Take Back Utah 2011 (Aug 20th)

sandahauler

Support Take Back Utah
Website Updated as of 7-19-11


The TBU Rally and Parade will be held August 20th, 2011

6:00am Line up starts at the Utah State Fair Park

9:30am Rally Begins

10:30am Parade leaves the Fair Park and will go to the State Capital where we will have a quick Rally (3 speakers, about 4min's each) and then we drive or ride our rides back to the Fair Park. (this year the parade is round trip)

We will also have Vendors, Food, Prizes and Music at the Fair Park before and after the Rally/Parade.

Website has more info including flyers and a poster that can be printed out.

Please plan on showing up. Bring as many people and rigs as you can. We need to double the attendance from last year.

Thanks


www.takebackutah.org
 
Last edited:

sandahauler

Support Take Back Utah
Sorry, we thought the posters and flyers were done but we had to make a few changes. I will post up all the info soon and the website should be updated later this week.

We also have spaces available for vendors if anyone would like one. Please let us know. We will also have a form on the website with more info.

Thanks
 

sandahauler

Support Take Back Utah
Website is updated. There are flyers and posters that you can download and print out.

We do need help putting up posters in businesses, etc, so let us know if you can help out and we can give you some 11x17 posters.

We also need donations so if you can give, please do. Every little bit helps.

Thanks



Oh, and for those of you that have an excuse to NOT show up, please remember that we are a group of about 12 people that spend pretty much the entire year planning and organizing this event so YOU all can have open dirt trails to use to go camping, fishing, hunting, playing, etc. This is one day out of the year that we really need every last person to show up. To be honest, if we can't get close to 10,000 people to show up I don't think it's going to be worth doing this any more, and if we don't, trails will BE closed faster than you have ever seen before. Last year Fox 13 reported 5,000 people showed up so you all can do the math.

Sorry for the rant,

Dave
 
Oh, and for those of you that have an excuse to NOT show up, please remember that we are a group of about 12 people that spend pretty much the entire year planning and organizing this event so YOU all can have open dirt trails to use to go camping, fishing, hunting, playing, etc.

Maybe you can detail exactly how this rally keeps trails open for camping, fishing, hunting and playing. Be precise in how attendance at the rally has affected access. I'm sure that will encourage more people to attend. ;)

To be honest, if we can't get close to 10,000 people to show up I don't think it's going to be worth doing this any more, and if we don't, trails will BE closed faster than you have ever seen before. Last year Fox 13 reported 5,000 people showed up so you all can do the math.

Trails will begin closing on 8/21? Seriously though, be detailed about facts and I'm sure more people will be able to make an informed decision.
 

sandahauler

Support Take Back Utah
First off I should have said “if you use dirt roads to access area’s you go camping, fishing, hunting, playing, etc”.

Anyway, I will try to explain. Please keep in mind that I have a difficult time writing or typing what I am thinking.

Since keeping our public lands open to all of us is nearly 100% political and legal action, we as a group (we meaning Off Highway Users, mainly motorized) have to keep “in the face” of our politicians. There are only a few ways that I know of to do this like sending letters or emails when we hear of a closure, attending a meeting regarding a closure or donating to a local group like USA-All, Blue Ribbon Coalition, American Motorcyclist Association and others I can’t think of right now and then having some type of gathering to show support for a cause.

Now, until 3 years ago I do not know of any type of mass gathering to show this kind of support. I do hope that you agree with me that this is something we need to do since it seems to help many other organizations.

The last 2 years I have been involved in making the Take Back Utah event happen. One of the many things I have learned is our state politicians know about this event, look forward to it taking place and are happy to be a part of it. I know that it gives them a reason to “speak” at a mass gathering which they like to do but it also keeps our cause on their minds. By having an official organization like “Take Back Utah” it also gives us a reason and clout to contact them throughout the year not only to participate in the event but also to be heard on specific issues. This goes hand in hand with sending letters, emails and having other organizations fighting against closures on a regular basis. I also think most elected officials base some or most of their decisions on the public’s participation and feed back which is why it’s important to lobby them, call them, send letters and email and of course having a gathering. Now with that said, it seems to me the more letters, phone calls, emails, etc that they get would help sway a vote or decision towards that cause. This is why I mentioned we need to double our reported attendance from last year just to prove to them that we are serious. If our attendance is about the same or less then I think that shows maybe we are not that concerned about closures.


Now about trail closures. No, trails will not start closing on or just after 8/21/11. I would hope that you agree closures or near closures are happening more in the last 5 or 10 years than in years or decades past. Also, I think you would agree that it is a lot harder to re-open a closed trail than to fight now to keep it open. With that said, if we, as a group, back off and don’t do the things mentioned above then that gives SUWA and others the increased drive to shut down most or all of our access to public lands since that is there main goal and they do have the money and manpower to get it done. So this is why I said closures would happen much quicker than in the past.


I really want to hear what you all think. If you think there is a better way to keep our trail open, please post it.


