Guys,
Sorry if this post is inappropriate for this forum, but ATVers in our area are in need of your help.
We've proposed a new trail complex, but have been met with some resistance. Apparrantly, there are a few environmentalists (about 20) who are fighting this proposal.
The following info will explaing how you can make a difference. We would appreciate your support and I hope you choose to be proactive and help us in this effort.


It has been requested to the City Council, City of Seminole, Oklahoma to approve motorcycle and ATV trails at the local city-owned lake (Sportsman Lake). For this to happen, we will need your support.
Seminole is located about 55 miles east of OKC at the intersection of Hwy 9 & Hwy 99 (US 377).

We're asking all ATVers and motorcyclist to help with our campaign. All we have to do is show that there is ample support for the trails and we can get them approved.

If you would like to help, here's what you can do:

a) Simply write a letter/email addressed to:

Mayor Billy Choate
401 N. Main
Seminole, Oklahoma

voicing your support for the trails. Email it to me at harmony @ okplus.com and I'll present it to the Mayor and City Council.

Or,

b) Email me at harmony @ okplus.com and I'll email you a petition to pass around to your friends. Once they have all signed the petition, simply fax the petition back to me with a number I will provide for you. Some guys have been taking the petition to ATV & motorcycle dealers, repair shops and parts houses. They leave the petition there for a few days and then pick it up once it's full of signatures. This is a great way to get signatures.

If you would like to see more places to ride, help us with this effort.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to post them here or email me and I will answer them for you.

Thanks for your support,
James Hale
Seminole, Ok.

James921:

First welcome to the site!

Secondly this is very important for groups like ours to help as much as we can and thanks for asking.

This is also something you should submit to the front page for some exposure if you like. You can do this by going to the top left of the site and go into "Submit Content".

Once you get done telling about what is going on and giving all the contact data you hit submit and then we approve (or don't approve) your submission.

It will for sure get some attention here, but something like land use issues are also good to put up on the front page to gain support as well.

If you don't add it I'll get it added for you later today.

Welcome again and hopefully some folks in here will take the time to email you and the correct authorities to give you all some help.

Best of luck,

WEASEL

James921, by now you should have received the email I sent to you in support of your fight. I hadn't even noticed that that you were new our site and feel bad about not welcoming you, so please consider this a belated WELCOME!

To everyone else, it takes just a minute to draft a quick email in support of Jame's groups attempt to open more trails, so please do so. Be respectful, use spell checking and if it's practical suggest you look forward to visiting the area in the near future because of the trail. City councils are much more inclined to support requests that help the local economies. Below is the short email I sent to James:

Quote::

James Living in north Texas, we often look to vacation opportunities in the surrounding states, Oklahoma being the primary one. The proposed new trail complex in Seminole is very exciting and I know that not only my family, but the members of the two clubs I belong to would seriously consider crossing the red river to spend our vacation dollars enjoying such a complex. So if tourism is any motivation to those considering your proposal, please let the City Council know that there a lot of us Texans who not only support the proposed trail complex, but will support the local economy when we visit to enjoy it. I might add, the clubs I belong to are family oriented, environmentally responsible and we have been welcomed back everywhere we've ever visited in the past. Regards

james welcome to the frontier !!! you will be recieving my email soon . i am thrilled to suport any one any where who want's to improve our sport . if this gets up and going you will have to let us know so we may come and ride your area . i live about 3.5 hours east of you centrel mo and would enjoy another vacation spot to play . best of luck !!!!!

Forker, Weasel:
I feel very lucky to have two such great administrators to this forum who actively support such wonderful causes. While I currently do not own an ATV, I feel that any ATV forum / club which supports families and the enjoyment of the great American outdoors deserves much praise.
This fight to get back our great nation's wilderness / recreation areas is an important one. As an avid hiker, I too see some of my favorite trails being closed to erosion and irresponsible behavior. And sadly, after seeing one such trail prior to it's closure, I had to agree that it was being misused. A few rotten people ruin it for everyone.
Anyone who uses the outdoors for recreation is responsible for policing those who are not capable of following the rules. Often, it is not ignorance but carelessness.
This forum's administrators and regular members all try to promote the safe use of ATVs. They also actively speak out agains misuse of the trails that are open. To that, I commend you.
I hope all those here take these calls to speak out seriously... and as forker said, be respectful! You will be doing all outdoor enthusiasts a favor!

