Jan. 98

Winning the War Against Misguided "Environmentalists"
Keep the pressure on people, we're turning the tide!

Lets start 1998 off with some good news for a change! Here at Off-Road.com, we take our off-roading seriously. Very seriously. And you know what? That really offends some people! Recently, the so called "Environmental" news service "CLEAR" listed us among the top (get this) "Anti-Environmental sites and organizations on the internet". Our articles about the abuses of the eco groups have been reprinted in news media across the country, club and association newsletters, on Usenet, and many other places where people can get an unbiased look at what these people are up to.

And the eco-nuts HATE IT! Hate it with a passion. Why? because they cannot stop us from bringing the truth to the public, and that truth is seriously eroding their credibility, and moving people to action! Americans HAVE had enough and are taking a stand. OHV users are becoming more organized every day. The Blue Ribbon Coalition is gaining in membership. United 4 wheel drive Assoc.. is growing. Southwest 4 Wheel Drive Association is growing. CORVA is growing. The Landuse Network is growing.The government is turning a suspicious eye toward the groups who they once took at face value. They have to. The eco nuts are continuing to attack and cause damage to their offices! Just ask California Congressman Frank Riggs.

Its happening people, and its because of YOU that it is. Your letters ARE making a difference. Your attendance at BLM town and scoping meetings is making a difference. Your joining OHV clubs is making a difference. Print mags and other off-road related sites have increased their coverage of these issues, and are "spreading the word". Local governments, private land owners, ranchers, farmers and more have taken the hard line and are taking the fight to the GAG's (Green Advocacy Groups) directly.

The most recent example happened in my own home town of Tupper Lake NY. Tupper was once a thriving community deeply rooted in the logging industry. Thanks to the Adirondack Park Agency (an enviro org with legal authority in upstate NY) , it has lost industry, jobs, people, and has been economically depressed for years. OHV usage, once a big part of the winter recreation scene was nearly regulated out of existence. You can guess the rest.

Then State and local governments got together and made the push for opening old logging roads as trails, and a prison employing hundreds of local residents is scheduled to be built. Then the Sierra Club stepped in, vowing to stop it at all costs via "legal measures". Sound familiar? It should, since that's what they've done a thousand times before all across America. Here's the difference.....

The State, county, town and village governments, along with nearly unanimous public support stood up and said "Bullshit! We will NOT have the use of our lands and town dictated by the Sierra Club, or anyone else!". They are taking a stand. Like the people of Utah, Like people across our great country. Like you.

The "Global Warming" fiasco

Before the Kyoto Summit, the hysteria about "GW" ran rampant. It seemed likely that the Clinton / Gore juggernaut would be successful in scuttling even more of our personal freedoms via "excessive CO2 emissions". "How does that effect me", you ask? Well, your (and my) OHV emits CO2 via the exhaust. Their solution to curbing these emissions was a "carbon tax". Yes ANOTHER tax. This one however, would add over 50 cents to every gallon of gas (to say nothing of it's effect on heating, energy, production, shipping, and product costs).

In the aftermath of Kyoto, a goodly number of people, including members of our own government, stood up and said "bullshit". Majority leader Trent Lott was quoted as saying "Mr President, please submit this treaty promptly, so that we can kill it"

But wait, there's more!

Many of you may be familiar with another enviro-scam the Eco-Communists are pushing our government towards. The American Heritage Rivers Initiative. This Fiasco, being endorsed by Clinton / Gore would lock up millions of acres of land AND rivers from the American people. Well, it is in deep trouble too.

"Four Congressional Leaders Sue Over AHRI"
Information courtesy of "People For the West" via the Landuse Network

Congressmen Bob Schaffer (R-CO), Don Young (R-AK), Richard Pombo(R-CA) and Helen Chenoweth (R-ID) filed suit Wednesday, December 10 in a Washington, D.C. federal court to block President Clinton's American Heritage Rivers Initiative.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeks a ruling that the President has no authority to implement the initiative and that it violates the Constitution. The suit alleges that AHRI violates:

The Property Clause -The Property Clause, gives Congress, and only Congress, the "power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States." AHRI would exercise control and authority over rivers and their associated resources.

