Motorized Recreation in Florida

Many positive things are happening in Tallahassee at DEP regarding motorized recreation. DEP wants to get more motorized trail project applications. We have the support of DEP Office of Greenways and Trails, DEP Greenways and Trails Council, DEP Recreation planning staff, right on up to the Secretary of DEP. FTR clubs and FTR members need to be out there working with local land managers to get these project applications prepared. The opportunity is there. FTR members (Jack Terrell and Gary Williams) are members of the Recreation Trails Program grant evaluation committee. FTR members are members of the DEP Greenways and Trails Council Motorized Recreation committee (Jack Terrell, Gary Williams and Jack Martin). The FTR Land Use Chairman (Jack Terrell) is the chairman of the DEP Greenways and Trails Council Motorized Recreation committee. DEP has included motorized trail recreation in an 18 page educational booklet distributed to tens of thousands of school kids. Content was solicited from and reviewed with FTR before publication. DEP is changing the SCORP (Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan) to include motorized recreation. Content and wording was provided by FTR. This is a major step forward. We have been asked by DEP to be a major provider of content and field workshops at the National Trails Symposium to be hosted by Florida DEP at Greneleaf next November. FTR was instrumental in helping DEP win the bid to host this prestigious national conference that will attract thousands of attendees from all over the US. Another example of how we are working hand in hand with DEP to promote our "Responsible Motorcyclist" image with government, other user groups and the general public. Another example of how FTR is working every day to be recognized as an important resource and "solution," rather than a "problem" in the eyes of government and land managers. We have worked hard and long to get to this point, but things are changing. We no longer are on the outside looking in. We cannot sit back and let up. We need to keep pressing to change things in our favor. Jack Terrell FTR Land Use Committee Chairman