OPINION - IS CA RED STICKER PLAN THE FINAL STRAW?

OPINION – IS CA RED STICKER PLAN THE FINAL STRAW?

By Don Amador

March 8, 2019

According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) update on Proposed OHRV Regulatory Amendments presented at the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission

Meeting held in Palmdale, California on March 1, 2019, today starts a 45-day public comment period on their PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RED STICKER PROGRAM FOR OFF-HIGHWAY RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.

LINK TO CARB OHV COMMISSION PRESENTATION

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2019-03/CARB%20OHV%20Commission%20Meeting%20Presentation%20Palmdale.pdf

LINK TO CARB 78 PAGE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RED STICKER PROGRAM FOR OFF-HIGHWAY RECREATIONAL VEHICLES (scroll down to staff report on webpage)

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/rulemaking/2019/redstickeramendments

 Having worked on various iterations of the “Red Sticker” issue over the last 20 years, I wanted to share my 30K ft. view and initial reaction to a quick read of the 78 page CARB staff report.

First, I and other OHV stakeholders have appreciated the collaborative and cooperative attitude of CARB staff since this particular process started in 2013.  Over the years, they stated that a BAN of competition motorcycles is not being considered nor is it a goal. CARB staff had also made it clear that they want to work with us (OEMs, aftermarket, dealers, user groups) in this review process with an end goal of presenting the CARB board with some “common sense” proposals to address red sticker motorcycle emissions with a special focus on evaporative/diurnal emissions.

However in my view, the report falls short of achieving that common sense objective.  Rather, it continues to rely on incomplete data sets or misguided understanding of what “competition” means to affected riders, land managers, rural economies, OHV dealerships, law enforcement of OHV policies, conservation/restoration efforts, trail ethic education programs, and organized OHV clubs and/or motorcycle competition sanctioning bodies.

Over the years, motorcycle competition stakeholders have stated – to both the EPA and CARB - that “practice riding” (building strength and muscle memory, tuning the motorcycle, learning to navigate in various terrains, etc.) on both public and private lands is a critical component of competition motorcycle riding just as practice driving is important to long-distance trophy truck racers and similar non-motorcycle competitors.

Unfortunately, it appears our efforts to communicate the importance of riders having access to meaningful practice for competition events on private, local, state, and federal lands is not being captured by EPA and CARB.

At this point, I believe the collective weight of the proposal could have an unintended and devastating impact on competition events, riders, and other related stakeholders including land management agencies in the State of California.

Competition motorcycle events (and practice) on public lands such as enduros or trials on Forest Service lands and GP and/or Hare Scrambles at BLM areas or state park units have been - and should continue to be -legitimate, appropriate, and important activities on public lands.

As some of you know, there is a growing national movement of public land-based competition events being relocated to private land venues.  This reality in many parts of the country is being driven by a number of compounding factors which include; excessive government permit fees, burdensome red-tape permitting process, and complicated stipulations associated with trying to run an event on public lands.

My concern if the report is adopted as written is that it could be the “regulatory straw” that breaks the competition “camel’s back” by driving legitimate competition use and practice off of public lands and onto private lands. Rather than being an environmentally sound proposal it could pave the way for functional deregulation (no sticker fees to cover OHV-related resource management, LE, restoration of damaged lands or VIN#s) of competition vehicles which have been (and should continue to be) an important OHV partner that stands in support of sustainable OHV recreation management on public lands.

Driving competition events and practice off of public lands is not acceptable.

# # #

Op -Ed - 2017 - CA OHVers CHART THEIR OWN DESTINY

Don Amador Enjoying Visit to Prairie City SVRA

Op-Ed

Dec. 28, 2017

By Don Amador

*Permission to reprint or repost is hereby given.  Photos of Don Amador avail. by request

2017 - CA OHVers CHART THEIR OWN DESTINY

Reflecting back on the hard fought “SB249” victory including tough negotiations which - at the 11^th hour of the legislative session – produced an amended bill to basically reauthorize the current CA OHV program and give it permanent status by removing the sunset clause, I am reminded that our success was actually the result of a two-year process where State Park leadership started to substantively engage with the OHV community in November, 2015.

The genesis of that early engagement was the Park Transformation Process.  Agency leadership actively sought input from OHV enthusiasts, club leaders, professional consultants, and partners such as the Forest Service and BLM.  Often that input was gleaned from large turnouts by OHV enthusiasts at various transformation public meetings.

