Wheelers For The Wounded

February 15, 2009

Jason Havlik is no stranger to sacrifice and dedication to his country.  He served in the Gulf War as an Army Reservist, spent a decade in active duty in the Army, served as Deputy Sheriff in South Florida, and served in Iraq as a private contractor.

In spite of his service, or more likely because of it, Mr. Havlik is saying thanks in a big way to the men and women who have been injured while dedicating their lives to keeping us here at home safe.  As Founder and President of Wheelers For the Wounded Mr. Havlik has organized over twenty trail runs and camping excursions throughout the country for those military personnel.  With help from local off road clubs and big name sponsors he will be hitting the trails starting in Florida on April 4-5, 2009 in his newly outfitted 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.  At the end the Jeep will be auctioned off to one lucky winner.

The mission of Wheelers For the Wounded is three fold.  First, to provide the country’s wounded military members with much deserved fun traversing terrain in off-road vehicles.  Second, is to increase awareness about our country’s men and women in uniform and to encourage others to do something nice for our service members.  The final goal is to raise money for military based charities.

If you would like to get involved or just say thanks to Mr. Havlik and all those he’s supporting through Wheelers for The Wounded please visit the website at www.wheelersforthewounded.org.  Join the discussion, make a donation, or even get out on the trails with them. 

House of Representative Approves $2.68 Billion for Parks

February 13, 2009

 

The House of Representative today approved H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Investment Act 2009, also referred to as the Stimulus Bill and sent it on to the Senate for approval.  What does that mean for the off-road community?  As outdoor enthusiasts we’re particularly interested in Title VIII which sets asides funds for the Bureau of Land Management, the National Parks Service, and the Department of Agriculture Forest Service amongst others.

 

If approved, the BLM will receive approximately $325 million for road, bridge, and trail repair or decommissioning (my emphasis).   The NPS will receive nearly $1.7 billion for the same construction purposes.  Part of the funds will be set aside for operations, historical preservation and deferred maintenance of facilities.  Additionally, the Department of Agriculture Forest Service will receive $650 million for capital improvement and maintenance including forest road, bridge, and trail repairs.

 

The Senate may vote as early as tonight.

URGENT: New Johnson Valley Petition

This is a repost of an e-mail I got regarding an important land use situation in Johnson Valley, CA.

-Steven

If you have already signed the new petition to Save Johnson Valey, Thank you for your support!

As many of you know, Johnson Valley OHV is being seriously considered by the US Marine Corps as their new training area. The public scoping meetings and studies have been completed. The Public Comment period ends on January 31st, 2009.

Most options that were offered took all or a portion of Johnson Valley, Continue reading “URGENT: New Johnson Valley Petition”