[imtnbke]

IMBA-California director Tom Ward sent this e-mail to the IMBA-California Leadership Conference a couple of hours ago. Please read the attached letter and send a rewritten version of it to the people he suggests.

Here's Tom's message to the IMBA-California brass:

Urgent Call To Action NOW:

Hi to All,

We need letters written now and they need to be faxed! I don't usually ask a lot from all of you, but I need your help now! Get all the people in your various networks to write.

To make a long story short, here is what is needed.

Ken Wells and I have been in meetings and discussions with the chief staffer for the Bill Sponsor, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, as well as the representative from the CA Wilderness Coalition. We attempted to make changes in the Bill (AB 2923; see forwarded message for details) but have not been successful. Our position therefore is to oppose the legislation. I have sent an opposed letter (faxed) to the members of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and to the Bill sponsors (see attached). I am testifying before the Committee Wednesday, June 25.

This State Wilderness Bill (not federal) will potentially have a huge negative impact for mountain bike opportunity. The top priorities for Wilderness study are Henry Coe State Park, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and Austin Creek State Recreation Area. We currently ride in the first two parks, and we have a long standing proposal for bike trails in Austin Creek. Although the Bill calls for "study for potential Wilderness" it makes no sense to us to even go down that road when these are prime biking areas.

The strategy now is to . . . fax . . . hundreds of letters so the Bill sponsor and co-sponsor will take notice. This is when numbers count. Look at my letter for wording ideas for yours. Don't make yours exactly the same. In fact, letters can be quite short, but it is crucial to fax them. Legislators take much more notice of fax than email, however if you can't get through on fax, then email or mail a letter.

Everybody send to:

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans
Assembly District 7
Room 315, State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 94249-0007
916-319-2007
Fax 916-319-2107

Also to the bill's co-sponsor:

Senator Pat Wiggins
Second Senate District
Room 4081, State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 94249-0007
916-651-4002
Fax 916-323-6958

Also send the same letter to your State Assembly Rep. and State Senator.

Please let me know you received this communication and how you plan to get others to write.

I will keep you updated as this moves along.

Thanks so much for your help.

Tom

 

[tandemJim]

Wilderness Bill ALERT

Hey mountain bikers!!! PLEASE write a short, simple letter to the Bill Authors and your state senator/assemblyman. FAX it immediately, tonight or tomorrow. Let's get the Authors' attention!!! Simply tell them you mountain bike and are concerned about new wilderness designations impacting important trails!!! You oppose the current Assembly Bill 2923 because it effects lands near Henry Coe and Oat Hill Mine that you enjoy. Ask them to please consider the IMBA position presented by IMBA policy advisor Tom Ward.

Take a minute to write/fax the letters. Writing a short letter is not that hard -- before you reply to some other mtbr post, just write the letters. COME ON!! Let's get their fax machines humming!

 

[Jski1911]

I just faxed a letter to both of the politicians.:madmax: I hope it will do some good!

 

[Skyline35]

This thread has some background information on this issue: Coe on possible Wilderness Designation list

///Charlie

 

[knobbyknees]

I wrote and faxed my letters. It took about an hour to write and fax to my local assembly and senate people, as well as the names of the sponsors above. If you would like to view my letter, to use as inspiration for your own, it's here:

http://www.passiontrailbikes.com/files/AB_2923.doc

Patty

 

[BigLarry]

Ooooo Nooooo, Not Henry Coooooe

My one page letter went out to both of them tonight, when I figure I can get through the fax machine.

 

[imtnbke]

I wrote and faxed my letters. It took about an hour to write and fax to my local assembly and senate people, as well as the names of the sponsors above. If you would like to view my letter, to use as inspiration for your own, it's here:

http://www.passiontrailbikes.com/files/AB_2923.doc

Patty

Excellent letter. I also wrote one that departed quite a bit from the letter IMBA-California sent.

 

[Dan'ger]

Does anyone have a link to a resource to tell who your representatives are and what their email, fax and mailing info are?

 

[imtnbke]

Does anyone have a link to a resource to tell who your representatives are and what their email, fax and mailing info are?

Somone else e-mailed out these two links for that information:

http://www.legislature.ca.gov/port-zipsearch.html

http://www.sen.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/districtmaps.HTP

 

[Dan'ger]

Somone else e-mailed out these two links for that information:

http://www.legislature.ca.gov/port-zipsearch.html

http://www.sen.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/districtmaps.HTP

Great links!

