WHAT WILL SAVE THE FUTURE OF MOTORSPORTS?

 

Saving the Future of Motorized Recreation

What Your Membership to Organizations Accomplishes

By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

 Author Del Albright is joined by Don Amador, career Recreation Advocate

 Saving trails and the whole sport of motorized recreation depends on many factors, but without those factors, our trails and our sports will be in jeopardy. Primary in the list is local club involvement in issues and organizational growth. Without local membership support and involvement, a larger umbrella group (state, regional, or national) will push water uphill and waste precious resources.

 From what we’ve seen, working with boards at all levels, before an organization or group can invest time, money, and staff in an issue, it must assess the value of the level of service to its members.

 Noted land use advocate Don Amador crafted this diagram of how many organizations develop a strategy for level of service:

  

The outcome (middle of the diagram) estimates the level of service a group can invest in an issue. This outcome includes member support, priority/timing of the issue, and the potential value to the group. A larger organization cannot take these factors lightly to survive long term.

 A great example is the Rubicon Trail.  Twenty+ years ago, local clubs and users banded together to save the trail from closure. Immediately, state, regional, and national groups recognized this local involvement and jumped in to help fight for the trail. The value returned to the larger groups included membership growth and broader recognition. Everyone won! It worked. The level of service from larger organizations matched the local interest!

 We have heard members complain that their state/regional/national representatives do not do enough for them or their trail. At the same time, that member and the local club have done nothing to help the overall cause/issue. It’s like the blame game – pointing fingers instead of putting boots on the ground. The level of service from bigger groups hinges on locals being involved and invested. It works both ways to create a sustainable future for motorized recreation.

 In our estimation, the future of motorized recreation depends on a few simple things and some proven formulas.

 1.   More unity in organized recreation leadership, including better communications and fewer turf battles.

 2.   Finding the money to get more full-time people doing land use and leading volunteers.

 3.    More training for volunteers who don’t know how to cope with government regulations, safety and EPA requirements, and paperwork.

 4.   A centralized source of information and coordination nationwide that people can trust to bring us all together so the messages are not disjointed but orchestrated for future wins.

 5.   Legal strength – with attorneys who know land use and are available to all.

 6.   Finding the key to getting people to join organized groups and not just be virtual.

 7.   Getting past egos and personalities in OHV recreation.

  Focusing positive energy on the factors mentioned here will save the future of motorized recreation while finding reciprocity between local interests and larger group investment. Simply said, we must always work together, in cooperation, and with a positive focus towards a sustainable future.

(Graphic in support of two important groups, the California 4Wheel Drive Association, and the American Sand Association, that I am highly involved with and a member of).

More on land use here in my book from Amazon.

 MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)

PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

 More land use and volunteerism help here:

• MEETINGS:
• RUN A BETTER MEETING
• NEPA: 
• LEARN MORE ABOUT NEPA
• LETTERS: 
• WRITE A LETTER
• SPEECHES:  
•  GIVE A SPEECH
• FACILITATE: 
• LEARN TO FACILITATE MEETINGS
• CLUBS:
• WHY JOIN A CLUB
• CONVOYS:
• ORGANIZE A CONVOY
• JOIN:
• JOIN THE RIGHT GROUPS
• TRAINING:
• GET VOLUNTEER TRAINING
• LEAD:   
• LEAD VOLUNTEERS
• JOBS:  
• CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOB FOR YOU

SAVING "MAYBERRY" IN RURAL AMERICA

"MAYBERRY" SHOULD NOT DIE!

Saving small town rural America is a three-step process that we can all help with. Our rural USA and economy should not go by the wayside, with its deep history and long standing roots in this great country.  It's a shame to see small towns drying up.  Motorized backcountry recreation can help fix this.  Here's three things we can all do to help save "Mayberry" and towns like it (no offense meant to Andy Griffith).

First, help promote the idea that backcountry motorized recreation brings money into rural America with our purchases of gas, lodging, food, etc.  Over 50 million Americans recreate in the great outdoors.  That's a lot of money.  Let town folks know when you are there spending motor money to help them survive.  "Like" and mention communities you recreate in on your Facebook and other social networks.

Second, wear your decals and stickers proudly to show that you belong to organized groups that are promoting responsible recreation.  Put stickers on your tow rigs as well as off-road rigs.  Demonstrate that organized recreation is out there helping small town America stay alive.

Third, whenever you can, keep your money in "Mom and Pop" outfits, small town USA stores, gas stations and restaurants. If you have a choice, buy from these rural economies to help keep them alive.  I know that Wal-Mart is on your list, most likely for some purchases, but when you can, spend your bucks in the boondocks.

Obviously, a lot of this hinges on ALL of us joining and supporting organized recreation groups like BlueRibbon Coalition and YOUR state association, as well as local clubs.

This history, charm and culture of America are in its backroads and small towns.  Thanks for keeping our rural America alive and well.  Mayberry is counting on you!
Del

SPORT-SPECIFIC OFF-ROAD GROUPS

 I am writing to share my personal observations about the importance of a sport-specific state and regional associations like, for examples, the California Association of 4Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC) in CA, or District 36 or 37 of the American Motorcyclist Association, or the Northeast 4WD Association, or the Colorado Association of 4WD Clubs, or the Arizona State Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, or whatever state and regional association might be available to you.  

Since my first published article about landuse and public lands in 1982 (yea, 30 years ago since I got in the fight), I have always preached the critical need of clubs and individuals belonging to “everything they can afford and that makes sense to them.” Nothing has changed.  The strength of our landuse fights lies in our clubs and organizations, supported by folks like you. 

Now more than ever is the time to be in the game at the national, regional, AND state level.

Obviously I believe firmly in our national umbrella group for all sports, all trails – the BlueRibbon Coalition.  But I also feel just as strongly about clubs being members of state (and regional) associations for their sport.  It goes hand in hand with our successes in keeping the sport alive. For specifics, every four-wheeler in CA should belong to CA4WDC.  I am not confused about that.  If you want to add other groups to your lists of memberships (that you can afford and that make sense to you), then for sure I encourage that as well.  It is all about memberships.

The bottom line of our successes in saving trails and keeping backcountry motorsports alive STARTS with you JOINING everything that makes sense to YOU.

I will add that my entire training course (the Recreational Leadership Training Course - RLTC at http://www.rltc.biz) is based in the fact that volunteer organizations, from churches to charities to clubs, always have “issues” and maybe even some “drama.”  It just seems to be human nature.  Many times the issues are driven by personalities, misunderstandings, lack of communication, or just plain ugliness of some sort.

No matter; the strength of volunteer associations/clubs lies in its members working together to a brighter future to serve the cause.  It’s all about all of us being on the team, and getting past issues.  It should never be about undermining the efforts of a good cause, but rather about shoring up the groups fighting for us.  It’s about fixing things that are broken so we can all have a better off-road future.

I hope you will join me and be in the game, by being a solid member of BRC and your state and regional association.  If you join other groups as well, I applaud you even more.

Thanks for listening,

Del Albright, concerned recreation advocate