THE MEETING DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO AUGUST 21.
TRESPASS. HARASSMENT. NOISE. DUST.
Had enough?
Then you better get ready to roll up your sleeves and defend the law - or lose it!
The San Bernardino County off-road vehicle Ordinance is under attack by an aggressive rider group. They have successfully lobbied the Board of Supervisors to reconsider the ordinance and are advocating a radical new proposal that would gut it. Their proposal calls for the REMOVAL of the trespass provision and the REMOVAL of the staging provision. And what do they want to replace these critical provisions with? An education program. That's it. Hard to believe? See the text and an analysis of their proposal here.
The removal of these key provisions would essentially destroy the ordinance and send us right back to where we were two years ago, with no effective way for desert residents to prevent ORV trespass and to protect their property and the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their homes. Once again, law enforcement would be without the tools they need.
If you agree that we cannot afford to lose any of our progress and the excellent forward step provided by Ordinance 3973, then you need to get to work. All hands on deck! The Community ORV Watch steering committee cannot win this fight alone. It's going to take every resident who cares pitching in and helping out.
To keep Ordinance 3973 alive and working for you, here's what you gotta do:
1. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 21, in San Bernardino. You must be there. You must bring five if not ten friends with you. The rider groups are rallying to get hundreds there; we can't let them outnumber us. COW is arranging carpooling and can reimburse carpools for gas. Contact COW ASAP. Check for updates at www.orvwatch.com .
2. You must write and call the Supervisors NOW and tell them that the ordinance IS WORKING and to keep it strong and intact. You must get five if not ten friends to do the same. See a sample letter here. You can also print the sample letter out and distribute it to others to send in. Find Supervisor addresses/phone numbers below, at the bottom of this message.
3. You must help get the word out about the importance of this ordinance, the danger that it's in, and how others can help:
The COW Website has PRINTABLE FLYERS. Print one out, make some copies, and GET THEM OUT! They need to go to businesses, clubs, friends and neighbors, at swap meets - anywhere you can think of. If you need to be reimbursed for the cost of copying, contact COW. If you're shy but want to help, contact COW about a partner to do outreach with you. Letters to the editor have a BIG IMPACT and are desperately needed. Write today! And call in to radio talk shows. Arrange to have a presentation about Ordinance 3973 to your club, organization, or homeowner's group. Contact COW for a speaker. Post about this issue on blogs and forums.
4. Get signatures on the COW petition. It's printable from the Website here. We must have more signatures by August 1 than the opposition! Petitions need to be returned to COW by August 1; check the Website for pick-up and drop-off options.
5. Get the real story! Ordinance opponents have been aggressive in spreading misinformation. They are confusing people about what the ordinance really says and does. The only way to fight misinformation is with the facts. Educate yourself about the ordinance with COW's friendly Frequently Asked Questions. An informed advocate is a powerful advocate. Send the link on to others who care about this issue. The COW Website also has a PRINTABLE one-sheet Answers to Your Questions About Ordinance 3973 . Print this out, make copies, and get it to anyone who has questions or has been misled by ordinance opponents.
6. Forward this message to others who have been harassed by off-road vehicles in the San Bernardino County desert and are likely to benefit from Ordinance 3973. (But don't spam, please!)
7. Donate funds to COW to help with outreach, carpooling reimbursement, printing costs, etc.
8. There are many other ways to help. Need some direction? Have some ideas you'd like to pursue? Contact COW.
Ordinance 3973 is a fair and reasonable ordinance that was created by stakeholders including property owners, rider groups, and law enforcement. It's working! Let's keep it strong!
Contact your Supervisor:
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt (District 1) -- (909) 387-4830
Supervisor Dennis Hansberger (District 3) -- (909) 387-4833
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors
385 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, California 92415-0181
Hearing on Ordinance 3973 is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, at 385 No. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino.