That information and feedback helped State Park leadership better understand how the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division and its team of knowledgeable, professional and dedicated scientists, administrators, engineers, trail specialists, law enforcement, and planners manage a holistic and sustainable motorized recreation program that is often cited as a national model.

During the SB249 effort, OHV enthusiasts responded en masse to various legislative alerts to send letters, emails, or make phone calls to their elected representatives in Sacramento.   OHV user engagement was largely responsible for making “Save the OHV Program” the number one political issue in the Capitol Building.

Based on my 28 years of OHV advocacy working on legislation, land-use campaigns, commissions, resource advisory councils, etc., I have listed the key tenets in the order of the role they had in turning SB249 around and ensuring that the OHMVR Division and its skillsets were not lost in the transformation process.

One – Having an engaged State Park leadership team (with support from the Governor) over the last 2 years that networked with OHV enthusiasts, partners, consultants, and lobbyists.

Two – Having grassroots activists, clubs, and individual OHVers send in comments and make phone calls when asked - may be the most important key as they made “OHV Recreation” the number issue noted by legislators and their staff in Sacramento over the last 12 months.

Three - Having a professional OHV team of consultants, OHV commissioners, lobbyists, and grassroots leaders that embraced the challenge and utilized user engagement to champion our OHV program before legislators, conservation leaders, media, and the administration. 

2017 shows that active participation by local OHV clubs and individuals is a critical element in the land-use equation.  2018 will require similar dedication by the OHV community to ensure the park transformation process honors its commitment to keeping the OHMVR Division intact and to address a myriad of other local, state, and federal recreation planning processes, legislation, and legal challenges.

2017 proves that now more than ever, you are in charge of your own OHV destiny.

# # #

Don Amador writes from his office in Oakley, California on OHV recreation and land-use issues.  Don has 28 years of experience in OHV-related recreation management and advocacy.  Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing, his recreation consulting business.  Don is a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org where he serves as their Western Representative.  Don was a 2016 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  Don may be reached by email at: damador@cwo.com

OP-ED - Rebuttal to CNPS's Anti-OHV Political Campaign (SB 249) Article

Hillside Restoration Project - Carnegie SVRA

Op-Ed

July 12, 2017

By Don Amador

*Permission is hereby granted to reprint article

Rebuttal to CNPS Vol. 47 (July – Sept. 2017) Pro – SB 249 Political Campaign Article: Environmental Damage from OHV Activity is Outpacing California’s Ability to Repair It

LINK TO CNPS ARTICLE

http://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/cnpsbulletin/v47.3_jul-sep2017.pdf

This is a response to a recent California Native Plant Society (CNPS) anti-OHV political campaign (SB 249) article that was referenced (page 22) in the official California Department of Parks and Recreation Weekly Digest published on July 7, 2017.

SB 249 was crafted in the dark of night by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and a small group of extreme environmental groups over the course of the last two years without OHV involvement. At this time, not one OHV organization supports SB 249.

The bill fundamentally redirects this environmentally sound, highly successful and nationally acclaimed OHV program - with a recreation focus - to a non-OHV program with a preservation focus that relies on lawsuits and trail closures as primary “management” tools.

Engineered OHV Trail with OHV Bridge to Protect Stream Course

Eldorado NF - Supported by CA OHV Grant Program

Since the creation of the California OHV program with the passage of the Chappie-Z’Berg OHV Act in 1971, OHV leaders have played an important role as stakeholders each time the program has come up for sunset review and reauthorization.  OHV leadership has a wide variety of expertise in all issues relating to OHV recreation, both technical and environmental, with specific knowledge on the interaction between state and federal land management processes.

Sediment Catch Basin - Rubicon Trail

Collaborative Project between CA OHV Grant Program, Eldorado County, Eldorado NF

and OHV Recreationists

Entire sections of SB 249 significantly alter priorities in ways that are obviously unacceptable to active California recreationists. There are also numerous examples of incorrect definitions, calls for unnecessary reports and demands for duplicative agency consultation that portray a lack of understanding of the interplay already required to create best management practices for areas that host OHV recreation.

OHV Travel Management Sign - Carnegie SVRA

It is clear that CNPS and partners crafted this bill with a goal of unduly hampering and purposely setting roadblocks to a program that is world renowned for its existing high standards with regards to both recreation opportunities and environmental conditions. They want the motorized parks to be held to an environmental standard equal to the non-motorized parks – an absurdity at every level.

