Colorado 500 continued . . .
But beyond the local and regional donation recipients most important (in the eyes of a motorized user) charity for all the communities of western Colorado is the Legal Defense Fund. This fund supports regional pro-access leaders (yes, the guys and gals who work at the regional and state level to keep the roads and trails of the Gunnison open to you and the rest of the public) in their fight against not only the elitist, Anti-Access groups (yes, we have a very active group locally in the High Country Citizens Alliance), but any other organization that would seek to strip American citizens of their access to public lands. Due to what has, for the most part, been local motorized users’ benevolence, political inactivity and refusal to organize (when was the last time you attended a meeting on motorized use or participated in a trail work day on the Gunnison National Forest?), the Legal Defense Fund has been, and will continue to be, essential to keep local riding opportunities anywhere close to what they are today.
If you want an example of why the Legal Defense Fund is important, look no further than the Crested Butte Trail Riders Association. The CBTRA is very interested in changing the current trend of a lack of local motorized organization and unified voice, but we are currently not big enough, nor do we have the money or experience to go head-to-head with the legal teams of the large local, regional and national Anti groups. We need the support of similarly interested and motivated organizations willing to stand with us in this fight. We need the Aspen Trailriders, we need the San Juan Trailriders, the Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO), the Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC), the Colorado 500, and The Legal Defense Fund. Because of this, we understand how the Colorado 500 helps us out.
Okay, so you can begin to understand the importance of the charity work that the Colorado 500 funds, both locally and regionally. But that still doesn’t make you feel any better about seeing the group here, having impacts on your local trails.
I understand the concern that people have with the impact on our trails that can be associated with any ride consisting of over 20 riders. Consider this: the impact of Colorado 500 riders is miniscule when compared to the good they have done for Gunnison National Forest trails. Without the dollars won by the Colorado 500 for trail work projects and Forest Service trail crews over the years (yes, grants won by the Colorado 500 fund entire work crews of Forest Service employees who go out with hand tools and maintain the trails over the summer), the conditions of the Gunnison National Forest single track would be far different than what it is today. The Colorado 500 has written and won several state OHV fund (that’s where some of the money from your annual state registration goes) grants over years, totaling close to $450,000 now. The list of trails that have benefited from this support is extensive, with the most recent trail getting attention being a section of Double Top. But many of the trails you ride and enjoy, including, but not limited to routes like #409, Mt. Tilton, Rosebud, Deadmans, Star and many more (and this list leaves out all of the trails worked on by trail crews funded by grants that the Colorado 500 has won) have been protected and improved via the Colorado 500’s efforts.
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