ATV Florida Forum

Folks,The Ocala National forest District manager is John Richard(rick)lint. I do not this person, but here's a link to an organiazation he belongs. This is just FYi.........


http://www.wildlife.org/certification/index.cfm?tname=memberdetails&getid=3257

I don't know if this post is for the purpose of smearing Rick,  but his joe as the head ranger is to do exactly what that certification says he is good at.  I am glad that he is so well certified.  But you must remember one thing.  We now have a head ranger who believes there is a place for OHV in the forest.  He is 100% behind the development of the approximately 240 miles of trails we will have.

Teddy, in no way is it meant to smear rick. I think it's important for people to find out who the people in charge are and what they believe in.Case in point, Governor Bush appopinted Dr. Reed Noss to the ARC commitee(Aqusition resource council). This commitee is the one that makes recommendations for recreation on State lands. Do a google search for this person. He's the founder of the wildlands project. This appointee is another nail in the coffin for us.Sorry if it came out the wrong way....Rick

  Grizz, if you think Rick is behind you on the trail system, you better be prepared for a shock; cause that is what you are going to get. I am blunt. I don't make things sound nice, so if that is smearing, so be it.

  You know how long I have been fighting for ya'll and public access in general.

  I can tell you more about Mr. Lint, none of it fits with the image you are trying to portray. The seminar/talk he gave at UofF was called "Unmanaged Public Use". Take a guess as to what kind of management he is referring too.

   I have a phone number of two men who would love to tell you how Mr. Lint supported the trails in the Kisatchie National Forest. I already told you he closed down the trails to even hunters out there. That doesn't sound like he really supports any kind of OHV trails let alone 240 miles.

  In case I forgot to mention it, he was never a real ranger. He is a certified biologist, certified through the Wildlife Society.

  Now, I have given you a lot of information here. If you want to continue to support him, check out the sources I  given you, email me for the phone numbers (or just get Mr. Maddox's phone number from the article I think I posted up, if I didn't post the article, I will) check out the Wildlife Society to see how they support OHVs. Then show me, through documentation from his past, how Mr. Lint will support those 240 miles of trails. Or, better yet, get him to sign a document saying he is going to keep Big Scrub open (since Big Scrub closing is on Mr. Lint's agenda) and post the documents here!

  Here is one of their headlines, (this headline is for those who already know the UN is wanting to work with Environmental Groups to impose their laws and regulations on the US. They are accomplishing this through those groups because folks are burrying their head in the sand and ignoring the UN connection with Environmental Groups here in the US)
 "TWS Joins 375 Groups Urging Congress to Fund Wildlife Conservation in Global Warming Legislation"

  Now, I am trying to cook supper and don't have the time to put into looking at every Wildlife Society pamphlet and bulletin, newsletter, etc. to find exactly how they stand on OHVs, but here is a paragraph from the Montana Chapter Newsletter:

 "BLM National Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Strategy
The Executive Board submitted comments to the BLM concerning its proposal to develop a national
strategy to deal with effects of OHV’s on wildlife and other natural resources. Our comments
supported the adoption of a national strategy that gives direction to manage OHV’s in a manner to
protect or restore wildlife values. We noted the fact that BLM lands in Montana have high wildlife
values and many have no current restrictions on OHV use. We also noted that our Chapter recently
produced a reference document directly applicable to the development of guidance for OHV use on
BLM lands."

  This should be clear to those who are fighting to keep trails open that the Wildlife Society does not support OHVs. This is the group, to refresh your memory, that Mr. Lint got his certification from. Obviously they like his ideas and management style.

  Hey Grizz, guys, I got mixed up with the threads. I have been so busy looking into the Scenic By-way and tracking down Mr. Lint's background that I got lost in the different threads.

  I posted this link in a different thread:http://www.thetowntalk.com/html/068AE744-B9F5-4988-915D-7F09126BF1AE.shtml

  At the bottom is Mr. Maddox's phone number. If you are so sure Mr. Lint is going to back OHV trails, give Mr. Maddox a call and ask him about what Mr. Lint did in La.

