Ozona Ranch Wheeling
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I just got this e-mail from a TORA board member and thought some of you may be interested.
Catfish 8)
----- Original Message -----
From: ARRA-Access
To: Danny South
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:26 AM
Subject: Support OHV Recreation Area in Texas
Texas Trails Alert
Dear Danny South,
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be voting
on January 26, 2006 on a grant submitted by the Texas
Motorized Trails Coalition for the acquisition of over
3,300 acres in Crockett County, TX for the development
of a managed off-road vehicle recreation area. It is
important that the Commission hears from you on this
issue, especially regarding the family nature of OHV
recreation.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Please Support the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition Property Acquisition
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am contacting you to urge your approval of the grant
application submitted by the Texas Motorized Trails
Coalition for the acquisition of land in Crockett
County for the development of a managed off-road
vehicle recreation area.
This 3,329 acre tract of land in Crockett County,
south of Ozona, is ideally suited for this purpose.
This location was selected because of its remoteness
and low potential of impact on natural or cultural
resources. TMTC submitted its grant proposal under the
National Recreational Trails Fund.
Off-highway vehicle recreation areas provide a safe
and family friendly place to recreate. As important,
this off-road vehicle recreation area would be
properly managed and maintained and will potentially
represent the keys to economic development in the
area. Texas was second in the nation in the combined
sale of ATVs and off-highway motorcycles in 2004 and
ranks second in combined ATV and off-highway
motorcycle population as well. Establishing trails and
riding areas where ATVs and off-highway motorcycles
can be used legitimately and in an environmentally
responsible manner should be a high priority for the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
Please support the many who wish to find a safe and
legal place for off-road vehicle recreation by
approving the acquisition of this land, which will
ultimately benefit every off-road vehicle rider in
Texas by becoming an example of what can be done to
promote environmentally and economically beneficial
family recreation.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Danny South
Take Action!
Instructions:
Click here to take action on this issue
Tell-A-Friend:
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
Tell-a-Friend!
What's At Stake:
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be voting
on January 26, 2006 on a grant submitted by the Texas
Motorized Trails Coalition for the acquisition of over
3,300 acres in Crockett County, TX for the development
of a managed off-road vehicle recreation area. It is
important that the Commission hears from you on this
issue, especially regarding the family nature of OHV
recreation. It would be great if you could put in
your own words how important this issue is to you by
taking a few moments to send a short letter to the
commissioners. Below are important talking points for
personalizing your letter along with a sample letter
that you may also use. Safe and legal places to ride
are of value to all of us - so take this opportunity
to make your voice heard.
Possible talking points for personalizing your letter
to the Commission:
a.. The family oriented nature of OHV recreation.
b.. OHV parks provide safe and managed places to
recreate.
c.. OHV parks can provide a stimulus for economic
development in the area.
d.. OHV parks are environmentally friendly. OHV
riders take pride in protecting and maintaining
their places to recreate.
e.. OHV riders desperately need safe and
environmentally appropriate riding areas.
Even if you don't have time to write your own letter,
you can still make your voice heard by simply sending
the attached letter. Feel free to modify the letter
by inserting your own thoughts if you wish.
Campaign Expiration Date:
February 3, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Americans For Responsible Recreational Access.
This message was sent to [email protected]. Visit your
subscription management page to modify your email communication
preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email
from Americans For Responsible Recreational Access, click to
remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove"
in the subject line).
Action Center | Public Meetings | Regional Access Issues | Federal
Legislative Update | ARRA's Washington Newsletter | Federal
Regulatory Update | Volunteer Opportunities |
About ARRA | Home
Catfish 8)
----- Original Message -----
From: ARRA-Access
To: Danny South
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:26 AM
Subject: Support OHV Recreation Area in Texas
Texas Trails Alert
Dear Danny South,
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be voting
on January 26, 2006 on a grant submitted by the Texas
Motorized Trails Coalition for the acquisition of over
3,300 acres in Crockett County, TX for the development
of a managed off-road vehicle recreation area. It is
important that the Commission hears from you on this
issue, especially regarding the family nature of OHV
recreation.
Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Below is the sample letter:
Subject: Please Support the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition Property Acquisition
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am contacting you to urge your approval of the grant
application submitted by the Texas Motorized Trails
Coalition for the acquisition of land in Crockett
County for the development of a managed off-road
vehicle recreation area.
This 3,329 acre tract of land in Crockett County,
south of Ozona, is ideally suited for this purpose.
This location was selected because of its remoteness
and low potential of impact on natural or cultural
resources. TMTC submitted its grant proposal under the
National Recreational Trails Fund.
