Bad News in NJ
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:05 pm
It just gets worse, eh?
Dear ECEA Club President,
You are all aware that enduros, as we know them in New Jersey’s State Forests, have come under fire from the regulatory bureaucrats and, under the current policies being implemented, our access will be restricted to certain fire cuts and sand roads only. Thanks to the tireless efforts of some of our members and clubs, we are not accepting these conditions without a fight. We have succeeded in capturing attention from the NJ Division of Parks and Forestry personnel and some legislators, but so far we have been unable to influence any substantial change in policy or regulation that will protect our sport.
In order to preserve our enduros, we must take further action. Unfortunately, time is not our ally, so we must act quickly and with impact to stop and reverse the unjust policies that are being thrust upon us. The following are five requested actions I am hoping you will share with your club members and support. Without participation from all of our member clubs, the fight will be lost.
1. Joe Springer has produced a compelling video that presents who we are, what we do, and why it is important to maintain our access to single track trail. This video has been presented to State Parks and Forestry personnel and has made an impact. The video can be viewed at the following link. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... gJhccUyVlo. Please pass this on to your membership and as many people as you can to ask them to view it.
2. We are in the process of establishing a legislative fund within the ECEA treasury. Unfortunately, in addition to time and commitment, we also need money to wage this war. I am asking that clubs donate as much as they reasonably can to our legislative fund in order to preserve our sport. Funds will be used for establishing a PAC to push legislation in our favor, and producing handouts and other supporting materials like the video in Item 1 for meetings with regulators and legislators.
3. Please assemble a list of any charitable contributions and acts that your club has made. Incorporating this information into our presentation materials will be very beneficial to our cause.
4. The following link shows a list and map of New Jersey’s legislative districts. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/ ... umbers.asp One component of our strategy is to approach each legislator in the state with a common request, presentation, and materials. I am asking that each member club provide at least one volunteer to approach the legislators in the districts in which their members reside. After identifying ECEA members for each district, we will provide presentation materials and training so our theme is clearly and consistently stated.
5. I am also asking that each club utilizing a New Jersey State Forest in their event identify a project in their respective forest, solicit funding from the Recreational Trails Grants, and execute the project. The AMA will provide application procedures and guidelines for Trails Grants. A recurring theme from the regulatory officials has been a lack of funds. I believe it may help our cause if we provide funds and manpower for one of their projects.
I appreciate all of you considering these proposals and look forward to your participation to restore enduros to their deserved place on single track trail in New Jersey’s State Forests.
Please let me know any thoughts or suggestions you have regarding this matter.
Best regards,
Jamie
Jamie Theurkauf
President
East Coast Enduro Association