The US - DOI Announces Formal Public Comment Period for Antiquities Act Monuments

Shared from our friends and partners at Share Trails / BRC
https://sharetrails.org/alert/national-doi-announces-formal-public-comment-period-for-antiquities-act-monuments/

Releases List of Monuments Under Review

The Department of the Interior has announced the first ever formal public comment period for members of the public to officially weigh in on monument designations under the Antiquities Act of 1906, and the Department released a list of monuments under review under the President’s Executive Order 13792, issued April 26, 2017. A public comment period is not required for monument designations under the Antiquities Act; however, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and President Trump both strongly believe that local input is a critical component of federal land management.

Comments may be submitted online after May 12 at https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOI-2017-0002-0001 or at http://www.regulations.gov by entering “DOI-2017-0002” in the Search bar and clicking “Search,” or by mail to Monument Review, MS-1530, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.

The Department published a notice in the Federal Register officially opening the public comment period on May 11, 2017. Written comments relating to the Bears Ears National Monument must be submitted within 15 days of publication of that notice. Written comments relating to all other designations subject to Executive Order 13792 must be submitted within 60 days of that date.

For a complete list of National Monuments being reviewed and to read the Department of the Interior press release go here. To read the Federal Register Notice go here.

Thanks in advance and, as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact BRC.

Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext. 2

SFWDA contributes $1,000 to the inaugural 2016 Share Trails Challenge.

   Each year we contribute a portion of our annual proceeds to other fellow nationwide stewardship organizations through. This we have a more direct mission to support our partners with the Blue Ribbon Coalition, now referred to as Share Trails.

  These folks work tirelessly to fight for our access across the entire nation and have been a great resource for us here locally in the South. We are currently working their representatives, lawyers, and consultants to ensure success on our Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway project.

Learn More on DBBB
http://www.sfwda.org/dbbb

SFWDA contributes $1,000 to the inaugural 2016 Share Trails Challenge....

SFWDA contributes $1,000 annually to BRC, and now to the Share Trails Challenge for 2016

  Sharetrails.org / BlueRibbon Coalition is nearly 30 years old and to celebrate we want to try something new, our first ever online Fundraiser Challenge. We really need your help to make it work!

 

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  Here's what you can you do to help........

   Our goal is to promote Sharetrails.org and the preservation of access through social media like we've never done before. We want this to go viral! Please accept our challenge to participate and by all means share, share and share! Show the preservationists and extreme environmentalists that you care just as much as they do about public land and support your rights to access by joining, donate and sharing. 

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JOIN

  We've grown at a rate of about 15% over the past 7 quarters but we are still at a relative disadvantage in numbers because our starting point is far behind groups who oppose access. Preservationists groups succeed largely because of their numbers, not because of the merits of their arguments. As the only multi modal 50-state organization that fights for your rights to access we need to grow. More members increase our ability to stand up for access and makes us harder to ignore. Accept our challenge and join us - and bring along your friends who care about access. DONATE:  We have received a generous match from Inland Empire Four Wheelers for the specific purpose of bringing onboard our first land use rep and ambassador for the Eastern United States, Randy Block. Please help us fund this position by donating to this fundraiser. 

DONATE 

CHALLENGE YOUR FRIENDS:  Here's how it works. Go HERE to download and print a copy of our Sharetrails Challenge sign (or make your own). Then take a photograph or video holding the sign (interesting backgrounds are a bonus!) and share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the #sharetrailschallenge hashtag. Tell everyone how you are answering the challenge!  Post your photo and comments to social media, send to your friends, tag them and challenge them to join and match your support for Sharetrails/BRC’s vision (to ensure that your posts show up in the feeds above, be sure to make your post public and also post it on the Sharetrails/BRC Facebook page). 

POST ON

SHARETRAILS/BRC
FACEBOOK PAGE
 

Learn More....

Hope You Will Join Us for the 2015 SFWDA Annual Leadership Council Meeting & Webinar

Join us December 5th in Oak Ridge, TN for our Annual Meeting where we wrap up the progress of 2015 and discuss the challenges, opportunities, and upcoming events of 2016.
 

Everyone is invited. 
Whether your a life long member or just now heard of us, you are all welcome to join us at this important meeting. We'll meet at the DoubleTree Hotel conference room for our 9am meeting to cover all current events, budget & financials, web and social media growth, grant developments, current land use matters, plans for 2016, future events, and 2016-2017 elections. There are also several important BOD positions open. If you or anyone you know of might be interested please contact us. 

