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How can we make the letter campaigns better?

945 views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  Simple Man 
#1 ·
Scott brought up that the FS is not hearing from many of us. I will admit I don’t write enough. The reason I don’t right more…I’m confused.

I get lost in the call to arms.
There seems to be a bunch of town criers and I can’t tell which stories I have already heard. I don’t want to write three letters for the same topic.

Is there some way we could number, date, identify the action items?
At work we create work orders, purchase order, project numbers, etc.

Is there some way we could keep track by date or agency or something?
Any other ideas?

I feel like I’m playing dodge ball and its 4 vs. 400000000.
I don't want to give up just yet,
-Pete
 
#2 ·
Write a letter, photo copy it, have everybody in your club sign individual copies, then get as many club members to join other clubs members and walk right on in and deliver the letters in person five minutes before five so they have to stay and listen to us on their own time.
 
#4 ·
Okay, you guys want to write some letter or e-mails?

Here is a quick list of contacts. I'm sorry it's sort of bunched together it didn't copy out of Word well.




OHV Contact List:
Rubicon Trail Foundation:
P.O. Box 1507
Meadow Vista, CA
95722
www.RubiconTrail.org

Board of Directors:
Scott Johnston Director01@RubiconTrail.org
Doug Barr Director02@RubiconTrail.org
Mike Overmeyer Director03@RubiconTrail.org
Rusty Folena Director04@RubiconTrail.org
Kevin Carey Director05@RubiconTrail.org
Bob Reed robertreed5@comcast.net
Mark Smith marks@jeepjam.com
Rich Mainwaring RICHIEBAH@internet49.com
Jack Sweeney jsweeney@co.el-dorado.ca.us
Ted Gaines tgaines@placer.ca.gov

Officers:
President President@RubiconTrail.org
Del Albright del@delalbright.com
VP VicePresident@RubiconTrail.org
*Seat currently open*
Secretary Secretary@RubiconTrail.org
Randy Burleson Randy_B2@verifone.com
randii@4x4wire.com
Treasurer Treasurer@RubiconTrail.org
Dennis Mayer dmayer@2xtreme.net


Friends of the Rubicon fotr@pismo.off-road.com
Trail Boss
Del Albright del@delalbright.com



El Dorado National Forest (530) 622-5061
Rich Platt RPlatt@fs.fed.us
Jeff Marsolais JMarsolais@fs.fed.us
Lester Lubetkin LLubetkin@fs.fed.us
OHV Specialist
Tony Scardina AScardina@fs.fed.us

El Dorado County www.co.el-dorado.ca.us
Keith Leach (Dan’s boss) (530) 621-5847
Dan Bolster DBolster@co.el-dorado.ca.us
Rubicon Oversight Committee
Airports, Parks and Grounds RubiconTrail@co.el-dorado.ca.us
Director (530) 621-5864
360 Fair Lane
Placerville, CA 95667
Jack Sweeney – Dist 3 Supervisor BOSthree@co.el-dorado.ca.com
(530) 621-5652
(800) 491-6642
Steve Peterson Steve@esp.nu
AICP
Environmental Stewardship & Planning, Inc.
2830 Eye Street, Suite 304
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 455-1115
Fax: (916) 455-1118


Tahoe National Forest (530) 265-4531
Susanne K Jensen SKJensen@fs.fed.us
Tahoe National Forest OHV Specialist
Truckee Ranger District 10342 Highway 89 North
9646 Donner Pass Road Truckee, CA 96161
Truckee, CA 96161 (530) 587-3558
(800) 587-3558 (530) 587-6914 – fax
Jeff Wiley JWiley@fs.fed.us
Suzanne’s boss
Rick Maddalena RMaddalena@fs.fed.us
East Zone Recreation Lands Officer (530) 587-3558
Truckee and Sierraville Ranger Districts (530) 412-4090
Gary Barnet (LE?) (530) 587-3558 x237


Lake Tahoe Basin Management District (530) 543-2600
Doug Ridley DRidley@fs.fed.us
OHV Recreation (530) 543-2789 his office
South Lake Tahoe




Senate
http://www.senate.gov/

House
http://www.house.gov/

BLM
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/index.htm

Forest Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/

CA state parks
http://www.parks.ca.gov/

CA OHV
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/
 
#6 ·
Doug,

Thanks for posting this info as i'm sure not everybody has all of them.

