Hey Backcountry Motorized Users, this is what so many people are being told OHV represents. Is this really what you want the general public to wrongfully think of you? People like this are reason you're being discriminated against and why groups want you removed from the landscape. But you also share some of the blame for not addressing some of the legitimate issues. Nonetheless, you should be partnered with to create solutions, not whipped and beaten. Read the reports, gather your thoughts, and challenge the contentious parts you take issue with. The cherry picked, embellished pictures are strategically used to make OHV users look bad. We have photos and videos comparing OHV use to equestrian, cattle ripping up the banks, walking up streams, thunder storms, and most severely, the flood damages. When comparing them all it is evident that the OHV users are being scapegoated, and other legitimate issues are being overlooked. Are you the low hanging fruit? We have also linked the science report used to justify closing down over 75% of the trials in the new Southern PLUZ areas. Take a read through it and let us know SPECIFICALLY what questions and concerns you have, as we will be releasing a full review of this with many field analysts weighing in. We can all agree we must to our share of the heavy lifting, obey regulations, and report abusers to continue to have access. That is why regulation and deterrents (fines) should be used within the PLUZ framework. Anyone that argues for exclusion is just discriminating against one group over another. Imagine a discussion on generalizing all Backcountry recreation users, and instead of using activities we use people. Rather than hiking, biking, snowmobiling, hunting, for example, we use different types of people. Let's say men, women, aboriginals, Hispanics, African Americans, and causations. For every time you see a negative accusation against OHV use, replace the word OHV with the word Hispanic or Aboriginal, Women, etc. Then take a step back, listen to what you just said and try to tell people that sounds legitimate. Let's apply this to recent articles from a leading figure in the anti OHV community: https://www.producer.com/…/ohv-conspiracies-muddy-the-deba…/ https://lethbridgeherald.com/…/stuck-in-the-mud-the-ohv-de…/ https://www.google.ca/…/fitch-and-van-tighem-dont-repea…/amp https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4471857 https://donmeredith.wordpress.com/category/lorne-fitch/ Lorne Fitch | Don Meredith Outdoors Posts about Lorne Fitch written by Don Meredith. Alberta Government 8/1/18 All Canadians have the right to engage in recreational activities and sports, including Off-roading, and sports like hunting and fishing that require responsible use of an OHV for access - especially for participants with disabilities. As you will see in the below links, this is a human right protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Human Rights Act, the Act to Promote Physical Activity and Sport, and other legislative frameworks. Many have been writing us and expressing that they feel the recent public lands management plans by the NDP government discriminate against them unjustifiably, and infringe these rights. Many have also felt helpless in being able to effectively have their voices heard. If you are looking for an effective and practical way to express your legitimate concerns, you can visit the resources below, and see if your situation warrants a human rights complaint. If you would like to begin the process of formal complaints and/or a lawsuit for infringement on your fundamental rights and freedoms, please contact us for more information. If you are a lawyer with a vested interest in this issue please contact us to discuss legal options for our followers. Given the research we have done on the validity of the science reports, the issues with the consultation process, the trail maps, and the effects on users such as but not limited to users with mobility disabilities, it is understandable why so many people feel discriminated against. As a responsible land user myself, I feel my right to access viable hunting grounds to provide for my family via my OHV has been unjustly infringed. "Sport for persons with a disability" refers to sport activities at all levels and in all forms of participation for persons with a disability. It includes athletes and participants with a disability who pursue competitive or recreational sport. This enactment enacts the Accessible Canada Act in order to enhance the full and equal participation of all persons, especially persons with disabilities, in society. This is to be achieved through the progressive realization, within the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of Parliament, of a Canada without barriers, particularly by the identification, removal and prevention of barriers." Policy on Sport for Persons with a Disability "The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Human Rights Act, the Act to Promote Physical Activity and Sport, and other legislative frameworks guarantee the exercise and enjoyment of civil, social, economic, political and cultural rights for all Canadians. They require federal government departments and agencies to develop inclusive policies, programs and practices." Accessible Canada Act Federal Canada Human Rights Commission How to file a complaint Provincial Alberta Human Rights Commission - Complainant Information Alberta Human Rights Commission - Complaint Process For those who might be skeptical about the collusion of both the Canadian and U.S. governments regarding decisions about land use, besides going back to 2010 with the initiation of LCCs, both governments came together for an analysis on our respective lands. In 2013, the following government agencies, NGOs, and LCCs received a report, Landscape Patterns Environmental Quality Analysis. Who created this report isn't real clear. In Canada: Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Crown Managers Partnership Prairie Conservation Forum The Oldman Watershed Council Department of National Defense: Canadian Forces Base Suffield (Why is the military involved in this?) In U.S. : U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Great Northern and Plains, Prairie