   Ya'll deserve to know exactly whom you are dealing with. A biologist is not going to have motorized access users in mind when they decide how public lands are managed. They went to school because they love the study of life, not to learn to manage public lands for the public.

  Their professors are not teaching them that we, the public, have rights to the lands we pay for. Dr. Reed Noss, whom lsw mentioned, detests, not downright hates the public being in the woods. He has worked his whole life to promote the Wildlands Project. Do your own history on it if you don't believe me.

  Linda Duever is working  hard with the Save Our Big Scrub. She and the president filed a grant application for grant monies from the T. Mark Shmidt Act to aquire $25,000.00 to do a study on OHV trails. They tried to link the study with the volunteer rangers, saying that the volunteers would willingly help replant/reseed damaged trails, so this would be a good PR project.

  Of course, all of us know that once a trail has been replanted/reseeded, there is no riding in that area. The whole area is shut down to any kind of public recreation; hiking, biking, bird watching, etc. They don't want their little projects ruined by us folks. They don't want us out there. It is just that plain and simple.

We all have the right to our opinions, we all have a right to make a living even Mr. Lint, yes the public does have a right to know who works for them. Last time I looked at our Constitutional rights we have the right of freedom of the press, at least last time I looked.

If you do some reading on the Black Bear corridor project, that my friends is in you backyard, that is a wildlaw project, the people of the play consist of ONFA, the USFS among several others. I believe there was a link bak a while, regarding something about wildlaw and the ONFA, its head gets reared again.

And just to think I thought they were on our side, Randy Harris was.. By he way someone must have a bad consciencous because no one said anything about smearing anyone name.

  Oh don't get me started on the Black Bear Scenic By-way! They are frothing at the mouth to get this passed! It will be the tool they use to get the trails closed down.

  Linda Duever is one of only two people who push the Wildlands Project here in the South. She is on the committee to manage the corridor. The Nature Conservancy has someone on there too. The other folks on there were talking about how to limit motor boats, using the corridor and intrinsic resources on the St. John's River! Now, if they want to do that, what do you think they are going to do on land?

  The Scenic By-way talks about pedestrians and bycicle traffic, but doesn't mention OHV/ORV at all.There is a section for recreation, but again, the only mention that can be used for us is one word, driving.

  They will tell you it is a not regulatory designation, that, however, is a misdirection. If ya'll want me to start another thread on the Scenic By-way, I would be happy to educate you. There are two public meetings in January. The times and dates are set, but not the places yet. The times will be from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. I would like to take some thread discussions, phone numbers, etc. to the Dec. 7 meeting and make them change the times to later so ya'll can make it. The dates are Jan. 18 & 25.

  Thank you lswjth2 for starting this thread. I didn't mean to hijack it.

This looks like one of those threads that just cannot die.

  Well stacker, if you don't mind losing trails and never knowing what is going on, I suppose you would feel that way.

 It is only 9 posts now, that doesn't seem like a lot to me; however, if you are not interested in the politics or who is working against you to close areas down, or make it near impossible for families to enjoy OHVs on the public lands they pay for, don't read threads like this.  ::)  ::)  ::)

   

You couldn't have said it better.

Is it a coincindence but I believe the OHV advisory committee meeting is on the 18th. Can anyone attend the Decmeber 7 meeting. It will be interesting to see who that players are..

This is important and it will effect the ONF. The last minutes I read two USFS forest personal were there and one was leader, along with ONFA. I thought the ONFA is suppose to fight to keep our trails in the ONF.

Maybe we should get Randy Harris back, at least he was on our side..???

  Bad, I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk. I will be at the Dec. 7th meeting. Have been at every meeting since Sept. That is why I know so much about the players.

  Rick Lint is chair of the Corridor Advocacy Group. They tried to kick me off of being an official member, but Munso (representing the Pioneer Settlement) supported my staying on the group because I show up and attend the meetings. Thank you Munso.

  BTW, FDOT hates my guts right now. I am very proud of that fact. Soon they will all hate me. They have been working on the Scenic By-way for two-years now. As was pointed out at the last meeting, this is the best kept secret in the state of Florida.

