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For Immediate Release
October 13, 2003
Contact: Bill Kresnak
Phone: (614) 856-1900
Email:
bkresnak@ama-cycle.org
AMA BACKS BILL TO CRACK DOWN ON THOSE WHO
DAMAGE PUBLIC LAND
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association
(AMA) has endorsed legislation in Congress to get tough on
individuals who cause willful damage to federal lands.
The Trail Responsibility and Accountability for the
Improvement of Lands Act (TRAIL Act), introduced by U.S. Rep.
Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), provides for consistent enforcement
of land use, protection and management regulations by the
federal Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service,
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest
Service. Currently, those agencies impose different penalties
on recreational users who damage public land.
In addition, the bill substantially increases the penalties
on individuals who willfully cause damage to designated
trails. Any fines collected would be used for rehabilitation
and trail awareness programs at that trail.
"This legislation sends a clear message to individuals who
deliberately engage in irresponsible recreation," Tancredo
said. "Abuse our public lands and you will pay the price."
AMA Washington Representative Patrick Holtz said he sees
the proposal as a common-sense approach to law enforcement on
public land because it doesn't make a distinction between
people who enjoy motorized recreation and those who enjoy
other forms of recreation.
"Unfortunately, the issue of law enforcement has been used
as a political football to demonize and deny access to the
motorized community," Holtz said. "Bad actors, regardless of
their mode of recreation, should be punished appropriately.”
The AMA supports responsible riding on public land and
believes that those who intentionally damage land should be
punished, whether they’re motorized vehicle users, horse
riders, campers or hikers. The AMA decided to endorse the
Tancredo legislation, in part, because another measure—H.R.
751, commonly called "ROVER"—targets only motorized vehicle
users, and doesn’t provide for consistent penalties among the
various federal land agencies.
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