A "NEW' PRESIDENT; NOW WHAT?

 A “New” President! Now What?

Recreationists Must Unite and Mobilize

By Del Albright, Access Advocate

YOU have just been presented with a new opportunity for your outdoor lifestyle! Recreationists who enjoy the backcountry, waterways, off-pavement trails, overlanding, and SUV exploring have a huge new opportunity open to us – as well as a new challenge. The time has never been more critical for us to unite and mobilize. No matter how you wanted this past election to turn out, we have to step up, work together, and mobilize our forces to help this new Administration understand our sports, lifestyle, and access issues.

 Inherent with new Presidents, rotating congress critters, and term limits, we will always be in the game of educating new elected officials. It is our destiny if we are to survive. And, of course, when one Administration changes (leaves), the “lame duck” strategy sets in, and many legal, administrative, and executive level changes occur overnight. We must be united to help our elected officials channel policy changes in a favorable direction for public land access.

 There are a few steps we can take to ensure the future of our lifestyle, no matter how you view this change in American politics. One thing is for sure:  we can all be proud of the fact that it is America, and we can effect change by speaking up and working together. Now is not the time to sit by and wait. We must act and help newly-elected politicians at all levels understand that we are the responsible stewards of our public lands and that we deserve access. Here are my suggestions for “Now What?”

  Step one is to unite our various sports and motorized lifestyles and access interests at every opportunity. Leadership meetings and summits, intra- and inter-state, will help us find new ways to cooperate. Differences must be put aside, and past intra-sport conflicts must end. We also need to continue to find common ground with non-motorized and conservation groups when possible so as to minimize conflicts leading to stalemates.

 

We need a united force now, more than ever. Concepts like combined use, mixed-use, and sustainable use will be important strategies for keeping trails and riding areas open. But above all, we all need to be singing from the same sheets of music.

 

 

Step two is to engage recreationists at all levels to join organized recreation. Millions of us are out there waiting for a reason to join up and get involved. This new Administration is the reason. They need us to help them understand who we are, what we stand for, and what we need for our motorized recreation lifestyle.

 

A quick internet search shows that those who oppose our public land access outnumber us by millions of members and hundreds of millions of dollars. Just the numbers for a few key groups are shocking:

 

The Wilderness Society has over 1 million members and supporters, with $85 million in the bank, and has led the effort to lock up 112 million acres of Wilderness in 44 states.

 

The Sierra Club has nearly 4 million members and over a hundred million dollars in their kitty.

The National Audubon Society has assets totaling $300 million with six hundred thousand members.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a $40 million a year operation boldly claiming to “stand between Trump and the Wild,” with 180 employees and nearly two million members.

 So why do we have so many off-pavement recreationists who are not members of something? The reality is that our state, regional, and national organizations have not yet found the magic formula to engage all these pending members. This election should change that.

 We all now have reasons to jump in with both feet and to engage our friends and fellow recreationists to turn this door of opportunity into one we’ll never forget.   We have to be the solution with our established organizations and become the empowerment to get others to join the cause. Membership in our standing organizations and clubs is absolutely critical to the survival of responsible and sustainable recreation. We must cement our lifestyle into this Administration so it lasts into the future.

 

Step three is to adopt more of our local public lands and engage with our state and federal land management agencies. We have to partner up with land management agencies at every opportunity and find ways for us to be involved in the use, management, and future of those lands on which we love to play. We need to be at the table when decisions are made, problems are identified, and solutions are implemented.  

 We have to take more “ownership” of our public lands and resources. Oh, excuse me, we do own America! Let’s not forget that. When it comes to public lands, they are YOUR public lands. So we need to do everything we can to ensure our lands stay in our hands, run by common sense and sound public land management policies.

  SUMMARY:

1.   Don’t assume the world is peachy and all will be well (without our involvement).

2.   Join, renew, and donate now to your favorite groups.

3.   Find ways to cooperate and unite in everything you do.

4.   Be part of adopting public lands and trails (with your club, friends, or organizations you like).

5.   Make sure your voice is heard by all the new politicians we will soon see.

 

(Visit www.delalbright.com for more information and help).

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WELCOME TO THE MEGA-FIRE GENERATION (BOOK)

 

What we can do about living in the Mega-Fire generation of wildland disasters and how we got there.

by Del Albright

Go here to learn more and buy the book on Amazon: Mega-Fire Book

KEEPING TRAILS OPEN NEW BOOK

TIPS, TRICKS AND A FEW TAP DANCES ON HOW TO KEEP TRAILS OPEN

By Del Albright

 LANDUSE: Between now and the upcoming elections, our trails, forests, dunes, and dirt roads will be under attack. This is not unusual for possible Administration change time-frames. There are some positive things we can do to protect our access.

If you want a one-stop, comprehensive guidebook on how to keep trails open and prevent access restrictions, I offer an answer based on my 40 years of landuse advocacy. Our motorized recreation groups, clubs, and associations suffer from a lack of involved memberships, which makes it hard for them to fight back effectively. We need to act!