  I have a lot of work to do on this. Right now, I am working all alone. I am putting my time and money (neither of which I have a lot of) I would like to remind the newbies that I don't have an ATV, never even rode on one. I am doing this because we all have rights and I am tired of seeing the folks that pay for things get the shaft. We all need to stand for public access!

  Happy Thanksgiving all! :P

Man, I had no idea about this Mr. D1ck Lint. As time goes by the more I think about just not even going to O.N.F. any more. Maybe find another place a little farther north. Let the Rainbow people and the meth labs have at it, I don't know. Just sucks I payed for O.N.F.A. membership though.
                 
                        Oh well.

                       Thanks Lisa & lswjth2 for all your doing.



                       

KB -- Without Lisa there won't be any trails in the ONF. They would have closed it down by now. I did some reading on this, when the players become Rick Lint  who is chair of the Black Bear Corridor, and is all the Black Bear Corridor wants to do is close the forest down, what does that tell you. The other players happen to be the ONFA and the USFS.

Its not about giving up and finding another place to ride futher North, it is about giving a little to the cause, and giving to the right cause, knowing who the players are. It is about standing together to make this happen, it has to be everyone. If you give an hour of your time to Lisa, that is a help, if everyone gives $10.00 that is a help.

The USFS main objective is to close the forest. Always remember United we Stand Divided we fall.. If we don't stand together we will lose.

Bad2thebone,

I do not see how you can speak of the Black Bear Corridor and say that ONFA is part of it.  I went to one meeting, and rapidly decided I wanted nothing to do with it,  I have not been back, and have no itention of backing their project.

I thought the ONFA was to keep our trail open in the ONF. If that is the case, opting out of the meetings and letting them do what they want, is not keeping our trails open. If the black bear corridor is going to shut down the trails, shouldn't you be there to keep our trails open, to speak on part of the riders for the ONF. I'm I correct in asuming that is part of the membership fee, $25.00. I did not state that you backed them, I simply stated you part of the meetings. How you take that is up to you.

Now, arguing about this, is not my game, what my game is, is to let people know who the players are.

Does Lisa have a p.o. box or how can I donate some gas money to her, I'm thinking about going to the meetings. Where they at ? To be honest , right now I feel like slappin somebody, maybe I shouldn't go.

new govonor takes office 1 2 07 and says he's wanting to help people  i seriously doubt it. you can go to every meeting meet the player and disagree with them , but imo were fighting a losing battle. their gonna do what they want no matter what anyone thinks

Gays,conservationist,tree huggers,and some minority groups also the groups such as the southern baptist's and the catholic church get what they want by using the media,and they always band together and show up in protest at all known meetings.The problem is with our sport most of us are of the working class and cannot afford to miss work to attend these meetings.If we had some retired people to represent us or even legal council (expensive) we would at least have a shot at swaying some desicions.I think we need to form a group like the NRA were atv enthusiasts join for x-amout of dollars per year .This group would hire reps to go to these meetings to represent what is best for the orv community,and so people feel as though they are getting their money's worth send out monthly fliers telling about past meetings , future meetings that people may want to attend also publish what candidates coming up for elections are pro orv and who is not.

Stewards of the Land is going to put their 2 cents in, I think. First of all, no matter who it is or what it is everyone has a right their own opinion. Let forget about the name calling and what some people think is name smearing. Lets put the facts together according the world of garb (this thread).

We know Rick Lint has a biology degree and supposefully not a real ranger, but yet in the eyes of who matters he is a ranger.

We know a little kept secret about the Black Bear Corridoor or scenic by way. We know that it will encompass all of the ONF. We know Wildlaw is involved. We know Rick Lint is chairing this, and we know his biology whatever is from Wildlaw. Does that make him part of Wildlaw?? Does that make him a Wildlaw follower?? Does that make him a bad person??? We also know that if this happens the ONF will no longer be open for trail business.

As far as government goes, I can't believe a word they say.. I think we just proved that.