Potholes Landscape Conservation Cooperatives A literature review of 172 papers was the essence of this report which are outlined beginning on page 67. The intent of the report, "...summarizes findings from published literature identifying significant relationships between land use patterns and thresholds of environmental quality." Forever to blame are humans, "...human patterns of land use have implications for the quality of ecosystem components and the provision of ecosystem services." They are studying and analyzing how humans should fit into the equation of land use with the least amount of environmental harm. The Prairie Conservation Forum, however, gives a nice summary of the report and the next step which involves "...collaboration amongst the funding parties regarding ways in which landscape metrics can be used to support environmental outcomes in land use and conservation planning." Funding parties include the Alberta government and energy companies. One word, corporatism, fits this agenda. OHV Use 7/29/18 As a partner with Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y), Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA), and Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) is a force behind influencing legislative policy and were thrilled when the Alberta government declared "...protection of the Castle under Alberta’s Parks and Protected Areas Act." and in 2015 when "...the Alberta government announced the creation of a Provincial Park and Wilderness Park." It is no coincidence that their goals for a wilderness were met by the government. CCWC's next goal, as a "management principle", is banning OHV use because it is such a "threat" to the area. Other activities they want to ban includes hunting, oil & gas extraction, and logging. However, they have also decided what activity is "compatible", including horses, guiding, nature study, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing, just to name a few. It is benevolent of them to consider "Gateway community development outside of the park will benefit local economies and eliminate the need for highway-side development within the park." They have it all figured out for you with their plan, which just happens to be what Y2Y wants. For Y2Y, the "...Castle Parks provide an essential protected landscape and wildlife corridor link in the northeast corner of the Crown of the Continent." Castle Parks is being used as part of the Y2Y connectivity agenda, it has nothing to do with protecting water or wildlife, and in which Alberta Government official Ian Dyson and Ian Parnell from Environment Canada participate through the GNLCC. The objective for connecting protected areas to each other is also met as seen on the map in this pdf document. The Alberta Environment & Parks Castle Management Plan can be found here. However, over 25,000 have responded from the Alberta Fish & Game Association, objecting to an OHV ban in the parks. Why can't groups such as Y2Y and CCWC understand that there are OHV groups who support responsible use and make up the majority? There is no reason for banning responsible OHV users from the parks. Harvey Locke 7/26/2018 Harvey Locke has significant influence over the government and decisions on land use, and has deep ties to Yellowstone to Yukon and the IUCN. His goal is banning use in at least 17% of Alberta by 2020. He was recently asked to serve on the National Advisory Council (NAC), a global plan, whose goal is placing more land into conservation through protected areas, more land lost to users in Alberta. Given Mr. Locke serves on the United Nations NGO, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), he essentially will be implementing UN goals for conservation, the identified Target 1 objective of the NAC. The IUCN Aichi target goals use protected areas as a key conservation tool, and he will be implementing that philosophy as a NAC member, in partnership with Shannon Phillips. While NAC claims the members are comprised of different representation, the remaining members are ENGO representatives (CPAWS, TNC), former government employees, environmentalists, and Tribes. There is NO citizen representation. This group will be deciding which areas they will cut off from use to meet their goal by 2020. Don't get distracted by local ENGO efforts to ban land use as these foot soldiers are assigned to implement this at the local level, this group is the real driver behind declaring protected areas and need to be the focus for action as well as Ms. Phillips and her involvement with these groups rather than the citizens she is suppose to represent. Castle Park 7/25/18 In spite of the Alberta government announcing a management plan for Castle Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park in January, 2018 that included the phasing out of OHV use, Y2Y wants more. Y2Y acknowledges the outpouring of opposition to this future restriction of OHV use while expressing disdain and minimizing its significance, "...OHV users only account for 10 per cent...". Alberta citizens should not be dismissed in their right to oppose a government decision. Y2Y provides an avenue to support their cause with the Alberta Government which is interesting since both belong to the GNLCC and share the same objectives. Of course CPAWS also had their hand in the decision with Katie Morrison, CPAWS conservation director, being part of the "multi-stakeholder" group on the decision.7/25/2018. Bighorn 7/25/18
The Bighorn in Alberta is a high target of Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y), CPAWS, and the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA). These groups want all OHV use out of the area and having it declared a Wildland Park which would mean permanent protection and either severely restricted or banned use, maybe limiting it's use to only hiking or horses. This area is seen as "An integral linkage area between Banff and Jasper, the region provides large-scale wildlife connectivity along Alberta’s Eastern Slopes...". It is just one more piece of land for completion of their overall goal of connectivity and restricted land use and they see the election of Shannon Phillips as a plus for this agenda.7/25/2018
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