Questions for those that have this view:
I am not satisfied with leadership or management.
Are you letting your personal feeling keep you from being a member of a group that does a lot of good?
Are you letting a couple of issues or decisions make your decision rather than looking at the big picture...
I don't have any ill will with the current BOD from a personal standpoint, in fact most of them have been and are close friends of mine over the years. However my dis-satisfaction with the management stems from the lack of game plan, action and results, not the single actions of one, the actions of the BOD in general. I think there are others with similar feelings voting that way too, again not a personal dis-satisfaction with any one or more persons, rather a dis-satisfaction with the entire direction the U4WDA is going. I've outlined my issues in what I feel is a very clear manner. A day later and we still have absolutely zero response to them. It shouldn't take but an hour for any active BOD member to answer these if the answers existed. The fact is there is no education plan under way, there is no service projects in the planning, and there is zero being done on behalf of the U4WDA on any of the RMP's (there are outside affiliates working on these RMP's thankfully). Prove me wrong, I would absolutely love to be proven wrong here. Please tell me its not already June and there is nothing in the pipeline for the entire summer and you are yet to appoint anyone to be in charge of the NPLD projects that should have been in the works several months ago.
I co-authored their bylaws, I know what they have to do with their money if the thing implodes... they are on shaky grounds and really need to get their **** together if they want to have any sort of membership base in the coming year. Its a giant domino effect. Lose members -> Lose Budget & Volunteers. Lose Budget -> Lost pages out of the Compass and ability to fund any sort of Land Use projects. -> Lose the Compass and the activity on the ground and you lose members. A revolving domino effect if you will.
I've been there in what I feel were U4WDA's darkest moments as far as membership, budget and activity, yet all don't seem to hold a candle to the situation they apparently have on their hands now. I have nothing to gain by U4WDA running into the ground, in fact I stand to lose. I've literally donated thousands of hours to the U4 over the past years, do you think it makes me sleep better knowing they are on the fritz over ego's, sensitive souls and apparent lack of control from all angles. Absolutely not, it makes me sick. I'm sure there are other past BOD members & officers that feel the same.
I've offered my opinions, now I'll offer my suggestions...
1. Reorganize the BOD. Verify any and all BOD members are actually active and intersted in participating on a higher level. This includes lining each and every one of them to become a Trail Patrol member and Tread Lightly Trainer. Each should be required to meet their minimum Trail Patrol hours and participate in Tread Lightly training classes. This can be done from all over the state and absolutely does not require monthly BOD meeting attendance, yet is far more important imo than any of the current functions.
2. Require each and ever BOD member to orchastrate and plan some sort of education, stewardship or land use project. Every single one. It is absolutely ridiculous to have a single "Land Use Officer" (is that position even filled??). This could be tied into #1. Joe Shmoe could plan a Trail Patrol class for his/her or a random club. Freddy Reddy could plan a service project at the Bountiful B. Suzy Quzy could host a Tread Lightly class for an open invite of forums, clubs, etc.
3. Round file conventions and rides unless a member club wants to handle them 100%, part of this is ensuring that already crucial BOD manpower doesn't get wasted planning a fun ride that does little/nothing to actually protect access. If/when things smooth out, they can be looked at.
4. Revise the Compass mission. Trip reports are fabulous, tech is great too. But we are not competing with the general rags, we are an advocay group that is trying to keep public lands public. Content should be 50-50, land use oriented verus everything else. For every trip report or tech article there should be a land use article (service project report, etc).
5. Land manager interaction. Re-instate the calling tree. Each active BOD member should be in charge of 5 phonecalls 6 times a year. They call individual FS/BLM/NPS offices and let them know we are here to help, here to prevent closures and here to ensure that no closures go un-noticed. In talking with them you stay up to date with their needs and any changes expected on thier beat, aka motorized travel revisions, RMP's, SRP stipulations, etc.
I could go on for hours... but you'll see the points I am emphasizing. Land use, land use, land use. This
IS what the U4WDA should be. Not a club, not an event organizer, not a social group, an advocacy group working in proactive means to keep 4x4 routes open throughout the state. Let clubs be clubs and plan fun rides and localized service projects. Let Usa-All and BRC handle litigation & lobbying and let Petersons handle tech writeups and trail reports. Be a state Association representing the true needs of 4x4 users... that need is trails to recreate on in 1, 5 and 50 years.