But what I have to disagree with is that one person isn't going to change the world, but a voice of a thousand or more will, people will take notice. If you don't venture out and try to turn that rock over, then you will never know what the outcome would have been if you tried to turn that rock over. Would I have won or lost, you will never know. You know one thing for sure if you don't try, you have lost the battle before it even began, and don't you think that is what they want. Think about that for a while.

450crazy - You are right, I give you the credit for trying, but you have to remember this keeps coming up on this thread time and time again, and you get a handful of people willing to do all the work for everyone else.

There is an old saying United we Stand, divide we fall. Stewards won't lose you will, all of you, if this corridoor goes through.

Now raptor has put his two cents in, if I have offended anyone in this thread, my sincere appolgy ( I wish I could spell).

Stewards of the Land

   Thanks bad2thebone....4fittyr, that is what "they" want you to think, say and do. Exactly that, nothing because no matter what you do, it won't matter. I fight the way the enviros fight, using the media, meetings, my "squeaky wheel". There would be no OHV trails acknowledged in the Corridor Managment Plan if I didn't fight and push the meeting so far behind because I would accept nothing less.....I don't think that it matters that oHV trails are in the Corridor Management Plan, however. They either know a way around that, or think they will find one, that is why the mention of trails is in the Corridor Management Plan, and why they gave in to me so easily.

   I am hoping that a group will be put together in this state that will have enough money in it to pay either one, or several, representatives and that I can be counted as one and be on the payroll. The old saying; "find something you like to do and figure out a way to make money at it..." Attending meetings, standing for you guys is what I like to do...maybe one day I can be paid to do it!  :P

   I talk to and network with folks who have fought against the enemy in our region and across the nation. I apply what they tell me to our laws and regulations in this state and try to figure out what the enemy is doing, how they are twisting the rules and regs, and figure out how to use the laws and regs (and their own words and agendas) to stop them.

   The next meeting of the Scenic By-way is Dec. 7th at the Ocala Library. You can find directions here: Scenic By-way (http://www.sr40.com)

  My husband found signature for me to use that says it all. (I want to take the time to thank him now. Finding this signature for me reminds me he supports the time away from my family and my work that I should be doing for the family and the money that I spend on all this...)

  "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me."
Martin Niemoeller

  Lisa Pardus
  P.O. Box 938
  Altoona, Fl. 32702

  I have so much to put together, print out, etc. before the Jan. meetings. I appreciate any and all the help ya'll can give me.

  I have a petition that folks can sign that I can take to the government officials to stop the by-way. Can I post that on this forum? If not, I have a web site I can post on.

Lisa:

I think they should be posted in both places. I'll talk to bones about it, do you have one done??

not to go off topic but in all the riding I do and camping I have noticed a few things.1st it seems to me that ONF is being dammaged more by the logging industry I have seen vast amounts of land cleared of trees for what reason and who is getting the money?2nd when camping at many state parks I have seen where they do controlled burns to kill small underbrush that promote fires.these controlled burn areas look simular to the trail ridden areas of croom where the vehicles remove the small underbrush,But yet the trees are still plentiful and healthy,and wild life still seems to flurish there.To me most dammage of the forest is caused by the forestry department itself by allowing tree farming.The areas of ONF that are hurt are those were all trees have been mowed over for private industry.I do not understand why the ORV's are being blamed.

Your right - who gets most of the money - Washington very little of that comes back to the ONF. The logging companies are making a big profit out of this also. There is documentation I found about two months ago regarding this. But on the other hand, wouldn't it be nice to put some trails where the logging has taken place??

The blame is going to the little guy, your not organized, and you have no money, it is simple.