One other thing we can do is to maybe post individually those notices of letters that need to be written with bullet points so that everyone can write their letter in their own words (carries more weight if the are individually written than a form letter), and who to direct it to. If they pick up a letter that starts out the same as the previous one they probably don't finish it and it goes into the form letter pile.

Dennis
 
#7 ·
That huge list and "go for it" is what has me with my head in my hands.

I am a simple man. I need to put things in compartments.

Here's what I'm thinking...

DATE/PLACE/SPECIFIC/SUBJECT/ACTION

Call to action:
2005-11-22/Rubicon/Gate Keeper/Blast without warning?/Letters to the followting: see list above.

I know we can't control the world, but we can control this page.

I don't mind sending a single letter all over the place. I'm happy to do what I can. I just feel like I'm drowning in bad news. I need a way to deal with this stuff. I need a system.

Can we work on a system?
 
#10 ·
JoshC said:
We who? The people we have been donating to year after year to help bring organization on a larger front?
Just who are you referring to when you say donating to year after year? I certainly know you don't mean FOTR. And the Rubicon Foundation is too new to be in the year after year club. So Josh, FOTR Bay Area Chapter Rep, just to whom should I address this question?
thanks, Del
 
#11 ·
Jeepndel said:
Just who are you referring to when you say donating to year after year? I certainly know you don't mean FOTR. And the Rubicon Foundation is too new to be in the year after year club. So Josh, FOTR Bay Area Chapter Rep, just to whom should I address this question?
thanks, Del
Del, I'm frustrated with this. I think that you could challange me on donating cash to FOTR but I have contributed plenty in every other way... And that's not the point.
 
#12 ·
I am not sure what your specific point is, but....

If you are in reference to a singular system to track issues and provide sample text for letter, you are asking for a big job.

Tracking the Rubicon issues should be an easy task. Try state-wide or even the national issues.....

I hear your concern and agree we need to do a better job of tracking the issues and when comments are due AND providing the various user groups sufficient information to write letters.

If it is any consolation, I have had discussions with other national groups on how we can develop a system to track letters.

Right now, http://www.arra-access.com is the most complete. This effort in funded in part by the Motorcycle Industry Council. They are looking for ways to improve and become more effective.
 
#13 ·
I am not sure what your specific point is, but....

If you are in reference to a singular system to track issues and provide sample text for letter, you are asking for a big job.

Tracking the Rubicon issues should be an easy task. Try state-wide or even the national issues.....

I hear your concern and agree we need to do a better job of tracking the issues and when comments are due AND providing the various user groups sufficient information to write letters.

If it is any consolation, I have had discussions with other national groups on how we can develop a system to track letters.

Right now, http://www.arra-access.com is the most complete. This effort in funded in part by the Motorcycle Industry Council. They are looking for ways to improve and become more effective.
 
#14 ·
I am not sure what your specific point is, but....

If you are in reference to a singular system to track issues and provide sample text for letter, you are asking for a big job.

Tracking the Rubicon issues should be an easy task. Try state-wide or even the national issues.....

I hear your concern and agree we need to do a better job of tracking the issues and when comments are due AND providing the various user groups sufficient information to write letters.

If it is any consolation, I have had discussions with other national groups on how we can develop a system to track letters.

Right now, http://www.arra-access.com is the most complete. This effort in funded in part by the Motorcycle Industry Council. They are looking for ways to improve and become more effective.
 
#16 ·
with the new modern age of electronic emails, I am wondering if they are getting 1000's of emails but choose to ignore everyone of them and just send them to the deleted items folder. Thus saying they never receive anything.
 
#17 ·
Forest Service and BLM are beginning to use a dedicated service that accepts email comments.

