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American Motorcyclist
Association Decries Bill to Close Off 850,000
Acres of Colorado Public Land
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) told a key U.S.
House committee that it opposes a bill to
designate 850,000 acres in Colorado as federally
protected Wilderness because, among other
reasons, the public land contains dams, power
lines, bridges and other structures.
The AMA noted its opposition in a formal letter
dated March 10 to the U.S. House Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands that
will be part of the committee report for the
bill -- H.R. 4289, the Colorado Wilderness Act
of 2009. The AMA also complained that the
measure would designate the land as Wilderness
without any input from local elected officials
and affected user groups.
"By designating these public lands Wilderness,
the legislation will close off responsible
motorized access to hundreds of thousands of
acres," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for
government relations, in the letter.
Moreland sent the letter to committee Chairman
Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Rob
Bishop (R-Utah) prior to the committee's hearing
on the bill, which was introduced by U.S. Rep.
Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).
Moreland noted that the affected land isn't in
DeGette's congressional district, and "to date
not one Colorado representative has co-sponsored
H.R. 4289. This is very telling -- the local
population in the area affected does not support
this bill."
At that hearing on March 11, U.S. Rep. John
Salazar (D-Colo.) testified: "This bill in its
current form will close numerous motorized
routes, snowmobile areas and mountain bike
trails. These are important activities in my
district that contribute to both the quality of
life that my constituents enjoy as well as being
a major economic activity in these communities."
Kent Holsinger, a Denver lawyer who specializes
in land, wildlife and water law, testified that
the proposal doesn't meet the strict
requirements of the Wilderness Act of 1964 "to
protect lands untrammeled by man." He added that
"acreage crisscrossed by roads, trails,
powerlines and pipelines should clearly be
excluded from consideration" for a Wilderness
designation, and that the AMA, Colorado
Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO),
BlueRibbon Coalition, and Colorado Snowmobile
Association all oppose the bill.
In his letter, Moreland wrote that public land
is for the enjoyment of all Americans and not
just those who are physically able to enjoy
them.
"Enthusiasts who enjoy our nation's public lands
are not just the nimble and fit but also
families with small children who wish to
recreate together, as well as active senior
citizens and handicapped who enjoy the freedom
to access the outdoors that off-highway vehicles
and all-terrain vehicles provide," he wrote.
"The AMA opposes any process that does not allow
full public debate on the disposition of public
lands," he added. "Indeed, these designations
deserve to be considered to allow time or
thoughtful deliberation and input from affected
user groups, local and state elected officials
and Congress. However, the AMA, Colorado
Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO), Trails
Preservation Alliance (TPA) nor any of their
individual members or member clubs were
contacted or asked for input to avoid conflict
with existing multiple-use (including, but not
limited to motorized) activities."
One reason Moreland and others are so concerned
about H.R. 4289 being pushed in Congress without
prior input from the local community and elected
officials is because it is seen as a prelude to
the Hidden Gems Wilderness proposal, a project
of the White River Wilderness Coalition, to
designate more than 400,000 acres in Colorado as
Wilderness.
To see the AMA's letter to the U.S. House
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Public Lands click here:
www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/ama_statement_oppose_h.r.4289.pdf.
To read Holsinger's testimony click here:
resourcescommittee.house.gov/images/Documents/20100311/parks/testimony_holsinger.pdf.
To take action on this issue, go to
AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues and
Legislation or click here:
www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/rapidresponse.asp.
To receive e-mail alerts on issues, sign up in
the "Get Involved" section of the Rights page or
click here:
www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/getInvolved/.
About the American Motorcyclist
Association
Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected
the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come
from all walks of life and they navigate many
different routes on their journey to the same
destination: freedom on two wheels. As the
world's largest motorcycle organization with
nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for
motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local,
state and federal government, the committees of
international governing organizations and the
court of public opinion. Through member clubs,
promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more
motorsports competition events than any other
organization in the world. Through its
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA
preserves the heritage of motorcycling for
future generations. For more information, visit
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
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