. Training with the Trail Patrol      Dale Bartholomew, Director of Utah Off-Highway Vehicle Trail Patrol reports that there will be another Trail Patrol training meeting. This training is planed for May 17, that’s a Saturday, at Five Mile Pass beginning at 8:00 A.M. Britta Laub, Recreation Specialist, from the BLM will be there. She will talk about the importance of filling out a volunteer agreement. Those attending this class will receive hands on training. We will be going on a ride and doing some actual patrolling. We will also do a small clean up project.  This would be a good day to attend for any new or veteran members of the Trail Patrol needing training. If you missed the last training come to this one.   .Waah, Waah, Waah - The new baby is born      In our last issue of the Utah ATV Trails newsletter we suggested the formation of the Northern Utah ATV/MC Club. No sooner said than born. John Borg, a long time multiple land use advocate; Tom Dickey, a retiree who logged no less than 1600 Miles on his ATV last summer; and Kurt Chaffin, the former editor of this newsletter, met together on the 19th of March to make plans for the new club to take hold.       They outlined a few goals of the organization and started investigating all the necessary elements of an officially recognized Club in the State of Utah. According to Tom they will be meeting again on April 2nd to further develop and crystallize their plans. If interested, let us know and we'll pass your email address on to these fellows so you can soon join the fun.   Pro Land Use Rally Little did we know when we proposed such adamant support of the Pro Land Use Rally at the Utah State Capitol, that the event would provide an opportunity to present our own views on the value of open public motorized access in our State. An opportunity not  to be passed up, our own Robert Birkinshaw faced the crowd of about 250 on the steps of the Utah State Capitol building with a host of other experienced voices with compelling reasons to support public motorized access to public lands.       Tom Jensen, President of the Utah Snowmobile Association; Marsha Terry, of the United Four Wheel Drive Association; Kim Orndorf, former President of Sage Riders; Adena Cook of Blue Ribbon Coalition; Bob Welti, former KSL radio and TV weatherman; U.S. Congressman Chris Cannon; and Chad Booth, Producer of "AT Your Leisure" all joined Rally organizers Rebecca Elwell and Larry Kuehn at the two hour event.  Raineer Huck took the opportunity to circulate a petition in favor of multiple use of public lands.       Considering that SUVs, motorcycles, ATVs and Jeeps are among the most common residents of Utah driveways, there could have been thousands on thousands of participants at the rally. Those who  attended were obviously the dedicated members of the OHV communities in our State. Several came from the far corners of the state to represent  their neighbors.      The event was a counter rally to the SUWA rally held to celebrate their red rock wilderness efforts. While several TV personalities attended and interviewed many of the participants on camera we did not see even so much as a single word on the rally on the news later that night. It is tough to view all channels at once, so this may not be accurate.   The good news is that there was no coverage of the SUWA rally either.  A single article appeared in the Deseret News asserting that our demonstration was in favor of drilling on public lands.  No one mentioned drilling.  Access was the point of the rally, not drilling.      Thanks to those who introduced themselves following the  rally. It is always good to place a face with a name.   .Wasatch Cache National Forest Plan Announced.      A recent Federal Register announced the completion of the required Forest Management Planning document for the Wasatch Cache National Forest.  The complete plan including the selected management prescription is available on the USFS WCNF web site. To say that there is a mountain of information to consume with the plan is quite an understatement. You may find that Chapter 4, Area Specific Direction, which contains maps of the various considerations will be the most useful for you in  determining how the new management prescription will affect your favorite recreation spots.      After initial inspection of the maps I have thus far found only one area that is now considered roadless that was previously open to  motorized use. This is the West Canyon trail which permitted motorcycle access to Horseshoe Springs from Grantsville.       I did note one interesting nuance in the management plan. A  new term has been introduced. Previously restrictions applied to "motorized travel", the new plan now refers to "mechanized travel", so restrictions now apply to our mountain biker pals in addition to our motorized travel fans.      It will take some time to consume the complete plan and  understand the whole thing so these are just my first impressions. (which can  often be wrong) If you'd like to check out the plan for yourself you can  find it at this link: http://www.fs.fed.us/wcnf/feis/REVISED_FOREST_PLAN.pdf  (You'll need the browser enabled Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this page)   . Tax Tip      If you were faithful at tracking and recording your mileage for  your volunteer service to the BLM or USFS you may be entitled to write off $0.14 per mile from your taxes. This is deductible as a charitable donation. It is not exactly a dollar for dollar deduction, but  hey, when it comes to taxes every legal deduction should be realized. The real trick is keeping a faithful record of the dates, times places, and odometer readings at the start and end of the travel. For more information on this I  suggest that you visit the IRS web site and search for mileage for charitable donations. If you don't have the records of your travel and proof  that you volunteered, then forget about the deduction for 2002.  However if you start keeping faithful records, you can deduct your mileage for 2003’s tax return.

