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  I hope this update finds you all well and out enjoying some fun and exciting adventures! I just wrapped up a marathon week that started with attending the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where our very own Rose Winn was presented with the Bob Ham Land Use Award. Several of us from the Association were there to cheer her on and celebrate this incredible and well-deserved recognition. Following that, I attended the NAMRC Conference, which was outstanding. It was great to see so many first-time attendees alongside familiar faces. The day was filled with meaningful discussions about land use issues from across the nation, brainstorming new strategies, and strengthening partnerships. The enthusiasm and collaboration in the room were truly contagious — a powerful reminder that when we work together, our collective voice becomes that much stronger. Next, I had the opportunity to spend a day at SEMA. While attendance seemed a little lighter than usual for opening day, it was still an incredible experience. After taking care of some personal business, I made my way to the West Hall to visit our booth — and it looked amazing! A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to represent Cal4 and help showcase our stunning Raffle Vehicle, which drew a ton of attention. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to pull this off every year, and I’m so grateful for the hard work and dedication that makes it possible. After logging about 36,000 steps (and what felt like another ten miles to the monorail), I finally made it back to the hotel — tired but proud — and started preparing for Panamint Valley Days. With the cancellation of Operation Desert Fun, all hands were on deck to make this year’s Panamint Valley Days one to remember — and it absolutely delivered! I want to publicly thank Bonnie Ferguson and Jeff Godde for their incredible leadership as Chair and Co-Chair, and Mr. Starksen for organizing a raffle that reportedly brought in over $16,000 in donations! The weather couldn’t have been better — we even had an impromptu air show above camp on Thursday and Friday, which was spectacular. The turnout was impressive, and it was great to see Past President Jim Bramham join us to celebrate his “everlasting” 50th birthday on Saturday evening. A big thank you as well to everyone who traveled from near and far to attend this year’s event — I spotted several Central District clubs and even a few members from the Hi Landers in attendance! As I get ready for the upcoming November Board of Directors Meeting, I want to remind everyone that the meeting will be accessible via Zoom (link below). Also, Convention 2026 registration will be opening up this week! Along with that comes the opportunity to nominate your favorite club or member for awards. For more information, please reach out to Steve at the office. And don’t forget — award nominations are due no later than December 31st. The way this year has been flying by, that deadline will be here before you know it!   Josh Epstein is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.Topic: November 2025 Board Of Directors MeetingTime: Nov 15, 2025 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/89128874217?pwd=m7VcNg4R5UMm0VBcymzNGzss2KIdBX.Meeting ID: 891 2887 4217Passcode: 557910One tap mobile+16699006833,,89128874217# US (San Jose)+16694449171,,89128874217# USJoin instructions https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/89128874217/invitations?signature=vSEi6EXivhNWf9y2sfaj40c2uPmGLQ1kWSXpf8itjeI

Hello all! I hope this message finds you all well and enjoying the last bits of spring before we jump right into summer. There are a couple of things I wanted to get out to you as soon as possible. Hi Desert Round UP! Online registration closes this Sunday and we would love to see you come out and support a great event @ Slash X café in Barstow.   As always, Tony and his incredible crew at GenRight Offroad are sponsoring this event and will be leading couple of great trails, plus a new one, DEATH STAR! This is not for the faint of heart. We’ll have games on Sunday like always and we’re looking for clubs/individuals to help with games and to bring a raffle prize with you! Slash X will be serving food for dinner on Saturday/Sunday evening as well as their famous breakfast burritos before you head out on the trails Saturday! There is still time to register and you can register here: https://cal4wheel.com/hi-desert-round-up If you can help with games or have some raffle prizes, please reach out directly to me: josh@cal4wheel.com The May/June Board Of Directors meeting is the following week (May 31/June 1) and for those of you that cannot make it in person at our office in Sacramento, there is a zoom option: California 4-Wheel Drive May/June 2025 Board Of Directors Meeting Time: May 31, 2025 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84803953739?pwd=cafxGOGK5Wpls1gzqbVw85ihol6v3H.1 Meeting ID: 848 0395 3739 Passcode: 520293 If I can help with anything, my door is always open: josh@cal4wheel.com …till the next update - Josh

   PRESS RELEASE March 26, 2025   Court of Appeal Rules Against Coastal Commission, Protects OHV Use at Oceano Dunes     On Monday, March 24, 2025, the Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District of California, Division 6, ruled that the California Coastal Commission acted outside its jurisdiction in March 2021, when it ordered the California Department of Parks and Recreation to eliminate off-highway vehicle (OHV) use at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (ODSVRA), located near Pismo Beach, California.   According to the Court, the Commission’s attempt to terminate OHV use at ODSVRA was in conflict with the County of San Luis Obispo’s existing Local Coastal Program (LCP), which, among other things, expressly allows OHV use at ODSVRA as part of its recreational element. Under the California Coastal Act, the County LCP – not the Coastal Commission’s policy preferences – controls what activities can take place within the County’s coastal zone, including Oceano Dunes. The Court of Appeal’s decision follows nearly four years of litigation, in which three OHV-focused organizations – Friends of Oceano Dunes, EcoLogic Partners, Inc., and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) – sued the Coastal Commission over its attempt to shut down OHV use at ODSVRA. Though Friends of Oceano Dunes and EcoLogic/SEMA filed separate lawsuits, both sets of plaintiffs argued successfully that the Commission’s action in March 2021 was inconsistent with the County’s LCP, resulting in a violation of the Coastal Act. The Court of Appeal’s decision confirms that OHV recreation at ODSVRA is a lawful use under the County LCP and the Coastal Act generally. The Coastal Commission can either accept that decision or appeal the matter to the California Supreme Court, which grants review in about 3 percent of the petitions it receives.     ###