CA OHV Grant Funded Restoration Project

Tahoe NF

Furthermore there is no accountability for either reliably foreseen or unanticipated consequences of the drastic measures called for in the bill. Based on estimates from DPR and OHV experts, the magnitude of the costs to the state for land restoration and mitigation for federal, city and county lands, as called for by SB 249, could range from $11M to $20M per year.  Expected legal liability cost estimates could be in the tens of millions of dollars per year.

SB 249 focuses solely on management of natural and cultural resources while ignoring important recreation-related water quality and soil erosion mitigation measures and trail facility maintenance activities.

Engineered Contour OHV Trail

Carnegie SVRA

SB 249 contains errors in the description of adaptive management as it is used in conjunction with a monitoring program. To those experienced in land policy, adaptive management is an ongoing process of evaluation leading to changes in operations to improve on-the-ground conditions. Many components are part of this process, although the bill stresses solely natural and cultural resources.

Engineered OHV Trail with Rolling Dip and Sediment Catch Basin

Eldorado NF

OHV stakeholders believe that water quality, erosion and sedimentation evaluations are equally critical, although none of these important issues are mentioned. Furthermore, natural and cultural resources are mentioned many times in the bill without adequate definition which will only lead to confusion in future decisions.

CA OHV Grant Funded Meadow Restoration Project

Stanislaus NF

SB 249 seeks to prohibit use of existing roads in state vehicular recreation areas that were created by previous land owners. The bill would require the state to compile reports of accidents, citations and other infractions from all areas of the state, including federal lands, where off-road recreation occurs. This is a burden placed on no other unit of state parks, the information is not currently collected by state parks, nor is it required by any federal agency. Furthermore there is no justification for the need for this report, leading OHV leadership to conclude this is an unwarranted data collection effort that will be used by SB 249 proponents to discredit public land agencies and off-road recreationists.

CA OHV Grant Funded Multi-Use Trail

Eldorado NF

SB 249 requires the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division to change its purpose from managing for sustainable off-road recreation to primarily managing for non-recreation focused on the protection of natural and cultural resources.

Specialized Equipment to Maintain Trails

Supported by CA OHV Grant Program

SB 249 seeks to portray and require restoration work to be done in an absolute fashion and be fully mitigated no matter the cause of the damage. Wildfires, earthquakes, rain and other weather phenomena can cause considerable damage, yet the effect of this damage is not differentiated from ongoing maintenance due to OHV activities. Other state parks are not responsible for acts of Mother Nature and it is inappropriate to place that burden on this program and this division. Minimizing impact to land from all forms of human interaction, whether through motorized or non-motorized activities is a goal already undertaken by all park units to the extent possible.

Sanitation Facilities to Protect Water Quality - Supported by CA OHV Grants

Rubicon Trail - Eldorado NF

SB 249 adds numerous agencies for consultation and written reports as requirements to be produced, which does nothing to improve environmental conditions on the ground. The redirected time will make performing environmental activities and restoration difficult, be extremely time consuming and add a considerable cost consideration for all entities concerned when there is no indication that anything is amiss in the current program.

CA OHV Grant Funded Restoration Project 

Stanislaus NF

The OHMVR Division does much more than manage State Vehicular Recreation Areas (SVRAs).  Its efforts include everything from law enforcement to supporting the economic viability of rural counties.  The program also supports OHV recreation on lands managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and counties.

CA OHV Grant Program Supports County LE/Search and Rescue Programs

Again, I believe the regulatory mandates and related compliance requirements place the entire program (SVRAs and units managed by the USFS/BLM/counties) in both legal and fiscal jeopardy.  The legislation creates a target rich environment for future litigation based on the alleged failure of the OHVMR Division and other units to comply with a host of new and unwarranted regulations and reporting schedules.

OHV organizations are urging legislators and the Governor to support reauthorization of the current program that was substantially improved upon 10 years ago in a bipartisan manner under the leadership of Senator Darrell Steinberg (SB 742).

Don Amador was a member of the 2007 bipartisan legislative team that drafted SB742 upon which the current OHV program is based.  Don works as a consultant to the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org.  Don is president of Quiet Warrior Racing, a recreation consulting business.  Don is a 2016 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  Don was also an OHMVR Commissioner (1994-2000) Don may be reached by email at: damador@cwo.com

MUST WATCH OHV TV - Video from Congressional Hearing on Clear Creek - H.R. 1838

Don Amador (L) and Ed Tobin (R) Riding

at Clear Creek before the 2008 Closure

The Recreation HQ has fired up its alert system in regards to yesterday’s House Subcommittee on Federal Lands hearing on two very important OHV-related legislative initiatives.  Those two bills are H.R. 1838, the Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act and H.R. 3668, the California Minerals, Off-Road Recreation, and Conservation Act.

