SFWMD/WRAC Meeting in FT. Myers this thursday 10/2

[lswjth2]

Folks, for all those that continue to fight and stand up for what you believe in, you should be commended, we are slowly but surely starting to make some headway with this agency. Here's what they have added to their MRP......Rick

The meeting will be held this Thursday from 9 to 3:00 at 

Riverside Community Center
3061 East Riverside Drive
Fort Myers, Florida 33916

Here's what they have added, this from the agency that has closed all the state legal riding from the I4 corridor south

SFWMD Staff Recommended Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Statement for inclusion in the CERP Master Recreation Plan.
“ On lands where Off-Road-Vehicle (ORV) access was a traditional and legal use, is consistent with any and all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations, including those of the managing agency, and is not in conflict with hydrological and ecological restoration goals, such ORV access should be considered as a possible future managed use in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Master Recreation Plan.”

[lswjth2]

Here's the email of the person to send an e-mail to if you cannot make it, here's what i sent....

mcollins@sfwmd.gov

Michael, I would not be able to attend this meeting on Thursday, however I want this e-mail to be included as part of the public record for the upcoming meeting.

SFWMD has yet to fulfill their contractual obligations with Collier county and as such it is my belief that the contract with the county is null and void and as such, we the paying public, the riders who under the guise of "everglades restoration" where illegally kicked out of our lands. Public lands belong to the public and for the entire public to use, not just the one's that your agency likes, if this is the case, then this is discrimination! How can it be that your agency issues building permits in the middle of Panther/Cougar habitat but not let an atv or swamp buggy drive in those same lands? How can it be that you issue permits to mine on lands that were bought for this huge lie? How can t be that you later on can sell these lands while at the same time not let families enjoy them? There is something terribly wrong with your agency and the way it manages, excuse me, REFUSES to manage any ORV activity.


The families of Florida have a right to use their vehicles on State lands, we pay taxes, fule taxes, registration surcharges and yet we are still kept out of the public areas that own. I really hope that we can stop all public funding of SFWMD until the GAO can have a full investigation into all the dealings that SFWMD has made, especially te one about the RONTO Group in Bonita Springs Fl, hopefully our elected officials will act on our request.Looking forward, I honestly hope that SFWMD will make good on their obligations to serve all the recreational interest of all Floridians.

PS: Do not attempt to send our children to the Arsenic Laden dump site by Lake Trafford in Immokalee, we all know that this is contaminated and it is a disgrace that wtih the 300,000 + acres that we own under SFWMD control, that this is the only place you can find for our children.

Sincerely Yours

RIck Varela

[zman03]

We owe lots of thanks to Mr Rick Varela for his continued efforts standing up for all that recreate with an off-road vehicle. I personally became very involved because of him and still am. I personally and publicly thank you rick!          I will not quit the fight to be able to ride legally!!!!        Many will remember the man that fought the biggest agencies for our rights to recreate legally and won!!!     Thanks Again to you Rick Varela!!!!!

[lswjth2]

Bud, thxs for the kind words but what we really need is  more involvement from our fellow riders, we can win this, but we need to be better organized and more involved.....Rick

[Gato]

Thanks Rick I just sent mine

[lswjth2]

The problem is staring us in the face, 61 reads and 3 e-mails....we get what we deserve!

[Gato]

with all the views I hope we got more emails than replies with all the riders always screaming about areas closing, lets remember that we as riders need to back 1 another

[cheropride]

Done!

And yes, Rick thank you for all the work you do, and have been doing for so many years!!!!