Recreational Boating in Ca. is in trouble

[poopdeckpappy]

At the bottom of this rant is a link to what is about to happen here in Ca., but first a little history so you now why my red flag is flying

For many years OHV recreationalist and conservationist peacefully coexsited, but as conservation turn to activism, battles arose between the recreationalist and the NEW environmentalist.

To help balance the two sides a State Committee was formed, it was and still is the OHMVR Committee, it is ( or was ) made up of leaders in each field of recreation including environmental leaders. ( total of 7 members )

One purpose of the OHMVR was to create new oppertunities for recreational offroading and maintaining old OHV areas and established trail systems; To do this they created a green stricker program for registering Offroad vehicles

The money from the green sticker program would fund the expansion of OHV parks and maintain what was ready established.

What ended up happening was environmental lobbist manage to work their magic and soon the OHMVR was dominated by enviros ( 5 out of the 7 ) with the chairman being a ex board member of the CWC ( California Wilderness Coalition )

Money was soon divert from the OHMVR to the Dept. Parks & Rec and as a result OHV areas stuffered in maintance, safety programs were cut and soon many areas were closed or dangerously downsized, all the while environmental sensitive areas and zero access wilderness areas increased a 1000 fold with the help of Boxer, the ESA and EPA

Now we have the Gov of Ca. trying to dissolve the Dept of Boating and Waterways and have the Dept of parks and recreation take over.

The Ca. Dept. of Parks and Recreation is a Facade, ( in my opinion based on exposure to them ) DPR is a State funded Environmental group and if allowed to take over the duties of the DBW, recreational boating will, without doubt come under fire by the environmental activist and recreational boating will suffer the same demise ( lack of funding and safety programs etc,etc. ) that the OHV community has in California.

Now before you start saying I'm over reacting, I have to say, I delt with all the above players for 7 yrs on OHV access rights ( excluding the Gov )


Read here
The Log.com News

[Giulietta]

Pdp, I am sorry..

maybe you should move to Portugal..man..i don't understand the politics in your Country..I really don't

Sorry again

[merc2dogs]

Don't be sorry Giu, I don't think anyone here really understands it either!

Ken

[retclt]

I understand it.

Like Cam said awhile back . . . "I enjoyed being a free man".

.

[xort]

It's simple...the far left hates seeing other people enjoying themselves.

They want to impose their morals and values on everybody else.

Jefferson is dead. So is America as we knew it.

[erps]

Similar things are happening between the hunters (who pay for habitat programs to increase hunting opportunities) and the tree huggers who then want to shut hunting down.

[Dmarina]

I also received a notice from "The Log", as I am a subscriber, asking to mail the notice to California's Sentors and Assembly members. I did so today. PLEASE all Californians go to "The Log" site and do so as well. Save California boating. THANKS again to PDP for begining this to the Sailnet.

[poopdeckpappy]

Well Dmarina, try as I might I don't think this is gonna grow legs

Just like the offroad community, apathy is in control, it won't be until the Envriros though the DPR (and in this case FWS ) are a step or two head will the boating community wake up to the wackos at the gate.

What should make you worried is, the offroad industry is/was a multi billion dollar industry just here in So Ca., much larger the the boating industry is state wide and to think we can come from behind on issue like this is wishful dreaming.

As it is with land issue, the issues of marine protection has been well thought out and in the planning for years, enviros are a slow methodical lot and they well achive thier goal sooner or later.

Believe me when I say, if this happens, boating will suffer big time. funding will be cut, harbors will not get dredged, safety programs cut, restrictions on boat yards will drive many to close, marine sanctuaries will expand, fishing industry will collapes, Billions in revenue will be lost, and all because someone, somewhere ( most likely a enviro activist appointed to a commettee somewhere ) fed the Gov a load of crap that by killing the DBW and having the DPR take over will save the state $600,000.00, which is BS, DBW is funded by us, not the state

Total Armageddon here

Then, just like with the offroad industry, enviros will take their success here in Ca. on the road and the policy set forth here will be the model for use in other states; this is were the boating world wakes and says, " How & Why was this allowed to happen "

Don't think they could pull it off ??, think again, they protected the Delta Smelt at the expense of the farming industry and the citizens of Southern California, the dollar impact of that has yet to be calculated.


Oh BTW, PETA has launched their new campaign ( didn't take long for that one ) to stop all fishing be it commercial, recreational, sportfishing and that includes catch and release.

Their ploy into depict marine life as cute little Disney characters, offering up merchandise include clothing, video stories etc etc, to suck in all the little childern so they'll get their parents to fight for the little fishies of the world.

Take Action: Ask the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Stop Promoting the Hunting of Sea Kittens


Yep, land access wars, coming to a waterfront near you



All done

[scottyt]

this is not meant to be a political statement, just a statement on politics

the type who push this type of stuff do it by little baby steps, first it goes oh we are just saving this one patch of woods, or just this one little bay, or were just banning this one type of gun. it is a death by little cuts.

people who think that the groups will be happy after the one little cut, are always surprised by each extra little cut. but who can complain about that one little patch of woods, or that one little bay. those who do this wont stop

[camaraderie]

Damn Liberal Greenies at work again. This thread should be moved to political.