  Hello all!  I hope all of you are enjoying these first days of Spring and are getting ready to get out of the house and onto the trails! Since the last time I have sent an update out, there has been a lot going on behind the scenes which has taken an incredible amount of time on not only myself but the entire Association. Stephen Chickos, our new office manager is settling in great with his new position and if you have not had the pleasure to speak with him, feel free to give him a call at the office and introduce yourself. The office is running at full speed and Steve is doing an incredible job! I want to congratulate Dirk Starksen on his election to State Treasurer and welcome Kenneth O’Brien as your new Central District VP and Russ Chung as your new South District VP. Thank you very much to Davey Rocha and Don Rybarczyk for their years and service to this Association. Thank you to Chris Silveria for his continued support as North District VP which all were ratified at this past Convention in February. Thank you very much to Debbie Stephens and Rene Allen for all your hard work and to each and every one of the volunteers who put so much into this year’s convention to make it a great time! There are some really great events coming up, like Molina Ghost Run and Hi Desert Round Up! – Which registration is now open for these events and I would love to cordially invite each and every one of you to come out and enjoy some great times up in the mountains or down in the desert where there are trails to accommodate each and every one of your interests. Please check out our website, cal4wheel.com for more information, or, feel free to reach out to me personally. With this update, there will also be a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the IN Gear Editor position as the contract comes up the June and we’re looking for any qualified applicants to send a proposal to us to review. We will not be sending out RFP’s for the Webmaster or NRC as they are on a 2-year contract. In closing, we had a huge win at Oceano Dunes this week with great efforts by Friends of Oceano Dunes and EcoLogic Partners to protect continued access to the Oceano Dunes – Our official statement to be included with this update. Its been a tremendous amount of work for all involved and a fight that is nowhere near finished. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or want to let us know how we’re doing, feel free to email me: josh@cal4wheel.com   …..Till the next update  - Josh

I Hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather and beginning of winter.  I am just getting back from a spectacular time at Panamint Valley days this past weekend and wanted to thank Bonnie Ferguson and Jeff Goode for the great time and spectacular weather!  A special thanks to all of you that lead runs and to everyone that volunteered in one way or another!  PVD is always a great time and the family and I had an awesome time exploring the area and spending time with our Cal4 family.   As we progress forward at the office, our new Office Manager, Steve Chickos first day was yesterday and we're working with Steve on getting him up to speed as quickly as possible so when contacting the office, say hello to Steve and wish him luck!  As Steve settles into his new position, our famed interim office manager, Jim Bramham will be getting back to retired life along with Shirley and I wanted to publicly thank Jim and Shirley for all their hard work and help with this office transition.  We all appreciate your patience as we continue working forward and look forward to hearing ideas on how to improve from all members.   Coming up this weekend is the November Board Of Directors meeting being held at the office in Sacramento, however, we will have a zoom meeting option for this meeting those of you that are unable to attend in person.  Thats all for now, so, till the next update...     Josh Epstein is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.   Topic: Cal4Wheel November 2024 Board Of Directors Meeting Time: Nov 16, 2024 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)   Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88370760650?pwd=M6jGcm2UMtaahyl3nUaX7CMqwaWE4X.1   Meeting ID: 883 7076 0650 Passcode: 331030   ---   One tap mobile +16694449171,,88370760650# US +16699006833,,88370760650# US (San Jose)   ---   Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 253 205 0468 US • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 360 209 5623 US • +1 386 347 5053 US • +1 507 473 4847 US • +1 564 217 2000 US • +1 646 931 3860 US • +1 689 278 1000 US • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 305 224 1968 US • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)   Meeting ID: 883 7076 0650   Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbtQvkvi9T

Hello everyone, I hope you are all healthy and getting ready for this heat to finally end. If you haven't already heard, there is a new era here at the office and we're searching for a new office manager.  In the interim, volunteers have filled these positions and have been handling the day-to-day operations.  We have compiled a list of duties that the new Office Manager will be handling and are ready to send this request for applications out to the world.If you, or someone you know is interested in this position and have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly: josh@cal4wheel.com   This summer gave us an incredible Sierra Trek and Hi Sierra Poker Run with strong attendance and was very well received.  Here in the South, we had a great showing at Sand Sports Super Show and Off Road Expo recently and as we progress into fall/Winter, there are more incredible events to attend such as Operation Desert Fun which registration closes October 8th and Panamint Valley Days in November with Winter Fun Festival happening in January, topped off with Covnention 2025 in February! - Registration is open to all of these events and I strongly encourage and hope you can attend these awesome events and someone is going to win a beautiful 2024 Bronco and that should be you!  Tickets are available online and through your District BOD members.  Be on the lookout for the annual mailer for the Win A Bronco Tickets!   If you have any questions about anything to do with the Association, I am an open book - Please feel free to reach out to me: josh@cal4wheel.com    

