Land Preservation & Recreation Plan

[Rut Row]

Good news boys and girls! Yours truly has been tapped to represent bikes/quads on the MD Land Preservation & Recreation Plan. More to come.

Greetings,
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is kicking off a lengthy process to update the state’s Land Preservation & Recreation Plan (LPRP) which is required by the federal government, and a draft must be submitted to the National Park Service by December 2013. As part of this year-long planning process, Secretary John R. Griffin has decided to create a DNR Trails Committee to ensure that the Maryland LPRP includes a trails section.

Based on your leadership on trails issues in the state, and because of your position with trail user groups, we would like to invite you to participate as a member of the DNR Trails Committee to provide input to DNR as this Plan is developed.

The 2014 Maryland LPRP establishes a 5-year vision for land preservation and recreation, and is based on input received from our land managers, local government, the public, and advisory groups like this committee. The Maryland LPRP will contain a separate trails section that addresses the needs of motorized and non-motorized user groups. The Maryland LPRP will provide guidance and investment strategies to support the many needs of the state's trail users as part of Maryland’s state-wide network.

The DNR Trails Committee will include 15 people representing a broad range of perspectives, priorities and expertise related to trails. Specific items that the DNR Trails Committee will be asked to review and provide input on include:
· Reviewing the responses to the Statewide Recreation survey;
· Conducting a trails needs assessment after soliciting input from your respective user group;
· Providing input on Plan goals and objectives;
· Discussing how to prioritize trail investments;
· Submitting a list of trail recommendations for the trails section of the LPRP.

The DNR Trails Committee will meet 4 times during 2013. We intend to send periodic email updates and occasionally request feedback on issues or draft documents between meetings. The meetings will be held from 6-8pm on the last Thursday of the months we meet. Meetings will be held at DNR, in Annapolis, MD in the C-1 Conference Room on the first floor. A photo ID is required to enter the building and visitors will be asked to sign in.

The first DNR Trails Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, January 31st, at 6pm.

The second meeting will be held on March 28th.

The third meeting will be held on June 27th.

And the fourth and final meeting will be held on September 26th.

[Grady]

[BigBird]

Ken, Your efforts on our behalf are GREATLY appreciated.

For everyone's info - this is an excert from the latest R&T club newsletter about our chief cat hearder

Club News:
New Public Riding Areas: Ken Kyler of the DAMN Club has been working with state and local representitives, along with several in the business community to bring back public riding areas in Maryland. Ken has been working on several projects the past 2 years, and has accomplished much in his efforts. There will be a series of meetings in 2013 by the DNR with Ken, and the possibility of some new riding areas out in the western counties is looking more and more promising. There will be more news on this as Ken will be reporting his progress to the local clubs in the area this year.

[motojunky]

Thanks Ken. Your efforts are truly appreciated.

[Damage Inc.]

Thank you for all your efforts.

I can't help but be a bit worried though. Locally there was a supposed effort to create and upgrade a trail system around Loch Raven. But all it ended up doing was giving the "authorities" a complete map of the single track around the area. Which they prompty flagged and closed. Now we are left with lame fire roads or the possibility of having our (mountain)bikes confiscated and paying fines. Alot of riders no longer ride there which is what they wanted.

[Rut Row]

Thank you for all your efforts.

I can't help but be a bit worried though. Locally there was a supposed effort to create and upgrade a trail system around Loch Raven. But all it ended up doing was giving the "authorities" a complete map of the single track around the area. Which they prompty flagged and closed. Now we are left with lame fire roads or the possibility of having our (mountain)bikes confiscated and paying fines. Alot of riders no longer ride there which is what they wanted.

Yup - not the first time I've herd this. Out west, there was a culvert under I-68 which local riders used to use. During the meetings, someone mentioned it and it was immediately closed. Now no one mentions rogue trails in the meetings.

Don't know how this will turn out but standby!

[anotherguy]

Rogue trails? Shouldn't that be illegal trails?

They are the main reason we have such a difficult time opening legal riding areas. If you don't have written permission you cannot be there.

[phoo]

Chicken, meet egg. If there were ANY legal places to ride, it wouldn't be necessary to ride illegally.


Patrick

[anotherguy]

So D.A.M.N. advocates riding illegally?

[Rut Row]

So D.A.M.N. advocates riding illegally?

NO!