For this update, HQ will focus on highlights and key testimony/discussion related to H.R. 1838.  Understanding that folks have limited time, the HQ has noted key times and discussion themes.

This is a must watch video for all of us who have been engaged in efforts to reopen Clear Creek to OHV use.

00 – Chairman Tom McClintock and Ranking Member Debbie Dingall

06:49 – Cong. Sam Farr (history of issue, assumption of risk, OHV commission, economic hit to local business, thanks CA’s odd couple, Tobin, and Ron the Townhall King, etc.

023:50 – Cong.  Sam Farr (wild and scenic rivers)

025:15 – Cong. Sam Farr (assumption of risk, closure is unacceptable)

035:29 – Cong. Jeff Denham (public land should be open for public use, user fees to support mang)

036:21 – Cong. Sam Farr (discusses user fee program to support mang)

037:12 – Cong. Jeff Denham (values local support, etc.)

RECESS

1:25 – Cong.  Tom McClintock (assumption of risk, use of public lands)

1:27 – Kristin Bail/BLM (BLM’s position on the bill and reasons for closure)

1:38 – San Benito County Supervisor, Jerry Muenzer (risk models, economic import, support for bill)

1:43 –  Chairman McClintock (questions Muenzer on closure)

1:44 – Chairman McClintock (questions BLM on closure, hx of serpentine in CA, etc.)

1:48 – Cong. Sam Farr (expresses concerns about BLM’s decision to close and need to find a way to manage the unit for OHV and access)

1:48:46 –Cong. Doug LaMalfa (questions BLM on risk assessment)

1:51 – Cong. Doug LaMalfa (questions Muenzer on EPA and 40 years of no health cases at Clear Creek)

1:53 – Cong. Bruce Westerman (talks about closures being a national issue, need to create access for youth and not create obstacles)

2:04 -  Cong. Tom McClintock (closing remarks about closures being an important issue)

LINK to VIDEO

http://naturalresources.house.gov/videos/?VideoID=ZpUG0f-KhT0

The HQ wants to thank all those involved in supporting this 8 year effort to reopen Clear Creek to managed OHV recreation.  BIG THANKS for not giving up. 

Support YOUR Favorite CA OHV Grant Projects - Comment Period Ends April 6, 2015

OHV Grant Supported OHV Bridge

Tahoe NF

The Recreation HQ is back in 2015 with one of our first alerts and that is in regards to letting your voice be heard when it comes to support for the CA OHV Grant Program.

OHV Restoration Grant

Mendocino NF

The CA OHV Grant Program provides critical funding to help augment congressional appropriations for OHV recreation on federal lands.  Having served on the Region 5 Recreation Resource Advisory Committee and OHMVR Commission, I can attest to the important role the grant program plays to ensure that OHV recreation remains a viable activity on FS/BLM lands and county parks.  Managing sustainable OHV recreation in the 21^st Century requires an “all hands approach” which includes grants, appropriated funds, and volunteerism.

OHV Grant for Signs/Safety

BLM Samoa Dunes Recreation Area

The OHMVR Division has made it easy to comment by going to the link below.  The comment period ends on April 6, 2015. This period provides an opportunity for the public to review and provide comments to the preliminary applications submitted to the OHMVR Division for consideration during the 2014/15 grant cycle.

LINK to Comments

http://olga.ohv.parks.ca.gov/egrams_ohmvr/user/home.aspx

OHV Grant to Reopen Youngs Corral Bypass

Mendocino NF

Remember this is your program and your letter shows both support for the applicants and the OHMVR Division grant staff that works hard to administer the process.

Thanks!

Don

OHV MEETING ALERT - Attend OHMVR Commission Tour at Pismo (Dec. 11) and Full Commission Meeting (Dec. 12)

*** Update - 12/8/14 4:30 pm - Outdoor Beach Tour CX'd due to Weather - Due to weather warnings put out by the National Weather Service, the December 11, 2014, Oceano Dunes SVRA tour has been relocated indoors to the Oceano Depot, 1650 Front Street, Oceano, CA, beginning at 9:00 am.

