Written by Scott Hala,
co·a·li·tion n. a temporary alliance of distinct parties, persons, or states for joint action
I was looking out the window of a four-banging import and was digesting what had just happened. Three hours earlier I walked into a room of strangers and easily disappeared into the crowd with my roommate. By the end of the meeting I was shaking hands with government agency employees, exchanging contact information with concerned local residents, and swapping stories with mountain bikers and trail builders. I walked away with a handful of business cards and phone numbers from people murmuring 'call me', none of whom were after my stunning good looks.
An article by Del Albright kept coming back to mind, and remembering how the article went through the commonsensical assumptions when a coalition could be started. There was one piece that always seemed to be missing for us here in Alaska, that a trail was under threat of restriction or closure. But now I realize groups are organizing to do just that, restrict or otherwise regulate a popular trail among club members. And it occurred to me, with all the pieces now in place maybe it was time for a coalition.
To be effective the group would have to be made up of hikers, atv riders, users like Alaska Extreme, and others. As well as another important facet I had not thought of before, concerned local residents. These were the people I had just shaken hands with earlier. This sort of diverse group could be the best way to make sure everyone's concerns were addressed. I say best because the concerns could be dealt with together, including club members' desire to continue to use the trail.
What is intriguing is the potentially unique situation of this coalition. Could it possibly be made up of all interested parties? Meaning that there would be no us and them attitude? I discovered that some people who were ready to draw the line in the sand, or perhaps more literally mud, were happy to not do so because a couple representatives of a jeep club wanted to educate themselves on the concerns about the trails they use.I am not sure what the six to nine months is going to bring for the wheeling community, at this time the club's calendar is far from empty. But in that time a lot of long and beneficial relationships could be built. All that is needed is for forth assumption in Del's article to be realized.
Written on April 3, 2003