|   PA trail closure.................. | GEO
Nov 27, 2001 3:40 AM | | The PA Game commision is trying to deny access to over 35% of PA's public land. Do any of you folks ride Jim Thorpe? You won't be if the PGC has their way. Please go to.......
http://patrails.com
and read up on House Bill 2181 and also read IMBA's position paper on this issue. Folks ,I have been following this for the last 6 months and if we don't get off our asses and start writing some letters,we WILL lose access to over 2 MILLION acres of land. It's up to you..........
George |
| Why don't you | cleatgrrl
Nov 24, 2001 3:27 PM | | make up a simple B&W flier that gives the address and the rough content of the letter you'd like to see written. It could even be a tear-away right on the flier.
I'm going to a cross race in Malverne, PA (no clue where that is, but...) on Sunday, it will be packed with MTBers and other interested parties. I'll put a flier on every car if you will print it up with a big heading like, EMERGENCY, your help needed to save trail access or something. Deal? |
| BTW, I'm not trying to be obtuse, but... | cleatgrrl
Nov 27, 2001 6:08 AM | | I just went to the site and if I can't get the gist of what's going on in 3 minutes of reading, I'm afraid noone can. Do I give myself too much credit? What I mean to say is, I would totally write the flier myself, but I can't discern and boil down the issue without a little interpretation. What are the 3 important points---do MTBers want designations or not? Is there a deadline for this input? What are key dates and facts? Duh? Please e me the basics and I'll create a pdf file you can distribute as a flier. This is not even my neck of the woods, but I'm fired up about it. |
| Silly goil, here's a short cut for you and anyone else. | Bikebreath
Nov 27, 2001 7:56 AM | | I went bonkers reading Bill 2181, but the IMBA straighten it out for me. It's slow here at work today and I had the 10-15 minutes to put into reading the IMBA translation and thinking it through.
Here's what the IMBA suggest you do:
Step 1 Write Tourism Chairperson Godshall
The Bill has been sent to the Tourism Committee for review. It came out of the gate with
25 supporters so will hit the ground running. Representative Godshall chairs the
Tourism Committee and we need to let him know how we feel. Our first course of action
is to launch a letter writing campaign to him. These letters should be short, sweet and to
the point. Handwritten notes go much further. Clearly let him know that we support
House Bill 2181 for the following reasons:
· State Game Lands are public lands and therefore the public should have fair
input into the use of such lands.
· The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages over 35% of all public lands in
Pennsylvania and should be subject to the Regulatory Review Act when making
decisions that could limit access to these lands by citizens of Pennsylvania.
Hon. Robert W. Godshall
1702 Cowpath Road
Hatfield, PA, 19440
[Majority, Tourism and Recreational Development (Chairman)]
Step 2 Write Tourism Committee Members
Letters generated to the committee members FROM THEIR CONSTITUENCY are very
powerful and will be the thrust of the second step. These letters should be short, sweet
and to the point. Handwritten notes go much further. Clearly let them know that we
support House Bill 2181 for the following reasons:
· State Game Lands are public lands and therefore the public should have fair
input into the use of such lands.
· The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages over 35% of all public lands in
Pennsylvania and should be subject to the Regulatory Review Act when making
decisions that could limit access to these lands by citizens of Pennsylvania.
[Bikebreath again...] I've taken the top 7 committee members that hold titles
connected to the issue, from the majority and minority sides and listed
them below. There are 18 others on the Tourism and Recreational
Development Committee if you feel energetic enough to write more.
They are here.
Tourism and Recreational Development
Majority:
Hon. Leroy M. Zimmerman
609 East Main Street
Box 59
Ephrata, PA 17522
(Secretary)
Hon. Ellen M. Bard
1175 Old York Road
Abington, PA, 19001
(Subcommittee Chairman on Recreation)
Hon. Kelly Lewis
One Crystal Street
2nd Floor
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(Subcommittee Chairman on Travel Promotion)
Tourism and Recreational Development
Minority:
Hon. Edward J. Lucyk
39 West Centre Street
Mahanoy City, PA 17948
(Chairman)
Hon. Paul Costa
1601 Penn Ave., Suite 606
Pittsburgh, PA 15221
(Secretary)
Hon. Michael K. Hanna
29 Bellefonte Avenue
Lock Haven, PA 17745
(Subcommittee Chairman on Travel Promotion)
Hon. Chris Sainato
Z-Penn Building
20 South Mercer Street
New Castle, PA 16101
(Subcommittee Chairman on Recreation)
Ok kids, I'm writing to those 8 and keeping my fingers crossed it
doesn't affect the Jim Thopre Mountain Bike Weekend.
Bb, [ the mountain bikers friend. ] |
| tourism... | dante
Nov 27, 2001 9:29 AM | | If you're not from the area, it wouldn't hurt to write and let them know that you travel to PA *specifically* for mtb'ing, and that you spend money while you're in PA. Read something in there about how Tourism is PA's #2 source of income (?) and if they do make mtb'ing illegal for all practical purposes, they'll have to deal with a decline in revenue. Just a thought.
Dante |
| Thank you, nutty oldster | cleatgrrl
Nov 27, 2001 10:35 AM | | Are you crazy? Maybe not, but you're clearly out of your jurisdiction. Don't you know all bets are off on sparing the lives of MTBers during hunting season North of the Mason Dixon line? Is that what this is all about? I'm still not sure. I never ride in PA during hunting season. It's scarey enough to go to the Watershed on a Saturday with guns blasting all around you. If it is an issue of being able to close only during hunting season, that complicates it quite a bit. |
| You mean Malvern? | Doc Yeti
Nov 27, 2001 9:38 AM | | did'nt know there was a mtb event in Malvern, thats like 15 mins. from me, got any details or need directions? |
| Cyclocross if you dare | cleatgrrl
Nov 27, 2001 10:29 AM | | It's cyclocross, that perennial roadie hybrid freak event, but you can ride your mtb sans bar ends. Check the event details at monkeyhillcs.com and click on the MAC race series. |
| Try this............... | GEO
Nov 27, 2001 11:45 AM | | Good idea,the owner of the web site is also the Eastern PA IMBA rep,contact him through his web site,maybe he can do something up.
George |
| I'm getting my pen out. | Bikebreath
Nov 27, 2001 7:06 AM | | That bill, 2181 had some crazy wording. I hope the lawyers can understand it and I'm glad the IMBA decoded it for me. But most of all I hope it passes.
How dare the PGC think they can restrict other user groups. I won't mention that in my letter, but what mind set would even propose such a restriction and not think it would backfire, possibly losing them more than they had to begin with? They don't use it for hunting but half the year and they want to control it for 12 months of the year? Man, do they have egg on their face.
Bb, [ looking forward to writers cramp. ] |
| 7th heaven........ | Cant Climb
Nov 27, 2001 10:04 AM | | ...hey i rode that new trail Thanksgiving morning........had not ridden down there in about 7 years......my parents live in the area......is pretty sweet.....good job......
PGC is closed issue IMO......they are going to close during hunting season and they should.......
CC. |
| read again--closed ALWAYS!!............ | Dave in Md.
Nov 27, 2001 10:30 AM | | They aren't just talking about during hunting season-this would be permanent-all year, every day ban! |
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