I may still try and get there about 2pm on Wed. and do a pre-storm tour of the SVRA.  Let me know if you will be there on Wed. for the pre-storm tour.  Send RSVP to: damador@cwo.com

The Recreation HQ would like to invite all interested OHVers to attend the CA OHMVR Commission tour of Oceano Dunes SVRA at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, December 11, 2014 and the OHVMR Commission meeting on Friday, December 12, 2014 Friday, 8:30 a.m. – until adjournment, Marie Callender’s Conference Room, 2131 Price Street, Pismo Beach, CA 93449.

Link to Official OHMVR Commission Announcement

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140/files/01-notice_dec-11-12-2014_comm_tour-meeting.pdf

Link to Dec. 12 OHMVR Commission Agenda

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140/files/02-agenda-ohmvr-commissionmtg-dec-12-2014.pdf

This will be a great opportunity for OHV interests to attend the commission meeting to learn about important issues such as the DRECP, new SVRA acquisitions, federal land agency reports, etc.

The Recreation HQ will be there both days.  Please look for the BRC's land use F250 and QWR’s official SxS (Teryx 800) at the tour and meeting.

This is your program and it is important for you, if possible, to attend and let the OHMVR commission hear your views.

See you there!

Questions?  Send email to: damador@cwo.com

ON ANY SUNDAY: THE NEXT CHAPTER - Passes Torch and Reaffirms our Destiny

Movie Review/Opinion

By Don Amador

Date: November 23, 2014

*Permission to reprint is hereby granted

ON ANY SUNDAY: THE NEXT CHAPTER  - Passes Torch and Reaffirms our Destiny

As somebody who started out riding motorcycles in the 1960s on a push-rod Honda Trail 90, I may not be the best person to offer an unbiased review of On Any Sunday:The Next Chapter but I will try.

Don Amador (L), Kenny Roberts (C), and Jerry Fouts (R)

Last week, I attended the one time showing of the movie at The State Theatre, a 500-seat venue, in Modesto, California on behalf of the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), a national trail-based non-profit recreation group.  I want to give some major props to Jerry Fouts, the current president of AMA District 36, for organizing this event as a fundraiser for the BRC Legal Program to help support our collective effort to keep trails and riding areas open for OHV use.

Racing legend Kenny Roberts, theatre management, Jerry Fouts, local sponsors, and I welcomed motorcycle and powersports enthusiasts to the SOLD OUT event. Little did we know just how well the broad demographics of those attending Dana Brown’s sequel to his dad’s classic masterpiece would be mirrored in the movie.

The film focused on youth riders, family fun, and a new generation of professional competitors from various disciplines.  It also weaved in some inspirational stories of riders such as Doug Henry, Jake McCullough, and Ashley Fiolek.

Robbie Maddison and Travis Pastrana wowed the audience with their passion for the sport and their unbelievable motorcycle stunts which often left folks speechless and/or hanging on to their seat.

On an international basis, the show featured the current stars of MotoGP, medical staff using motorcycles to serve backcountry areas in Zambia, and busy commuters in Vietnam.

The Modesto event was partically rich because one of the On Any Sunday-era stars, Kenny Roberts, was at the theatre signing posters and visiting with the attendees.  That movie was shot 43 years ago by Dana’s father, Bruce Brown.

I felt the short interviews with motorcycle icons, Kenny Roberts, Mert Lawwill, and Roger DeCoster appropriately “passed the torch” to this newer generation of riders and professional athletes.

Star of Original On Any Sunday, Malcolm Smith (C) with

Ray Kidd (L) and Don Amador (R) at Sound Day at

Malcolm's Shop in Riverside

In my opinion, the most notable “update” in the film came when several riders talked about the loss of trails and riding areas over the last 40 years.  This segment only lasted for about a minute, but it is historic as this is the first acknowledgment (that I know of) by a major production company that “land-use” is now an important aspect of the sport.  Maybe it wasn’t an accident that this showing in Modesto was to benefit the legal fight to preserve riding opportunities for current and future generations.

As people streamed out of the theatre after the movie ended, I noticed a lot of smiles on young and old riders alike.  For those of us who are passionate about, and hard-wired for, motorcycles, the show was a personal reaffirmation that our sport is not a choice but our destiny.

# # #

Don Amador is a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition and serves as their Western Representative.  Don is also president of Quiet Warrior Racing, a motorized recreation consulting company.  He writes on recreation and land-use issues from his office in Oakley, CA.  He may be reached at: damador@cwo.com

OHV Volunteer Workday at Stonyford - Let's Get Ready to Ride!

The Recreation HQ looks forward to working with OHV volunteers at the Sept. 20 volunteer workday at the Stonyford OHV Area.

