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Important Info.
We feel that some articles and information are so important that they should always be accessible. We've listed them below and hope that everyone will read them.

Tellico ORV Area Under Attack

MOAB Under Attack!

US Forest Service Abusing programs and we're losing land use!

Editorial Article about the misuse of Recreation Site Facility Master Planning (RSFMP) program

National Forests Could See Large Closures - enough said!

California OHV Funding At Risk!

Informative Article About The US Government and the Recreation Site Facility Master Plan (RSFMP) program. - a must read!

Articles of Interest To The Off Road Community

October 30, 2007
Forest Service To Conduct Surveys of Condition of Tellico ORV Area
It begins. The US Forest Service is undertaking their assessment of the trails, streams and run-off situation at Tellico. They will be conducting the condition surveys of the roads and trails in the Tellico area through November 11th. Teams of engineers, hydrologists and fisheries biologists will be measuring the current state of the trails and collecting data to determine the amount of erosion, potential for future erosion (this is a big one) and its impact on the streams. The Forest Service will then use this information to set priorities to reduce sediment entering Tellico River, where the native brook trout live, which is what has lead to this situation where environmental groups threatened to sue the forest service over their ignoring laws that would have protected the threatened trout species. The outcome of this survey will determine a lot as far as to Tellico's future.

ATVers Win Access To Eisenbahn Trail (WI)
The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors voted 18 to 15 to allow ATV riders on the 12.5-mile trail.

Jefferson County, NY Studying An ATV Trail
Jefferson County has slowly continued on its path to putting in an ATV trail system, with moving ahead with a study on the potential environmental impact of ATVs on a proposed 45 mile trail.

It (Legal B.S.) Now Begins For Cape Hatteras
In the spring I mentioned very strongly that the enviros were going to make major moves with the court systems to force their agenda on us, and, we have now seen it in Tellico and now Cape Hatteras. Recently that wacked out far-left greenie group, the Defenders of Wildlife, along with the National Audubon Society have joined forces to bring a lawsuit arguing the National Park Service arguing that the park service has not done it's job in complying with the National Park Organic Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Park Service's own Management Policies with regard to allowing an interim ORV management plan, and failing to produce a long-term management plan. According to the plaintiffs, the National Park Service’s Interim Plan and the ORV use it allows are substantially harming, and will continue to harm, important populations of endangered and threatened species of sea turtles, threatened or significantly rare birds, and a threatened plant among other things.

The lawsuit asks that a judge throw out the interim plan approved in July and require the park to improve protections for the species immediately.

Look for us to lose a majority of our ORV access at t his national seashore!

ATV Use and Wildlife Managers Not Mixing?
ATV owners who don't think their vehicle use affects hunting and fishing might be surprised at the results of a survey of biologists from 34 agencies representing 27 different states conducted last summer. Some of the results of the survey are:

83 percent of wildlife managers have seen resource damage to wildlife habitat caused by off-highway vehicles while 72 percent cited disruption of hunters as another ORV impact.
61.1 percent of wildlife managers strongly agreed that ORVs negatively impact hunting and habitat.
57.2 percent of state fisheries managers responding to the survey agreed or strongly agreed that ORVs negatively impact fishing and fishing habitat while
53.3 percent surveyed believe that existing standards do not adequately protect fishing.

Look for this to be used as ammunition to pursue heavier limits on ATVs in a lot of state forests.

California Makes Serious Changes To It's OHV Commission, Finally!
Called a major victory for off-road riders by the media, we feel that this is something that was long overdue! California off road enthusiasts have finally achieved their quest to reshape the state commission that was stacked with enviro-supported wackos and had grown hostile to their sport. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will strip the OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) Commission of its authority over most funding and also hand the governor a majority of the appointments to the board.

In return, off-road riders accepted a dramatic increase in registration fees, user fees, fines on riding in off-limits areas, territory and some concessions on environmental concerns. It is good for us because the greenies are already whining about it. Hopefully, the new law will lead the commission to be at least balanced if not in favor of off-road enthusiasts. In the recent past the commission was strongly anti-OHV. Over the last few years, the panel was stacked with environmentalist wackos who did everything they could to limit and hurt the wheeling community. According to one off-road spokesman, in 2007 only $365,000 went to maintain off-road areas out of an available $18 million in available grants because the board was voting to use the money for their own pet projects and not for off-road interests as it was supposed to be use for. Under the new rules, half of the grant money must be set aside for operations and maintenance of off-road parks and trails, and the commission will have little say, if any, over check writing. As part of the bill, commissioners will no longer be able to steer grants to their priorities, nor will they control spending on capital improvement projects. Those decisions will be made by a separate division within the Department of Parks and Recreation. Its about time!

