OT Ride vs BLM - some advice

[Nat & Richard <trailride@foothill.net>]

Sharon & Crockett,

Here are some suggestions offered by Tony Rossmann, a San Francisco lawyer,
ultra-runner, and a key player in the successful effort to save No Hands
Bridge.  Tony's remarks are in response to the original alarm you sounded,
posted on Ridecamp on 12/27, and passed along to Tony for comment as follows...

Nat & Richard wrote [on 12/28 to Larry Suddjian]: 
> FYI, the attached [message posted by otdumas]. BLM and the other Fed 
> management agencies all seem to take this approach of proposing a "no action"
> vs several other more or less repugnant alternatives, as though "no action" 
> is somehow less than desirable. Whatever happened with the Robinson Flat 
> plan? Same deal, eh? /richard

Larry Suddjian wrote [on 12/28, cc to Tony Rossmann]:  
> Richard ~ We need to participate in the responses. What is happening is VERY
> similar to the GRANITE CHIEF issue we faced in the '80's. Our letters are 
> needed as Congress DOES listen. Maybe Tony Rossmann can help. We are involved
> with the outcome of Robinson Flat and the wheels of progress do move slowly
> when the government alone is involved. Larry Suddjian 


Tony writes:

"This issue should be easier than Granite Chief, because the national monument
was created by the President, not Congress; and thus the executive branch can
define appropriate land use without running afoul of asserted statutory
restrictions. 

"If folks want to defend the continuation of the Outlaw Trail Historical
Endurance [Ride], they should be prepared to show ideally that it has been
conducted without impact at a certain level of participants and that it should
be allowed for that reason so to continue at that level. 

"There might be, indeed should be, a problem if proponents want to conduct the
ride more frequently than once a season and assert that they can bring as many
as they want each time. Continuation of the existing event at the existing level
of activity is the essence of the argument we made, and the decision given us,
at Granite Chief. 

"Proponents of the ride should question BLM on why there is not an action
alternative that allows for the ride; it might make sense for one of the action
alternatives to be so "pristine" as to forbid it, but all of the action
alternatives should not. But at the same time, ride proponents will lose
political support in the environmental community and within the Government if
they turn their position into a Wise Use diatribe against reasonable regulation
of public lands. 

"You may pass this on for what it's worth; that about sums up my advice on the
information presented. Tony"


/richard, tevis webguy

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