SB 249 Hearing Update with Video of Hearing - Must See OHV TV

OHV Supporters Line Up to Speak in in Favor of the Currrent OHV Program

and in Opposition to SB249

SB 249 Hearing Update (Video of Hearing) – Many OHVers have heard the term to describe the ugly process of legislation as “sausage-making.”  The following 45 min. video (thanks to our OHV lobby team for making this video available!) gives the general OHV community a good peek into the dark work of land-use politics.  Having been engaged in land use politics for the past 27 years at the state and federal level, this video (OHV starts at 50:20) starting with SB249 sponsor, Senator Ben Allen, illustrates the political spin of trying to cast the bill as a pro-OHV bill that simply wants to basically reauthorize the current OHV program by adding just a few simple amendments.

LINK to SB249 on my FB Page

https://www.facebook.com/cuttenkid

After Sen. Allen’s presentation you will find environmental representatives that make false declarative statements against the OHV program and by inference … Division staff.

At 1:03:23, you will listen to OHV lobbyist, Terry McHale, strongly defend the current OHV program and highlight SB249’s fatal flaws.  He highlights the fact that the program is a National Model and that SB249 was created in a vacuum without input from OHV.  Terry also points out that SB249 places unreasonable environmental standards on SVRAs (which may even extend to other “units” of the system which include FS/BLM/County riding areas). He is a good friend of OHV and one of our best advocates in Sacto. 

At 1:08:45, I highlight my concerns about the legal mine field laid by SB249 and the fiscal impacts it would have on the program… if the program continues at all in a SB 249-based program.  I also join Terry in making a commitment to work with Sen. Allen and the proponents in a bipartisan manner to address remaining issues and concerns.

At 1:11, a representative for rural farm workers stated his opposition to SB249 because of the potential impacts to the OHV grants program.

At 1:13, you will see various pro-OHV representatives from rural counties, OHV industry, OHV clubs, and others speak in opposition to SB249.  Am very proud of the OHV Coalition!

At 1:16, the vice chair (a rural legislator and OHVer) restates the fact the SB249 had no real stakeholder engagement and that the bill could impact OHV areas in his district and also impact motorized access to non-motorized recreation.  Other legislators weighed in as well.

Maybe the most important thing at the hearing happened at the end when Sen. Allen made a commitment to “work” in a more substantive manner with rural legislators and OHV representatives to resolve issues.   The bill did pass with an 8-5 vote, but that vote was based on future meetings with affected parties to resolve issues.  This battle is far from over.  Thanks for taking time to watch this video!

CA OHV Trust Fund Battle Remains Hot Issue (with Video)

As we head into the Labor Day Holiday Weekend, it only seems appropriate for the Recreation HQ to give riders an update on the fight to protect our OHV Trust Fund.

This has been the most intensive 4 month period of time for me on a professional basis since I started working on land-use issues in 1990.  Fighting to protect the OHV Trust Fund has been one of the toughest state fights  combined with an additional host of federal land use challenges.

I want to borrow a recent quote from Terry McHale who is an OHV lobbyist in Sacramento (you can see him in action at 1:39:19 in the video below) where he said, ”Things are better than they were.”

After watching the almost hour long video below where the legislature debates on how to use the 34M dollars found in the scandal at State Parks,  I agree with Terry that OHV has become more of a front and center issue.  Never before have I seen a state legislative body discuss in detail the three funding pots for OHV (e.g.  registration fees, park fees, and off-road fuel tax monies).

It is clear to me that they had been briefed in detail and were painfully aware of how hot an issue this has become.   HQ recommends you watch the entire OHV portion of the video so you too may understand the import of this debate.  You will see the Department of Finance give circular answers to the elected officials.  Both Democrats and Republicans challenge the Department of Finance to give accurate accounts of the 34M. 

Video (OHV starts at 55:05) of 8/23/12 Budget Committee Hearing on AB1478

http://vimeo.com/48412668

There are a lot of good quotes in the video but one of the best was when Senator Simitian stated (1:03:10) that he had “taken a lot of hell” from  users regarding his original plan to gut the local assistance grants program and cap it at 10M.  You will see an effort by him to restore 11M on top of that 10M cap to make the grants program partially whole again.  However, I don’t think we will know if that happens until the Attorney General completes his investigation later this year.

Thanks to all who worked so very hard on this issue and to those of you who supported us  or sent in letters, made phone calls, and got your county board of supervisors to weigh in.

The OHV Trust Fund Saga continues…