Hearing dates are subject to change; check for updates at www.orvwatch.com
TRESPASS. HARASSMENT. NOISE. DUST.
Had enough?
Then you better get ready to roll up your sleeves and defend the law - or lose it!
The San Bernardino County off-road vehicle Ordinance is under attack by an aggressive rider group. They have successfully lobbied the Board of Supervisors to reconsider the ordinance and are advocating a radical new proposal that would gut it. Their proposal calls for the REMOVAL of the trespass provision and the REMOVAL of the staging provision. And what do they want to replace these critical provisions with? An education program. That's it. Hard to believe? See the text and an analysis of their proposal here.
The removal of these key provisions would essentially destroy the ordinance and send us right back to where we were two years ago, with no effective way for desert residents to prevent ORV trespass and to protect their property and the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their homes. Once again, law enforcement would be without the tools they need.
If you agree that we cannot afford to lose any of our progress and the excellent forward step provided by Ordinance 3973, then you need to get to work. All hands on deck! The Community ORV Watch steering committee cannot win this fight alone. It's going to take every resident who cares pitching in and helping out.
To keep Ordinance 3973 alive and working for you, here's what you gotta do:
1. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 21, in San Bernardino. You must be there. You must bring five if not ten friends with you. The rider groups are rallying to get hundreds there; we can't let them outnumber us. COW is arranging carpooling and can reimburse carpools for gas. Contact COW ASAP. Check for updates at www.orvwatch.com .
2. You must write and call the Supervisors NOW and tell them that the ordinance IS WORKING and to keep it strong and intact. You must get five if not ten friends to do the same. See a sample letter here. You can also print the sample letter out and distribute it to others to send in. Find Supervisor addresses/phone numbers below, at the bottom of this message.
3. You must help get the word out about the importance of this ordinance, the danger that it's in, and how others can help:
The COW Website has PRINTABLE FLYERS. Print one out, make some copies, and GET THEM OUT! They need to go to businesses, clubs, friends and neighbors, at swap meets - anywhere you can think of. If you need to be reimbursed for the cost of copying, contact COW. If you're shy but want to help, contact COW about a partner to do outreach with you. Letters to the editor have a BIG IMPACT and are desperately needed. Write today! And call in to radio talk shows. Arrange to have a presentation about Ordinance 3973 to your club, organization, or homeowner's group. Contact COW for a speaker. Post about this issue on blogs and forums.
4. Get signatures on the COW petition. It's printable from the Website here. We must have more signatures by August 1 than the opposition! Petitions need to be returned to COW by August 1; check the Website for pick-up and drop-off options.
5. Get the real story! Ordinance opponents have been aggressive in spreading misinformation. They are confusing people about what the ordinance really says and does. The only way to fight misinformation is with the facts. Educate yourself about the ordinance with COW's friendly Frequently Asked Questions. An informed advocate is a powerful advocate. Send the link on to others who care about this issue. The COW Website also has a PRINTABLE one-sheet Answers to Your Questions About Ordinance 3973 . Print this out, make copies, and get it to anyone who has questions or has been misled by ordinance opponents.
6. Forward this message to others who have been harassed by off-road vehicles in the San Bernardino County desert and are likely to benefit from Ordinance 3973. (But don't spam, please!)
7. Donate funds to COW to help with outreach, carpooling reimbursement, printing costs, etc.
8. There are many other ways to help. Need some direction? Have some ideas you'd like to pursue? Contact COW.
Ordinance 3973 is a fair and reasonable ordinance that was created by stakeholders including property owners, rider groups, and law enforcement. It's working! Let's keep it strong!
Contact your Supervisor:
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt (District 1) -- (909) 387-4830
Supervisor Dennis Hansberger (District 3) -- (909) 387-4833
San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors
385 North Arrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, California 92415-0181
Hearing on Ordinance 3973 is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, at 385 No. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino.
Hearing dates are subject to change; check for updates at www.orvwatch.com
