nea4wd.org

So why are you involved in Land Use issues and Land Access?

Is this work, enjoyment, or do you feel obligated?

What type of gratification to you receive from this?

How and what made you get started in doing this?

So lets hear it.....

I'll post mine in a another message

So I got started in LU after a run with New England 4 Wheelers. This was back in 1996 when I used to work nights. Friday night into Saturday morning I worked a 12 hour night shift and then drove out to Western MA to attend a run. The reason I fought through the need for sleep was a "new" trail. When I showed up we ended up running the same trail from the previous run and i was quite PO'd. I spoke with someone about myu displeasure on the CB ona different channel and was overheard by one of the run coordinators. My displeasure was thrown in my face, "lets see you do better", I was told.

So Steve and I began our recon of trails through various means. What turned out to be a I told you so soon became a very gratifying and thrilling endevour. I guess it was similiar to the what early explorer of this country felt.

I enjoyed the challenge of finding new land, planning and cutting new trails, and finally gratification of seeing people enjoy something I had a part in.

At times I feel like its work and also feel obligation but mostly I enjoy the challenge.

My desire and drive was caused by the same reason. I got sick of going to the same trails. At the time we had a club president that could not read a topographical map to save his life. I could read a topo map, so I decided to look for elevation and drive to the land to check it out. This was long before we obeyed the NH OHRV law. Scott and I met lots of nice people along the way. If there was a top ten list of individuals that secured permission for the most number of properties, I would up at the top. Some of the permission I got just came to me without me even trying. This luck all came from talking to landowners and selling our cause. I just put my skills to use. There are many more members that have the same skills and choose to just wheel.

Thats the key and "secret", just talking about what we love.

Thats how you got the permission for Springfield's Moose Mtn

Scott

It gives me a good feeling to ride on land I know that is legal, because I obtained permission in writing. An example is Waynes World. That was another land that came to me. We were researching the landowners at NorHatch. It turned out one landowner owned 90 acres with land on both sides of the powerlines. I sent the landowner a letter from NE4WI. I waited a week and made a follow up phone call from my car on the way hoe from work. I hit it off with Mrs. Green the landowner. She appologized for not getiing back to me. I asked if she would give me wriiten permission to use her land in Richmond. She said sure. I them asled her if I could come by in person and get the signed permission form. She said yes. The Mrs Green said you know I have another 200 acres in Hancock where my three houses are located you can use. Scott and I drove by the land on Rt 202 and assumed it was flat. (Wayne's World) We let the land sit for a year. One day we said Mrs. Green will give us permission to use the land so lets go meet her a dn the old man and check it out. That day we met Mrs., Mr Green and Ralph their caretaker. The landowners are senior citizens that like to talk. We listened to them and gave them respect. We scouted out the land. It had great potential but not enough trails on it. We went back to Mrs. Green and asked can we make trails on your land. She said yes if you do not mind working aroung the logger she just hired. You know how it all turned out. We now have Waynes World and Carnage Hill thanks to Mrs. Green. To wheel their land in richmond all we have to do is let Ralph know we are coming.

Moose Mountain was even easier. I pay bills for Veterans that go to Non-VA hospitals. I paid a hospital bill for a patient in my part of the alphabet. The patient called me to complain about the ambulance bill for the hospital bill I paid. Travel pays ambulance bills, but I send a message to that person and told her she needs to pay this ambulance bill. The patient and I got to talking, because he is a paralyzed from the chest down. I asked him if he ever had been offroad in a 4x4. He said inly on a class VI road in an s10. Then he said the class VI road runs next to his 100 acres in Springfield NH. I then asked would you let the NEA4WDC use your land. He said sure. I then asked can I get that in writing. He said yes. I arranged to meet him at a restaurnat near his land for breakfast. Carl Merrick volunteered to take him out to his land in the CJ5. The NEA4WDC bought breakfast. Carl took a tire off his Jeep and the landwoner was able to slide in from his wheechair. We put the racing harness on and off we went. The landowner loved the ride out to his land. We got back to the restaurant and I got a signature with permission to make trails. It does not take a PHd to do this. So far I have more yes responses to can we drive on your land than no responses. We got permission for every landowner on the richmond poerlines except one old bat. She told me know no the phone, then croaked and the son, who inherited the land told me no on the phone. That is why carnage hill does not traverse the whole length of the power lines. That illegal wheeling that was shown on that forum posted on NEOW we have permission for. The club that was out there from EC4WDA was tresspassing.

