Oct 14th State OHV Meeting- IMPORTANT that people attend

[GrizzlyBear]

At 9;300am on Oct 14th in Tallahassee at the Doyle Conner Building we will be having the quarterly meeting of the State OHV Recreation advisory board.  It is my contention, as it is other enthusiast members the the Division of Forestry has taken over $4.5 million from the T. Mark Schmidt Trust Fund, completely draining this fund, and they have used it for there own uses.  Last year they used $2 million to buy fire suppression equipment and this year to cover shortfalls in salaries.  As there is only one person directly attached to this program, that is excessive. This was not done by a Legislative sweep (we have proof of that), but was done by the Division of Forestry with approval of the Dept of Agriculture.

Jim Karols , Director of Division of Forestry will be speaking to us at 9:30. We need as big a turnout as possible for this.  Many programs that we have been working on have stopped because of this.  The $700,000 in grants we approved in April 2009 were stopped, after the state had signed contracts with the recipients. Some of these grants were to be matching grants for other grants, meaning this money could have created 5 times as much for use in the ATV area.

According to Chapter 261.12, the link below, these funds were for specific purposes and if not used, they were to be carried forward.
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0261/SEC12.HTM&Title=->2009->Ch0261->Section%2012#0261.12

This meeting is important to us, please try to attend.

[renmus]

Terry,

Tallahassee is a long haul for alot of us, in these economic times, what else can be done, E-mails to who etc.

[GrizzlyBear]

Email your state legislature and ask them why and with whose permission did the Division of forestry raid the T. Mark Schmidt Trust fund when it specifically state Ibo Chapter 261.12 of the state statutes that that should not be done.  DO IT QUICKLY.  We must have everyone asking questions BEFORE the Oct 14th meeting.

[zman03]

So let me guess?  Miami-Dade county project for atvs has also been scrapped? Right!!  Or did they leave just enough to do the project?   We have almost 15000 registered ohv's in Dade county alone with nowhere to ride and now what?  do we just sit back and wait???   

[GrizzlyBear]

Well, no one showed up.  Doesn't anyone care about what happens to there registration money?

[zman03]

Im afraid most wont be surprised if the funds are raided or scuandered in a scandel of some sort or spent unwisely and miss used. It sadly has been the tale of the tape for the good,hard working, law abiding American. I have not seen the benefits here in south florida, Particularly Miami Dade County and probably never will!