The FS OHV program manager sends this invitation to interested parties.  Let’s have a great turnout in preparation for the 2014-2015 riding season on the Mendocino. 

Please RSVP to Sarah at:   sridenour@fs.fed.us

Hello,

Volunteers and certified Chainsaw Operators, we need your help at our next volunteer event on Sept 20th.  We will be checking trails, removing hazards & repairing trail braiding for this year’s Enduro season.  We will meet at the Fouts maintenance yard at 10am. 9/20/2014

Plan on being out on the trails all day returning around 3pm.

What to Bring:

•             Bikes, side x sides, ATV’s, 4x4, etc.

•             Certified saw operators can bring their chainsaws and safety gear

Don’t forget your 15 Essentials for trail riding;

•             Multi tool(s)

•             Backpack w/hydration systems (water)

•             food (Lunch)

•             Tow rope or tie down

•             tire repair kit

•             First Aid Kit

•             Matches or a lighter

•             Map (will be provided)

•             cell phone

•             camera (go pro)

•             zip ties

•             tape

•             sun screen,

•             hand saw

•             safety gear (gloves, helmet, goggles, boots, chaps, hard hats, ear protection, etc..) if you do not have safety gear we should be able to accommodate you. 

Hope to see you here!!

Thank you,

Sarah Ridenour-Chamberlin

Off Highway Vehicle Program Manager

Mendocino National Forest

Grindstone Ranger District

5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Rd

Stonyford, CA 95979

Office (530) 963-1327

Cell (408) 449-2171

The HQ wants to thank all of the volunteers who continue to help with the post-Mill Fire trail rehab.

AMA and Friends of CCMA to Testify at Clear Creek May 20 Hearing

2006 Pre-Closure Ride - Don Amador (L) and Ed Tobin (R)

The Recreation HQ wants to thank all those in the extended OHV family who have worked tirelessly over the last 7 years to reopen Clear Creek after it was closed in May 2008.  I won’t mention any of you by name because you know who you are. 

HQ believes this hearing on May 20, 2014 moves HR 1776 one giant step closer to becoming a reality.

BRC Alert with Link to House Subcommittee Website (with video link)

http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/2014/05/12/subcommittee-to-hold-legislative-hearing-on-clear-creek-national-recreation-area--conservation-act

Many of you have asked if there is a way for you to express your support of HR 1776 to the subcommittee?   One simple way is for you to show your support for the bill is to send a short letter (on personal or business letterhead) to:

Rob Bishop, Chairman

House Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation

1324 Longworth Building

Washington, DC 20515

Attn: Otto Mucklo

Email: otto.mucklo@mail.house.gov

Link to National OHV Group Support Letter to Congressman Sam Farr on HR 1776

http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/Farr_OHV_groups_support_letter_HR1776.pdf

Here is the witness list for HR 1776 from a E&E article today.

Congressman Sam Farr (D-Calif.)

Former Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) -VP, American Motorcycle Association

Steve Koretoff of Kerman, Calif. – Spokesman for Friends of the Clear Creek Management Area

Here is a quote from the E&E article:

"This bill brings environmentalist and off-road vehicle enthusiasts together in the common goals of reopening Clear Creek for the public to enjoy and creating new wilderness land for future generations to enjoy," Farr said in a statement when the bill was introduced last year. "This partnership between the two groups will allow us to achieve two victories to benefit to the local communities."

HQ hopes passage of this bill will help reestablish the good will and partnership that once existed between the OHV community and the Hollister Field Office.  Let's move forward.

Again, HQ thanks each and every one of you who helped get us to this point.

Recent OR Court Decision Good for Both Winter and Summer Motorized Recreation

The Recreation HQ wants to congratulate the Oregon State Snowmobile Association and partners regarding a recent legal victory where a federal court issued a decision  that rejects the “user conflict” and “minimization” arguments filed by anti-access groups.  The case was regarding the Kapka Butte Sno-Park project on the Deschutes National Forest.

OSSA Legal Victory including link to Court Decision

http://www.oregonsnow.org/page4731122758.aspx

HQ believes there is a growing body of legal cases that are building support for the concept the FS and other federal land agencies can designate roads, trails, and areas for both summer and winter motorized recreation.

HQ Overview of the Minimization Issue

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/01/stanislaus-court-decision-and.html

Anti-OHV groups in OR were also rebuked by the court in 2010 when a federal judge rejected their petition to block construction/designation of a short OHV connector trail from Riley Ranch (a county OHV park) to the OR Dunes National Recreation Area.

