NEW DATE FOR THE 49er FAMILY ENDURO - SUNDAY JUNE 6th 2010
The 49er Family Enduro has been postponed due to the Forest Service extending the seasonal closure of the Eldorado National Forest, tentatively until May 14th. Since that encompasses our original date of May 8th, we had no choice but to postpone the event. After considering all of our alternatives, the Polka Dots are rescheduling the event to Sunday June 6th. This is the earliest date that we could manage with no D36 conflicts and a minimum of other conflicts, so that we can put on a quality event. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding on this matter and hope to see many of you out there enjoying another great 49er Family Enduro.
Due to the postponement, we are also extending the pre-entry period until Friday May 21st, so there is still plenty of time to get your entries in!
Curt Backhaus
49er Family Enduro Event Chairman
5/14/2010
It is with great remorse I am announcing that the 2010 Fool’s Gold Enduro will not be held. The California Enduro Rider’s Association (CERA) has exhausted all feasible efforts to have this year’s Fool’s Gold Enduro in the Rock Creek Off-Highway Vehicle Area. Thank you to all of our loyal event participants and to all of the club members that have spent countless hours maintaining trails and preparing for an event that cannot occur. We are in the process of refunding all of the pre-entries now. CERA is going to have events in the future and we will continue to champion the right to ride off-road on our public lands. All of the clubs that are conducting events in our district are currently experiencing similar obstacles with the agencies we are required to deal with in order to conduct our events The future of our sport is going to depend on change. Change in our public image, change in the way we conduct our business and changes in the structures of our organizations. There has been very little success for clubs trying to put on events in the Eldorado National Forest. Our clubs are being bombarded with cost fees that are far beyond any means we can afford. Even when we find a way to pay these outrageous fees, we continually face cancellations and postponements regardless of how diligent we are about complying with regulations. We are being shouldered with the financial burden of paying for Environmental Assessment fees, Environmental Impact fees, Monitoring fees, Cost Recovery fees and an endless list of expenses that are largely the responsibility of the agencies we are trying to work with to conduct our events. All of this is occurring while we are supporting these agencies with volunteer workers and a large amount of funding from our State red and green sticker licensing funds. In effect, we are being triple and quadruple taxed by agencies that are duty bound to serve us and our opportunities to recreate.
The forces that align against us have effectively brought us to a place where we have to choose between bankrupting our club and finding a new way to exist. The CERA Board of Directors is working hard to develop a new model for hosting events. We are working in conjunction with the American Motorcycle Association, the local AMA District 36 and the Blue Ribbon Coalition to develop a strategy for keeping events on our calendar and to protect your right to ride. You can help us in many different ways. First, get involved, stay informed and act when called upon. We need to communicate with our elected officials so they can understand and assist us. Please take the time to write or call when comments are needed. Consider the image we project. We are a family sport and should be able to provide a positive outlet for our youth away from video games, violence and drugs. Our off-road community provides fellowship in the great outdoors, exhilarating experiences for all ages and we do care about our environment as much or more than any other group that recreates on public lands.
Please join us in creating a new future for our sport and protecting your right to ride in organized events on public lands.
Sincerely,
Miguel J. Anaya III
CERA President
The 2010 49er Championship Enduro Has Been Canceled!!!
The 49er Enduro scheduled for October 31, 2010 has been canceled due to the Eldorado National Forest’s refusal to issue a permit (not to be confused with the 49er Family Enduro that will be run on June 6th, 2010). The Polka Dots MC has been working with the Forest Service since April 2009 in an effort to acquire a multi-year permit to run our two enduro events in the Eldorado National Forest each year. The Forest Service agreed to issue single year permits for last year’s 49er and the upcoming 49er Family Enduro while working through the processes involved in getting a multi-year permit done. Well here we are, more than thirteen months after initiating the process, and the Forest Service has informed us that there is no way a multi-year permit could be completed in time for this year’s 49er, and no more single year permits will be considered.
The future of these two events is at this time unknown, as the club needs to determine if we can shoulder the huge financial burden that a multi-year permit will put on us, but we do know that there will be no 49er Enduro this fall. I can not share any of the cost information at this time, that will have to wait until after the club meets, the membership is informed of the details, and a decision on our future actions is made.
The 49er Family Enduro is still on, rescheduled for Sunday June 6th, 2010. Hope to see many of you there.
Curt Backhaus
PDMC Vice President
Attention off road enthusiasts,
We have all seen the effects of the legal battle that continues to rage against the OHV community. The closing of Clear Creek, an attempt to close down the Carnegie State Recreational Vehicle Area, delayed and cancelled events, increased fees and dwindling areas to ride in are just a few of the recent events. Numerous times the call to stand up and fight goes out and this is one of those times.
Anti-OHV groups have filed a law suit against the current travel plan in the El Dorado National Forest. These groups are attempting to have all of the current trails in the forest closed down until each and every trail can be surveyed for environmental impact. The case is Case 2:09-cv-02523-LKK-JFM Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation, et al., v. United States Forest Service, et al. The California Enduro Riders Association (CERA) has been granted intervenor status on this case. We are forcing any action to include the interests of all OHV activity in the Forest. The AMA District 36 LAO has seen the importance of this law suit and donated to the cause. They are looking for matching donations from corporate sponsors. Jeepers have also stepped up and donated to protect their rights to the Rubicon Trail. The Blue Ribbon Coalition has provided an experienced attorney to stand up for our rights. But, the Costs of this legal battle are not cheap. Literally tens of thousands of dollars and counting. This brings me to the point of this letter:
CERA is going to attempt to meet the needs of this lawsuit by soliciting and accepting donations on behalf of any OHV enthusiast or other OHV friendly source.
In order to do this, as CERA Treasurer, I am setting up a separate spreadsheet to keep track of all donations. These donations will solely be used for and forwarded to the BRC as CERA’s legal fund contribution. I will keep a running total of all donations including the person or organization donating the money. All of this money will be tracked separately from our normal business operations with the cumulative balance announced at the club meetings (no names). All information will be completely confidential. You can even make arrangements to have donors make anonymous contributions directly to our bank account.
To make your donation to the BRC legal defense fund, write the check to BRC, make sure to note on the check that this is a Eldorado Legal Defense Fund Donation, and send it to:
CERA
c/o Anthony J. Godrich
5746 Daphne Drive
Livermore, CA 94550
Thank you,
California Enduro Riders Association
