Interesting thread, I didn't read the whole thing but enough. I led the fight in my area over the last couple of years to keep my favoite area from being closed. There is a dirty little secret I found. Often the skier/quiet use groups are doing no more than blowing smoke. That is what happened here. We did rally the troops in an impressive fashion. Started a new club where there was none, signed up a hundred or so memebers from two little mountain towns and fought back. We raised money with club dues and had a fundraiser last month that brought in thousands. We have been heard. We made nice with the forest mangers in two forests. They now notify us when meetings are being held. They used to be pretty secretive for "public" meetings.
I took they to task in the local paper, usually a scary place consideing the press usually comes down on the side of the libs. We turned it around, using common sense as an argument. The editor of the paper eventually called out the skier group, told it like it was. WE tried to work with them. They wanted to continue dis-information and attempts to incite issues that had no merit. Common sense won out. They did influence an enviro FS manager to the point of declaring and area "unsuitable". That is not a closure though and the admission was made publicly by a BLM manager that it was "to late" for the skiers. We had demonstrated use of the area. An area they claimed as "historically" a skier only venue. Boy were they bummed to see historic pictures of local on sleds, in the area from the 60's...ooops.
So as far as riding closures contributing to more closures, I don't buy it. Demonstrating use of an area of public land can work. It did in my case. Every area is different but the "wilderness" I ride illegally is so far off the beaten trail there is no way it could be enforced. It is better than ten miles from the nearest parking area and the skiers never get that far. The wildlife sure as heck isn't an issue, even the Elk have trouble in 10-12 ft of snow. Yes, I ride it...blatantly. I have discussed it with the FS people and they know, and readily admit they can not and will not bother trying to enforce it. They know we are not doing any damage.
Its is something that needs to be addressed locally, in an organized fashion. The greenies can be beat. I have a feeling we will see fewer and fewer closures as time goes on and hopefully, eventually reversal of some of the stupid policies previously enacted. I believe that a sleeping giant is awakening. I know when I took the greenies to task, backed by a substantial local user group, WE WON. Maybe just the battle, but it sure felt good. It out them on notice that we would not sit by and just let them steal from us anymore.
Work with land managers. If yours is a crazy enviro version, find somebody with a brain and work it from that angle. There are people in that system with brains and common sense. Appeal to them, make sure they now this is PUBLIC land they are messing with and we intend to USE it. It can work.
So say what you will, I pretty much ride where I want unless it is posted private land. I do avoid blatantly antogonizing by not riding closures that are in the public eye. I do ride remote closures, let them try and catch me. A little civil disobedience is what this great country was founded on. Sometimes, when you know you are in the right, I say screw the man. This land is our land, this land is your land. Lets live and let live. Lets band together and change what is wrong not ride in fear of retribution for bad policy. I don't believe for a second my "illegal" riding has hurt the sport. In fact I bet nobody but my riding buddies even know it is happening. What does that hurt?
