Holidays, Hoopla, and Hope

No matter what holidays you observe, for me this is the season of hope.  Yea, I know; there’s too much hoopla with a lot of the commercialization of our holidays, but hey, that’s how our country works.   The end of the year holidays really represent the freedoms we have in this great country to observe those special times to celebrate.  How can one not appreciate that?

I hope you will take time to reflect on how special our lives are in the good old USA.   Our freedoms have been hard fought battles in many aspects.  I even refer to our freedom to recreate outdoors.   Please do not take anything for granted, from your family, to your ability to observe your holidays, and to your freedom to responsibly recreate on our private and public lands.

Take a holiday moment to refresh your memberships; join new organizations; and give a donation to your special charities and recreation groups like the BlueRibbon Coalition and your favorite state association protecting your right to get off-road and play. 

Here are some key links to check out during this holiday season:

http://www.savemytrails.com; for easy steps in saving your recreational trails and sports.

http://www.delalbright.com; for everything landuse and access; one stop on how to get involved.

http://www.sharetrails.org; BlueRibbon Coalition; champions of saving responsible recreation.

http://www.rltc.biz; for leadership and volunteer training to ensure a recreation future.

http://www.muirnet.net: for landuse 101; NEPA and the basics of bureaucracy.

http://www.accessarmy.com; to engage nationwide in communications about our trails and sports.