[pct-l] Private landowners along the PCT and bikes

[Dan Jacobs]

On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 1:08 PM, Brick Robbins <brick at brickrobbins.com> wrote:
>
> If you are going to engage these folks directly, you should be a well
> trained and researched lawyer too.

Not necessarily, but one should at least have knowledge of what they
are talking about. Lawyers are good at research. Many have access to
information that would be hard to find unless you have access to the
same databases.

> You are not going to change their minds, nor deter them from their
> ultimate goal of legally riding their MBTs on every inch of single
> track trail in the country. Any "compromise" reached with them will
> move the laws a bit closer to their goal.

Lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians understand that if you can't eat
the whole sandwich now, you don't mind taking a bite here or there
until you do eat the whole thing.

> AND it is quite clear that all posts in this forum are being archived
> by these lawyers for future use in whatever way they may see to be
> convenient.

I don't see that as helping them, really. The process won't be one of
gathering comments to see who sounds meaner or more threatening, or
nicer and more helpful, about the PCT, the MTBrs or the hikers. The
process to open the PCT to MTBrs for some sections will be one with a
lengthy public comment period, an even lengthier environmental impact
study (that will not be free, far from it, and someone will have to
pay for it), and plenty of time for the initial shock and reactions to
become mostly irrelevant. March next year is, and isn't, a long way
away.

I know for myself, the initial shock and anger has well worn off. I am
preparing what I am going to say during the public comment period now
so that when the time comes, it will be complete. I am gathering facts
to include in my comments, and will work very hard to prevent emotion
from getting the best of me.

And anyone that sees my statement of "I will not yield" as a threat of
harm is just plain silly. It just means I won't move. If anyone is
harmed it's because someone hits me, not because I hit them. Nobody
said I had to make it easy for MTBrs to use a multi use or closed to
bikes trail.

Dan Jacobs
Washougal
-- 
"Loud motorcycle stereos save lives"
Motorcycle to hike, hike to motorcycle