For those that have not heard about the big donation made by Toyota to The Audubon, they donated $20 million. Also for those that have not been following along in the land use and closure section, The Audubon has filed suit against the National Park Service to stop all beach travel at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. This would include pedestrian as well as OHV.
Now i am sure that alot of people are getting ready to hit the "back" button on their browser but wait just a moment. This does effect you even if you are not in the North Carolina/East coast area. These law suits can come down anywhere and they will close down your favorite trail. We all need to be really carefull to tread lightly. But i digress...
We have made a major effort to send "pleas" from the web to the politicians that can sway this particular case. Well, when it all looks the worst, it appears that we may have struck a nerve with Toyota about their donation. Toyota posted on their blog on 3/31/08 that they made this donation.
When they did, it spread like wildfire thru the chatroom, blogs, and forums to people, like myself, who were very upset to see the very company that builds vehicles to get you out onto the beach, stab us in the back. I really had to think if it was time to sell my Toyota. This was said in their latest blog entry:
"To those concerned about such legal and political issues, let me assure you, our involvement with the Audubon Society, and our donation, both are very specific. The Audubon Society may not use that money any way it wishes. Rather, it is compelled to spend it on nature centers, largely in the inner cities, that will create and offer environmental programs to young people."
To read more about this, go here:
TOYOTA OPEN ROAD BLOG: Toyota and the Audubon Society: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Dept.
We must keep this vigilance up! If we were able to shake them up enough to print this, we must be getting to word out. If you are in a position where you can speak to someone of importance such as a politician on this issue, please speak up. If you are only able to fill out a "plea" from home, please do.
I think that The Audubon Society thought that this would slide right thru un-noticed until they blocked the roads to the beach. I thank and applaude all of those who have taken time from their busy days to speak up on this issue. It may seem petty to some but it means a way of life for others. For more information or to enter your "plea", visit this website:
Save Hatteras and Ocracoke Island - Hatteras PleaCast
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
