NAC Action Alert for Michigan

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE

ACTION ALERT

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http://www.naturistaction.org

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Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible

for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or

redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its

entirety and without alteration.

DATE : May 22, 2008

SUBJECT: Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

TO : Naturists and other concerned citizens

Dear Naturist,

This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee. NAC is encouraging your participation in a proactive opportunity at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore in northern Michigan.

The National Park Service (NPS) is considering the future of Sleeping Bear Dunes and is presently developing a revised General Management Plan, Wilderness Study and Environmental Impact Statement that will guide the unit for the next 20 years. There is a long history of responsible clothing-optional recreation within the 71,000+ acres of the National Lakeshore at traditional locations like Otter Creek. The interests of naturists deserve to be reflected in whatever long-term planning is adopted.

NAC URGES YOU TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Park Service is requesting comments on the five alternative plans it is considering. NAC is asking you to read the proposals and submit a comment to NPS.

You will find convenient clickable links to these documents under the ALERTS tab on the NAC Web page: www.naturistaction.org

The entire document is available online. As you might expect for a 20-year plan, it's somewhat detailed and large. It's divided into multiple parts in PDF format.

For a quick, condensed and less detailed comparison of the proposed alternatives, a summary with charts is available.

The electronic comment form is available online. Or you may send your comments on paper to:

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

9922 Front Street

Empire, MI 49630

The deadline for submitting comments in any format is 11:59 PM MST on June 13, 2008.

WHO SHOULD SEND COMMENTS?

NAC encourages ALL NATURISTS to submit comments, regardless of your geographical residence. As a unit of the National Park Service, Sleeping Bear Dunes is a federal facility that relies on the support of U.S. taxpayers.

WHICH ALTERNATIVE DOES NAC RECOMMEND?

Naturist Action Committee board member Kath Rooney recently visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and met with Assistant Superintendent Tom Ulrich. Park management recommends the "Preferred Alternative." That's also the choice that Kath recommends.

The Preferred Alternative includes modest parking improvements for Esch Beach. The traditional clothing-optional area is accessed from this beach.

THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR COMMENTS

Regardless of the specific alternative you may favor, it is very important that naturists make their recreational preferences known in their comments. The Naturist Action Committee offers these suggestions:

1) Be polite and positive. Let's make good use of this

proactive opportunity.

2) Identify yourself. Give your name and address. Anonymous

comments are not accepted. You may ask NPS to keep your

identity confidential, but they cannot assure their compliance.

3) Stay focused. Keep your comments brief and pertinent.

This is not the proper forum for trying to convert Park

Service personnel to the joys of nude recreation or body

acceptance. This is an opportunity to make the point that

those who enjoy clothing-optional recreation are legitimate

users who deserve to have their recreational preferences

reflected and accommodated in any long-term plan.

4) Be clear. In your comments, say that you wish

clothing-optional recreation to be included in the General

Management Plan.

Additional talking / writing points:

a) Proper informational signage is an important tool in

managing FOR clothing-optional recreation. Signs help avoid

"user conflict," which is a term Park Service managers

recognize clearly.

b) Those who prefer clothing-optional areas are typically

low-impact users. They are respectful of the natural

environment because of their inherent close relationship

to it.

c) A recent public opinion poll shows that a majority of

Americans favor the setting aside of public lands for

clothing-optional recreation. (Source: 2006 NEF/Roper Poll,

commissioned by the Naturist Education Foundation and conducted

by the Roper polling organization.)

d) In that same poll, 74 percent of Americans believe that people

who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able to do so without

interference from local officials as long as they do so at a

beach that is accepted for that purpose.

2. ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING

A series of three public meetings have been scheduled for presentation and discussion of the Draft Management Plan. If you can attend one of these meetings, you will make a significant additional impact on behalf of naturists. The points listed as sugestions for written comments are appropriate for delivery at these meetings, too.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008:

Platte River Elementary, 11434 Main, Honor, MI 49640

Wednesday, June 4, 2008:

Hagerty Center, NMC, 715 E. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49686

Thursday, June 5, 2008:

Glen Arbor Township Hall, 6394 W. Western Ave, Glen Arbor, MI 49636

The meeting formats and times (5:30-8:30 p.m.) for each meeting are

identical:

5:30-6:00 p.m. Open House

6:00-6:30 p.m. Formal Presentation

6:30-7:00 p.m. Question and Answer Period

7:00-8:30 p.m. Public Comments/Hearing

Naturist Action Committee board member Bill Schroer will be in attendance at the meeting on Tuesday, June 3, in Honor, Michigan. NAC Area Represntative Mart Groesser will be at the meeting on Wednesday, June 4, in Traverse City, Michigan. Join Bill or Mart - or choose the remaining meeting. The important thing is that naturists participate in this process.

MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Action Alert on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

http://www.naturistaction.org

Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Alerts.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is the volunteer nonprofit political adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC exists to advance and protect the rights and interests of naturists throughout North America. The Sleeping Bear Dunes project is an excellent example of positive, proactive activism.

Working for clothing-optional recreational use of public land is expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you.

After you've submitted your comments to the Parks Service, please take a moment to send a donation to:

NAC

PO Box 132

Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation:

http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you for choosing to make a difference.

Naturally,

Bill Schroer

Kath Rooney

Board Members

Naturist Action Committee

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Naturist Action Committee (NAC)- PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903

Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org

Board Member Bill Schroer - naturist18a@gmail.com

Board Member Kath Rooney - nakedvet@gmail.com

Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com

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NAC Alert for San Onofre, California

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE

ACTION ALERT

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http://www.naturistaction.org

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Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is

responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the

posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided

that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.

DATE : May 21, 2008

SUBJECT: California: San Onofre State Beach

TO : Naturists and other concerned citizens

Dear Naturist,

This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee. NAC is asking for your immediate help in responding to a serious threat in the state of California.

NAC has learned that Ruth Coleman, Director of California's Department of Parks and Recreation, has abruptly revoked the application of the Department's Cahill Policy, as it applies to clothing-optional portions of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County. Rangers have been told to begin "educating" beachgoers, starting June 1. The issuing of citations for nudity in the traditional clothing-optional area is to follow after 30 days.

IMPORTANT: NAC ASKS YOU TO CONTACT THE CA PARKS DIRECTOR

NAC urgently requests that you contact the Director of CA Parks to express your vigorous opposition to this disastrous change in policy. Detailed contact information is included below. However, so that your contact with the Director's office will have the greatest impact, please first take a couple of moments to learn about this situation.

THE CAHILL POLICY

Since 1979, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has operated under a policy put in place by then-DPR Director Russ Cahill. The policy came in the form of a memo issued to senior staff, explaining Cahill's decision not to designate clothing-optional areas in state parks. It also directed that citations for nudity in state parks would only be issued following a complaint and a failure to comply after a subsequent warning.

The policy has been in continuous effect since it was issued. It figured prominently in an important court case (California v. Bost) and was reaffirmed by CA Parks Deputy Director Jack Harrison in 1988.

Details of the Cahill memo, the Bost case and the Harrison letter are included on the NAC Web site, along with the text of California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 4322, which is the authority under which the Director proposes citing those who are nude at San Onofre.

WHY THE CHANGE NOW?

Naturists are always alert to the negative effect that illicit sexual activity can have on clothing-optional beaches. The regulars at many clothing-optional areas are quite effective at educating and discouraging those who would endanger the beach through sexual activities. At San Onofre, the problem has been diminished greatly in recent years, due in large part to those who really care about continued clothing-optional use of the beach.

The traditional clothing-optional beach at San Onofre is adjacent to Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps training base. Although those who wander onto the military base are subject to arrest for trespass, the area is lightly patrolled. For those who seek sex in the open, the military beach has become the site of choice, and the razor wire field fencing at the property line has proved to be no obstacle. Naturists have shown reluctance to pursue the scofflaws onto the military base, and State Park Rangers have no authority there.

Recent retirements among those in the CA Parks management team responsible for San Onofre have brought replacements who are intolerant of clothing-optional recreation. Instead of encouraging and allowing the cooperation of naturists in policing illicit activity, Rich Haydon, the new manager who took over at the beginning of this month, has featured the nearby sexual activity in his reports, using it as an excuse to request permission to put an end to recreational nudity at the beach. Haydon has reportedly represented to his superiors that a majority of those who come to enjoy the clothing-optional beach are participants in illicit sex there.

The response from CA Parks headquarters in Sacramento was the revocation of the Cahill Policy as it applies to San Onofre. The Department is reportedly seeking to insulate itself from sexual harassment claims by park employees who have complained recently of a "sexually-charged atmosphere." That sort of complaint is customarily reserved for employer-employee or co-employee interaction, and it inappropriately ignores the fact that State Park rangers are peace officers with a duty to arrest those who engage in illicit activities.

