|
Dear lovers of Tolowa Dunes and quiet coastal wild places :
A dangerous statewide precedent is about to be set. (see below*)
Act now to prevent California State Parks from giving away part of Tolowa Dunes State Park in Del Norte County to Off-Road
Vehicles (ORVs, ATVs, OHVs).
WE URGENTLY NEED YOU TO DO TWO THINGS:
1. Send an email right away to: CA State Parks Director Ruth Coleman, by visiting the Center for Biological Diversity website
at http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Tolowa (Also visit for more information about the issue.) Sending a snail
mail letter or postcard as well would be even more effective. A short message is fine. Just copy part of the letter from the website, personalize and pop
it in the mail. This must happen before next Friday, February 3rd.
2. Attend a Public Meeting
hosted by CA State Parks in Crescent City on Friday night February 3rd at 6:30 pm (Elk Valley Community
Center, 2298 Norris Avenue, CC), regarding ORV use in Tolowa Dunes State Park. Please RSVP if you plan
to attend by emailing Sandra at jerabek@jeffnet.org . She will email you back with talking points; or you can
call 707 954-5253. Yes, we are counting heads. It is critical to have a HUGE turnout, especially
because the Blue Ribbon Coalition/ORV advocates rallied by Dennis Mayo from Humboldt County have adopted this
Del Norte issue and will be turning out large numbers to defend ORV use. ~~~ It is important to know
that when Tolowa Dunes was named and classified as a State Park in 2001 the Documentation paperwork said: "Vehicles
are not allowed inside the project area except under special supervised conditions." ~~~ A couple of
you have asked for more information about alternative locations where ORVs are allowed to ride. Please read
our next email for info about alternatives.
* This kind of giveaway has happened at least once before -- when State Parks Director Ruth Coleman
toured around Red Rock State Park with OHV representatives and they ended up getting a big chunk of it. It may start happening more, however, because State Parks'
OHV Division is aggressively seeking to "grab" (by legitimizing abuse) portions of Parks where enforcement is weak and
ORV outlaws are active, like Del Norte. The OHV Division has been meddling in the Tolowa Dunes problem,
and now the CA Wilderness Coalition reports they are interfering with a planned expansion of Anza-Borrego State
Park to protect natural and cultural resources.
We apologize for duplicate emails.
Thank you so much!! for helping the Tolowa
Dunes Stewards
in Del Norte County
send a strong message to California State Parks!
|
