To become a member of TLCA and receive a subscription to Toyota Trails or to order back issues of our magazine, please visit our ecommerce store. Your questions about membership can be answered by sending an email to membership@tlca.org. For story submissions please contact the editor@tlca.org.   The Official Publication of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association. Since 1976 and Still Going Strong. The Open Gate by Greg Mumm It is a goal of the TLCA leadership to enhance our effectiveness as an organization as related to land access issues. As part of working toward that goal, I was asked to share a bit of what I do on behalf of the TLCA in Toyota Trails from time to time. I would surmise that most of the membership isn’t aware that behind the scenes the TLCA is very involved in public land use issues. Additionally, many of the TLCA clubs have chairpersons designated to deal with land use and access issues at a local level. Directly and indirectly over the years, the TLCA has supported organizations such as Tread Lightly, The United Four Wheel Drive Association and the Blue Ribbon Coalition. I know this because I have served as the TLCA representative to the Blue Ribbon Coalition for the past several years. Amongst other things, I represent you at BRC meetings. I also sit on the Board of Directors of the Blue Ribbon Coalition, which gives the TLCA a vote on nearly all BRC decisions. Additionally, I sit on the Legal Action Committee of the Blue Ribbon Coalition and I chair the Communications Committee in that organization. The duty of the Communications Committee is to facilitate the various means by which the BRC keeps its members informed. The Legal Action Committee makes the decisions as to which issues the BRC will take into the legal arena. The Blue Ribbon Coalition is one of the largest national advocates for the preservation of access to public land. Together with organizations like the TLCA, BRC is working very hard to make sure your rights are preserved. That said, I think it is practical to take a few moments to alert you to what is going on at present. While there are always several issues to be concerned with, by far the largest issue that profoundly affects us nationally are the new OHV rule changes to the Code of Federal Regulations. These changes have come about since Dale Bosworth took the helm as Chief of the Forest Service. Shortly after taking over that office from his predecessor, Chief Dombeck, Chief Bosworth began to outline what efforts the Forest Service would focus on during his tenure. His definition of the issues included basically four major threats to the National Forest System. In his outline, Chief Bosworth included “unmanaged OHV recreation” as the fourth greatest threat. Shortly thereafter, the Chief identified a task force to come up with solutions the FS could implement nationally to help resolve this issue. In that planning process, the general definition of “unmanaged OHV recreation” became more specific as “unmanaged motorized OHV recreation” and subsequently made the focus of the planning even more specific. In short, the planning team produced a proposal that changes the portion of the Code of Federal Regulations outlining how the Forest Service will manage motorized OHV recreation in the system. The proposed rule changes went through the NEPA process of public involvement and comment late last year. The Forest Service Planning Team is currently working on implementing this public input into the final draft. I expect that document to be out this spring or early summer for the Chief to sign into regulation. When that happens, things will change. If implemented as proposed, the primary change will be that all forests in the National Forest system will be managed as “Closed unless designated open.” This does not mean we lose our public access. As a matter of fact, most of the forests in the system are already managed this way. What it does mean is that all of the forests will be managed the same way: closed to wheeled off-road/cross-country travel unless an area is designated open or an authorized road or trail. To read the rest of this feature join TLCA and receive a subscription to Toyota Trails. To do this please visit our ecommerce store and click on "membership." Your questions about membership can be answered by sending an email to membership@tlca.org. Back to Index