  Thanks 450rcrazy, I didn't think of this arguement; something to think about and bring up. Controlled burns can get out-of-control, if we can keep to the trails, ya'll can be a more effective brush control. Also, by varying the trails around, it keeps them challenging and offers more of the forest to us! What a great idea!

im not trying to be negative by no means lisa and i apoligize, but we've dealt with people like this before and no matter what we said or did the result was the same. now in onf the loggers and meth labs have a better chance to continue their projects and the campers /atv riders will probably be band  indefinite. my tax $ and rights to use the land in the constituion r law but some folks (2 remain unnamed) have a totallly different idea. imo  the state need to purchase land with the title money so no tree huggin sob can say $hit about it

Lisa, no you have not hijacked the thread, and I for one, can always learn something from other people, especially that I am not from Ocala.You mentioned the Fl DOT and this is why I am posting. About 3 months or so ago, FL DOT suspended fishing along US41(Tamiami Trail)This was done without any public notice,any user input and so on. Luckily, I have friends that have been fighting the "Scenic Highwway Designation" here in Collier County and they advised the MPO about this. DOT stated that this was done out of a "Safety" issue, when asked to provide the data for the last 20 years, they could not come up with it,interesting thing is,this is the same data that they used to ban the fishing. The MPO got involved and DOT removed the ban. There will be another meeting in Jan, to try to bring this back.......as you can imagine, I will be there to fight this.

 4fittyr, I totally understand your frustration but we need to take heart. Look at the Second Amendment fight. We too were being pummled left and right to ban firearms, and indeed, the radicals did get a lot, but we are fighting back and we are winning!

  I have found that if you keep fighting, keep beating them back, keep making them answer you instead of just giving you the run around and implied answers, the radicals will lose.

   The signs put up by FL DOT along the Tamiami Trail are eventually gonna be pulled down. Why? Because the radicals were trying to take over. They skirted the due process and lost. It is just a matter to taking a stand.

  If we can get an organization started, get members who will make phone calls or send emails, and would be willing to put time and/or money into the venture to sue the Forestry Service when needed, where needed, we too would win. That is how the radicals got what they wanted. That is in an extreme case however. Right now, I want to cirulate a petition to everyone to sign saying we want to stop the Scenic By-way. I have one written, I just have to see if I can put it up here. Admins, Mods, could you pm me with whether I could put it up?

I want to respond to some of the points being expressed in this blog.  My name is Denise Rains and I am the public affairs officer for the National Forests in Florida.  I thought I might be able to shed some light on some of the comments being made here regarding Rick Lint and the Ocala National Forest.

First of all, Rick Lint is a District Ranger in every sense of the word.  Our agency grooms people in all resource areas for leadership positions.  We have hydrologists, foresters, recreation specialists, and ecologists and, yes, wildlife biologists that eventually become Rangers.  District Ranger is the title given to anyone who is the manager of that particular district.  There is no requirement for a particular background or degree, only that the person have a natural resource background.  In Rick’s case, he happens to be a wildlife biologist by profession and has earned the position of District Ranger on the Ocala National Forest through his leadership ability and natural resource management expertise.

Because of his position, Rick and all of our District Rangers must be affiliated with different groups and organizations.  Management of a National Forest requires collaboration with many different groups, agencies, and individuals.  Many of our employees maintain certifications with their particular expertise, such as foresters who are members of the Society of American Foresters.  That in no way predisposes them in decision-making. 

I find it interesting that theories abound suggesting that managers of the Ocala don’t support OHVs.  Currently the Ocala and the Osceola National Forests offer more designated routes for OHVs than any Forest in the southern region. That does not include trails that will be added after the current study for the Phase II area on the Ocala National Forest is complete or any trails on the Apalachicola National Forest. 

The scoping period for Phase II route designation recently ended and we will be going through the comments.  Issues and alternatives will be generated for the analysis for a decision to be made.  Information can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/projects/documents/nepa/oca%20access/scopingletterPhaseII_oct2006.pdf and http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/ .

The proposed Scenic Byway on the Ocala National Forest has very little to do with access or OHV trails.  We are engaged with those interested in the scenic byway to ensure it meets forest standards and is compatible with other forest users.  We don’t anticipate any conflict with OHV use and the scenic byway.

Thank you for your interest in the Ocala National Forest.  Only through input can the managers make sound decisions.  We will continue to work with you and others who express interest in our decision making process and management of the forest.

If you have any questions, please contact me at drains@fs.fed.us .