Off-highway vehicle recreation areas provide a safe
and family friendly place to recreate. As important,
this off-road vehicle recreation area would be
properly managed and maintained and will potentially
represent the keys to economic development in the
area. Texas was second in the nation in the combined
sale of ATVs and off-highway motorcycles in 2004 and
ranks second in combined ATV and off-highway
motorcycle population as well. Establishing trails and
riding areas where ATVs and off-highway motorcycles
can be used legitimately and in an environmentally
responsible manner should be a high priority for the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
Please support the many who wish to find a safe and
legal place for off-road vehicle recreation by
approving the acquisition of this land, which will
ultimately benefit every off-road vehicle rider in
Texas by becoming an example of what can be done to
promote environmentally and economically beneficial
family recreation.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Danny South
Take Action!
Instructions:
Click here to take action on this issue
Tell-A-Friend:
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about
this.
Tell-a-Friend!
What's At Stake:
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be voting
on January 26, 2006 on a grant submitted by the Texas
Motorized Trails Coalition for the acquisition of over
3,300 acres in Crockett County, TX for the development
of a managed off-road vehicle recreation area. It is
important that the Commission hears from you on this
issue, especially regarding the family nature of OHV
recreation. It would be great if you could put in
your own words how important this issue is to you by
taking a few moments to send a short letter to the
commissioners. Below are important talking points for
personalizing your letter along with a sample letter
that you may also use. Safe and legal places to ride
are of value to all of us - so take this opportunity
to make your voice heard.
Possible talking points for personalizing your letter
to the Commission:
a.. The family oriented nature of OHV recreation.
b.. OHV parks provide safe and managed places to
recreate.
c.. OHV parks can provide a stimulus for economic
development in the area.
d.. OHV parks are environmentally friendly. OHV
riders take pride in protecting and maintaining
their places to recreate.
e.. OHV riders desperately need safe and
environmentally appropriate riding areas.
Even if you don't have time to write your own letter,
you can still make your voice heard by simply sending
the attached letter. Feel free to modify the letter
by inserting your own thoughts if you wish.
Campaign Expiration Date:
February 3, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Americans For Responsible Recreational Access.
This message was sent to [email protected]. Visit your
subscription management page to modify your email communication
preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email
from Americans For Responsible Recreational Access, click to
remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove"
in the subject line).
Action Center | Public Meetings | Regional Access Issues | Federal
Legislative Update | ARRA's Washington Newsletter | Federal
Regulatory Update | Volunteer Opportunities |
About ARRA | Home
Looks like the ball had been dropped in this thread because of the holidays. Thanks, redneck_motorsports, for popping in here with the ARRA update.
This link will take you to the ARRA website with the pre-written letter seen above. Fill in the info it asks for on the right hand side and click their send button. The letter will automatically go to ALL of those people that need to receive it NOW! Pass this link on to everyone you know, whether they wheel or not. Let the state know that the off-highway community will not be bullied any more by outside pandering lobbyists.
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/texas_trails_alert?rk=SdqygnK1eXr1E
This link will take you to the ARRA website with the pre-written letter seen above. Fill in the info it asks for on the right hand side and click their send button. The letter will automatically go to ALL of those people that need to receive it NOW! Pass this link on to everyone you know, whether they wheel or not. Let the state know that the off-highway community will not be bullied any more by outside pandering lobbyists.
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/texas_trails_alert?rk=SdqygnK1eXr1E
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA020506.3C.COL.OUTstrait.offroad.25d4431.html
San Antonio Express-News
Texans who ride off-road vehicles are getting a new park specifically for the use of ATVs, motorcycles and 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
Not yet named, the 3,324-acre park is in Crockett County, about 22 miles south of Ozona and 12 miles off Interstate 10. It was purchased for $1.36 million.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission approved the deal and funding Jan. 26. The money, collected as part of the federal fuel taxes paid at the pump, was already in hand. The Legislature assigned the state agency the task of facilitating the purchase for the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition, a non-profit organization whose membership uses off-road vehicles as its primary source of recreation.
The West Texas park should open in summer 2007. It will be operated by TMTC, which already runs the 1,800-acre off-road park at Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area near Gilmer in Upshur County.
Carol Smith, a Medina Lake business owner and TMTC board member, has led the four-year effort to find and fund the new park.
The reality of any purchase, however, was that it would involve detailed environmental restrictions, and that made finding suitable land closer to urban centers difficult. When the real estate agent urged Smith to visit the property last summer, she drove out with her husband, Nick.
That one visit set Smith's wheels in motion. She saw the possibilities and started building the case for a purchase.
"Interstate 10 to Ozona is all-weather and well-maintained, and the road leading up to the ranch entrance is paved," Smith said. Only the last half-mile is gravel, and that road is used by oil companies and kept in good condition.
Good roads cut travel time and facilitate user access.
Inside the gate, "There's no live water on the property," Smith said, and that proved a plus. Having no streams and no springs eased many of the environmental concerns.
The ranch does have two water wells for drinking and other user needs, and it has the topographical elements that make an off-roader's heart race.
"The handlebar folks," as Smith calls ATV and motorcycle riders, "like a little elevation change with a lot of flat ground for touring. The 4x4 people (trucks, Jeeps, etc.) like a lot of elevation change, something to crawl on and over."
She estimates the property is split about 60/40, with the advantage to the handlebar folks.
