Strategic Mini-Grants Awarded to Activists

July 23, 2006

Wildlands CPR’s Transportation Program is pleased to announce that we have awarded strategic mini-grants ($3,000-$5,000) to activists in the thick of off-road vehicle planning. On-the-ground fieldwork is expensive and difficult to fund, but critical considering that desk-bound land managers are often unaware of the devastating impacts that unmanaged off-road vehicle use has wrought on their watch.

Wildlands CPR was uniquely positioned to dispense aid to groups working to restore native ecosystems and recreational balance on our national forests, thanks to support from the 444S Foundation.

Early this spring, Wildlands CPR asked local conservation groups to submit proposals for funding to advance both proactive and defensive efforts to implement the new Forest Service off-road vehicle rule. The response was overwhelming. We received 22 proposals requesting about four times the funding we had to give. All the proposals were excellent, and it was truly a heart-wrenching process to decide who would make the final cut. In the end, we chose to fund those groups that demonstrated the closest adherence to our three goals: projects that will address immediate threats and opportunities related to the implementation of the new Forest Service ORV rule in western national forests; projects that will advance a proactive litigation strategy to uphold the Executive Orders as forests begin to implement the rule; and projects that could test a proactive zoning approach to route designation
as part of the implementation of the new Forest Service rule.

We awarded mini-grants to Washington-based Conservation Northwest, The Three Forests Coalition (Utah) and Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Los Padres Forest Watch in south central California and The Upper Gila Watershed Alliance in New Mexico.

In addition, we funded an independent project to investigate the dubious legality of the notorious Paiute ATV system in central Utah. Please join with us in wishing these groups a safe and productive field season!