My newly released book offers answers, tips, and solutions to all of the above. Check out “Shortcuts to Landuse & Volunteerism, Creating a Sustainable Future for Motorized Recreation here: https://bit.ly/delalbrightBook

DEATH VALLEY OVERLANDING

 

DEATH VALLEY AREA AND PARK NEVER DISAPPOINT

BY DEL ALBRIGHT

Touring Death Valley and vicinith with Metalcloak friends and my build partner Cloakworks4x4. Overlanding the backcountry and getting our tires dirty in canyons galore.

#metalcloak #deathvalley

DEL ALBRIGHT BOOKS & WRITINGS

 DEL ALBRIGHT'S BOOKS AND WRITINGS ALL IN ONE BLOG

Find a complete listing (with links) of Del's books, writings, poetry, articles and more.  

VISIT: http://delalbrightbooks.blogspot.com

SOCIAL NETWORKS EXPLAINED

                                                               -Social Networking-

By Del Albright

 

In today's world, communication skills mean you also have some social networking skills – the Internet – like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc. The world is on the "socials." So, learn to tweet, post, share a pic, tag, hashtag, and comment! At least learn to understand these tools and be able to talk about them. And if you want to support and thank your partners/sponsors, social networks are crucial. Social media is essential if you want to expand your reach or grow your cause.  It is never too late to jump in.

 

 

 

 

 TWITTER (now called X)

Twitter has its place but seems to be dying off. It is now ranked the 12^th most popular social network (see below). However, if you are in a critical position (organizational or club leader), learning to tweet on Twitter is a big help to your cause and build your club or event. For example, Tweet up a storm if you are an event chair or director. You will build a following to help develop your event (and profit margin).

 

Events can benefit from setting up a Twitter feed advertised in event literature or entrance gates. Participants sign up to get the tweets and updates on their phones as they enjoy the event. In addition, you can keep folks posted on changes in the schedule of new times for special activities and hold fun contests with tweets (for example, "Find Del before 3 pm and win a free t-shirt"). 

 

You can tweet parking and camping information. You can tweet announcements affecting the participants. And most importantly, before the event, you can tweet all your sponsors and raffle donors to give them lots of "love" in return. Make sure you have "followed" and liked all your sponsors first. Then, you can "mention" them with the "@" symbol (see below).

 

                           

 

 

     (from Backlinko.com, October 2023)

 FACEBOOK: You do not want to read about someone washing their poodle on Facebook. So, OK, don't follow them, but learning to use Facebook is a powerful tool for spreading the word about your cause, club, and event. For example, one of my landuse articles (2014) received well over 10,000 views (reads) overnight. In 2020, I wrote an article on FB about Mega-Wildfires with over 64,000 shares (which means 30 – 50 million people read it, most likely). However, even if you paid for it elsewhere, that number is hard to achieve. And Facebook is free (as of this writing).

You can buy Facebook (and Twitter) books (like the ones "for Dummies") and get a crash course in how to make these socials work for you, spread your cause, and help keep outdoor activities alive and well.

 

You can set up a specific event or club's Facebook pages, manage the message, and grow many interested parties that share it in their networks.   The cumulative impact is far-reaching and thrives on its own, creating what is called a "social network."

 

I highly recommend using Facebook "Events" to promote your club, raffle, event, whatever. From your page, set up a sub-page under the Events tag. First, invite people to join your event. Once they do, they automatically get your updates and posts to the event page. This saves you a lot of work in promoting and building your event.

 

FB Groups: this is one of the most powerful tools FB offers. Private or public, you can have a group dedicated to your cause, event, family, or whatever. In addition, you can search a group for specific subjects or posts. It is a great way to coordinate and share on specific topics.

 

 

 

 HASHTAGS:  The # (pound) symbol is a hashtag. Hashtags put the mention (post, tweet) on the entire Internet. So, if a business or group watches a hashtag, they will see it immediately.  Technically, a hashtag is a word or un-spaced phrase prefixed with the number (pound) sign.

 

Hashtags are great for anyone wishing to know how much exposure you are getting. Hashtags are powerful search tools on social networks. Anyone can follow anything with a hashtag and sort out other superfluous data.

 

Sponsors, partners, supporters, and vendors all love hashtags and follow many. Take a business, let's say JeepBusiness.com. Usually, they follow their hashtag, especially on Instagram (see below). #jeepbusiness will bring up all posts about them. So, if you hashtag an entity you want to promote, they will see it every time you mention it (as promised).

 

 

TAGS: Using the "at symbol" @ means tagging someone – different than a hashtag. Tagging them means your post will appear on their social network feed on Facebook (and Instagram). When someone "tags" you in a photo, a copy of the photo is transferred to your profile.

 When a friend tags you in a post, your name appears as a link in their profile. A tag is a link you can see and click on (follow).

 

Tags are a great way to show sponsors that you are promoting them. Your tag/post goes to their page/profile immediately.

 

A tag looks like this @DelAlbright and ensures Del Albright will see what you posted on his feed.   Tags are vital in promoting businesses that help you promote and grow your cause or market your product.  Tag your partners every chance you get.

