunsets, with a glass of wine, their significant other, and a lack of noise and dust, avoid other people, and live in a rural setting where their neighbors aren't within spittin' distance. The other moves to the high desert so they can ride their OHVs/jeep/buggy/whatever right out of the garage instead of having to trailer the whole kit and kaboodle 150 miles each way once or twice a month just to experience two days on the trail. Both deserve what they move there to experience, and neither deserves to be hassled and harrassed by the other. For the most part, they don't step on each others' toes. The ones that are a problem are the illegal riders who incessantly moto around other peoples' homes, and those who advocate dictation of what their neighbors can and can't do from their own property.

So, it's simple. Pass laws only that affect areas within 1/2 mile of houses, and include a noise exception that allows enough time for the 10 or more OHV riders to get through the area and into the legitimate trail system. Don't allow one homeowner to dictate what the others can do on their own property, save what is covered in the California State Penal Code under 415PC, and don't attempt to stand over 1000 years of legal precedent concerning trespassing on its ear. At that point, you have protection for the rights of both, while not allowing either to dictate what the other must endure. That's why they spent so much time working out the Penal Code, and that's why every state in the union has adopted it nearly verbatim.

Fair enough?

[Dan]

PS: advocating restrictive new local ordinances, which regulate OHV use mostly in places where there are no homes, structures, residents, or people, and which are directly in contradiction to the state Penal Code, is a very convincing and clear argument that these advocates are pushing for as much restriction on the activity as they can possibly get, and that their advocacy (the stated reasons for their advocacy) are phony, and they are actually advocating for far more restrictions than those which would solve their stated problem.

Did I state that clearly, or am I talking in circles?