Riley Ranch Decision

http://theworldlink.com/news/local/no-riley-ranch-appeal-planned/article_186e3d32-3fc2-5c61-a633-5ce75d192c5b.html

“Minimization” is a ploy anti-access groups have been trying use as a legal tool to force the agency to restrict or even ban OHV/OSV use during travel planning efforts.

OHV users in Idaho won a 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision which also nuked the concept of minimizing OHV/OSV out of existence on public lands.

9^th Circuit Court Decision in Idaho

http://www.sharetrails.org/news/2014/01/08/recreation-groups-cheer-circuit-court-victory

There also was another case in the 9^th Circuit regarding an AZ BLM travel planning process.

9^th Circuit Court Decision in AZ

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/06/ohv-gavel-of-justice-new-9th-circuit.html

There are two other recent cases in NV and CO where the court ruled against the concept that minimization means closure. 

NV and CO legal cases

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/03/legal-update-minimization-does-not-mean.html

These and other legal cases should help bolster the spirits of users and those agency planners who want to treat all recreation groups in a fair manner.  Minimization and user conflicts are important concepts to remember and address in planning efforts but there are ways to mitigate those concerns other than closure.

Editorial Response - No Room for Trail Bigots in the 21st Century

Failed Sediment Basin in Non-Motorized Recreation Area

Trail bigotry is ugly and counterproductive to ongoing collaborative efforts between OHV, conservation groups, local government, and land agencies to manage motorized recreational opportunities in a sustainable manner.

I was prompted to write this response after reading Jan Ziman’s Editorial: “We're being taken for a costly ride” in the Wyoming Trib.Com.

Link to Ziman’s Editorial

http://trib.com/opinion/letters/ziman-we-re-being-taken-for-a-costly-ride/article_be5e0120-13f2-521d-ae91-785801e498f3.html

Cherry-picking anecdotal stories about trail impacts to the resource, user conflicts, and planning challenges is an old literary trick that is outdated and ineffective.

I could cite a recent incidence in the San Gabriel Mountains where an equestrian jumped off his mule and sliced the rear tire on a kid’s bike when the small group of mountain bikers pulled off the trail to let him pass.

Or, I could include a picture (which I am going to do at the top of this story) of a failed soil catchment basin along a “Hiking only” trail in a large non-motorized recreation area in East Contra Costa County, California.

As I work with various land agencies and user groups of all persuasions in California and elsewhere, I have found such illustrations – when used to try and impugn other user groups – to be nothing more than a cheap shot that makes the presenter look small and mean-spirited.

Merriam-Webster defines a bigot as a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group.  In my view, there is not a lot of room left in the land use debate for trail bigots who seem stuck in a 1960s-era mindset.

Public Comments for CA OHV Grants Ends on April 7, 2014 - Send in a Comment Now

The Recreation HQ wants to send out a simple reminder about the public comment period for the CA OHV Preliminary Applications for the 2013/14 Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program that ends on April 7, 2014.

This is your chance to submit a comment letter. HQ believes it is important for local users to review the preliminary grant applications and offer your views.   It is a great time for your club to weigh in with a support letter for those land agencies that are trying to offer the OHV community some high quality managed motorized use on roads, trails, and areas.

Please go to the CA OHV Grant website below and follow the directions.  You will see that many units have not yet received a single comment letter.

CA OHV Grant Website

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/

You don’t have to comment on every single grant, but please try and comment on the riding areas that you like to frequent.  Agency recreation staff and leadership read each one of these letters and I believe it is important for us to let them know that we appreciate their effort.

Thanks for your review of this request.

Sierra Club Smear Campaign Against Carnegie and the Entire SVRA System

Dishonesty and disingenuousness are not admirable traits in either our personal or professional lives.  Over the years you have seen the Recreation HQ chronicle such behaviors by faux recreation groups and some hard-core anti-access groups.

The most recent example of this is where Kathryn Phillips, Director of the CA Sierra Club, has embraced the aforementioned undesirable traits via their ongoing campaign to attack the CA SVRA system with a disinformation blitz of unequaled proportion.

Sierra Club Attack on SVRAs

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=355188.0&dlv_id=312260

Link to History of Eco Campaign to Ban OHV Use at Carnegie/Telsa

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2014/02/ohv-challenges-greens-claim-to-divine.html

As many of you know, I often work with environmental groups in various stakeholder processes.  Some of those efforts to find common ground have been productive.  The key to any collaborative process is based on the personal and professional integrity of the participants.