 

Remember, a hashtag is a searchable phrase or word someone can follow.  A "tag" actually puts your post on their feed/page without them having to follow anything.

 

  

 

INSTAGRAM:  Businesses, opinion leaders, influencers, and media stars often use Instagram to build a tribe of followers. It is quick, easy, short, and sweet, like a tweet, but designed to emphasize the picture and not so much the words.

 

For example, at an event, with Instagram, you use your phone to take an event picture of your vendor show line-up. Then, you post the pic and promote your sponsors by showing their flags, banners, booths, etc., in your Instagram app to your feed.  People "like" or "heart" the pic and share it with others. Immediately, you have happy sponsors who know you are promoting them.

 

And let's talk about "stories" and "reels." TikTok's copycat, as some call it, is a powerful way to engage followers and promote the reach of your posts. Reels allow users to create and watch engaging short videos on the platform.

 

Reel is a feature of Instagram that allows users to create short videos between 15 and 30 seconds in length. In addition to recording short clips, Instagram Reels also lets users edit, remix, and add effects and audio to their reels.

 

With Instagram Reels, you can create and watch short, entertaining videos anytime. In addition to these features, Instagram also provides several options for making reels more exciting and engaging. Add an extra dash to your reels through options such as multi-clip videos, easy-to-use text, AI filters, and audio.

 

Use hashtags (#) to showcase other causes, vendors, and sponsors. They will see you promoting their support and help you even more next time! We all benefit from the never-ending circle of networking that comes from social networks.

 

Social networks are a substantial part of our world today, and to be an effective leader in your field, you should find a way to be in the game.

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    Del

 

 

EGOS AND PERSONALITIES IN CLUBS

 

"They" Are Killing Our Access!

How Egos and Personalities Could Be Our Downfall

By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

Is your club ticked off at a neighboring club?  Are you drifting away from your club because of the behavior of a few folks?  Do you find yourself attending fewer club/group meetings these days?  Do you feel like your opinion does not count? Are you ready to just say heck with it and walk away as a volunteer? Are you tired of the politics and clicks in your club?  In other words, do egos and personalities rule your recreation?

 

In my travels around the country helping folks get organized and keep trails open, I have seen too many of the above problems. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great clubs that are doing just fine.  But I've seen my share of personalities driving folks away from organized recreation.  There are ways to fix that.

In my opinion, our future lies in folks joining and staying active in organized recreation.  The more we band together and stay tuned into what's happening with our trails, the better our chances of having a sport in the future.  The more we separate or alienate from each other, the less chance we have of surviving as a recreational pursuit.  We must be together at every opportunity. 

This means that our local clubs/groups must be viable and effective.   I am constantly reminded of the anti-access (radical environmental groups) slogan "think globally; act locally." They have got it figured out.  They preach keeping the big picture in mind while taking baby steps locally towards achieving the big picture.  It works!

 

Making Swiss Cheese

In large business corporations and management, there's a concept called the "Swiss Cheese" approach.  Swiss cheese has a lot of holes in it to make the cheese what it is.  When a manager faces a tremendously complex task, the Swiss cheese approach is to make one hole at a time until you have your block of cheese done.   In other words, like a long hike in the backcountry, it's just one step at a time until you reach your destination. 

This is where the local level involvement is so significant.  If we're all taking baby steps, punching holes in the big block of Swiss cheese, eventually, we'll achieve the big picture – responsible and sustainable motorized access for all!

It starts with your local club or group.  It begins with a few folks deciding to get past personalities and get something done for the greater good.  It starts with not letting someone else control your feelings about your sport or club.

 

Expectations

If you have personality issues in your club or group, I suggest that before you give up, you confront them head-on.  Let folks know how you feel and what you expect.  Only then can a group or club decide if they want to make changes to accommodate your wishes.  But to me, it is such a shame to see someone drop out of a group without letting folks know the reason why.  It's similar to telling a boss at work what's wrong from your perspective so the problem can be fixed.  Many times, bosses don't know what the employees know.  So, by letting someone know there's a problem, at least you give them a chance to fix it.

There's an old saying I use a lot: "A complaint is never legitimate until it's voiced to someone who can fix it."  If personalities rule your recreation, I suggest you speak up and clear the air.  Get to the "peace table" and talk it out.   Go face to face, and don't try to solve it on the forums. Find solutions or compromises that all the parties can live with.  But whatever you do, give it a shot before you give up.

When I help folks get past personality issues, I always remind them that we are not out to change who someone is, only how they behave in our group. If a particular behavior alienates other club members, we must find a way to change that behavior.  It can be done, but only through communications that are pretty open and honest. 

In the leadership training I give folks, I drive home the point that we must let folks know our expectations -- those things that make us smile and enjoy our sport (or our job or anything else).  The same holds true for a club or a volunteer committee.  If you have expectations that are not being fulfilled, then let someone know.  Doing so increases your chances of staying in the game and helping punch holes in that big block of cheese.

Del