There is a specific analysis team that does evaluate all comments.

The key is to provide "substantive comments".

That means, identify an issue that is based in law or science. And, provide a solution to the issues.

Comments such as "this stinks" or others based on emotion are set aside as they do not add value to the decision making process.
 
#19 ·
Del, I would like to say thank you for all your hard work. I know that it is your passion to fight to keep thes trails open for everyone to enjoy. I know its not for the money like some think it is. It is very expensive to travel around to all these events and meeting and everything you do to keep fighting for us the users. Its not a battle one person can win on his own, thats why the organizations Del promotes NEED us as members to fight the battle with.

And Del I just renewed my membership to BRC. Thanks David
 
#20 ·
ROCK HUGGER said:
It is very expensive to travel around to all these events and meeting and everything you do to keep fighting for us the users. Its not a battle one person can win on his own, thats why the organizations Del promotes NEED us as members to fight the battle with.

And Del I just renewed my membership to BRC. Thanks David
Thanks David, I appreciate hearing that. And it helps to hear kind words of encouragement now and then. :)
Del
 
#21 ·
kf6zpl said:
I hear your concern and agree we need to do a better job of tracking the issues and when comments are due AND providing the various user groups sufficient information to write letters.

If it is any consolation, I have had discussions with other national groups on how we can develop a system to track letters.

Right now, http://www.arra-access.com is the most complete. This effort in funded in part by the Motorcycle Industry Council. They are looking for ways to improve and become more effective.
I will look at your link. This is what I am getting at. I can't (won't) afford the time to keep all these issues straight. I'm just trying to think of ways to make my spare time more productive.

I'm very much "the glass is half full" kind of guy, so I want to make this a better system.

Now off topic, sort of...
That is why people like Del are needed on our side. They are worth our support both active and financial. I have met Del. I can say that I'm probably not his favorite type of person, nor the type that he would turn to lead his projects, but I'm very confident that he intends to work hard to keep these trails open and he loves the wheel'n world. He needs to pay his bill, so we need to pay him. If Del didn't love the trails he'd do something else. He is more than qualified to do other things and he'd make a lot more money. Let's not take pot shots at his character. If you go to a FOTR project, I'll be the quite little guy carrying the big stones. :D And I'm doing my best to get people in my club to sign up for the three big clubs in CA. Now after I pay my property taxes, I'll join too. OK I'll join the BRC now. I should have done it sooner.
 
#22 ·
MellowYellow said:
That is why people like Del are needed on our side. They are worth our support both active and financial. I have met Del. I can say that I'm probably not his favorite type of person, nor the type that he would turn to lead his projects, but I'm very confident that he intends to work hard to keep these trails open and he loves the wheel'n world. He needs to pay his bill, so we need to pay him. ... OK I'll join the BRC now. I should have done it sooner.
Thanks Peter, it's good to hear these words about joining clubs and BRC (renewing or whatever). Thank you for joining BRC :)
I think I need to clarify that I'm not looking for checks to come my way. Sorry about that. I'm looking for checks to head to our organizations and clubs that are fighting for us -- memberships. But the reality is, if BRC were to fall apart tomorrow (which it won't), I would not be able to travel around, spending ALL my time (nearly 24/7) working on our trails. I just couldn't do it on my own.

In the last few months, I'm happy to report that BRC has grown substantially with the Buddy Program (where you can join for half price). And Bob Reed, President of Cal4wheel tells us that they are growing also. So this is really great news. WE need folks to join up and be members. It's how we stay in the fight.
Del
 
#23 ·
jopes said:
with the new modern age of electronic emails, I am wondering if they are getting 1000's of emails but choose to ignore everyone of them and just send them to the deleted items folder. Thus saying they never receive anything.
The FS has issued a Notice of Intent on the Route Designation. That means they have entered the NEPA process. They are bound by LAW to respond to every comment received. Look for your comment in the area of the FS page that has responses to Public comment.

I have looked for mine and found them.

Scott
 
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