Yamaha Remodels Advertising!      At last! Yamaha is the first to come up with an advertising campaign that does not depict the worst aspects of our sport. How many times have we seen ATV commercials with someone tearing through the forest with debris rooster tailing behind them. Then we wonder why the environmental archivists would rather not see ATVs in the forest? It is wonderful that Yamaha has taken a new and much higher road in their latest ad campaign.  This is the same type of clever marketing that Volkswagon used in the sixties that rocketed their Beetle to national prominence. It wouldn't hurt to thank Yamaha for their most impressive ATV feature yet... their advertising. Here's their phone number (800) 962-7926. They don't offer an email address for contact.   Doug Miller's International Outdoor Expo      For the stalwart, the Doug Miller Outdoor Expo has become somewhat of a "general conference" of outdoor enthusiasts. We've seen it grow from modest beginnings at the Utah State Fair Park to the full Southtown Expo center being crowded with people shoulder to shoulder.   The price of admission was a whopping $9.00 this year with no discounts for the senior citizens or handicapped. It was clear that someone was out to make some money on the event. I guess that is what the game is all about; isn't it?       It really is good to see what is new and exciting in the world of outdoor adventure. Among my personal favorites had to be the USA-ALL exhibit with representative Jeep, ATV, snowmobile and motorcycle displays in their booth along with friendly people to chat outdoor access strategies. I'm told that these events offer a mountain of opportunity for vendors to sell their wares. There are dozens of fishing guide services, trailer sales people, representatives from all the major motor sports manufacturers, camping gear of every variety, plus odds and ends of fascinating deals that offer an evening of enjoyment to everyone.  This year’s show also included an ATV test tack. The track was open only limited hours and not a real success in the rain.   National Forest Management Plan - Comment Period soon to close      There is a great web site sponsored by the Americans for Responsible Recreation Access. (http://responsiblerecreation.policy.net/home/ ) This site has built a tool that will help you send your unique comment to the National Forest Planners. Please take just a few minutes and let our Forest Planners know that public motorized access is essential to valued and appropriate recreational opportunities. It is for all of us, young and old, handicapped or physically fit. Many of our ATVers would never see a clear blue mountain lake if it weren't for the fact that transportation was readily available to facilitate it, and it is also a most enjoyable form of transportation.   Correction - (Oops!)      Try as we will to get our facts straight, our last edition of the Utah ATV Trails Newsletter contained a factual error. We stated in our article on "Just for the Record" that the Southeastern Utah OHV club was not going to appeal the recent BLM route designation plan. As it turns out, this is not correct. The BLM indicates that "They did not ask for a stay, but they  did appeal on the grounds that we [the BLM] were inconsistent with the RMP, the decisions are unsupported by the data, doesn't assess cumulative impacts, and the public has been denied meaningful public involvement.The appeal will go to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) and generally IBLA takes a long time to make a decision."       So, there you go. Now the record is accurate. This is good. Someone is actually reading the Newsletter.   Highlight Accessory - WARN 424 Select      You have loved your Honda Rancher 4x4 ES but the truth is, you've found the maneuverability with the full time 4x4 drive just a bit cumbersome. Sometimes you remember the good old days with your 2x4 ATV and wish you could enjoy some of those doughnuts in the sand out at the Knolls again. You sure wouldn't want to trade your 4x4 to do it though, would you? Many of the new models now have the feature standard, but it will be a few years before the home finances will permit a replacement for that reason.      WARN comes to the rescue.      As you can see from the picture above the switch can be mounted on either the left or right side of your machine. The Teflon coated cable will give a positive locking so that it won't slip into 4x4 on the fly. To engage the front wheels you push the button and the knob slides forward a couple inches and you are ready for seri ous four wheeling. You can shift in and out while moving, but it's not advised to try it while the front wheels are stopped and the rear wheels are spinning.   The price from the dealer will run about $300.00 and you can count on an install fee of about another $100. (prices will vary by dealer) All in all, it’s well worth the price. You can install it yourself if you have all the tools and bravery to attack your machine in a serious manner. It will also save you some gas money as you go, but don't count on this as a reason to install one. For more information, visit the WARN Industries web site at "http://www.warn.com"   PULL ON YOUR GLOVES!       Join the fun with the Salt Lake Field Office (SLFO), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and a diverse group of enthusiasts and partners, to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 26, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. at Fivemile Pass, Utah.  Fivemile Pass is a popular OHV and dispersed use recreation area located on the southern end of the Oquirrh Mountains in Utah and Tooele counties.  The event will consist of many local user groups, clubs, BSA Troops, Utah Parks and Recreation and BLM employees cleaning up litter in the area.       Find the BLM booth to sign up as a volunteer.  Bring your gloves, sun protection (lotion/hat), water and closed toe shoes.  For more information contact Pam Christensen at the BLM: (801) 977-4333.   UTAH OHV TRIAL PATROL magnetic decals are now available. They look great and need to be displayed on our vehicles during Trail patrol outings and upcoming Earth Day functions.  The magnetic decals are $15 ea. and are 11". There are also  6" stickons for $6 ea.  Only Trail Patrol members can purchase but If you are not a member, that can easily change. See the training opportunity article above.  Contact your Trail Patrol Leader, Dale Bartholomew or Todd  Adams.

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