BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC

NEWS RELEASE  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Don Amador
Phone: 925.625.6287
Date: July 12, 2006

PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR BACKCOUNTRY RECREATION AREA DESIGNATIONS INSTEAD OF WILDERNESS

EUREKA , CA - July 12 - A recent public opinion survey shows majority support for a Backcountry Recreation Area alternative to a proposed 300,000 acre Wilderness Bill in Northern California .  In Del Norte County, 66 percent of people surveyed supported a Backcountry alternative instead of a Wilderness designation.   Fifty-three percent of respondents in Humboldt County said it was wiser to designate land as a Backcountry Recreation Area.

The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national recreation group, had commissioned the survey to gauge local support for Congressman Mike Thompson's Wilderness Bill.  In Humboldt County , 1,974 respondents were for the plan while 2,435 were against the Thompson Bill.  178 Del Norte County folks said they were supporting the bill, but 347 stated their opposition to the plan.

Don Amador, Western Representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition, stated, "I think this shows that a strong majority of people on the North Coast will support a Congressional land designation that protects the land while allowing for responsible and managed motorized and mechanized recreational uses."

"The BlueRibbon Coalition is proud of our Backcountry Recreation Area alternative to Wilderness designations, and we believe this survey shows public support for that concept," Amador said.

"It is our hope that Congress will consider designating some lands in the Thompson Bill as Backcountry Recreation Areas so that off-highway vehicle recreationists and mountain bikers can enjoy continued access to those areas," Amador concludes.

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The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742.  www.sharetrails.org