why are snowmobilers and other outdoor recreationists being targeted

The snowmobile community has been working with our federal, state and local governments since the late 1960's in building strong relationships and an understanding of the need for outdoor winter recreation in North America. The manufacturers and the many state association members have worked in developing a user pay trail system; an internationally recognized safety program and an excellent working relationship with public land managers at all levels of government. The manufacturers work very closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Department of Transportation and all government regulatory agencies. Never in the history of the industry have the manufacturers stepped away from their commitment to provide a quality product, accepted by all government agencies and consumers. So why have our federal government agencies initiated an all out attack on snowmobiling and other outdoor recreational pursuits?

The reason is simple. President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore have appointed extreme elitists to key federal government positions. These agency leaders believe that all public land should be maintained in a pristine manner. It is important that all Americans understand that the definition of "pristine" to this government administration requires that there be NO impact at all by mankind. The key architect of this effort is George Frampton.

George Frampton is the chairman of the US Council on Environmental Quality and works in the executive office of the president of the United States. Mr. Frampton served as president of the Wilderness Society from 1986-1993. During Frampton's tenure, the Wilderness Society was one of the major players in the battle in the Pacific Northwest over the Spotted Owl, which ultimately lead to the loss of thousands of forest industry jobs. One of the Society's principal contributions to that battle was producing a study showing that timber industry job losses were due principally to automation and job experts. The Wilderness Society "cooked the books" by only including large timber companies in its studies, thus skewing the results.

The Wilderness Society, for which Frampton served as President traces its roots to Socialists movements. Robert Marshall, one of the founders of the Wilderness Society was a member of the Socialist Party of Norman Thomas and an advocate of overthrowing the American form of Government. Another Wilderness Society Founders was Benton MacKay who was a member of the Socialist Party of America. Interestingly, Mr. Frampton was also a former Special Prosecutor on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force and worked closely with Hillary Clinton.

To understand Mr. Frampton's position, all one needs to do is read a quote from his speech at the Press Conference on Earth Day, held April 21, 1992. Mr. Frampton said, "We ought to make the whole state of Alaska an historical park so people can see how folks thought and lived in the 19th Century." Outdoor recreation enthusiasts of any kind have no access to Mr. Frampton. He is truly a radical environmentalist and has a position at the highest level of government.

Knowing who is in charge of key agencies is very important for all Americans, especially as we approach the upcoming national election. If one believes that having access to public lands is important, an individual should surely consider the ramifications of Mr. Frampton's position and the fact that Al Gore hired him to provide counsel while the Justice Department reviews the Vice President's fundraising practices. Mr. Frampton has worked with Mr. Gore in the past on many environmental issues.

Another individual in a key position of power in this administration is Donald J Barry, who is the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks within the US Department of Interior. It is Mr. Barry that gleefully announced the proposed ban of snowmobile use in National Parks throughout the US. Mr. Barry served as Vice President for the US Land and Wildlife for the World Wildlife Fund from 1991-1993. The World Wildlife Fund is a radical environmental group.

Bruce Babbitt, the Secretary of Interior, appointed by the President, has considerable ties to the environmental extremists' movement. Bruce Babbitt was President of the League of Conservation Voters, which was founded in 1970 by Friends of the Earth.

So when we are dealing with individuals within the federal government it is important that we realize the background and the individual positions that key administrative agency heads hold. Never before in our history have such radical views been held by key administration leaders. The battles being fought today are being fought against very prejudicial individuals with a much more radical agenda that does not include fairness and open-discussion.