We need all the help we can get. If you could spare a few minutes to email/write positive comments to the following, it would be greatly appreciated
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ATV’S ON STATE LANDS IN VERMONT
SAY YES!
IMPORTANT
YOUR COMMENTS ARE NEEDED by JULY 6TH
The Agency of Natural resources is considering a proposed rule to allow small ATV connector
trails across state lands to connect existing trail systems located on private land!
This proposed rule establishes a process by which a trail traveling over state land may be designated
for use by All-Terrain Vehicles.
There is considerable opposition to the rule and your support is needed. Send your written
comments in by July 6th, letting the state know that you believe, just as other forms of recreation,
ATVing should be considered on all public lands where appropriate, and that Vermont will
benefit in many ways by providing enhanced riding opportunities.
Managed ATVing provides:
Increased state revenue
Heightened education and accountability
Increased safety
Increased enforcement
Reduced conflict
Decreased environmental impact
Send Your Written Comments to Warren Coleman at the Agency of Natural
Resources by JULY 6TH to: ATVRULE@state.vt.us
Mail to: Warren Coleman,
Agency of Natural Resources, 103 South Main Street , Waterbury , VT 05671 .
This is an example of the mind set that we need to fight against. It was published in one of VT's major newspapers.
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Testifying with a Chainsaw
June 16, 2009 | 2 Comments
Well, someone had to do it. And, of course, we did. We being: Boots, Bel and I.
I’m speaking, of course, about the public hearing held on Monday night about the Douglas Administration’s out-of-nowhere plan to allow all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs) access to public lands. And while Douglas’ cronies at the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) tried to make the whole thing look legitimate, the whole process stinks more than an ATV exhaust pipe.
First, ANR officials admit almost proudly that they talked exclusively with one and only one group during its planning process for this new regulation to allow these machines to “rip it up” on our state lands: VASA, the ATV association in Vermont. And then they sprung the new rule on the citizens of the state just a couple of weeks ago, planned a hastily-prepared “public hearing,” and gave the public all of ten days to comment on it.
Can you say: Political games? I knew you could. And Governor Jim Douglas plays them like nobody else plays them. In case you don’t have an imagination, let me spell it out for you: Douglas got his political ass kicked during the last legislative session, having two of his vetoes overridden (gay marriage and the budget) and he’s looking like little more than political road-kill of late. So what’s a right-winger to do in such a circumstance? Well, throw a political bone to the ATV crowd, of course.
And so he did, and the VASA crowd lunged for it like a Michael Vick dog. Grrr….give us our rights to do what we want, when we want, where we want, however we want, and to whomever we want. Whatever.
Logic, of course, was an endangered species at Monday’s public hearings. The hundreds of well-organized VASA members who showed up were clearly looking for a fight. But little did they know that Vermont’s mainstream environmental community is about as lame as lame can be when it comes to taking a firm stand – especially when faced with a throng of hydrocarbon-breathing machines-equal-a-sport crowd.
Take, for example, the opening words of the “communications director” of the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), Jake Brown: “I’ve owned an ATV for eight years and I love to ride it as much as I can on weekends.” Huh? Remember, VNRC is the group that has been pegged by the fawning (read: lazy) Vermont media as “the opposition” to the proposed new ATV riding rule.
And so it went, the ATVers were all ready to rumble but their opponents were mostly looking like deer caught in the headlights and far too meek to mutter even the most benign opposition. Take, for example, the VNRC folks (Brown and his colleague, Jamey Fidel) who droned on about “process,” “fairness,” and Brown’s out-of-the-closet proclamations that he was “one of them.” Good luck with that.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to tip my hat to those who showed up and didn’t melt from the heat of being surrounded by two hundred angry men: Mollie Matteson of the Center for Biological Diversity, Anthony Iarrapino of the Conservation Law Foundation, Les Blomberg of the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse and a few private individuals that, unfortunately, I failed to hear their names or affiliations.
This hearing was absurd. And, frankly, we knew it was going to be absurd given the quickened pace of the process and the all-too-predictable meekness of the eco-crowd. That’s why we planned something equally as absurd for our testimony.
Yep, as the headline would suggest: We brought a chainsaw. Partly because we represent Horse Loggers for Peace (and the executive committee – oops, I mean: the entire group – okay, okay, I mean: both of us – decided to add “and Quiet” to our name for the evening) and partly because we knew how the pro-ATV crowd would be testifying. As in: “It’s public land, we pay taxes, and we want to play with our machines on the public’s land.”
Fine. Let’s play.
The plan was simple enough: Boots was going to testify about the health affects of ATVs – ever seen a room full of ATVers? – and when he got to his concluding statement about noise and air pollution I was going to fire up my chainsaw for a little demonstration. But we’d be in tune with the ATVers’ argument: Being on public land and playing with our own toys and all. We wanted to be as absurd as the proposal at hand.
But, frankly, when I surveyed the room and began hearing the other testimony I thought it would be best to use my time speaking out rather than using my time to fire up a chainsaw and simply getting arrested. But then my daughter, Bel, put this note on top of the papers I was carting around: “I really think that you should do the chainsaw.”
Geez, nothing like pressure from an eleven-year old to not wimp out.
And when they called our names to get in line to ready ourselves for our testimony, my mind was all but made up to use the chainsaw when Bel accompanied us to the podium (the plan was for her to stay in the back and have previously assigned friends be ready to take her home if I was arrested). But there she was, at our side, and giving me the look that said: Don’t be a wimp.
And so it went: Boots got to his final line in his testimony about noise and smell and I yanked the chainsaw out of my bag – without the chain for obvious safety reasons – and fired it up.
I watched the cop across the room, waiting for him to get up and come my way. He didn’t move. I watched the ANR official running the meeting, thinking he’d jump to his feet and demand an end to the noise and smell. He didn’t budge. And I watched the crowd, waiting for them to stop me, but they didn’t move. And so I did what these folks wanted: I made noise. I made smells. And we had a blast.
“What?” I declared after turning it off. “We’re on public land. I own the chainsaw. And I pay my taxes. What’s the problem?”
It was, as I explained, an absurd demonstration at an absurd hearing about an absurd new rule to allow people who own smelly and loud toys to “play” on public land.
We need all the help we can get. If you could spare a few minutes to email/write positive comments to the following, it would be greatly appreciated
BMAC: You need to ask people to write letters.......actual paper and pen. If it means something to you, write a letter and use the form as a guide only. Expend a tiny bit of mental and physical energy to get your point across. One original written letter has the power of 500 form emails. Lazy form emails are given little to no respect.
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What can be said of this mystery we're in, I have only one answer to give. If Jesus didn't die to be the Savior of my soul, truly, I do not want to live. For what would living be without a meaning and a hope? Precious little more than just some cruel cosmic joke. It's like being all dressed up and there was never even anywhere to go...
BMAC/VASA in Vermont needs your help
