I apologize for the long period between updates, but our family has been involved in some medical issues for our son and we have been travelling between Dayton, Stanford University Medical Center and the Sacramento Area where he remains hospitalized.
However, Patti and I are planning our annual two weeks at Meadow Lake, CA, for the 50
th Sierra Trek event sponsored by the California Four Wheel Drive Association. This will be our 37
th consecutive Trek, so we don’t want to break the string!
Current Issues:
- Washoe County Lands Bill – Properly called the Washoe County Economic Development and Conservation Act – Washoe County, in cooperation with the Friends of Nevada Wilderness (FNW) have prepared a bill request whereby certain public lands would be withdrawn for various purposes, including seven new Wilderness areas in northern Washoe County.
The Washoe County Lands Bill seems to be in a limbo state. It seems that all land use issues are stalled until the Presidential appointments for Interior, BLM, US Fish and Wildlife, Agriculture and US Forest Service are completed and these people are at work, most, if not all land use issues are stalled. Congress is busy with the health insurance bills, among others, and very little is moving through the committees.
President Trump has concern over those National Monuments that were created by past Presidents under the Antiquities Act which gives the President the authority to designate areas of high cultural significance as National Monuments. He has detailed Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, to review approximately sixty National Monuments, including the Gold Butte and Basin and Range National Monuments in Nevada that were created by President Obama. He is to assess their size and suitability for monument status and report back to the President by the end of August.
Secretary Zinke is in Nevada today to review the Gold Butte and Basin and Range National Monuments.
It is not known whether the President will reduce or increase the size of these monument areas and draw lawsuits from environmental organizations who would challenge the President’s authority to eliminate or make boundary changes to existing monuments.
Permitting on Federal Lands –
The President has directed the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to streamline the process for obtaining special land use permits. We are watching this closely as it affects the Association and our member clubs that wish to obtain permits to put on events on the public lands.
Deer Valley –
After four years of closure due to a Forest Service paperwork error, the Deer Valley Jeep Trail, located between California Highways 88 and 4 in the Eldorado National Forest, will reopen on August 3
rd. There are work parties scheduled for the 2
nd, 3
rd and 4
th weekends in September (For information, call me at 775-246=3212 or email to the Association address}.
Upcoming Events:
–
August 10th through 13th – 50
th Sierra Trek at Meadow Lake/Fordyce Trail – for information:
www.cal4wheel.com/events.
–
September 16th – 2
nd Annual N4WDA Silver State Poker Run – Dayton Area – This event is our annual N4WDA fundraiser (see attached flyer) which will be held on Saturday, September 16
th at the Mark Twain Community Center in Dayton, NV.
The poker run is a three-hour event on private land and each entrant draws five poker cards at checkpoints throughout the run. The 1
st, 2
nd and 3
rd best poker hands receive cash awards plus wall plaques commemorating the event.
The registration includes, in addition to one poker hand, a dash plaque, a meal (hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, salad and soft drink) and a raffle ticket. Additional poker hands, meals and raffle tickets are available for purchase. Kids will receive a raffle ticket for a kid’s raffle.
The raffle will include thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes obtained from major national and local donors.
Last year’s event was enjoyed by all and this year’s event will be even bigger and more fun so print out and mail the attached registration form or contact Carole Vance, Registration Chairman, at
775-246-4099 or at
vance63@charter.net or go to the N4WDA website events page.
Please mark this on your calendar as a must attend and help support your Association. Volunteer help is also appreciated, also contact Carole.
Larry