TMTC board members joined Smith on her second visit to the property, and they were all but convinced to buy.
The concern, again, was that the property is so far from anywhere that its user potential would not be realized.
While the primary audience for the ATV park will be rolling out of San Antonio and Austin, TMTC research conducted last fall showed that the region included an additional 500,000 people, mostly in Del Rio, Uvalde, Midland-Odessa and San Angelo.
With the added potential, TMTC gave its blessing and two public hearings were conducted in Ozona before the commission's vote.
The park now moves into the design stage, which TMTC members, TP&W staff and people who developed the Barnwell Mountain facility will handle.
In its early stage, there will be a primitive RV camp and pads with picnic tables for tent campers. Electricity will be run into the property and eventually there will be a fully developed park with marked trails and a full-time staff.
The $1.36 million price tag covered only the land purchase, and that leaves park design and other work unfunded. Smith is working on that, too.
As for the labor to clear trails and do the heavy lifting, "(TMTC) is a family-oriented organization," Smith said. "We rely a lot on volunteer work. Every TMTC member is a part of this park. We'll get it done."
To be part of the effort, go online at texasmotorizedtrails.com.
San Antonio Express-News
Texans who ride off-road vehicles are getting a new park specifically for the use of ATVs, motorcycles and 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
Not yet named, the 3,324-acre park is in Crockett County, about 22 miles south of Ozona and 12 miles off Interstate 10. It was purchased for $1.36 million.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission approved the deal and funding Jan. 26. The money, collected as part of the federal fuel taxes paid at the pump, was already in hand. The Legislature assigned the state agency the task of facilitating the purchase for the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition, a non-profit organization whose membership uses off-road vehicles as its primary source of recreation.
The West Texas park should open in summer 2007. It will be operated by TMTC, which already runs the 1,800-acre off-road park at Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area near Gilmer in Upshur County.
Carol Smith, a Medina Lake business owner and TMTC board member, has led the four-year effort to find and fund the new park.
The reality of any purchase, however, was that it would involve detailed environmental restrictions, and that made finding suitable land closer to urban centers difficult. When the real estate agent urged Smith to visit the property last summer, she drove out with her husband, Nick.
That one visit set Smith's wheels in motion. She saw the possibilities and started building the case for a purchase.
"Interstate 10 to Ozona is all-weather and well-maintained, and the road leading up to the ranch entrance is paved," Smith said. Only the last half-mile is gravel, and that road is used by oil companies and kept in good condition.
Good roads cut travel time and facilitate user access.
Inside the gate, "There's no live water on the property," Smith said, and that proved a plus. Having no streams and no springs eased many of the environmental concerns.
The ranch does have two water wells for drinking and other user needs, and it has the topographical elements that make an off-roader's heart race.
"The handlebar folks," as Smith calls ATV and motorcycle riders, "like a little elevation change with a lot of flat ground for touring. The 4x4 people (trucks, Jeeps, etc.) like a lot of elevation change, something to crawl on and over."
She estimates the property is split about 60/40, with the advantage to the handlebar folks.
TMTC board members joined Smith on her second visit to the property, and they were all but convinced to buy.
The concern, again, was that the property is so far from anywhere that its user potential would not be realized.
While the primary audience for the ATV park will be rolling out of San Antonio and Austin, TMTC research conducted last fall showed that the region included an additional 500,000 people, mostly in Del Rio, Uvalde, Midland-Odessa and San Angelo.
With the added potential, TMTC gave its blessing and two public hearings were conducted in Ozona before the commission's vote.
The park now moves into the design stage, which TMTC members, TP&W staff and people who developed the Barnwell Mountain facility will handle.
In its early stage, there will be a primitive RV camp and pads with picnic tables for tent campers. Electricity will be run into the property and eventually there will be a fully developed park with marked trails and a full-time staff.
The $1.36 million price tag covered only the land purchase, and that leaves park design and other work unfunded. Smith is working on that, too.
As for the labor to clear trails and do the heavy lifting, "(TMTC) is a family-oriented organization," Smith said. "We rely a lot on volunteer work. Every TMTC member is a part of this park. We'll get it done."
To be part of the effort, go online at texasmotorizedtrails.com.
Joined
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50 Posts
thats good advertising. good times are coming.
Once a quarter? Every other month? Some meetings can be done via phone conference. Some meetings will need to be on site to be effective.xanthias said:
Email me for a more in-depth discussion if you're interested in serving.
[email protected]
hey man i live in SA and would love to have a nice place to go wheelin. i am kinda new to the offroad ways but i have done the race cars and the atv thing all my life. i grew up in east texas and we would drive 3 to 8 hours to go and race or take the bikes out or 4 wheels. i would deffentily be interested in helping, wheelin, playin, or whatever else is needed. i also know a couple of people here that could and would do the same. so sign me up and GIT R DONE!!!!!!
Joined
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155 Posts
I would still like to help..
Unsure of commitment. Am very willing just busy with family.
Unsure of commitment. Am very willing just busy with family.
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