Check the map, any recreation past hiking and birdwatching is at stake.  I personally would rather see the monies used for teachers, firefighters, law enforcement or heck, for OUR benefit, not to take even MORE land from our use.   This email was in my inbox this morning:

Comment Deadline Extended to November 25, 2011

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the extension of the public review and comment period for the draft Land Protection Plan (LPP) and draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. The October 24, 2011 comment deadline has been extended to November 25, 2011.

To ensure consideration of your comments in the development of the final LPP and EA, please ensure that we receive your comments on or before November 25, 2011. Comments may be emailed to us at EvergladesHeadwatersProposal@fws.gov; faxed to 321.861.1276; or mailed to Everglades Headwaters Proposal, PO Box 2683, Titusville, FL 32781-2683. Names and addresses should be included with comments, with the understanding that the material is subject to the federal Freedom of Information Act and may be released to the public upon request.

Copies of the documents and additional information are available online (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/evergladesheadwaters/). Paper and/or CD copies of the documents can be requested by calling 321.861.0667.

Cheri M Ehrhardt, AICP
Natural Resource Planner

US Fish & Wildlife Service
PO Box 2683
Titusville, FL 32781-2683

Cheri_Ehrhardt@fws.gov
321.861.2368 office
321.861.1276 fax

ima get a air boat, since i can ride that wherever

actually, no you can't. 

LOTS of people were involved with this.  I thank everyone who took a stand and reacted to this issue.  Many times you read it, shrug and figure it is not your yard that is being taken.  I think we need to start educating some riders about life in the woods so that all of us can continue enjoying the time we spend there.  It is not always about being drunk and going fast.  Time and place for everything. 

i hope they throw the book at him!!  what a Dumb a**.

why??
because he is richer than you?
Because he can ride better than you?
because he is famous?
or
Because he is black?

People do stupid stuff and this was STUPID! He will pay dearly for it I am sure. Do you think he should do time for it?
Personally I dont. His reputation and sponsors will make him pay enough for it and I bet you Big James will definitely make him pay for it!!!

None of the above.  Just for pure stupidity.

   Gladesman and RER!
Good info.  Thanks for sharing.  I do not trust CP or any of his cronies on ANYTHING they say.

I am going to say we always have a chance.  Public Scoping comments are open until March 31.  Make sure to contact MORE than the FWS regarding this proposal.  Contact each and every public official you can think of.  In Florida, in Washington as well as other states.  The agency is very flip about saying that Congress will fund any shortfall to this proposal.  It is our job to make sure Congress knows that as American citizens and taxpayers we feel our tax dollars are spent on wiser investments.  Please make sure to stop by the FWS propoganda website http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/

AintSkeered,  I understand where you are going with your comment.  I do have to say that Lykes is a heavy employer in the state however.

Another cheap trick can be reviewed on the Blue Ribbon Coalition site.  Call it a Wild Land and bypass Congress altogether!!!
http://www.sharetrails.org/public-lands/?section=salazar_order

FWS is writing the report as if the people who got up and went to these meetings wasted time. 

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/pdf/20110310SummaryofComments.pdf

Do not let THEM get away with this cheap trick!  Keep the cards and letters going to all Federal and State reps  

American Suzuki Motor Corp. Recalls KingQuad ATVs

Name of Product: Suzuki KingQuad ATVs

Units: About 29,000

Manufacturer: Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corporation

Distributors: American Suzuki Motor Corp., of Brea, California; Montgomery Motors Ltd., of Honolulu, Hawaii; Suzuki del Caribe Inc., of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

Hazard: Some KingQuad ATV’s plastic fuel tanks were improperly manufactured and can develop a fuel leak, posing a fire hazard.

Description: This recall is for the following Suzuki KingQuad models: all 2008 to 2010 LT-A450X models, all 2009 to 2010 LT-A500X models, all 2008 to 2010 LT-A750X models and 2011 LT-A500X and LT-A750X models manufactured before December 11, 2010. The words “Suzuki KingQuad” are on the left and right sides of the fuel tank housing. Model numbers are on the left and right lower side panels above the footrests.

Sold at: Suzuki ATV dealers nationwide from July 2007 through February 2011 for between $6,600 and $9,500.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these vehicles and contact a local Suzuki ATV dealer to schedule an appointment for a free repair. Consumers with 2011 LT-A500X and LT-A750X models should call their local Suzuki ATV dealer to determine if their ATV is subject to this recall. Consumers with recalled ATVs are being sent a notice directly from Suzuki.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Suzuki at (800) 444-5077 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.suzukicycles.com

Thanks for sharing.

Sometimes I find myself doing this: 
Conversation with my 85 yr old mother today while watching the news: 
ME:  "Well Mom, the government cannot supply enough funding for DFS to really check on children that are at risk, they are spending hundreds of millions to build wildlife refuges to save some scrub jays and obscure flora."
MOM:  "People need places like that to go relax and get away from stress you know."
ME: "Mom?  When was the last time, if ever, that you went to a Wildlife Refuge?  Yeah, about a zillion years ago you and Dad dragged us to Yellowstone Park.  Otherwise you hardly even walk in your own yard!  The place they want to build this refuge is where I go to RELAX and get away from stress."   
Jeeze.  The people who know nothing and think in rainbow shades are the ones they are depending on to push this through. 

It is a shame that the news cannot seem to get all the information out.  Parts and pieces and not all correctly reported.  See this link http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_indian_river_county/fight-to-preserve-wildlife-around-lake-okeechobee to hear that the Vero Beach Meeting was the first of many meetings.  It is the LAST of the public scoping meetings.  The public comments will be accepted until the end of this month.  We have no input after that until they decide what they want. 

