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Topic: United e-News January 2009 (Read 156 times) |
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toynrnd
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Mmmmm...fourwheelin'!
 
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United e-News January 2009
« Thread started on: Jan 20th, 2009, 07:35am » |
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| « Last Edit: Jan 20th, 2009, 07:35am by toynrnd » |
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'06 Dodge 3500 (tow rig), '00 Durango (daily driver), '99 XJ (wheelin' rig), '92 MJ (2WD daily driver), '81 CJ7 (wheelin' rig), '59 Willys Wagon (project), '51 CJ3A (on the road - work in progress), '48 CJ2A (project), another '48 CJ2A (project), '43 GPW (project)
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n24wheeling
Trail Guide
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Good Wheeling
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Re: United e-News January 2009
« Reply #1 on: Feb 23rd, 2009, 2:04pm » |
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BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP UFWDA
Two of the many reasons for joining UFWDA are to promote the sport of four wheeling and to unify local, regional and state four-wheel drive organizations. Currently, there are nearly 450 clubs that are members of United Four Wheel Drive Associations. On April 1, 1993, UFWDA opened a Legislative Advocate position in the Washington D.C. area. This position enables us to provide a substantial lobbying presence where it is needed in support of national and local issues; increase our land use information network; and be available to work closely with D.C. land managers, elected officials, agencies, etc. Below is a list of specific items that UFWDA is working on.
Easy, full-time access to UFWDA attorney. United’s attorney can assist clubs to fight closures in their areas, to write appeals, to provide legal advice on the merits of upcoming law suits, to assist in the formation of a four wheel drive club including incorporation, and with other four wheel drive-related issues facing members.
UFWDA works with manufactures and other advertising executives to correct advertising depicting improper use to avoid perpetuating the myth that we're all just weekend yahoos tearing up the land and streams. We have solicited DaimlerChrysler Jeep Division for the past several years to reinstitute its Jeep Environmental Council. UFWDA served on this council since its inception in the mid 1990s. The council was designed to preview TV and print ads from Jeep to correct any user ethics violations occurring in the advertising. Seated on this council were UFWDA, Jeep Jamboree USA, TreadLightly!, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. UFWDA has requested the implementation of similar programs in other manufacturers such as Ford and Toyota Trucks. Similarly, UFWDA sends written correspondence to other companies who already advertise us in a negative way.
In 1993 UFWDA developed its 4WD Awareness Program in order to reach out to 4x4 users on proper driving techniques and user ethics. The program continues to grow among our member organizations every year.
UFWDA is a charter member of TreadLightly! and as such we work closely with TreadLightly! to educate the public and users on proper user ethics, what constitutes "trail riding", and on restoration grants to repair environmentally sensitive areas.
UFWDA drafted portions of the current national fee program to ensure that those areas utilized heavily by 4x4 recreation have a means for pumping money into the area where the use occurs.
UFWDA has a grant-writing workshop for obtaining grants through the Recreational Trails Program. These grants include trail repair but can also include money for educational material to prevent renegade use such as our Volunteer Trail Patrol program and our Public Land Owner's Manual.
UFWDA works with federal land management agencies to educate their employees on our use preferences. This outreach includes participation in trails symposiums, user ethics conferences, and agency congresses.
UFWDA supports the pending bill in Congress that makes renegade illegal use of federal lands a Class 1 felony uniformly from one federal agency to the next. This legislation not only unifies penalties for criminal use of federal lands it also informs our Congressional Representatives and land managers that UFWDA clearly separates the legal, reasonable, and appropriate 4x4 use from renegade and improper users.
At the state level UFWDA has worked on policing issues with land managers in several states. UFWDA has worked with local organizations and provided input and guidance in dealing with various issues relating to trail access.
Our policy goals at UFWDA are to address 4x4 image on the public sector side as well as work with local, state, and federal agencies to clarify what experiences legitimate users are after.
UFWDA and other national recreation organizations have been meeting bi-monthly to discuss land
use and legal issues important to motorized recreation and to coordinate efforts and pool resources
where practical. The organizations represented in these forum discussions include American Council
of Snowmobile Associations, the American Motorcyclist Association, Americans for Responsible
Recreational Access, the BlueRibbon Coalition, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the National Off-
Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, the Off-Road Business Association, the Recreational Off-
Highway Vehicle Association, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Tread Lightly!, and United
Four Wheel Drive Associations.
The most recent face-to-face forum took place in Las Vegas last week in conjunction with the
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show on November 6, 2008. Topics from their
July, 2008 meeting in Washington D.C., as well as new topics unique to the newly changing political
environment after the elections, were discussed.
Upcoming issues important to recreational access include reauthorization of the Recreational Trails
Program (RTP) and the need to address proposed Wilderness designation likely to be introduced in
the 111th Congress. On-going topics of concern include the US Forest Service transportation
management planning, Bureau of Land Management ORV route designation and national and statewide
forest certification issues, particularly for states such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin
and adoption of a forest certification policy by the US Forest Service.
“Our organizations have collectively accomplished a great deal through these meetings over the past 2
years”, stated Carla Boucher, attorney for United Four Wheel Drive Associations. “The importance of
discussing emerging threats to motorized recreation access and the impact of utilizing coordinated
responses to those most important to our sport can not be understated”.
Join United and be part of the solution and not part of the problem
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