Also, what I have said is my opinion, not Take Back Utah’s.
 

jeeper

Currently without Jeep
Location
So Jo, Ut
I think the best way to double the number is to help people know in advance about the gathering. There are MANY rallies I would attend if I knew about them, but I always see the report on KSL Afterwords. If you can get the news to report that it WILL happen then there would be a much greater turn out, IMO
 
Since keeping our public lands open to all of us is nearly 100% political and legal action

This seems to discount the only effective method that's been used to protect and improve access. Cooperative user involvement has been and continues to be the most valuable tool in our arsenal. The trails in Moab, the Hog Canyon system in Kanab, new routes in St George, tails in Delta, routes in American Fork Canyon, trails around Richfield. All protected by user involvement in the management process and cooperative action with land managers.

The idea behind TBU is great, and certainly can help the cause in a big way. It would be great to see the rally become a real tool for protecting access. That would be awesome. Everyone who is interested in protecting motorized access should consider attending.

But it's a slap in the face to the thousands of volunteer hours contributed each year to claim that access protection is "100%" about your political and legal actions. Miles protected by user action outnumber miles protected by legal action at least 100 to 1.
 
Last edited:

DerekM

formerly dirk124
Location
Orem, Utah
The rally is portrayed as a parade of rednecks, which doesn't help anything. This is just my simple-minded opinion, but why not have a "rally" to educate people on responsible land use?
 

SAMI

Formerly Beardy McGee
Location
SLC, UT
^ Portrayed as a parade of rednecks because that's the overall attitude, especially with the politicians.. They hop up in front of the mic and go on about 'God fearin', gun lovin', atv shreddin', mud slingin' 'Merican rights to access... Bla bla...'
 

jeeper

Currently without Jeep
Location
So Jo, Ut
I am surprised by the amount of bickering this thread (or the people in it rather) are causing. TBU is a great asset to have here in Utah, and so are the many other land use organizations. Why are they being turned against each other here??
 

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
When I was part of the committee that planned one of these rallies way back in '03 I had much the same mentality as Dave does. That we've got to get in front of the cameras and splashed on the front pages of newspapers. That if the public sees us, then we'll make an impact on the politicians.
Subsequent events in '04 and '05 taught me that really, the rallies do little to help and may even hurt the cause. Mainly this is due to the media coverage, which will always show it as a gathering of gun tottin', bible thumpin' rednecks. And that the politicians, by and large, have made up their minds long before and without our rallies. Perhaps thats a cynical point of view, but I feel it's pretty accurate.
So I learned. Rather than plan more rallies and waste all that energy, I should participate in service projects, focus on things like NPLD and develop relationships with land managers. And, as Steve said, this has proved much more effectual. When land managers contact you for input, you know you're making an impact.
That said, events like TBU have their place but I would rather see it a educational rally talking about responsible use coupled with a service project rather than a let's go yell and wave signs one. And hey, maybe politicians might like that too. Good photo op of them planting a tree or something. And I can pretty much guarantee that the media would portray us better too.
But that's just my $.02.
 
I am surprised by the amount of bickering this thread (or the people in it rather) are causing. TBU is a great asset to have here in Utah, and so are the many other land use organizations. Why are they being turned against each other here??

Looks like a discussion where everyone's adding 2 cents until we get a dollar. What's wrong with that? Who's what turning against who?

That said, events like TBU have their place

Absolutely. I hope 100,000 users show up and force gov't action right on the spot.
 

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
late to this party, and I made some of the same points as a few tractor-drivers already have here on TBU's Facebook page.

To an extent, perception is everything, and it behooves us to consider that-- to consider that, not make that everything. Legal action has its place as well, political action never hurts, since every decision is personal at the end of the day-- someone signs the bill, someone argues the case, etc.

One of the biggest and lingering disappointments for me in Utah is the divisive attitude so many of us have towards whatever other group. You're in USA-ALL and you won't help U4WDA, you're in Castle Country ATV and you don't like BRC, etc etc. Plainly put, principles need to start coming first. You don't like something, get off your ass and do something about it. It's that simple, and entirely what it takes. 100,000 users shouldn't be some crazy pipe dream! But waaaay too many people are happy to sit back and complain about this, that, the other thing, I don't like this guy, that guy, whatever.

I'm not saying anything new here. The land-use, trail-access issue is not going to be won by the current staff and membership of any of the land-use groups, period. But every one of those people will have some justification to point fingers when everything's over. *shrug It's up to the people who use the trails to safeguard their access.
 

anderson750

I'm working on it Rose
Location
Price, Utah
One of the biggest and lingering disappointments for me in Utah is the divisive attitude so many of us have towards whatever other group. You're in USA-ALL and you won't help U4WDA, you're in Castle Country ATV and you don't like BRC, etc etc.

As president of USA-All I have a vow and obligation to despise the president of U4.:D

But waaaay too many people are happy to sit back and complain about this, that, the other thing, I don't like this guy, that guy, whatever.

.
If events like TBU get people who have typically sat on the sidelines to come out and make the decision to get involved then there is success. Of all the users out there, there is a very small percentage that are actually pulling the wagon. Most users are content to just sit on the sidelilnes and go out and have fun. You can see that with at least 90% of the people who are on RME.

It doesn't matter how far you can pull the wagon, just take a turn before everyone who is pulling it says they are tired.
 

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
Paul, I hate you.

Everything else, yes. Wagon-pullers do get tired, and then they turn into Expo guys, Razr owners, endurance bikers, etc... :D And I don't blame them one bit. :D
 
Top