Washington Newsletter

June 2012

Lee Child made this comment to describe the rapid changes in the book publishing world with the advent of e-books. "Running faster to stay in the same place" isn't confined to just the publishing world, however, I am seeing it in the public policy world as well. Even though we are running faster and harder, we still find ourselves stuck in the same quagmire of governmental indecision, of a never ending legislative and/or regulatory process and with policymakers reluctant to make decisions so as not to be held accountable. In order to be an agent of change you must be bold, embrace new ideas and solutions to problems and not be afraid to actively engage (respectfully, of course) government officials on issues that are of critical importance to us. I think the era of "running faster" is here to stay.

Thinking Outside the Box - Organ Mountains National Monument Establishment Act

Organ Mountains, New Mexico

At one time, it would have been unheard of to think that the OHV community would be supporting the establishment of a new national monument area. But that's exactly what happened when eleven national OHV organizations, ARRA included, decided to support H.R. 4334, the Organ Mountains National Monument Establishment Act, introduced by Rep. Steve Pearce, (R. New Mexico). The Pearce legislation received our endorsement because the legislation is crafted in such a way that only those areas deserving of monument status receive that designation, some 58,000 acres. Rep. Pearce specifically included a provision that allows motorized vehicles on designated roads, thus assuring access to this significant monument area.

There are other proposals extending the monument designation upwards to 600,000 acres affecting and severely limiting multiple-use and access. We think Rep. Pearce has taken a common sense approach to preserving this special area of New Mexico. His approach merited our support and that's what we gave. Our hope is that others in the Congress will embrace the Pearce legislation and move it forward so it ends up on the President's desk for his signature. The time has come to legislatively designate the Organ Mountains as a National Monument, while at the same time ensuring that only an appropriately sized area is designated and multiple uses are not locked out of thousands of surrounding acres. If you would like to read the actual bill, please click here for the full text:

H.R. 4334 - Organ Mountain National Monument Establishment Act

Director of BLM Announces Retirement/OHV Partnerships with BLM

Bob Abbey, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management for the last three years, announced his retirement, effective at the end of May. Abbey had a total of 34 years service with the federal government. His deputy, Mike Pool, has been appointed as Acting Director until Abbey's permanent replacement has been selected. Chances are the permanent appointment will have to wait until after the 2012 presidential election. We have recently participated in a series of meetings at BLM to discuss partnerships between the agency and the OHV community in support of creating more opportunities for OHV recreation on BLM land. We are very encouraged by these discussions and the active engagement of BLM officials. Even though there is now a change in the top command of the agency, we anticipate these partnerships will continue. Our goal is to strengthen them in the months and years ahead.

Russ Ehnes, Executive Director, NOHVCC and Larry Smith, Executive Director, ARRA

Forest Service - Possible Storm Clouds

		We are hearing that the Forest Service is getting close to releasing the planning rule directives, which provide guidance to the National Forests on how to implement the new planning rule, and we are concerned that they may introduce new concepts not previously considered during the rule development process.
Since there will be a public comment period on the directives, we will be certain to let you know when that opportunity is available to you. We wanted to alert you that storm clouds may be forming and we could have some very unpleasant weather ahead, so please stay tuned...

OHV Programs Threatened

ARRA supporters have waged a vigorous battle to save the federal Recreational Trails Program, a program funded through the federal gas tax receipts paid by the owners/users of off-highway recreation vehicles. We have so far been successful in preserving this program, but we are waiting for the House/Senate conference on federal transportation programs to complete its work for us to be certain that RTP is safe. The current read is that RTP should emerge intact from the conference, but until the music stops playing, we are keeping our guard up and actively working this issue on Capitol Hill.

Unfortunately, OHV programs aren't threatened only at the federal level, but at the state level as well. The State of California is a case in point. Over the past several years, state government officials have diverted millions of dollars from the OHV green sticker fund for purposes other than OHV recreation. The latest threat comes from state legislators who have advocated stripping $21 million from the OHV trust fund and using it to fund California State Parks for the 2012-13 budget cycle.

As more state budgets are under severe strain due to declining tax receipts, dedicated funding of specific programs is becoming a target for officially sanctioned theft. Legislators and state officials are ignoring the fact that promises were made when specific fees were established and collected in support of certain programs. OHV enthusiasts in California are fighting hard to stop this budget raid, but even if they are successful in this battle, it will only be a matter of time when they are faced with more threats.

Facebook

	When we started ARRA back in 2000, Facebook didn't even exist as a company. Today, social media companies, including Facebook, have literally changed the way people communicate with one another. From the very beginning, ARRA utilized the internet for all communications to ARRA supporters. It's time we go beyond the ARRA website, so beginning on June 1st, ARRA will also be on Facebook:
ARRA's Page on Facebook We hope you will join us and encourage others to do so as well.

Running faster and falling behind? Take a break!

Earlier in this newsletter, I referenced Lee Child's comment about "running faster to stay in the same place." My guess is that his comment resonates with many of you especially those of you with young families or those of you battling different OHV issues at the federal, state and local levels. In many cases, it is not only running faster to maintain the status quo, but it is running faster to keep from falling behind.

There is a lot of pressure on all of us to operate at peak performance, but it is also true that everyone needs to recharge their batteries now and then. So, as summer season begins, remember to recharge your batteries by getting outside and recreating on those very public lands you fight to keep open to all forms of recreation. In short, take care yourself, rest, renew your spirit, and in the days ahead, you will be ready to run faster not to keep from falling behind or maintaining the status quo, but to get ahead.

Sincerely,

Larry E. Smith
Executive Director
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access