Special Guests.
We're very excited and fortunate to announce several special guests this year. We've scheduled a special call in guest and a couple of attending guests from the Blue Ribbon Coalition and United Four Wheel Drive Association. 

Interactive.
This will be an interactive event. Everyone is welcome to attend. For those attending in person take this opportunity to meet and interact with fellow enthusiasts, industry leaders, land use representatives, OHV park owners and more. Webinar attendees can ask questions online using the Citrix chat box, vote online for upcoming BOD positions, and follow along on each discussion topic. All active eligible SFWDA member attendees can even vote during our BOD elections. 

Online Meeting Broadcast. 
If you can't attend this important meeting in person  you can still participate. We want everyone who can't make it in person to join us online in our webinar. That's right, everyone can join us on your phone, tablet, laptop, smartphone, PC, or Mac.
 Register for the Webinar and attend the meeting from the comfort of your home. No other special equipment is necessary to listen and vote.

Register for Webinar
 

Discount Rooms.
Special room rates have been arranged at the host hotel, DoubleTree and are valid through Nov. 25th., so act now. The reserved block of rooms at the discounted rate are available for all attendees if you follow this link below.
Book a Discounted Room

North American Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC) meeting kicks off when NAXJA Contributes $5,000 donation to BlueRibbon Coalition at SEMA

Naxja North American XJ Association kicked off the meeting of the North American Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC) with a $5000 donation to BlueRibbon Coalition.— with John Stewart, Kay Lloyd, William A Kaeppner, Todd Ockert, Del Albright,Rebecca Antle, Danny Hale, Matt Westrich and Martin Hackworth.

A few words about the EPA & Land Use Parameters from Del Albright

After the recent visit to Las Vegas to attend SEMA 2014 by SFWDA representatives Ray Stanley and Greg Griffith brought back some useful information and resources for our association to grow with. 

 While there among all the action and exposure Ray took a moment to catch up with Del Albright, Director of Operations, BlueRibbon Coalition. Del mentioned he is hosting a seminar in February about the EPA and water issues and so we wanted to bring some  of his insight on the topic to Southern and our members. Ray asked Del afterwards in follow up of the event.

"What are your perspectives, inputs and potential impacts of the EPA water management requests for comments; and what positions do you see coming from BRC? "

  "Undoubtedly the biggest issue we face right now across many recreation areas – from the Rubicon Trail to your country.  We fixed the problem on the Rubicon by ‘taking charge’ of it and not letting “it” ruin our access.  We had to manage it.  And we had to cooperate with the multitude of agencies who think they have some authority over the Rubicon.  In fact our very first work party on the Rubicon was in 2001 to build 31 rolling water bar/dip, erosion control goodies to keep water off the trail and where it belonged.  14 years later we’re still managing water on that trail." 

 Del continued to say " With water and erosion, educated involvement is the key to success; and making sure your clubs are part of the process, adopting trails, and being part of the solution.  Good signage; educational brochures handed out to trail users; web sites and forums; and volunteers on the trail fixing the problems, are the BEST actions we can take.  Learning about Best Management Practices (or whatever your controlling agency likes to use for terminology) is very important to keeping this controlled and managed.  If they like water bars, offer to build them.  If they sediment traps, offer to build and install them. 

The point is, it’s way too hard to fight it when water is involved or at stake.  Just fix it and manage it. 

I talk a bit about it in my landuse book, which by the way, if Southern would like a bulk deal on my online training course (RLTC), just say the word and we can do a swinging deal for a group of folks who sign up at once. I’ve done it for a few Associations around the country and it seems to work out pretty well.  More info here: http://www.rltc.biz.

 And if anyone from Southern can make a workshop in CA Feb. 28th weekend, I’ll be doing another Volunteer Leader & Land Stewardship (VLLS) workshop then near Sacramento, CA.  It’s free once you get there. "   Del

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 And if you want some Landuse & Volunteerism Books, here’s the link: http://www.delalbright.com/book_order.html

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You can also contact Del Albright directly at:

Del Albright
Director of Operations, BlueRibbon Coalition www.BlueRibbonCoalition.org 
2014 Inductee, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (www.ormhof.org) 
Founding Trail Boss, Friends of the Rubicon www.rubiconfriends.com

Find Del on Facebook here
Find BRC on Facebook here.