Hey TrailBlazers, a couple of newsworthy items…
1). TWRA Commission had their December meeting and as you know OHV was on the agenda. Par for the course, no decision was rendered about the OHV Program, in fact, I don’t believe they acted on anything on their agenda… just a lot of discussion and award presentations. That means that TDEC Commissioner Fyke and TWRA Director Carter are now going to have a sit-down on the matter real darn soon. Will keep you posted.
2). TDEC Greenways and Trails Council has two open seats available. I would love to see more OHV representation on that Council. Our esteemed brethren Becca Dubose had to step down so we are without a solid voice on that VERY important state Board. We need an OHV person from Middle and West Tennessee to step up to the plate. If you have strong OHV credentials, are committed to a statewide system of OHV trails in our future and can commit to five meetings a year…give me a holler ASAP!
3). Adventure Tourism seems to be on the radar these days…click on this article link in BusinessTN. In a down economy, there is no better time to push our sport/hobby to the forefront.
http://businesstn.com/content/200912/roads-adventure 4). TOHVA will be having their annual meeting in January. I will fill you in on the details when they arrive in my inbox. OHV Specialty License Plates will be on the top of the agenda right after Leadership reorg.
5). The National Trails Symposium will be in Chattanooga next year 2010. They are looking to have an OHV component in the mix. This is a pretty big deal in the whole scheme of things. Let me know if you want to be involved in the process!
TN Legislative session starts again in January, hold on to your wallets and your dogs!
Stay safe and Tread Lightly,
Michelle
Iva Michelle Russell
Exec. Director, OHV4TN
A Citizen Lobbyist Organization
iva@ivamichellerussell.comwww.ohv4tn.orgwww.facebook.com/ohv4tn The mission of the OHV4TN organization is to be the legislative advocate for the 880,000+ Off-Highway Vehicle users in the state of Tennessee. OHV4TN is dedicated to the creation of a diverse statewide system of sustainable OHV trails in Tennessee for current and future generations of OHV users.
