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The silly bastards are at it in Arizona. Please help keep a trail open.
___________________________________________
Fellow OHV recreationist........
Below is a sample letter to the Tucson BLM Field Office regarding their intended closure of Martinez Canyon. It's IMPORTANT we deliver HUNDREDS of letters on their desks in the next couple of days. Francisco's agenda has been to close this canyon for several years so this has finally given him the ability to do so.
An EMERGENCY CLOSURE does not require public scoping.
PLEASE use this letter or write your own and delete parts that don't apply to you, but if we want to keep Martinez Canyon open to our use we need to take the bull by the horns and send your letter NOW. Don't let "the other guy do it". YOUR letter will count! BE PRECISE BUT PLEASE BE POLITE.
Please do not just "forward"............ Send as an independent letter. Cut and paste into another email but don't show "where you received the sample" or "who forwarded the information to you" etc.
We CAN make a difference. Please forward this to everyone you know…….
Sandee
Francisco_Mendoza@blm.gov Tucson Planner
Patrick_Madigan@blm.gov Tucson Field Manager
Bill_Gibson@blm.gov State OHV Coordinator
Julie_Decker@blm.gov State Resources Coordinator
Mike_Taylor@blm.gov State Resources Deputy Director
Bill_Civish@blm.gov Tucson District Manager
Anna_Atkinson@blm.gov D.C. OHV Coordinator
August _____, 2006
Bureau of Land Management
Tucson Field Office
12661 E. Broadway
Tucson, AZ 85748-7208
ATTENTION: Mr. Patrick Madigan, Field Manager
Dear Mr. Madigan,
I am a member of __________________________ (AZOHVC; club; group etc) representing _______________ (number of members.. AZOHVC is now over 11,000.)
I have been recreating, hunting, camping and enjoying our backcountry for ______ years and the Martinez Canyon area is important to me and my family in both recreation opportunities and history of our state.
I am writing this in response to a recent notice involving Martinez Canyon. I was dismayed to hear of the damage done to the Cabins but was equally dismayed to hear BLM is strongly considering an “emergency closure” as a result.
“Emergency Closures” tend to become permanent. I am requesting some mitigation steps be considered before closure.
The BLM Volunteer “Red Shirts” have offered numerous solutions in the past and I would hope these steps be considered again. 5-6 Years ago BLM was offered the services, at no cost to BLM, of a structural engineer to evaluate the stabilization of the cabin and the OHV community offered to supply the workers and materials to do what was needed. It was also felt that interpretative signs telling the history of the canyon would bring “responsibility and ownership” from the users. None of this was ever accepted by BLM. We are now in a situation that OHV are paying the penalty for damage by other than OHV. Because of the intimation of the OHV being to blame for the destruction certainly doesn’t lend itself to partnerships between BLM and the OHV community. This area has been a local party spot (RAVE parties and drugs) for several years. The defacing of the historical cabin was not done by OHV. The bold writing on every wall in the cabin was done by an environmental “BLM Volunteer”. Your office staff know of this incident………… has he been banned?
The “BLM Red Shirt Volunteers” are those that do clean-ups; install kiosks and signs; obtain and offer these materials to BLM at no cost; we offer to Adopt trails and help with monitoring and maintenance; many of our OHV folks are now Site Stewards……… we do this and still are the only recreationists denied access to a beautiful canyon because of our choice of transportation or recreation?
I believe gating and permits for access to this canyon was recommended some time ago. I’m assuming if this canyon is closed to motorized use it will be gated at the entrance. Why could this not be a gate allowing for permitted access only. This would give BLM knowledge of who and when there is access to the canyon; it would turn the party crowd away and allow time to join together and evaluate the cabins and hopefully do stabilization work and put together a “history story” of the area. Closing access to OHV is certainly not a way to build collaborative partnerships nor trust between BLM and the OHV Community.
It is respectfully requested BLM meet with the OHV Community leaders to discuss reaching an acceptable approach to this problem before decision of closure is made.
Thank you for your consideration.
