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News & Notes for the Politically Motivated
ATV Enthusiast
Table of Contents
TrailPass LLC
(www.trailpass.com),
a new company, has been created for the purpose
of creating a privatized ATV trail system throughout
New York.
The program the company is promoting distributes
trail grants to participating clubs, provides
an insurance product, retains a professional
forester to monitor trails, and arranges for
patrolling to manage use, all in the name of
fostering sustainable trails for legal use.
The company will be selling a "Trail Pass" through
dealers that are local to areas of land that
come into the trail network, and a portion of
these sales will go to funding the clubs. The
concept looks as though it will work similar
to New York’s active snowmobile trail fund and
the proposed ATV trail fund but without government
agencies involved and the flexibility of private
industry.
Trail passes and trails are estimated to be
available this summer starting in areas centered
in the mid-northeastern region of New York.
A pass reservation system in advance of release
of the sales program is now up on their web
site.
TrailPass has united with NYSORVA to get more
local clubs partnering with the program and
has hired a club liaison to facilitate relationships.
LeeAnn Harris (VP of Tug Hill Wheelers ATV Club)
can be contacted at 1-800-381-2260 or email
at lharris@trailpass.com.
There are opportunities for clubs to be added
to the network, whether or not they have land
available. TrailPass has expressed a particular
need for clubs to adopt properties for which
the company may secure leases. They are also
looking for leads to new permission-based and
leasing opportunities.
California’s new OHV noise regulations,
effective July 15, 2003, will be strictly enforced
for all off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain
vehicles (ATVs) that are operated at all state
Vehicular Recreation Areas. The new regulations
reduce California’s off-road noise emissions
levels from the maximum decibel level standard
of 101 decibels to 96 decibels.
"The importance of this can't be underscored
enough. Noise is the most threatening aspect
to California's Off-Highway Vehicle program,"
said Tony Perez, Chief of California State Parks'
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.
The new noise law is a key element of AB 2274,
signed into law by Governor Gray Davis in September
2002. AB 2274 represents the most sweeping reform
of California’s off-highway vehicle program
in its 30-year history. It drew bipartisan support
in the Legislature, and won the support of both
environmental organizations and off-road recreation
groups.
California’s OHV program was created in 1971
as part of a statewide effort to manage a vigorously
growing recreational sport. Today, it’s estimated
that 14.2 percent of all California households
– about 3.5 million people – participate in
OHV opportunities. (California State Parks'
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division)
Massachusetts
State Legislators recently heard testimony
from the AMA Chartered New England Trail Riders
Association (NETRA). Five NETRA Directors testified
before the Joint Committee on Natural Resources
and Agriculture in support of NETRA-endorsed
House Bill 971.
HB 971, sponsored by Representatives Michael
Rodrigues (D-Bristol) and Douglas Petersen (D-Essex),
is based on Vermont’s snowmobile program. The
bill would require an assessment sticker on
OHVs ridden on state forest trails and any other
trails that NETRA incorporates into its trail
system, with the fees being used for trail maintenance.
It directs the Department of Environmental Management
(DEM) to consider opening OHV trails in additional
state forests and to open these trails except
when weather or trail conditions warrant closure.
It would also add trail user representation
to the Board of Environmental Management.
Legislators also heard NETRA testimony in support
of Senate Bill 1223 a similar snowmobile proposal,
House Bill 290 which would forbid municipalities
from prohibiting motorcycles, House Bill 2848
which would authorize a study of multi-use trails
in MA, Senate Bill 1224 which would also add
trail user representation to the DEM, and in
opposition to House Bill 1909 which would prohibit
the sale of 2-stroke motorcycles in the commonwealth.
The
Roadless Conservation Act, with bipartisan
support, was introduced in both houses of Congress
on June 5, 2003. If passed into law, the measure
will codify the Clinton era Roadless Area Conservation
Rule, which closes 58.5 million acres of National
Forests from road construction and could sharply
curtail OHV recreation opportunities.
Senators John Warner, a Virginia Republican,
and Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, introduced
the bill in the Senate, and Representatives
Sherwood Boehlert, a New York Republican, and
Jay Inslee, a Washington Democrat, introduced
the act in the House.
To the satisfaction of OHV recreation enthusiasts
the Bush administration has blocked the rule,
which was put in place only during the last
weeks of Clinton's presidency, by court challenges
and executive action.
The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Moab,
Utah Field Office, is considering amending an
existing planning document and will prepare
two Environmental Assessments (EAs) to consider
expanding sustainable Off Highway Vehicle (OHV)
and mountain bike opportunities in the Utah
Rims and Cameo Cliffs areas.
Comments should be sent to the BLM Moab Field
Office, 82 East Dogwood Avenue, Moab, Utah 84532.
Go to
http://www.ut.blm.gov/ for further information.
The US Congress
is set to begin debate on legislation that funds
the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Literally
millions of Americans have benefited from the
recreational trails that have been developed
and maintained in every state through this program.
And, it is important to note that these trails
are both motorized and non-motorized.
For those of us who enjoy trail-based recreation,
be it on hiking, biking, ATV, off-highway motorcycles,
snowmobile, equestrian, cross-county skiing
or any other type of trail, this is one of the
most crucial issues that Congress will act upon
this year which directly affects you!
Tell your Members of Congress that you support
funding for the RTP. To send a letter now, just
visit the AMA Rapid Response Center on
http://www.AMADirectlink.com/.
Let your Representatives know that you support
investing money from taxes on gasoline being
used in off-highway vehicles to improve the
safety, construction and maintenance of recreational
trails through the RTP.
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