The off-roaders have their Colorado4x4 forum with its ever-changing threads, deleted and modifed URLs, and edited posts.  Landowners have their own forum, where they can freely discuss private property rights without being shouted down.  The landowner forum has been run with integrity.  Visitors' IP addresses and e-mail addresses have never been  revealed (nor have they been invented out of thin air like the moderators of Colorado4x4.org have done).  Anonymity has always be respected, recognizing that landowners are increasingly being threatened with additional property distruction and even physical violence for stating their opinions and standing up for private property rights.  Visit the forum at Dark Endeavors.

Greg Mackey, a representative of the Mile-Hi Jeep Club, continues to demonstrate his utter contempt for both public and private property.   In this photograph, he has taken his jacked-up vehicle off the road for the thrill of driving over obstacles and vegetation.  Landowners in the area often observe this type of behavior by club members--sometimes on their own property.  But Mr. Mackey has been trying to keep the Left Hand off-road area open to four-wheeling by misrepresenting his club's activities to the U.S. Forest Service.  He has told officials that he and his fellow club members stay on the trail and don't trespass.  His actions, documented here, tell the real story.

Vernon Brandt is still working closely with the Mile-Hi Jeep Club.  In addition to his trespassing, threatening and harassing of landowners along County Roads 87 and 87J, "Vernon Brandt is working on the grant for the upper Left Hand area."  This is according to the December, 2003 issue of the Mile-Hi Jeep Club newsletter.  The newsletter can be downloaded from the Mile-Hi Jeep Club web site.

Adam Mehlberg, secretary of the Trailridge Runners 4WD Club, in a recent letter to the Boulder Daily Camera, gives his own version of the illegal road construction by a member of his club in 1996. But his story is contradicted by USDA Forest Service officials.  His story also contradicts itself.

Mehlberg does not deny the fact that Don Owens illegally cut trees and brush near our ranch. 

Mehlberg does not deny the fact that Owen caused a serious erosion problem that still exists.

Mehlberg does not even deny the fact that members of the Trail Ridge Runners trespassed on private property in 2000, killing trees, tearing down signs, and spray painting rocks.

Mehlberg does claim that "charges were dropped because he [Owens] was documenting roads as part of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest planning process."  However, according to a letter from Paul Krisanits, Law Enforcement Officer for the USDA Forest Service, "Mr. Owens subsequently reached a plea agreement in U.S. Magistrates Court with Assistant United States Attorneys and was ordered to restore damages done from this [illegal construction]."  A plea agreement means that Owens admitted to a crime.  Why does Mehlberg contradict this fact?

Mehlberg does dismiss Owen's destructive act as a mere "misunderstanding."  But according to Paul Krisanits, "I cannot find the amount of the fine imposed in addition to the ordered restoration in my records, but in similar cases the standard fine was levied, which is $75.00."  Obviously, charges were not dropped.  Why does Mehlberg insist that they were?

Mehlberg does assert that "Barking Dog Road" is a 1880's-era mining road as justification for removal of "illegal barricades" by his club.  But there is no such thing as "Barking Dog Road."  This name was invented in the year 2000 by Vernon Brandt.  It has been adopted by the off-road community to apply to several segments of different roads and trails.  The 1.5 mile single-track segment known locally as "Barking Dog Trail" runs across private property from the historic mining camp of Balarat to the South St. Vrain River.  Nobody from the off-road community has ever presented any documents, maps, or other evidence for Barking Dog Trail prior to its first appearance on a map in 1957.  Why does Mehlberg make claims he can't back up with evidence?

Mehlberg does state that "we have meetings with the Forest Service and get volunteer agreements signed before we do any work on public lands."  But if Barking Dog Trail is public, as he says, then why did his club bypass this process and form a vigilante group?  The answer, of course, is that it is not public.

Mehlberg contradicts himself as well as the Forest Service.

If Mehlberg can’t level with the public about his club members’ activities, how can his club be trusted with $360,000 in public grant money?  The answer, of course, is that they can't be.

                                                                                                                                               File Code:    5330
                                                                                                                                                       Date:     January 15, 2003
Dear Mr. Boslough:

Enclosed is the information you requested regarding an offense on the Boulder Ranger District of Roosevelt National Forest.  On November 22, 1996 Donald E. Owens was charged on Violation Notice number F1845105 with constructing or maintaining a road or trail without authorization on National Forest System Lands (36CFR 261.10a).

Mr. Owens subsequently reached a plea agreement in U.S. Magistrates Court with Assistant United States Attorneys and was ordered to restore damages done from this.  I cannot find the amount of the fine imposed in addition to the ordered restoration in my records, however in similar cases the standard fine was levied, which is $75.00.  Mr. Owens completed the restoration within the following year, and no further criminal or administrative actions were taken toward him on my part.

Additionally I am enclosing a photocopy of a topographic map showing a section of the Raymond, CO quadrangle.  I have "highlighted" the area where this incident occurred.

Feel free to contact me if you have other questions,

Sincerely,

[signed]

PAUL W. KRISANITS
Law Enforcement Officer