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AMA OUTRAGED OVER
CALIFORNIA'S RIVERSIDE COUNTY RIDING
RESTRICTIONS
The American Motorcyclist Association has
expressed its outrage over decisions by the
Riverside County, California, Board of
Supervisors that would severely restrict the use
of off-highway vehicles, even on private land.
On March 28, the Board of Supervisors
approved a law that prohibits all OHV riding on
private property except for the period from noon
to 5 p.m. and requires riders to stay 100 feet
from property lines and 250 feet from
neighboring homes. The law also allows the use
of only one OHV per 10 acres of land, with a
maximum of four vehicles on a single parcel, no
matter how large the area. To get a conditional
use permit allowing more vehicles would cost up
to $10,000. These restrictions apply to land in
all unincorporated parts of Riverside County,
located east of Los Angeles.
At the same meeting, the County Board also
gave final approval to a highly restrictive
noise regulation that sets maximum allowable
sound levels at the property line at 50, 55 or
75 decibels, depending on the zoning of the
parcel. That puts allowable noise levels from
OHVs well below those commonly produced by
highway traffic, air conditioners, or even an
electric toothbrush.
The AMA, Off-Road Business Association,
EcoLogic, Jack and Jeremy McGrath and others
worked hard to defeat these restrictive
measures, mounting an education campaign that
was successful in getting members of the county
Planning Commission to significantly modify
parts of the OHV and sound proposals. But when
those proposals went before the Board of
Supervisors, they reinstated all of the most
restrictive elements, and added even more.
"Despite thoughtful comment from national,
state, and local rider organizations, small
businesses, the California Off Highway Motor
Vehicle Recreation Division and literally
hundreds of riders in attendance, the
supervisors voted almost unanimously to
criminalize families who recreate together on
private property while offering no real
solutions for penalizing those who are truly
riding illegally," said Edward Moreland, AMA
vice president for government relations. "I'm
stunned that the board would take such draconian
measures when its own Planning Commission
presented it with a plan that everyone could
live with.
"I'm also disappointed that the board refused
to base its decision on science presented by
sound experts," Moreland added. "Instead, the
board based its decision on the conjecture and
hyperbole of a few vocal proponents of the
strict law."
The new law is a major blow to motorcycling
because Riverside County is a hotbed of OHV
activity. It's the home and practice ground of
racing heroes like Jeremy McGrath, Rick Johnson
and Jeff Emig. Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki and
Kawasaki have test facilities there. Plus, the
county has some 30 OHV-related businesses and
48,000 registered OHVs. Moreland fears the new
law could spark similar measures in California
and around the nation.
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