Hello all! I hope this message finds all of you in great health and you are packing up to head to two incredible events in the coming weeks, Sierra Trek and High Sierra Poker Run! I have three, small bits of information I wanted to get out to all of you: 1) There has been an incredible amount of ‘un-subscribes’ from messages like this or others from the Association regarding upcoming events, news, etc. What can we do to not make you hit that button? We are very aware that every one of us gets an incredible amount of spam and we do our best to make sure we don’t spam you with repetitive emails – is there something we’re doing wrong? Where can we improve on that front? Email me: josh@cal4wheel.com 2) I want to welcome Belltech and JE Reel Driveline Service as your two new corporate sponsors! If you need suspension items/accessories or the best driveline for your vehicle, please consider Belltech or JE Reel for you project! 3) Last, the August Board Of Directors meeting is fast approaching and in the essence of being mindful of our members money, I have decided to host this meeting virtually and this is your official invitation to come join us for a Saturday as the Board conducts business. And the best part, its absolutely free to attend! I truly hope to see all of you at Trek next week and at HSPR a couple of weeks after – Go out and enjoy these lands were all fighting to keep open for all of you! Josh Epstein is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: August 2024 BOD Meeting Time: Aug 17, 2024 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88033690493?pwd=a8aIlPFuUIC5uGhZOSkeFwoPtkDx9Y.1 Meeting ID: 880 3369 0493 Passcode: 778503

Hello everyone! The June Board Of Directors meeting is this coming weekend and I wanted to get a link to the Zoom invite out to all of you and give you an official welcome to join us at this meeting. The Meeting starts at 9am on Saturday till we’re done for the day and continue on Sunday morning at 9am. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me Josh Epstein is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: June 2024 BOD Meeting Time: Jun 8, 2024 09:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85066058574?pwd=K84Nk82og9g09bhv5pCs4XcWayO45l.1 Meeting ID: 850 6605 8574 Passcode: 321370 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,85066058574# US +16699006833,,85066058574# US (San Jose) --- Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 253 205 0468 US • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 689 278 1000 US • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 305 224 1968 US • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) • +1 360 209 5623 US • +1 386 347 5053 US • +1 507 473 4847 US • +1 564 217 2000 US • +1 646 931 3860 US Meeting ID: 850 6605 8574 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcOcPvsKDi

Hello everyone! I hope this update finds you in great health and are out enjoying this awesome weather! I have a couple of things that I want to get out to you all June 2024 Board Of Directors meeting We will be starting at 5pm on Friday, June 7th but will be going immediately into executive session and once done, will close up and go home. Saturday meeting starts at 9am and everyone is welcome to join. There seems to be some confusion on the location of the meeting as it’s NOT in Visalia but is at the office in Sacramento. If you have a proposal you would like to submit, please do so sooner than later and email it to me directly: josh@cal4wheel.com. Hi Desert Round UP! Is next weekend! I would love to see everyone there and please bring a raffle prize with you to help with both the kids and adults raffle. You can still register in person at the event, Memorial Day Weekend at the Slash X in Barstow California. In closing, something very important crossed my desk here in the past few days where someone, ill informed and un-educated found themselves using a 113 year old historic landmark in Death Valley to try and pull themselves out of the mud they shouldn’t have been in, in the first place. The California 4 Wheel Drive Association disapproves of this destructive activity and we support responsible off-roading and this does not represent all off roaders. We as Cal4Wheel support Tread Lightly and responsible trail management through grass roots volunteer groups Education is so very important and issues like this can devastate the off-road community. Cal4Wheel strongly urges everyone to help to educate ALL off-roaders with proper trail etiquette so disasters like this do not happen. This has been a long, ongoing issue for quite a while and we need to reach more people and do it sooner than later. Things like this could cause huge ripples with the work Cal4wheel and many other organizations/people have been putting their lives into, forcing agencies to just close the area entirely to everyone! We cannot have that because land closure is not land management but with stunts like this, we’re essentially forcing their hands. What are your thoughts? How should I/We reach these people? Send your thoughts to: josh@cal4wheel.com …till the next update

Hello all!  I have an important update to get out: I hope each and every one of you are here in Visalia attending the 65th annual Cal4Wheel Convention!  For those of you who are not able to attend, I am planning to try and have a Zoom meeting for General Session - I have no idea if it will work well, poorly or at all.  Its an attempt to allow those of you that would like to at the very least see/hear general session on Saturday, here is an opportunity.  If it works, great, if it doesn't, my apologies. Josh Epstein is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Convention 2024 General Session Zoom Meeting Time: Feb 17, 2024 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85466213938?pwd=bDJrQWUrb05HWkEwa2FvQWVpMHpmZz09 Meeting ID: 854 6621 3938 Passcode: 663876