IS IT ONLY SAN ONOFRE?

At the present time, only San Onofre State Beach is affected by this change in policy. The real possibility that the same thing may happen at other California state parks is, of course, an ominous specter.

WHAT IS NAC DOING?

The Naturist Action Committee recognizes the severity of this situation and has taken quick action.

1) NAC has submitted to CA Parks a formal request for an

administrative stay on implementation of this abrupt

change in policy.

2) NAC has made Public Records requests for documents pertaining

to this situation and the administrative action surrounding it.

3) NAC is retaining a lobbyist to assist and advise it in the

often-difficult area of regulatory procedure.

4) NAC has retained legal representation and has begun the process

that may ultimately result in civil action against the State of

California and the Department of Parks and Recreation.

5) From the onset of this situation, NAC has been working closely

with Friends of San Onofre Beach, the local user group. NAC and

FOSOB will be meeting with CA Parks officials this week on

this matter.

WHAT IS NAC ASKING YOU TO DO?

The Naturist Action Committee is asking you to contact the Director of CA Parks to express your concern and outrage over this turn of events. NAC is also asking you to attend a rally at San Onofre this coming Saturday.

1. CONTACT THE DIRECTOR

NAC is requesting ALL NATURISTS and other concerned individuals to contact the Director of Parks and Recreation, regardless of your place of residence. California understands the importance of out-of-state visitors who come to enjoy the state's beaches, lakes and streams. The change in policy applies to those visitors, as well as to California residents. While all are encouraged to make their voices heard, the participation of Californians is, of course, particularly important.

Send a letter, a fax or an e-mail, or make a phone call.

Director Ruth Coleman

Dept. of Parks and Recreation

1416 Ninth Street,

Sacramento, CA 95816

E-MAIL: director@parks.ca.gov

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE TELEPHONE: (916) 653-8380

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE FAX: (916) 657-3903

NAC encourages you to send copies of your faxes and paper mail to:

NAC, P.O. Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

Send copies of your e-mails to:

sanonofre@naturistaction.org

When you write or call:

a) Be polite. You have a right to be outraged, but you will

achieve nothing positive by name-calling or rudeness.

b) Be known. Give your name and address. If you are a California

resident or a frequent visitor to California, point that out.

c) Be focused. Keep your call or your correspondence brief

and on target.

d) Be clear. Say that you OPPOSE the revocation of the Cahill

Policy at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County.

Additional talking / writing points:

a) The precipitous change to public policy was done without

public input. That's not an acceptable way to administer

public resources.

b) The so-called "solution" does not address the real problem.

c) A recent public opinion poll (the 2006 NEF/Roper Poll,

commissioned by the Naturist Education Foundation and conducted

by the Roper polling organization) shows that a majority of

Americans favor the setting aside of public lands for

clothing-optional recreation.

d) In that same poll, an impressive 74 percent of Americans

believe that people who enjoy nude sunbathing should be able

to do so without interference from local officials as long as

they do so at a beach that is accepted for that purpose.

e) Rangers and park managers must NOT confuse simple nudity with

lewd behavior. Rangers presently have the authority to stop lewd

activity, and that authority does not require the abrupt

discontinuation of a long-standing policy that has worked well

for years and years.

2. ATTEND A RALLY AT SAN ONOFRE BEACH ON SATURDAY, MAY 24

In close cooperation with Friends of San Onofre, NAC urges you to attend a rally at the beach on Saturday, May 24, 2008. Bring your own handmade signs to carry, if you wish. NAC will be providing a number of "Nude Beaches YES!" signs for participants.

This is an important event for those who are outraged at the Director's action and who believe San Onofre Beach is worth saving! If you're close enough to make it, please show up around 10 AM. Parking is limited.

MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Action Alert on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

http://www.naturistaction.org

Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Alerts.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is the volunteer nonprofit political adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC exists to advance and protect the rights and interests of naturists throughout North America. Fighting for the clothing-optional recreational use of public land is expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you.

After you've contacted the Director of CA Parks, please take a moment to send a donation to:

NAC

PO Box 132

Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation: http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you for choosing to make a difference.

Naturally,

Bob Morton

Executive Director

Naturist Action Committee

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Naturist Action Committee (NAC)

- PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903

Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org

Board Member Allen Baylis - rab@baylislaw.com

Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com

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