Obamas Great Outdoors Initiative, This is a nation wide campeign by the Department of the Interior.
I was able to attend the Obama Presidential Great Outdoors Initiative meeting in Eagle Rock on thursday. The purpose of the meetings is for the the Department of the Interior secratary to poll the nation and report back to the president on what changes need to be made concerning public land use. There is a web site listed below that states the details.
This is a great oppertunity to respond and let the DOI people know we want mechanized travel to continue to be used on federal lands and in national parks.
The Public Comment session was conducted by the White House appointed Department of the Interior secratary. After a national tour and collecting of public responce's, he will present his findings to the Presedent.
There were about 100 people present at the comment session from all perspectives of the outdoor circles. As one would suspect, the Sierra club had a good showing. But I didn't get a sense that the secratary was biased toward any one group.
It is crucial that we let our voices be heard from the 4X perspective. If we don't voice our concerns and requests the other parties will be the only ones heard. There were a couple of us who stated our desire to see trails stay open for 4x use. Otherwise the other groups would have just sailed on with their wishes.
The secratary seemed very open to hear any comments on the public recreation subject. His quest from the President is to tour the nation and get a pulse of where people and organizations are at with reguard to recreation and out door activities, as the title of the meeting suggests.
I was able to make two comments before the group. There were recorders that were taking shorthand of the comments. My main point, as was some of the others present, is that the public lands continue to be open to public access and limiting wilderness closures.
Below is the brochure given at the door. The web sites are where official public comments can be registered. Our comments become legal comments that must be taken into consideration on these issues.
Please take the time to let the Deparment of the Interior know what you want to see done with "The Great Outdoors". There are federal OHV areas and federal recreation areas that are designated and funded by the federal gov...express that you want them to stay OPEN, and that mechanized travel can can be used to explore them.
![Image](http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn170/mkjeepers/Misc/DSCF8869.jpg)
Here are the web addresses if you can't read them on the brochure.
Web site; click on the registration & information for California for more details
http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/Email address
ago@ios.doi.gov Mailing address
Department of the Interior, America's Great Outdoors
1849 C St. NW Mailstop 3156
Washington, DC 20240
Most haven't heard of these "Great out Door" meetings. I think this is a "big fish" and we have a great oppertunity to respond and let the Federal Gov. know that we want the Federal OHV areas and National Forest lands to remain open for mechanized travel.
To fill in a little more info on the meetings.....many of those who attended and were specifically invited to these meetings consisted of-----city councel members, NFS leaders, university professors and university inviormental projects leaders, Sierra club chapter leaders, biologists, archiologists, historians, and MANY others who have official interests in the national land use and preservation of it. It seemed anybody who was anybody was there, including CORVA and District 37 and other 4x and offroad reps.
Each person that stood up and presented their interest also had to state their credentials and what organization they represented.
These meetings are being held in other states and the info gathered will be put into official policy for future land use.
There is a little time left to respond. The speaker said the best way to respond and state what you would like to see in the future use of public lands, is to use the email address and or send a letter to the DC address.