PEER

buschwhaked

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado Springs
Anybody ever heard of these guys? I was reading up on groups that oppose off roading and this organization keeps popping up. They portray themselves as there to protect federal whistleblowers on enviromental issues, but why are they zeroing in on off roading? They are providing testimony before Congress and everything. Their website states that they are against "reckless off roading" but their actions say they are against any form of off roading in my opinion. What do you guys think?

The name stands for Public Employees for Enviromental Responsibility. I've pulled paragraphs and attached links for those who want to read.

http://wolves.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/peer-orv-senate-hearing/

A new group of retired land managers and forest rangers said Thursday that reckless off-road vehicle recreation was the No. 1 threat to public lands in the West.
http://www.orvwatch.com/

Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
He offered three solutions, calling on Congress to:
• Double the current level of law enforcement in the field.
• Provide more oversight on the agencies in charge and impose a user tax or fee on off-road vehicles.
• Impose a forfeiture statute on the driver of an off-road vehicle who endangers people or seriously damages the environment.
"If you're an avid ORV'er and just heard your good buddy had theirs seized for bad behavior, are you going to be good or bad?" Gregory said.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/26/atvs_0527.html

"An essential conflict is that off-roading is a preclusive use of public lands, driving off every other form of recreation," Schambach added, citing as an example the most popular hiking trail in the Eldorado's Georgetown Ranger District which, even though it is barely 24 inches wide, has been designated for ORVs with a 40 inch wheel base. "If the Forest Service stays on the path it has charted on the Eldorado, national forests will be steadily carved up into motorized theme parks."
http://yubanet.com/regional/Off-Road-Vehicle-Route-Designations-Going-Badly-Off-Track.php

One BLM ranger said "90% of ORV users cause resource damage every day they ride. Most will violate a rule, regulation or law daily." Another added "Possibly the greatest weakness in the ORV enforcement program is the lack of bite in judicial penalties. There is often little penalty in not paying tickets."
http://yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_72549.shtml

The Colorado study concludes, “In a ‘nutshell,’ it is our premise that further information and education per se – will not result in substantial behavioral change” (emphasis in original). "Education" is the solution pushed off-roaders as the way to solve the "bad apples" problem. Even the conservative editorial board of the Deseret Morning News doesn't buy that lie. In an editorial today titled "Boost Penalties on ORV louts," the Utah paper supported calls for stiff enforcement and meaningful penalties. Here's the lead: On Wednesday, Deseret Morning News reporter Joe Bauman reported on a survey that catalogued the abuses by off-road vehicle users in Utah and other Western states. And the piece brought up an age-old rule of society: If you can't behave responsibly, your freedom needs to be limited.
http://www.wildlandscpr.org/blog/category/ORVs?page=2

I queried "Public Employees and Enviromental Responsibilty off road" in Google and these are just the results I found in the first 4 pages. There are over 80 pages.
 
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well i have a one finger salute for all of them :D. I say we all send them an e-mail asking why the are zeroing in on all off-roaders. I the 6000 emails would shut them up for a while
 
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I just sent them this e-mail


I, on behalf of NAXJA, would like to know if you are targeting all off road enthusiasts. I will have you know that most of us carry trash bags in our Jeeps with us on the trail. I myself am an avid fisherman. I leave no trash when i go do that either. If you could rephrase some of the stuff said on your website, all of us responsible guys would appreciate it. we try not to destroy the environment we really do i just wish all of you "activists" would take notice that we are trying to do our part so that we can enjoy nature from the seats of our jeeps
 
I think your E-mail should make a good point with them.

I also have one for them.....SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!! Let us wheel in peace, for we do care greatly about our environment and the places we wheel....

BTW, I carry a few bags myself. Anytime I am on the beach I pick up enough trash to fill a bag or two....
 
it was a nice e-mail. I know the majority of us are responsible wheelers sorry if i offended you guys with the NAXJA part didn't think about that til afterwards. I was thinking that while i typed it poorboy
 
:D We have a bunch of anti-wheeling types that visit Long Beach every year and oppose our legal beach driving....

Usually the citizens and tourists rally and run'm out of town....
 
here is the message i recieved earlier from PEER.

Aaron -- As a four-wheeler and hunter myself, I respect where you are coming from.

PEER's concern is focused on reckless and illegal off-roading, a concern I'm confident you also share.

Thanks for treading lightly and keep up the good work.

Best,
Daniel Patterson
SW PEER
Tucson


seems as if they aren't just ragging on all off-roaders. Just the dumbass yokels slinging mud in thier pick-em-up trucks :D
 
Official line in my opinion. After reading all those articles, the types of cases they've taken up, and there instant reaction of "close the trails!" makes me think otherwise. Like I said before, that is the official line on their website but, to me, the evidence speaks to the contrary.
 
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