Last night it was repeated over and over that they were not interested in RR or Holopaw.  Funny thing, the Land Acquisition man from a LARGE coneservancy group told us THEY wanted the land.  That group is nature's real estate agent and sells land to the government.  So, the government looks good not taking from unwilling sellers while the other group works behind the scene doing the dirty work.

Am I going to stop writing Congress and figure we "won"?  Oh heck no.  I owe it to our fellow recreationalists, the airboaters etc, to keep fighting this craziness.  Besides, these people have proven that they cannot be trusted.

overuse of the word ACTUALLY.  sorry.  

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/feb/10/supporters-opponents-turn-out-for-discussion-in/

Actually, the audios of the Public Scoping meetings are posted on the River Ranch website.  You can find that here:  http://rrpoa.net/news/
And the site was actually developed and designed by Mr Bones himself!

They are a great bunch of smoke blowers.  I think when they pass gas it comes out as smoke rings.  I was at the Okeechobee meeting tonight and told the comment "gatherers" that I felt a great disservice was being done by lumping the comments together.  I acknowledged that reading "against proposal because of X" 120 tmes is tedious, but that only crediting it as one opposition was not right.  I suggested that they remark that X number of responses were made for this reason.  

A Civil Liberties lawyer was at the meeting.  His wife is hearing disabled.  There was no resources available to assist her to hear the proceedings.  If someone was wheelchair bound it was too bad for them as the building was accessed by stairs only.  Despite the fact that the meetings have grown in attendance every time, the building they reserved only seated 458. (I would guess about 750 tried to attend.) They said they would only proceed if the overflow would leave for over an hour and a half and return when they rushed the first group through.  Due process?  Not hardly.  I found the entire meeting very poorly stuctured and handled.  Informtaion is vague and ever changing.  They had a woman who explained the real estate portion.  She actually turned her back on the attendees and very poorly read from the screen since they obviously feel that we are too stupid to be able to read ourselves.  I watch our government inaction this evening.  Inaction is intentional.  I do not mean IN ACTION.  

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/greatereverglades/pdf/02032011.pdf
Question:  Are "they" listening? 
Answer:  Only to what "they" want to hear.

Funny, the word that pops out to me the most is CONSIDERATION.  I can consider what pair of pants to wear, but that does not guarantee I am going to wear pants.  (OK...I am not going to be nekkid, but you know where I am going with the thought I hope.)

I saw this on eBay this morning and couldn't resist.  Fifteen minutes of groveling with the wife and the deal was done.  Hope to have it home next week!

Now I ask...is the wife going to let you drive it?

Here is the deal.
This is going to change things up for many recreationalists.  Not just ATV riders. 
The monster will not just scare and eat some of the children, it will enventually consume them all.  I do not look at this as a RR only issue, SE issue only, ATV issue only.  I see it as a way the State, Feds and evironmentalists will once again dictate how our land will be used.  Frankly, I am tired of the intervention.  Time to say NO MORE.

Heartening, but we still have a fight on our hands. 

Call it out Gladesman.   As I stated, I am ready to fight this battle. 
I called the lady at FWC and got a lot of government doublespeak mumbo jumbo.  They believe they can BS this through.  Lets show them WE are the masters of BS, not them.

[Six wildlife-dependent public uses have been given priority consideration over other public uses. Priority public uses include hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation. If these uses are determined to be compatible with refuge purposes, and funds are available to manage them, they will be allowed. The specifics of public use will be addressed in a refuge's Comprehensive Conservation Plan.]

I spoke to Cheri Everhardt yesterday morning for about 45 minutes.  Many comments were blind answers from her.  She did say that many times they are told to expect hundreds at a meeting and find only 5 people showing up.  BE INVOLVED if you care.  Be aware that these will be facilitator driven meetings.  They will work to keep the meeting in the scope of what FWC wants regardless of the crowd input.  What she did state several times was basically a mission statement answer for FWC and a Wildlife Refuge standard:

Six wildlife-dependent public uses have been given priority consideration over other public uses. Priority public uses include hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation. If these uses are determined to be compatible with refuge purposes, and funds are available to manage them, they will be allowed. The specifics of public use will be addressed in a refuge's Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

Note:  There are a lot of IFS unwritten in that statement.

If you go to one of the Public Scoping meetings it is best to stay calm.  Ask questions that cannot be later turned to work against you.  Read as much as you can about the proposal so that the double talk answer given cannot be made to look YOU seem to be a buffoon.  If they dance around your answer, ask it again.  Best to have written it down so you can show that it is the same question that was not answered.  

Basically the topic on this posting is about FWC and loss of more riding areas.  Can we get back to that without foolishness?

yea right!!!!!!!! what a bunch of bull  the big agriculture companies have dumped their pollutants for decades in the watershed and have caused massive algae blums in the everglades for countless years        what are you a lobbyist now for them or something?

If I might ask one thing of you....if given the opportunity, please do not speak on behalf of the ATV community to the general public. Pretty please?

X2

Worst part of this is that I am agreeing with Anoriginal.  I look to the old paraprosdokian:  If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.
Scary, huh?

No, not a lobbyist.  Just someone who bothered to read and understand.  Try it sometime.
Oh, and I did work for a major agricultural concern for 25 years.  Guess what?  I had to keep records of every drop of chemical placed on any part of the land.  It is not done indescriminately and freely. 
Learn to appreciate the farmer/rancher.  He/She feeds you.  You are welcome.