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. 

EPA Champions Closure Agenda at Clear Creek in Letter to Congress

HQ was amazed to read EPA’s September 29, 2011 bizarre response to the OHMVR Commission’s June 21, 2011 letter to Congress which challenged the agency’s stance that Clear Creek should be closed to OHV recreation.

Instead of functionally acknowledging the recent IERF study that shows OHV recreationists at Clear Creek only face a slight health risk (much lower than other activities), EPA stubbornly and with a certain amount of bravado insists that its original study and closure-oriented conclusions are correct.

Blog with Link to OHMVR June 21, 2011 Letter to Congress
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/06/ca-ohv-commission-sends-letter-to.html


September 29,2011 EPA Letter to U.S. Senate (with additional letters from CA regulators)
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/CCMA_EPA_Letter_CCMA_US_Senate_Comm_Nat_Res_9-29-2011.pdf

September 29, 2011 EPA Letter to House of Representatives
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/CCMA_EPA_Letter_CCMA_US_Congress_Comm_on_Nat_Resources.pdf

Blog with Link to IERF Study and recent ABC News Story on Clear Creek
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/09/abc-news-story-on-clear-creek-epahfo.html

HQ believes the EPA is making the best argument for Congress to step in and designate Clear Creek as a National Recreation Area where users can decide for themselves what health and safety risks they take. Be assured this recent EPA missive will only strengthen the resolve of the user community and San Benito County to reopen the Creek.

County Resolution in Support of a NRA Designation
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/10/breaking-news-county-votes-to-petition.html

The Clear Creek saga continues…

Oct. 4 - County May Petition Congress to Designate Clear Creek as National Recreation Area

HQ fired up its electronic communications center today to issue a rare weekend update on an important issue. On October 4, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors will listen to BRC’s Don Amador’s request to have them consider a resolution asking Congress to designate the Clear Creek Management Area as a National Recreation Area.


County Agenda for Oct. 4 Meeting (Clear Creek is #16)
http://cosb.us/wp-content/uploads/BOS-1004111.pdf

As many of you know, Amador testified before a House Subcommittee on June 22, 1011 regarding the ongoing closure of Clear Creek. At the end of his testimony, he recommended that Congress bypass the Hollister Field Office and designate CCMA as a National Recreation Area declaring as open the routes and areas highlighted in the HFO’s 2005 Travel Management Plan.

June 22, 2011 link to Video of Oral Testimony and Written Testimony with Exhibits
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/06/hq-post-congressional-hearing-update.html

Over the last few months it has become abundantly clear the HFO intends to continue citing EPA’s junk science as the reason to permanently ban historic OHV use at the Creek.

ABC TV Story on Clear Creek Makes Case for NRA Designation

http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/09/abc-news-story-on-clear-creek-epahfo.html


In April 2010, the County took bold action and declared their roads open for public use in Clear Creek based requests from the voters for local government to defend their access rights. Once again, the County will be asked to step into the breach and champion the rights of local citizens to use and enjoy public lands.

Link to County Reopening Roads
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/04/san-benito-county-votes-to-reopen-roads.html

I hope to see many of you there. If you cannot make it to the meeting, HQ asks that you give us moral support in our collective efforts to reopen Clear Creek.

ABC NEWS STORY on CLEAR CREEK - EPA/HFO Makes Case for NRA Designation

Many riders watched the ABC feature story last night regarding the ongoing closure of the Clear Creek Management Area to all users. A big HQ salute is given to local off-road advocate Ken Deeg for telling his story to the reporter. As far as mainstream media coverage goes for OHV recreation, HQ believes the story scored an 8 out of 10.


ABC Video and Article on the Closure of Clear Creek (must watch video)
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news%2Fassignment_7&id=8363558

What struck HQ the most out of the whole video were statements made by EPA and Hollister Field Office officials. Just as Don Amador stated in his June 22,2011 testimony before a Congressional Subcommittee hearing in DC, EPA/HFO continue to give their agencies a black eye by showing their collective intent to permanently close or severely restrict OHV recreation at Clear Creek.

Blog with Video of Amador’s June 22 Testimony, link to IERF study, etc.
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2011/06/hq-post-congressional-hearing-update.html

While CA state parks spokesman, Phil Jenkins, did a great job sharing the OHV Division’s perspective on the issue and risks associated with high risk sports such as OHV, swimming at public beaches, rivers, and lakes, rock climbing, and snow skiing, HQ believes that ABC should have also interviewed one of the scientists from IERF.

As you know, on March 22, 2011 a report was completed by scientists from the International Environmental Research Foundation (IERF), the Department of Physics at Harvard University, and the Center for Applied Studies of the Environment at the City University of New York.


According to that new and scientifically valid report, “…the [health]risk at Clear Creek is similar to the lifetime risk of death from smoking less than one cigarette over a one year period. They noted other recreational activities, such as swimming, hiking, and snow skiing are over a 100-fold more dangerous.

In summary, EPA/HFO’s statements in the ABC story only validated and strengthened Amador’s June 22 recommendation to Congress that they should consider bipartisan legislation that designates the 70,000-acre CCMA as a National Recreation Area with OHV recreation and other multiple-use recreational activities codified as “prescribed uses.” Congress could designate as “open” all 242 miles of routes and 400 acres of open areas identified for motorized use in the 2005 CCMA Travel Management Plan.

HQ believes HFO/EPA have lost their objectivity and credibility during the CCMA debate by inserting  junk science and their personal political agendas into the decision-making process. Every day that CCMA remains closed to public use means that Congress is one day closer to deciding the future of Clear Creek by designating it as a National Recreation Area.