James: Good luck!

Thanks for the welcome, guys - and thanks for the support. It's folks like you who will make the difference, and due to a new development, we're going to need ALOT more folks like you.

NEW DEVELOPMENT
I met with the city Public Works Director and our Consumer Services Director today at 1:00 pm to go over our proposal and ask for their input.
While I was there (ironically), the President of our local Equestrian Riders Club and our Mayor came in (not knowing I was there) and handed the Public Works Director a binder full of about 150 letters stating that the Equestrian Riders "now want" the proposed ATV area to expand their existing horse trails. They want to take the only available land left at the lake and designate it as equestrian trials ONLY!! They already have about 950 acres of land for their trails, and now they want the land we are proposing too. So, now our goals have changed from "asking" for some previously unused property for ATV trails, to having to "fight the equestrian riders for it".

You see, the equestrian riders have been against this proposal all along. I didn't mention it before because I was trying to be respectful and not make this into an "us against them" issue. Well, now they've forced me to take off the kid gloves and get serious. I hope you'll get serious with me. Keep those letters coming!!! And ask your friends to get involved and write a letter too. We need every one we can get.

Thank you for your support, and I thank those who have already sent me your letter. Together, we WILL WIN on this issue.

Sincerely,
James Hale

James921 wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, guys - and thanks for the support. It's folks like you who will make the difference, and due to a new development, we're going to need ALOT more folks like you. NEW DEVELOPMENT I met with the city Public Works Director and our Consumer Services Director today at 1:00 pm to go over our proposal and ask for their input. While I was there (ironically), the President of our local Equestrian Riders Club and our Mayor came in (not knowing I was there) and handed the Public Works Director a binder full of about 150 letters stating that the Equestrian Riders "now want" the proposed ATV area to expand their existing horse trails. They want to take the only available land left at the lake and designate it as equestrian trials ONLY!! They already have about 950 acres of land for their trails, and now they want the land we are proposing too. So, now our goals have changed from "asking" for some previously unused property for ATV trails, to having to "fight the equestrian riders for it". You see, the equestrian riders have been against this proposal all along. I didn't mention it before because I was trying to be respectful and not make this into an "us against them" issue. Well, now they've forced me to take off the kid gloves and get serious. I hope you'll get serious with me. Keep those letters coming!!! And ask your friends to get involved and write a letter too. We need every one we can get. Thank you for your support, and I thank those who have already sent me your letter. Together, we WILL WIN on this issue. Sincerely, James Hale

Someone may correct me on this. But it sounds like what I heard happened a few years ago to our sport of ATVing (It was hearsay).

A couple years back ATV trails were being challenged by Mt. Bikers and they were being told sweet sounds in their ears from the Enviro's (the Mt. Bikers).

So it put ATV'ers versus bikers and atv's lost.

Then of all things the Enviro's started going after anything with wheels.....that included Mt. Bikes.

So then they came crawling back to the off-road / equal use side whining they were loosing trails.

In my opinion........., sounds like your equestrian riders are getting some behind the scenes support and prodding to stop this ATV trail expansion........imo. Actually its smart politics. To many of the anti-groups are either using other means to fight ORV use or actually helping, advising other groups by it benefitting these "lesser priorities" in the enviro's eyes (for now.....lol). It also keeps the focus off the "real" responsible party's like the Sierra Club.....etc. etc....!

To bad these "other" less prioritized groups (like your equestrian riders) are to dumb to realize they will eventually have their time in the spot light battling these Enviro's and their quote buddies will only last so long.......guaranteed.




WEASEL

Also......I am a firm believer in what comes around goes around.