I have another letter to share from a BTCEB member and riding buddy:

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans<o></o>
Assembly District 7<o></o>
State Capitol<o></o>
<st1><st1>Sacramento</st1>, <st1>CA</st1> <st1>94249-0007</st1></st1><o></o>
Room 315<o></o>
<o> </o>
Subject: My Opposition to AB 2923 <st1><st1>California</st1></st1> Wilderness Act, 2008<o></o>
<o> </o>
Dear Assemblywoman Evans:<o></o>
<o> </o>
I am an <st1><st1>Alameda</st1></st1> county home owner, technology company executive and mountain biker. I am a member of the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (BTCEB) and participate in various advocacy activities including trail maintenance work in <st1><st1>East</st1> <st1>Bay</st1></st1> parks. I write you in opposition to AB 2923 California Wilderness Act, 2008.<o></o>
<o> </o>
We have plenty of wilderness, but not enough access to it, especially for cyclists. I would be in full support of using taxpayer dollars (I pay a lot, in my opinion) to increase the amount of land set aside and access for human-powered outdoor recreation. However, the continuing bias against cyclists, gives me no choice but to vote and lobby against these types of proposals until lawmakers are willing to balance the needs of all taxpayers who would like to enjoy these lands. <o></o>
<o> </o>
Mountain biking is accessible to many, promotes healthy lifestyles and participants are growing in number. Unfortunately, the latter issue tends to be used to prove that mountain biking has a greater negative impact than say, horseback riding, because far fewer people can afford to ride horses. Therefore, as the logic goes, they create less environmental impact. There is little debate that horseback riding does more damage on a per-user basis and I have never seen a horseback riding group working on the trails. My wife is an avid horseback rider and I want her to have access to these parks, too. There is no reason we cannot co-exist.<o></o>
<o> </o>
As an avid runner, hiker, mountain and road biker, I love the outdoors and love <st1><st1>California</st1></st1>'s parks. I would like to support the expansion of these wonderful resources for the enjoyment of all, especially my kids. However, the elitist position of the lawmakers and power-brokers suggest that my tax dollars would be used for the enjoyment of a very narrow segment of the population, so I cannot support AB 2923. <o></o>
<o> </o>
<o></o>Thank You and Best Regards,

 

[imtnbke]

Good letter.

I'll just paraphrase the letter I wrote. I said that the California Wilderness Act of 1974 is silent about bicycling, that it is only agency rules that prohibit bike-riding in Wilderness, that those rules are erroneous, and that if places like Henry Coe are made Wilderness people will continue to ride there rather than defer to erroneous administrative rules and park rangers will turn a blind eye to it because they know there is no harm in riding a bicycle in a park.

The California Wilderness Act of 1974 contains a number of code sections, perhaps a dozen or so, and the first one is California Public Resources Code section 5093.30. In fact, here it is for those who may be interested in reading it:

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/prc/5093.30-5093.40.html

 

[benzy]

Just faxed to the interested state senators:

 

[bullit71]

Just faxed to the senators.

 

[Plim]

Does someone have Senator Don Perata's fax number? I faxed a letter to the sponsors and to my assemblyperson, but Don's proving elusive.

 

[Bokchoicowboy]

Don Perata:

Capitol Email:
[email protected]

Capitol Website:
http://dist09.casen.govoffice.com/

Capitol Webmail:
http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.aspx?district=SD09

Capitol Address:
State Capitol, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-651-4009
Fax: 916-327-1997

District Address:
1515 Clay Street, Suite 2202
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-286-1333
Fax: 510-286-3885

Key Staff Address:
Press Office
State Capitol, Room 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-651-4188
Fax: 916-323-2277

 

[Plim]

Don Perata:

...

Thanks!

Faxes sent to bill sponsors and my representatives.

 

[geckonia]

I'm in.... thanks for letting us know!

 

[lkgeo]

Faxed mine to Evans, Wiggins, & the Walnut Creek legislators early yesterday.
Hope the hearing went well -

 

[Mark E]

IMBA will have an action alert posted tomorrow, with talking points and info updated from Tom Ward's meetings with California Senate leaders.

Check imba.com/california or just imba.com for the alert.

-- Mark

 

[GMM]

Just faxed the sponsor and co-sponsor and Don Perata. Thanks for posting!