The Safety Patrol needs to be revived in a major way with the media involved. I wish we had every hotspot patrolled every weekend. Then we would catch all the clubs and their members tresspassing. Why would I join a club, and have rules and regulations, when I can wheel in NH and never have any issues with the police. This gets me thinking that when we patrol the plate number should be taken so a letter can mailed to the offendor from F&G. It should state the OHRV RSA and a way to contact the NEA4WDC for legal wheeling opportunities. This is an educational letter. It will state what illegal wheeling does to our sport. The letter will have the NH F&G logo on one side and our logo on the other side.

I wish that I could get out there and talk with landowners, I'd rather have teeth pulled than try and talk to people I don't know. That being said, there is alot of land here in Swanzey that borders the class 6 that runs from Swanzey to Carnage. It's all been logged off in the past 2 years and there are skidder trails all over the place. I'll find landowner names if someone else will do the talking!

Lane

Steve, I'm not reading all that....

I'll post mine when I have more time to think about it.

I know I ramble on sometimes like Dupont. Get the names and addresses of the lnadwoners. If you live in the area that will hit home when you ask for permission. I am down in Salem so that will not mean as much as a local asking for permission. When I got permission for most of Norhatch I cheated and had a local with me. It made a difference, becuase he worked with one of the landwoners and she said yes because of that.
You never know who is going to own the land.

I have always been interested in big trucks/jeeps even growing up. Did a little stock 4wheeling-some legal, some questionable. Finally got to a position back in 96'ish where I owned an Exxon with 3 bays of service. The following year I opened up Extreme Speed and Offroad (hence my email address Extremeoffroad). Did 90% lifts. It was fun but no money in it. It was just a side line to the main repair biz. Never set well with me that a lot of the guys used to hit the pole lines etc. These were big ol' chevy's and fords on 36-38's. The beater kinds that actually used their junk, not show trucks. I was too busy to build something of my own. Around that time I met Archie and Marthie at the shop. They turned me on to NEOW and others. Met Stephen (NEWJO) around 2000 when I went to work at NAPA in portsmouth. He was pushing NEWJO back then. Joined local jeep club up here but it was lame and they dispanded. Attempted to join the Seacoast Jeeperz after talking with Preach online. Doug G welcomed me but suggested I wait to pay the dues as he didn't know if the club was going to "make it". Went on class VI rides and climbed a neat hill/mt at the end. That part didn't feel right (climbed over stone wall fence) and I asked. I was told it was legal and we had permission for the last 1/2 mile up the hill. Found out later that is was not legal, at least now. It was this same time that the "Z" blew up and Doug and some others had all the issues one NEOW. I had already told Doug I quit the club (that I didn't actually belong to) and search out Stephen-NEWJO. Joined the club late 2004 IIRC. By this time I realized no place to legally wheel in S. ME. Also hooked up the New England Offroad Outfitters who go up north a lot. We decided to either start a new club or join an existing club with the main purpose of land access. NEWJO-Maine was conceived Feb 2005. My drive stems from the fact I have no place to go legally. Kinda funny as my hobby more towards actually building them, not wheeling them. But I have a need to help others, the ability to make things happen and the training to work with company execs. The "Z"'s was my catalyst to get me from behind the wheel and in front of the charge. It still burns. It also helped me get in front of the Maine Legislature and testify to modifying the ABS laws (that was fun).

I'm waiting to read Paul's... (crickets in the background)

My history with land use is one part professional, one part historical, and one part pure enjoyment. I'm somewhat lucky in that I've managed to manipulate personal interests into a professional career and get to play in the dirt and the woods and the sand as part of my profession. But when the chips are down, I really couldn't care less if I'm in a vehicle, on foot, or in a light aircraft buzzing treetops. I just thoroughly enjoy being away from the crowds and experiencing the backcountry. I don't mind talking to people (though I could just as easily live without it). As a consultant, I get paid to be a target for community outcry. It's my job to convince the public that whatever my client is proposing is either a good idea, or will have minimal effects... yippee.

Have a great weekend, folks.

-TMW

I am only minimally involved so far, but I value the preservation of open land for recreational use. I also like working with my hands and working the land - not something I get the chance to do at work at all!
I also love to wheel. Working to wheel is a fair trade in my mind.

I hate the political action end of things and will never volunteer for that. However, I am willing to do management tasks if needed but that is indeed a chore

I think it is a rare thing - I think they call it Egalitariansim - for people to be willing to work for an ideal. Most people are pay-to-play level IMO. This may be something to consider in the future to bring in another layer of 'volunteers'. If people had to volunteer at least one day a year to participate in Fall Crawl, for example, we'd have a lot more volunteers I think!

You give volunteers a discounted rate to attend the Fall Crawl.