I would have refrained from this missive if the Sierra Club had acknowledged the hard work by SVRA staff and volunteers to manage those units in a sustainable manner.  Phillips’ disingenuousness is highlighted by the fact she never mentioned the new engineered contour trails that have been constructed and the many historic hillclimbs that have been closed and restored to a natural condition over the last 35 years. 

A Hillside Restoration Project Ignored by Sierra Club

Also, she failed to cite the many trail delineators, signing efforts, and water quality structures installed to protect natural and cultural resources.

Resource Protection Project Ignored by Sierra Club

It is my hope that some of the mainstream leaders in the environmental community will urge their colleagues to abandon their outdated and tired attack strategies and work with the SVRAs and OHV user groups on effective on-the-ground projects that protect resources and provide quality motorized and non-motorized recreational opportunities throughout the state.

OHV Challenges Green's Claim to Divine Right for Use of Tesla at Livermore City Council Meeting

In response to yet another attempt by some anti-OHV environmental groups and the East Bay Regional Park District to ban or “interfere” with future OHV use on the Tesla portion of Carnegie SVRA, over 200 members of the OHV community – including many youth - attended the Livermore City Council meeting last night to express their support for Carnegie SVRA and future OHV use at Tesla.

In January, a cabal of anti-OHV groups presented the Council with their distorted and perverted view that the Tesla property was actually theirs by Divine Right.  They urged the Council to join and support their politically motivated quest to ban OHV use at Tesla, a use for which that property was purchased – and approved by the legislature – in the 1990s.

Jan. 17 Article on Anti-OHV Cabal at Livermore City Council

http://www.independentnews.com/news/article_18d21f60-7ee6-11e3-86f5-001a4bcf887a.html

A large number of Livermore residents gave their personal testimony about what an important role that Carnegie SVRA has played in their family’s life.  AMA District 36 representatives, 4WD groups, and others talked about the park’s history and its economic value to the local area. 

BRC’s western representative, Carnegie user, and former OHMVR commissioner (circa 1994-2000) Don Amador, explained the OHV community’s original vision for Tesla regarding it being the perfect site for a high quality backcountry trail experience on designated routes for both non-street legal and street-legal OHVs including 4WDs, SxSs, and SUVs.

Amador also presented the Council with several letters that detailed the inappropriate relationship between environmental groups and East Bay Regional Park District.  Those documents highlight what appear to be violations of CEQA and the Public Resources Code.

HQ credits Livermore Mayor John Marchand for his acknowledgment of the Council’s jurisdictional limitations when it comes to formal actions they can take regarding the Carnegie planning process.  The Mayor did say that city staff will review – per standard protocol – the Carnegie Draft EIR for potential impacts to the city.

Link to CEQA and PRC Violations

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2013/07/east-bay-park-district-votes-to.html

The Recreation HQ commends the OHV community for their determination to fight for Carnegie SVRA and to challenge those agenda driven environmental groups who want to interfere with responsible OHV recreation at the Park.

*If you attended the meeting… please leave a comment on this forum and tell your story to our readers.

New Report Exposes Faux Outdoor and OHV Groups

Over the last few years, the Recreation HQ has highlighted a number of faux (i.e. fake/bogus) OHV groups that have been organized by large anti-OHV groups such as PEER, Trout Unlimited, and the Izaak Walton League.

The most infamous of those faux OHV groups are:

Trout Unlimited’s OHV Group – Sportsmen Ride Right

http://sportsmenrideright.org/

and

PEER’s OHV Group – Rangers for Responsible Recreation (yes it is PEER that files most of the anti-OHV lawsuits in the West)

http://www.peer.org/campaigns/public-lands/off-road-wreckreation/responsible-recreation.html

Recently, the folks over at Green Decoys.com published a report on how major environmental groups have developed fake outdoor groups (including OHV) to help them carry out their agenda.  Many members of these faux outdoor groups are retired Forest Service, NPS, or BLM rangers who were anti-OHV during their career or if they had some inkling of support for managed OHV recreation then they sold out to the highest bidder.  I know some of them and it is very disappointing to me.   In fact, Jim Furnish on the PEER OHV group was the FS Mastermind behind the Clinton/Gore Roadless Plan.

Here is a link to the Green Decoy Report

http://www.greendecoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/green-decoys-report.pdf

HQ believes it is important to work with legitimate conservation and mainstream environmental groups.  However, having some environmental groups try and advance their agenda under the cloak of a fake outdoor or OHV group is a detriment to honest debate.