Face it, we are fighting a war that the outcome of which has no benefit to either
side fighting it. Look around, view the land, Look at who administrates it.

Once, before modern politics we had money to support the Park/Forest/BLM lands
around this nation. But as members of congress need more and more money for
projects that mean more for their reelections the funding for maintaining these lands
gets less and less. So the Agencies in charge of this land and that land look
more and more to volunteer groups to help maintain them. In this way we have days
to replant, days to clean, volunteers to patrol, work parties to build, protect
and help in almost every facit of the up keep and protection of these lands

And to complicate maters, we are devided into different factions with opinions
on what should be done with the land.

Our self centered fights are taking the view from our eyes of what the true issues are.
We need to do a few things
First, every side needs to clean up it's act. Face it are there groups within your own
side that destroy the image you want to protray? I mean are the extreme groups we
accept as on our side really making us look like idiots? Check out the next time
you see a group that you really do not feel what they are doing is helping your
cause. I mean no one thinks bad of a family with that cute 6 year old girl in
pigtails on a drive down a fire trail as a threat to land, But a porpose built
Rock buggy Illegally on a trail does more damage to our cause than the other
side collecting millions and giving it to a politician for reelection. And
one act of Eco Terror hurts the Green side as much.

Face it, what we really want is a managed trail system so we can go enjoy our
Public lands. A way to go camping, Places to trail ride, a few difficult trails,
and places to explore and recreate. I tell you, if you get down and talk to a
member of the anti access groups (those who do not like 4x4s and other off road
vehicles) they need the same thing. A way to get to that land area they want to
recreate in. How will they get their rock climbing equiptment in? How will
they get to trail head? ever lift a canoe? Heavy.
If you want to see wildlife do you want to have to hike in 15 miles everytime?
You see, whatever the end reason, we all need the same thing. Managed trails.

And we need to protect those trails from those wanting to take them from us.
No not the Green side, the uneducated member of every group, and the extremest
they are the ones we need to reach. Oh yea the rest of the fight will go on.
to give up on it would be a boon to the otherside. And a total victory would
be the ruin for all sides. Remember the saying, "be careful what you pray for"
well what we need is a more organized attempt to educate the new, the uninformed
or those who know so little as not to care. And at the same time we need to step
up our volunteer hours to the land management agencies.
When was the last time you gave 4 to 6 hours to your local National Forest as a
volunteer to plant a burned out area? Did you know we just had one here in the SBNF?
Have you ever searched on the net for a place to?

Go to Tread Lightly . org, just do a search, those guys have more educational
Material you can aquire for almost every facit of outdoor use. Buy some and carry
it. Pass it out, sheesh just read it.
Next time you see a bit of land being argued over about it staying open, don't
stand there and complain. Get out and do something. Your hours spent volunteering
and helping educate are the most powerful thing you have. 40 hours a year in
Volunteer work means more than a months pay sent to a politician. It is recognized
and make sure they know you are a wheeler working to keep lands open.

You see, it is not about access. It is about protection. It is about
education. It is about Stewardship. Let us prove ourselves Stewards.

thanks for reading this.

James G. Hennegan