You may have heard about one of our off-road groups "intervening" in a court action. This is not the same as filing a lawsuit. Herein we will explain what it means to be an "intervenor" in a court action, and why it is an essential part of our access efforts.

Legal actions can be described as offensive and defensive. To intervene is a defensive maneuver that can save the day for us, by ensuring we have a seat at the table when recreational decisions are made.

The core of the defensive maneuver is the "defendant Intervenor" play. Off-roader organizations intervene in lawsuits filed by the anti-access crowd as a defendant. Sometimes, we can mix the offensive and defensive play as well. This is an excellent way of making sure no federal judge makes a decision (about our trails and our sports) without hearing from the people who use them.

Read more from the BlueRibbon Coalition at: http://www.sharetrails.org/story/2012/05/17/legal-ease-101-what-intervention-court-and-why