OUTDOOR RECREATION IN IDAHO

I mentioned in another post that outdoor recreation is one of my favorite aspects of growing up and living in Idaho. By now you probably realize I'm an AVID off-road motorcycle rider. I love the Owyhee desert and the mountains of Central Idaho. I love the wide open and the densely forested. When I say I love these things, I mean I love riding my dirt bike in these places......and so do thousands of others! So why do we have to fight so hard to keep what we've always had, let alone advance opportunities? Well, this question is one of the primary reasons I'm running for the Senate seat in District 20.

Tonight I spent some time at the monthly meeting for Treasure Valley Trail Machine Association (TVTMA). I'm not really a big club kind of guy but I joined years ago primarily because I realized I needed to do SOMETHING to help protect one of the activities I love. I realized my kids, whom I raised to love these activities, too, just were not going to have the same opportunities I have had over the years. I've maintained my membership if only to support the one group that routinely gets invited to the policy negotiations for recreation activities in Idaho.

Anyway, speaking at the meeting tonight was Sandra Mitchell, recreation director for the Idaho Recreation Council. I knew her name beforehand and had heard stories of he activism on our behalf. When I learned she was speaking, I decided I MUST attend to hear her. I'll tell you, I did not make a mistake in judgement. She was fantastic! She gave updates on several timely issues and went into some detail on the history of the fight. I think most importantly, she gave me hope that things can and do change and at this point in history, we seem to be pretty well positioned to retake some lost ground! I was truly encouraged and excited for the opportunities ahead. She is a wonderfully optimistic person.

I took an opportunity to mention to the group that I was running for State Senate in D20. After all, she had them all warmed up to the politics of OHV use, which, frankly, is hard to do. We're dirt bikers; we just want to ride! We don't want to talk politics! But alas, I think most of us have resigned ourselves to the fact that it's the realities of life in 2018, lest we lose our right to recreate the way we wish on public land.

I think you can see that I'll be a firm advocate for multiple-use of our public lands. I will fight Federal overreach and illegal, bureaucratic power plays when it comes to OHV use on public lands. This is why we elect representation. Where's our Senator been?

Anyway, if you have a heart for OHV activities, I encourage you to look into and support both the IRC and TVTMA.

I hope to see you on the trails!