Denise Rains

Thats awesome that we were givin atleast some sort of positive response to our concerns,hopefully the statement holds water.What would be real nice is if she was truly on our side and would help give us valueble information regaurding important public meetings where orv enthusiasts should be involved.and post on this site when decisions are made and what future plans are being developed.

If you really want a representative from your side, maybe a suggestion is to take a poll and on this website and elect someone to represent you. That way if the person attends the meetings you will get the true source of information.

As far as Rick Lint goes, I think it is awesome someone from the USFS has gotten on to reply to this thread. Will it hold water, only time will tell, but everyone deserves a change, whether it be the USFS or the ATVer's. Maybe it is time to give Rick Lint a change to see what he can do.

There is one thing I noticed on these threads, everyone is ready to acuse everyone else of something, before the facts are gathered. There was another thread on here about the ONFA, everyone jumped all over this guy, the three people that jumped on this guy, it was evident that they did not read the thread. Hence Stewards of the Land had to do some damage control from within on that. It also lost the ATVer's a place to ride. My point is think before you guys leap. All of these threads are costly to other people, and you, this is the way you lose places to ride.

Thanks Denise, for your comments, and for keeping us informed.

Joan
Stewards of the Land

  I thank Denise for taking the time to respond as well. It is wonderful that someone from the government can take the time to speak with us all here. I just have a few thoughts though.

  I see nothing was mentioned of the facts that I had stated about what happened in Kisatchie National Forest. I have already stated that I am in contact with two gentlemen that are still working on getting things opened back up there since Mr. Lint had come in and closed them down. To be totally honest here, I know Mr. Lint wasn't the overall manager there like he is here, but he is the one Mr. Maddox and Mr. Bryan credit with doing the closings. It seems to me that since he is in total charge here, he can really do it "right" huh? (Oh, I found out he has four other National Forests to move to when  his work is done here. It might take him longer here than the year he spent in Kisatchie though.)

  I would just like to remind everyone of the old story about the fox and the scorpion. The scorpion told the fox that if the fox would take him across the river, the scorpion wouldn't sting the fox, or as the scorpion said; "we would both drown". The fox, thinking this was a very logical answer and would keep him safe started across the river with the scorpion. Half-way across the scorpion stung the fox. As the venom overcame the fox's body, he said to the scorpion; "Why did you sting me? Now we will both drown." The scorpion replied; "I am a scorpion, that is what I do, I can not change." Whether you choose to listen to those who have been there, done that and bought the tee-shirt, or listen to those who are working against you is up to ya'll.  If you don't take heed to what I am saying, I'll just be able to say; "I told you so" and move on while ya'll have to live here with your mistakes....

  Denise, the reason Ocala and Osceola still have more trails than anywhere else in Florida is because the National Forest Service didn't have someone in there to close all those trails until now. They worked somewhere else first, then moved here. We will see major changes to your assertions over the next few years. The State is working on opening more trails while the National Forest is working to close them. That is what these processes are all about.

  Acknowledgement, my husband said basically the same things as Denise about the Forest Managers having some kind of background in environmental concerns. However, as I pointed out to him, and will point out to you, that in this particular case, Mr. Lint did not work as a "grunt" ranger (using "grunt" for lack of a better term, to me being a "grunt" ranger for at least four years should be a requirement of any manager.) Biologists, and even hydrologists are not friends of motorized access users. In Mr. Lint's particular certification, I noticed this sentence: "A professional wildlife biologist is a person with demonstrated expertise in the art and science of applying the principles of ecology to the sound stewardship and management of the wildlife resource and its environment."

