U.S. House Committee to Hear
Bill on May 5
Closing 24 Million Acres
to OHV Riding
Pickerington, OH (4/29/2009)
- The U.S. House Committee
on Natural Resources will hold a hearing on May
5 to consider a bill that would designate more
than 24 million acres of public lands in western
states as Wilderness or Wilderness Preservation
System land. If approved by the full Congress,
the measure would close off more than 24 million
acres in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and
Wyoming to off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders.
This is equivalent to a land grab the size of
the state of Indiana.
Even though H.R. 980 -- The Northern Rockies
Ecosystem Protection Act -- only affects western
states, Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York City
introduced it.
"This is one of the biggest OHV land grabs
in our nation's history," said AMA Vice President
of Government Relations Ed Moreland. "Even
more disconcerting than the fact that the bill
is being proposed by a representative from a densely
populated urban area, New York City, is that the
bill is being considered without the support of
a single member of Congress who represents the
affected districts. Shouldn't the people who live
in these areas have some say in whether or not
they should be banned from riding in it?
"To keep OHV riders from being shut out
of even more public land, we have to act immediately,"
he said. "Concerned motorcyclists, ATV riders
and others must let their lawmakers know that
they enjoy motorized recreation, and that we have
a right to do so responsibly on America's public
lands."
Additionally, Moreland said, there are other
bills on the legislative horizon on Capitol Hill
that would close even more public land to responsible
riding. They include:
- Senate Bill 799 -- America's Red Rock Wilderness
Act -- and its companion measure, H. R. 1925,
would designate some 9.4 million acres of Bureau
of Land Management land in Utah as Wilderness.
- Senate Bill 721 and H.R. 1769 would add 22,000
acres to the 394,000-acre Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Area in Washington State.
Riders and AMA members can contact their federal
lawmakers and tell them what they think by going
to the "Rights" and then "Issues
and Legislation" section of the AMA website
at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. There, the names,
addresses and telephone numbers for members of
each congressional delegation appear. There is
even a pre-written letter that can be sent via
email.
The AMA also encourages individuals to sign up
for the AMA Government Relations Department's
Action E-list so that they can be notified by
e-mail when their support is needed to make a
difference on important issues.
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