Post by Wyldcomfort on Jun 1, 2007 0:12:55 GMT -5
Hello Ed, I would appreciate your passing our letter on to the Forest Service on behalf of our group. Thank you for partcipating in these meetings and representing us all so well.
Dear Sirs,
It is with great hope my letter will reach the very child in you. To explore finding treasures along the way, spending time with your family, and feeling the overwhelming affection for your dad because he is cool. Rather than sitting in front of a television, or being confined to a postage stamp backyard, maybe even hanging with the other kids who have nothing else to do - you are camping, riding, experiencing something rare in these days of ours. Maybe you ride, then fish, a little geocaching, rock hunting, maybe you climb to the top of the trail and see the forested hills and the far off ocean beaches. For just a moment life becomes clear and you realize the significance of the beauty before you. It is awe inspiring...real...and you are a part of it. Now add a grandfather to this outing, one who can not physically do other activities but while on an ATV or Motorcycle - he is king and he too is cool.
As our population grows, our cities fill and expand to outlying areas, lots become smaller, people become more autonomous...we become more alone. Our world becomes very narrowed by the streets, walls, and something that really has no name. It is a feeling, a way we disconnect. Families fight hard to hold on to a fleeting desire to give their children reality....and our forests with their many networks of trails are the avenue for so many people.
Our sport is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. More and more families are looking for this connection with their children and other human beings. In Oregon there are almost 600,000 OHV riders - this doesn't include the millions of visitors to our state during the year. Rather than repeat why this trail or that should be open, I will ask you to remember the child who resides in your heart. Think of the many children, our most precious gift, and remember them as you make your decisions. The existing trails are just that because they are used. Rather than reducing riding areas, which increases safety risks to our children, expansion as the sport grows should be practiced. Our public lands and their caretakers are for the benefit of all public interests. We all need a place to play in our own way.
I also agree we should respect the very lands we ride just as we should have respect for others in their recreational interests. We can all share and we can certainly learn how to practice better environmental husbandry. We are a group of many riders and more importantly parents of wide eyed precious children. We ask you to consider them. Thank you, Lindy
Dear Sirs,
It is with great hope my letter will reach the very child in you. To explore finding treasures along the way, spending time with your family, and feeling the overwhelming affection for your dad because he is cool. Rather than sitting in front of a television, or being confined to a postage stamp backyard, maybe even hanging with the other kids who have nothing else to do - you are camping, riding, experiencing something rare in these days of ours. Maybe you ride, then fish, a little geocaching, rock hunting, maybe you climb to the top of the trail and see the forested hills and the far off ocean beaches. For just a moment life becomes clear and you realize the significance of the beauty before you. It is awe inspiring...real...and you are a part of it. Now add a grandfather to this outing, one who can not physically do other activities but while on an ATV or Motorcycle - he is king and he too is cool.
As our population grows, our cities fill and expand to outlying areas, lots become smaller, people become more autonomous...we become more alone. Our world becomes very narrowed by the streets, walls, and something that really has no name. It is a feeling, a way we disconnect. Families fight hard to hold on to a fleeting desire to give their children reality....and our forests with their many networks of trails are the avenue for so many people.
Our sport is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. More and more families are looking for this connection with their children and other human beings. In Oregon there are almost 600,000 OHV riders - this doesn't include the millions of visitors to our state during the year. Rather than repeat why this trail or that should be open, I will ask you to remember the child who resides in your heart. Think of the many children, our most precious gift, and remember them as you make your decisions. The existing trails are just that because they are used. Rather than reducing riding areas, which increases safety risks to our children, expansion as the sport grows should be practiced. Our public lands and their caretakers are for the benefit of all public interests. We all need a place to play in our own way.
I also agree we should respect the very lands we ride just as we should have respect for others in their recreational interests. We can all share and we can certainly learn how to practice better environmental husbandry. We are a group of many riders and more importantly parents of wide eyed precious children. We ask you to consider them. Thank you, Lindy