  That very sentence should disturb every OHVer on here. What "art" is in applying science to sound stewardship? I grew up on a crop farm. We didn't apply "art" to managing our crops, we applied common sense when using the information science gave us, not "art". I looked up the word "art" and found two sentences that could apply to the meaning in the sentence (since they said the "art and science" the science definition would not work)

 13.    trickery; cunning: glib and devious art.(italics in original definition)
 14.    studied action; artificiality in behavior.
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  A question now; I have noticed that Mr. Lint went from "managing" Calcasue Ranger District straight into Ocala. Was he anywhere else that we can look into to support your claim that Forestry isn't going to shut down trails? Maybe another district has been overlooked where Mr. Lint worked to keep trails open? Other folks we can talk to who can verify to his previous willingness to work to keep trails open?
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  Just another clarification; there is no way the Corridor Management Council will stay out of the OHV trail system. Denise, you didn't tell the whole story here....the Corridor Advocacy Group was insistent on being a part of the trail making process. It is in their Corridor Management Plan that they be part of the trail making process:Corridor Management Plan draft (http://www.sr40.com/page4.html) Objective 1.8: Promote managed outdoor recreation in a natural setting at a level of use that is consistent with what the land and resources can support.

  This doesn't sound like it has "very little to do with access or OHV trails";
 Strategy 1.8.7: Promote sustainable motorized uses on off-highway vehicle (OHV) designated trails and the recreational driving of street legal vehicles on Forest Service designated roads.

Strategy 1.8.8: Work with public land managers to ensure that the roads for street legal vehicles and trails for OHVs are adequately maintained to provide safe riding conditions and to maintain an adequate level of enforcement and patrols to ensure public safety, natural resource protection, and the security of life and property.

  Again, if you look at whom is on the Corridor Advocacy Group(CAG) you will find environmentalists who have actively worked against OHVs and trails in the past. Linda Duever who was technical consultant on: Out of Control, and article written by Defender's of Wildlife and passed out in 2005 at the Florida Black Bear Festival in Umatilla is a member of the CAG. Now the card said Keith Schue attended the meetings representing The Nature Conservancy. He is not a fan of OHVs either. Knowing were Mr. Lint came from, an area that shut down OHV trails, he doesn't seem to be much of a fan of them either, or he would have worked with Mr. Maddox and Mr. Bryan in La to keep those trails open.

   I have been working very hard on the Scenic By-way issues, so I haven't had time to put into looking into the trails system. I know some people are saying that the trail system looks fine. I couldn't comment on whether it really is, or they just want to compromise what we have because they are "sheeple" willing to follow and do what "their" government tells them.

  Again Denise, thank you for taking the time to respond on here.

Ya'll I know this well was produced last year, but these people don't sound very OHV friendly. Well ya know it seems like these people (enviornmentalists) don't want to have OHV trials in ya'll forests.

OCALA - Sparkling springs, a historical fire tower, boat ramps, trails, the endangered scrub jay habitat, campgrounds, glistening lakes, a classic Florida tourist attraction, a rifle range and Civilian Conservation Corps structures are among the features that could result in a stretch of East State Road 40 being named the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway.

The Corridor Advocacy Group, comprised of citizens and government agency representatives, is working on an application to have the state designate the roadway, between Silver Springs on the west and Interstate 95 on the east, as a scenic byway.

As part of the application process, the group is required to identify the cultural, historic, archeological, recreational, natural and scenic features found along the roadway.

The Corridor Advocacy Group, or CAG, met Thursday and toured the western half of the proposed corridor, from Silver Springs to Blue Creek Lodge Road in Lake County, in search of the features that would make State Road 40 worthy of the designation.

"I want the road to educate the visitors about the ecological systems of the Ocala National Forest and be an example of how a road should be managed through a forest instead of how it should not be," said Salt Springs CAG member Linda Conway Duever, who was representing Save Our Big Scrub.

Carrie Sekerak, CAG member and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service's Ocala National Forest Seminole Ranger District, said that the designation also could be an enhancement for businesses along the corridor.

"It brings so much money to communities," Sekerak said about the designation.

Some of the sites that impressed the group were Wildcat Lake, Juniper Springs, Mill Dam Recreation Area, Redwater Lake, Ray Wayside Park and the Silver Springs attraction.

Sekerak told the group that at the north end of Juniper Springs is an area called the "Yearling Trail." Author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings befriended the people in that area and used composites of the people in her novel "The Yearling." That, Sekerak said would be a cultural feature for the scenic byway application.

 
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Traffic makes its way east near Lynne on Thursday, on a stretch of State Road 40 proposed for scenic byway designation. 
Sekerak also brought the group through an area of the endangered scrub jay's habitat east of Juniper Springs.