*Name
*Address
Phone
Email
___________________________________________
Fellow OHV recreationist........
Below is a sample letter to the Tucson BLM Field Office regarding their intended closure of Martinez Canyon. It's IMPORTANT we deliver HUNDREDS of letters on their desks in the next couple of days. Francisco's agenda has been to close this canyon for several years so this has finally given him the ability to do so.
An EMERGENCY CLOSURE does not require public scoping.
PLEASE use this letter or write your own and delete parts that don't apply to you, but if we want to keep Martinez Canyon open to our use we need to take the bull by the horns and send your letter NOW. Don't let "the other guy do it". YOUR letter will count! BE PRECISE BUT PLEASE BE POLITE.
Please do not just "forward"............ Send as an independent letter. Cut and paste into another email but don't show "where you received the sample" or "who forwarded the information to you" etc.
We CAN make a difference. Please forward this to everyone you know…….
Sandee
Francisco_Mendoza@blm.gov Tucson Planner
Patrick_Madigan@blm.gov Tucson Field Manager
Bill_Gibson@blm.gov State OHV Coordinator
Julie_Decker@blm.gov State Resources Coordinator
Mike_Taylor@blm.gov State Resources Deputy Director
Bill_Civish@blm.gov Tucson District Manager
Anna_Atkinson@blm.gov D.C. OHV Coordinator
August _____, 2006
Bureau of Land Management
Tucson Field Office
12661 E. Broadway
Tucson, AZ 85748-7208
ATTENTION: Mr. Patrick Madigan, Field Manager
Dear Mr. Madigan,
I am a member of __________________________ (AZOHVC; club; group etc) representing _______________ (number of members.. AZOHVC is now over 11,000.)
I have been recreating, hunting, camping and enjoying our backcountry for ______ years and the Martinez Canyon area is important to me and my family in both recreation opportunities and history of our state.
I am writing this in response to a recent notice involving Martinez Canyon. I was dismayed to hear of the damage done to the Cabins but was equally dismayed to hear BLM is strongly considering an “emergency closure” as a result.
“Emergency Closures” tend to become permanent. I am requesting some mitigation steps be considered before closure.
The BLM Volunteer “Red Shirts” have offered numerous solutions in the past and I would hope these steps be considered again. 5-6 Years ago BLM was offered the services, at no cost to BLM, of a structural engineer to evaluate the stabilization of the cabin and the OHV community offered to supply the workers and materials to do what was needed. It was also felt that interpretative signs telling the history of the canyon would bring “responsibility and ownership” from the users. None of this was ever accepted by BLM. We are now in a situation that OHV are paying the penalty for damage by other than OHV. Because of the intimation of the OHV being to blame for the destruction certainly doesn’t lend itself to partnerships between BLM and the OHV community. This area has been a local party spot (RAVE parties and drugs) for several years. The defacing of the historical cabin was not done by OHV. The bold writing on every wall in the cabin was done by an environmental “BLM Volunteer”. Your office staff know of this incident………… has he been banned?
The “BLM Red Shirt Volunteers” are those that do clean-ups; install kiosks and signs; obtain and offer these materials to BLM at no cost; we offer to Adopt trails and help with monitoring and maintenance; many of our OHV folks are now Site Stewards……… we do this and still are the only recreationists denied access to a beautiful canyon because of our choice of transportation or recreation?
I believe gating and permits for access to this canyon was recommended some time ago. I’m assuming if this canyon is closed to motorized use it will be gated at the entrance. Why could this not be a gate allowing for permitted access only. This would give BLM knowledge of who and when there is access to the canyon; it would turn the party crowd away and allow time to join together and evaluate the cabins and hopefully do stabilization work and put together a “history story” of the area. Closing access to OHV is certainly not a way to build collaborative partnerships nor trust between BLM and the OHV Community.
It is respectfully requested BLM meet with the OHV Community leaders to discuss reaching an acceptable approach to this problem before decision of closure is made.
Thank you for your consideration.
*Name
*Address
Phone
Comment