"Is Your Off Road Future About Passion or Apathy? "

[offworlder]

Great article from Steve Salisbury at Trail Rider magazine - are you an off road advocate, or apathetic ? Please read it, and get involved, and remember:
" it’s far harder to reopen a riding area that’s been closed than to keep one open that’s threatened."
and “those who go to the meetings rule the world” !!!

http://trailrider.com/magazine/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Trail-Rider-Practical-Access-Advocate1.pdf

 

[cheeseburger]

Another good quote:

Drew Smith spoke for the majority when he told me “noise is the #1 problem”. Fred Wiley, President of the Off Road Business Association reminded me that land use discussions center on “conflicts” and sound conflicts are the best example. Frank Esposito told me, “regulation happens when we annoy”.

I know I'm annoyed by loud pipes; I can only imagine what it's like for somebody who doesn't even ride.

I think the most interesting idea in the article, though, is the use of the NRA as a model for an advocacy organization. I'm not a huge gun advocate myself but there is no question that they are an effective voice for gun owners. It might be interesting to look into the culture of the organization to see how they manage to keep membership rates high in a demographic of fiercely independent people. I bet there are some lessons in there for us as we build out BCORMA.