William Carromero, a botanist for the U.S. Forest Service, Ocala National Forest, pointed out the Bonamia grandiflora, an endangered plant that is part of the morning glory family.

"This ecological system is pretty much fire dependent," Carromero said about the area that lies east of Juniper Springs.

CAG member Monso Tatum of the Pioneer Settlement in Barberville, on the eastern end of the proposed scenic byway, was on the tour.

"We want to participate in what possible funding we might have for a welcome center later on and keep our habitat like it is," Tatum said. "When you get to Barberville, you feel like you are back in Florida 100 years ago."

Dave Bowman, operations and management consultant for the Office and Greenways and Trails, explained to the group how the greenway plays an integral part in joining the Ocala National Forest to surrounding areas, providing habitat and corridors for wildlife.

Robert LaMont, park manager of the Silver River State Park, discussed the significance of that park's walking and mountain biking trails, boat ramp and scenic viewing areas.

CAG chairwoman Cathy Lowenstein, forestry resource administrator for the state Division of Forestry, said the group will tour the eastern half of the corridor - from Blue Creek Lodge Road to I-95 - in January.


 
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Consultant Glenn burns, right, looks for scrub jays along East State Road 40, as Clay Coates of the U.S. Forestry Service uses a speaker system to broadcast the scrub jay's call.
Steve Specht, spokesman for the Silver Springs attraction, gave the group a tour of the facility, emphasizing features such as the glass bottom boats and the history of motion picture films made at the park. He also said that the scenic byway would be a "win-win" situation for the businesses and ecological interests.

Lowenstein said the group is currently in its eligibility phase. "The target completion date for this phase is July," she said.

Glenn Burns, a Florida Department of Transportation consultant who will help the CAG complete the application, said the application is submitted to the department's Scenic Highway Advisory Committee.

If the committee determines that the roadway deserves the scenic byway designation, it will make the recommendation to the department secretary. If the secretary agrees, the CAG group then moves into the designation phase.

During that phase, the CAG will develop a plan to manage the highway corridor. That plan must be approved by all the local governments in the corridor, as well as the state and federal agencies affected. That process would likely be completed in 1-1/2 years, Burns said.

  Thank you ladyinpink. That says it all I think. Now, since that meeting, we have set the some boundaries for the Scenic Byway. It encompasses all of the Ocala National Forest, except that little bit in Putnam County. Right now, the CAG doesn't want  ya'll involved, so they left the ATV trails at the Northeast end of the forest alone. The Nature Conservancy suggested not adding that part into it. However, the whole of the Big Scrub is in the Scenic Byway.

   Also bear in mind, Big Scrub has had a lot of "human disruption". In order for the Forest to be a Natural Resource, there has to be "minimal human disruption". That means really putting the screws to ya'll and keeping your "human disruption" at a "minimum".  I can tell when I stumble on something that they will use and don't want me to think it is important. They don't know how to respond to me, they just sit and glare at me. I know this little phrase of "human disruption" will be brought up to keep the trails at a minimum.

   Also, please know that Mr. Lint is interested in "managed public access". He made a presentation to University of Florida about this very subject. How do you think they would like to "manage" us all? If anyone knows a student that and might have a copy of that presentation, please email it to me.

  Thank you.

Just to let you know that a lot of forestry land is government property.They work with the Department of Transportation to use the wood for park benches ,trash cans, and curb railings on highways.
  They do tear down a lot of tree's, and they also have to plant new ones.But, these future tree's are still for product.It's another one of the governments biggest ways to make revenue for the state.
  Yes, a lot of this land could be viewed as comparable to forestry damage.Controlled burning does do a lot of damage to wildlife.But to them, what you don't know and can't see...can't hurt you.
  It's a battle against a big army.You have to ask yourself...are you willing to fight for what you believe in?I think this could be some good grounds for argument when they tell us they have no land.

Ya'll know what - it just might be ya'll goverment land, but ya'll we pay taxes on that there land. Everyone has the right to use it.