The Spending Clause -The Spending Clause gives Congress, and only Congress, the power and authority to "draw monies from the Treasury-" The President's Executive Order creating the AHRI obligated the expenditure of monies from the U.S. Treasury without Congressional oversight.

The Tenth Amendment - Under the Tenth, states and local governments retain all authority to engage in land use planning and local zoning for public health, safety and welfare. No such power is possessed by the President.

The Commerce Clause - 'This gives Congress, and only Congress, power and authority to "regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." The AHRI proposes to regulate interstate commerce without the requisite legislative authority from Congress.

The Anti-Deficiency Act - The act requires "appropriations (to) be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law." No funds have been authorized for appropriation to the AHRI.

The Federal Land Management and Policy Act (FLPMA) - In enacting FLPMA, Congress established a national policy for federal lands, including limiting the authority of the Executive branch and establishing procedural protection to retain the Constitutional power of Congress over federal land and federal land withdrawals, designations and dedications. The AHRI attempts to exercise power that belongs exclusively to Congress.

The National environmental Policy Act (NEPA) - Congress requires the preparation of environmental impact statements (EIS) prior to the undertaking of "major federal actions" that "significantly affect the quality of the human environment,"There are currently no plans in place to perform an EIS before the implementation of the AHRI.

The backlash to Kyoto and other extremist policies like AHRI continues growing at a furious rate. The popular TV show "Politically Incorrect" recently had Sierra Club President Adam Werbach as a guest.

From Jenny Gayhart - ( Do'ers 4wd Club, via the Land Use Network)

"Upon introduction and commentation on his age, the Sierra Club President seemed reluctant to admit that he was in fact President of the organization. The first topic discussed was the Powell Lake draining. Adam failed to validate the organizations reasons for fighting for the drain. His comments were restricted to "We (Americans) shouldn't have dammed the river, we (Americans) simply goofed."

The next topic discussed was Fire Arm education with today's youth. Well needless to say Adam wasn't in favor of that, but again his reasoning was so un thought out. I'm sure the NRA will slam him over his opinion there."

What does it say for the Sierra Club when they are unable, even ashamed, to defend their position on relevant issues before the public? Could it be that "the gig is up"? Could it be that with a steady decline in membership, and falling public opinion polls, the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, the SUWA and others are loosing their once powerful grip on our government, and peoples lives? Could be? No. It IS".

If I may be so bold, I'd like to ask you a favor (Don't worry, no money involved!). I'd like to ask you to continue fighting the tyranny of the Sierra Club, Earth First, the SUWA et-all. I'd also like to ask you to get involved in organized 4 wheeling - Join a local OHV club! Bring the fight to them in order to (God above I cant believe I'm going to say this) "Save our sport for Future Generations"...... Huh. I guess that wasn't so bad. In fact, it sounded "right". It WAS right. After all, WE know which so called "Future Generations" should be allowed to enjoy our public lands.

Each and every one of them!

"It's Not Easy Being Green" - Article Index

Where to get involved in saving our sport

Off-Road.com's Land Use page - http://www.off-road.com/orcland.html
Off-Road.com's Enviro-lies page - http://www.off-road.com/enviro_lies.html
The Blue Ribbon Coalition - http://www.sharetrails.org
Land Use Network - http://www.off-road.com/landuse/landuse.htm
United Four Wheel Drive - Land Use Center - http://4x44u.vmag.com/forum/ulanduse/
National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Coalition - http://www.nohvcc.org/mis1.htm
Nevada Trails Coaltion - http://www.webcom.com/cadams/
Tread Lightly - http://www.treadlightly.org/
RS 2477 Homepage - http://rs2477roads.com/

Learn more about the fallacy of "Global Warming"

"Still Waiting for Greenhouse" by John L. Daily http://www.vision.net.au/~daly/

Links to so called "Environmental Orginizations"

The Sierra Club Homepage - http://www.sierraclub.org
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance - http://www.suwa.org/
Earth First! Homepage - http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/pubs/aulat.html