The ODNRA is a very special place. We all agree. Each one of us has a different perspective on how to manage this special place. We do all agree that the dunes as we know them are being destroyed by man planted European beach grass, scotch broom and shore pine; all non-native vegetation.

      The 1994 plan is flawed for so many reasons. The single biggest is the fact that the USFS is not looking holistically at the ONDRA. They only look at 4,455 acres vs. the entire 28,900 acres. The second is the funding they had or perceived to have to restore some of the open sand was either used somewhere else or never there. Their “do nothing and close to OHV” policy is wrong. Even the environmental groups feel the same way about their do nothing policies. Please start managing the 28,990 acres and quit closing the only economically viable way to kill the grass.

      Either way, we are entering the final phase of the 10C process, for me we are simply asking the wrong questions. Questions raised by the 1994 Plan that continue to kill the open sand of the ODNRA, its beauty for all, and its economic viability. Will anybody come to this area if there were no dunes??? We do not believe so. That includes ALL visitors to this area. They will simply drive through without stopping. All the research, maps, pictures and boots on the ground agree that the open sand is quickly disappearing. The true question that needs to be asked is how we save the 28,900 acres we call the ODNRA from certain and quickly looming destruction. We are all losing and are either too stupid or unwilling to do anything about it. It reminds me of Winston Churchill’s battle with the British public about entering another war with Germany. We either do it now at a whole lot less cost or wait until it is too late and the cost is unbearable. Even now for some of the ONDRA it is too late. Let’s not make the rest die before we do something. Does the Forest Service not see this? Does the Forest Service know how to manage open sand? They seem to want to manage it the way they manage forest. Way different management techniques and if that is the case then the state or the counties should manage it. This is our home. Our love for the dunes and for many our jobs depend on keeping the ODNRA open sand dunes, not forest. We do not want to be harsh on the Forest Service or go into the blame game but we must start asking the right questions. I know their heart is in the right place but it is time to get out of the box of policy, procedures and bias and move in the direction and focus of restoration, not closure.

      We need to redraw the line in the sand. The book-ends of the Alternatives are too close all the 4,455 10C acres (Alt 1) or open up some of it based on most of the recommendations of the 2009 Work Group (Alt 5). We need to redraw that line. The first book end needs to starts with Alt 5 and end with open up all the 10C to 10B and get away from the silliness of closure to areas that are clearly non-native vegetation. Even on page 53 of the DEIS the Forest Service admits that all the 10C is non-native vegetation. Of all the confusing language of the document this ‘High” rating of ‘Risk of introducing or spreading invasive species via the reallocation from MA 10C to MA 10B stands out as the most telling argument of the whole document. They are saying that they need to close 10C so we cannot ride in it because when we leave 10C the non-native vegetation there will attached to our tires and we will introduce non-native vegetation to 10B open sand thereby killing the open sand. We get confused just explaining it. One needs only to look at the maps and the pictures to know that the non-native vegetation spreads much faster in areas of the ONDRA that has been closed to OHV. My God, this is so obvious that even a child can see it. OHV is not the problem, non-native vegetation is. Again; OHV is the only economically viable killer of non-native vegetation. OHV will even pay to kill the non-native vegetation. Anything to stop the destruction of open sand should be the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY of managing the ONDRA.

      Please stop the destruction of our ODNRA. Please, let’s all get together and rewrite the management to focus on Restoration, not closure.