Big Cypress (FL) Next To See Legal Action By The Greenies?
At least according to this website it is. It seems that the enviro groups are upset by a decision of the preserve's superintendent, Karen Gustin, to reopen measly 20 miles of ORV trails on this 728,000 acre preserve. That decision has caused some wacko environmental and conservation groups, which include The Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife (can't these idiots just go away?),to step forward and announce that they will go to court to overturn Ms. Gustin's decision. It is reported that the filing of the lawsuit is imminent. The groups have stated that the reopening of those 20 miles of ORV trails in the Bear Island Unit, has violated not only the Endangered Species Act but also the Clean Water Act, the National Park Service Organic Act, and even the preserve's own ORV Management Plan and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. They contend that ORV use in Big Cypress "has impacted wildlife populations and habitats through modifications to water flow patterns and water quality, soil displacement and compaction, direct vegetation damage, disturbance to foraging individuals, and ultimately, overall suitability of habitats for wildlife." Man, that 20 miles of trails is really having an extreme impact on 782,000 acres! These people are so ridiculous it is almost funny.

In 2000, the Superintendent at that time, put into affect an ORV plan that 23,300 miles of ORV trails down to just 400 miles of designated trails. Now, the existing Superintendent adds a measly 20 miles of trails and these environmentalists are all up in arms. We went from 23,300 miles down to 400 and then get to add 20 more, and these people are off their rocker! It just goes to prove that you cannot negotiate with them, they cannot be pleased, they cannot be reasonable, and you cannot deal with them!

Build Your Own ATV and Go-Cart With These Plans

October 8, 2007
Forest Service Plan For Sierra National Forest Draws Fire At Public Meeting
The draconian proposal came under fire during three well-attended, and according to the reporter, at times confrontational public forums in Clovis, Prather and Mariposa. Way to go OHV community! Stand up and make your voices heard. We are citizens and tax payers and we deserve some say in the trail changes that are occurring. The Sierra National Forest travel plan that they are proposing would result in a total of 124 miles of trails and no open cross-country travel. The Sierra National Forest has approximately 590 miles of OHV trails. Under terms of the Notice of Intent, published on September 14 in the Federal Registry. This means that we would be losing 466 miles of trails! On top of that, 200 miles of maintenance roads would be permanently closed to public use and 970 miles of roads would be subject to seasonal restrictions.

One off-road enthusiast was quoted as saying "I don't have a problem with them stopping us from cross-country travel...But there are several well-worn roads in non-sensitive areas that would be closed for good, and for no good reason." Well, we do not exactly agree with him either. Look, close the majority of the forest to open cross-country travel, but designate a well defined area where it will be allowed. You are taking away 90% of our riding opportunities. You could try to work with us some!

Comments will be accepted up to November 16th. Send your comments regarding this outrageous proposal :

by Email:

sierra_nf_recreation@fs.fed.us

or by snail mail to:

Sierra National Forest
Attn: Susan Burkindine
1600 Tollhouse Rd
Clovis, CA 93611

Month of September Sees Record for ATV Related Deaths in WV
This year (2007) ATV related deaths in West Virginia are down compared to last year, but there were 11 ATV-related fatalities in September. This is the most recorded in any single month since they started keeping records for this in 1990 according to official. So far in 2007 there have been 42 confirmed ATV related, according to Mark Holmes, the program coordinator for the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. That number is nine fewer when compared to last year through September. Jim Helmkamp, the director of West Virginia U's director of Control Research Center was reported t say that the drop doesn’t necessarily mean there is a downward trend in the number of people dying on ATVs. According to Holmes, the peak months for ATV related deaths are generally April through August, but there is little reason for when the deaths occur. The most significant factor is the weather: the nicer the weather, the more likely people will be out riding, and crashing ATVs. Helmkamp was quoted as saying that until West Virginia changes its ATV laws, the number of fatalities is not going to go down.

The Miss ATV America Beauty Pageant
November 9-10th in Greenville, will see the first ever Miss ATV America Beauty Pageant, which will run in conjunction with the 6th annual Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America. The Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV is the richest ATV race in the world. The beauty pageant will be held at Caddo Point Motorsports and the Hangar Bar and Grille in Greenville, Texas where a panel of 12 photojournalists and VIPs from the ATV industry will score five categories of the new pageant. Miss ATV America will be crowned after scores are tabulated from three rounds of competition; Evening Gown, Casual Wear and Swimwear. The winning Beauty will win a custom made Miss ATV America crown and ribbon along with a first place prize package of an all expense paid vacation for two to Las Vegas, NV or to Cancun, Mexico.

New New Hampshire ATV Park Is Catching On
Jericho Lake State Park will eventually offer 136 miles of trails and numerous campgrounds. At the moment, the park has about 20 miles of trails open on it's 7,500-acres. The state has estimated the park will eventually generate $694k in annual revenue, but some folks in the ATV circles think that it will be much, much more. One president of a local ATV club says that they are constantly getting calls from southern New England from people looking for some place to ride.

Read about other Off-Road / OHV Land Issues

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