Blue Ribbon Coalition

[Guest]

Message 15:

On February 10, 2009, a new law regulating lead content in certain products went into effect. This is adversely affecting companies that manufacture or distribute youth model all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles. Dealers that sell and service those products are being impacted as well.

The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) have urgently requested the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and federal legislators to take a common sense approach to implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act\'s lead provisions.

SVIA and MIC have filed petitions with the CPSC for emergency relief from the provisions. They are also seeking a temporary final rule to exempt ATV and motorcycle parts in order to avoid major disruptions to enthusiasts, to the member companies\' businesses, and to the companies\' dealer network of thousands of small, independent businesses, which employ tens of thousands of Americans.

BRC is asking all OHV users to continue this contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission and their elected officials today!

Use the following links to send your comments and to contact your Congressional Representatives and the CPSC. Included below is a sample letter regarding the functional ban of all youth-oriented OHVs, which started February 10, 2009.

BRC Letter to CPSC
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/BRC_Letter_to_CPSC_02.19.09_FINAL.pdf

CPSC Comment Page
http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/info.aspx

BRC Rapid Response Center to contact Members of Congress
http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/

Missouri State Representative Tom Self
http://www.tomself.com

Congressional Western Caucus Letter
http://www.sharetrails.org/uploads/CPSC_Western_Caucus_Letter_Feb_6_20090001.pdf

CPSC NAM Request for Emergency Stay
http://www.sharetrails.org/files/CPSC-NAM-Request-for-Emergency-Stay.pdf

Thanks in advance for your support,
Don Amador
Western Representative
BlueRibbon Coalition
               (925) 625-6287        

PS: BRC needs your support via membership and donations to help us continue our efforts to champion responsible OHV access to public lands. To sign up as a member or to make a donation, visit http://www.sharetrails.org/donate


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Sample Letter:

As a member of the OHV community, I want to voice my strong support for petitions filed by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to seek emergency relief from provisions, which went into effect on February 10, 2009.

While I do support efforts by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect children from lead content in products that truly present a risk to children, I do not believe the Commission intended that metal parts on ATVs and motorcycles be included in that regulation because they do not present a lead risk to children.

As the spring OHV recreation season rapidly approaches and dealers face the prospect of being put out of business, I ask you to support efforts to exclude youth-oriented OHVs from being unnecessarily impacted by this ban.

Sincerely,

Your name &
Address

[Guest]

Message 16:

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         Contact: Brian Hawthorne, Public Lands Policy Director
                        BlueRibbon Coalition
                        208-237-1008 ext 102
            DATE: February 24, 2009

TRAIL-BASED RECREATION GROUP RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT GAO SURVEY

The BlueRibbon Coalition, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) advocacy group, joined eight other off-highway groups in questioning the validity of a nationwide OHV survey of federal land managers. The groups made their concerns known in a February 5, 2009, letter to the Acting Comptroller General of the United States Government Accountability Office

The GAO review of OHV use was originally requested by New Mexico Congressman Raul M. Grijalva, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. The survey is supposedly designed to determine trends in the amount of OHV use, potential environmental and human health and safety impacts and how federal agencies are managing OHV use and enforcing OHV regulations. Managers from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service received the survey and were asked to respond.  Preservationist groups and OHV access opponents aggressively petitioned President Obama to appoint Representative Grijalva to the Secretary of Interior cabinet post, but Obama declined, opting instead for moderate Ken Salazar of Colorado.

Brian Hawthorne, BRC\'s Public Lands Policy Director, indicated that BRC and the other national OHV groups sought to work with the GAO to produce a quality product, which would incorporate the perspective of knowledgeable OHV users supportive of active recreation management.  BRC spoke to several GAO staffers and provided a variety of information regarding the large volume of vehicle restrictions since the last GAO study (August 19, 1995), as well as examples of successfully managed OHV programs.  \"Unfortunately, this information was not included, assuming it was even seriously considered, in the final product,\" observed Hawthorne.

\"Any cautious optimism was quickly dashed when we saw a copy of the survey that was going to be sent to federal land managers.\" Hawthorne said. \"Often the call of the question skews the result, and these questions appear skewed to reflect the anti-access agenda from which this project was borne.\"

Greg Mumm, BRC\'s Executive Director, said the survey questions are ambiguous and call for subjective feedback not appropriate given the target audience of professional land managers.  More importantly, the survey largely ignores the unprecedented and ongoing implementation of a change to \"limited to designated roads, trails and areas\" vehicle policies on both Forest Service and BLM lands. \"The survey will inevitably lead to inaccurate and irrelevant observations about OHV use and access to federal lands, which will shift reasonable discussion away from fact and improperly fuel the anti-access agenda.  All nine national OHV groups formally request its recall,\" Mumm noted.

House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Ranking Member, Utah\'s Rob Bishop, also wrote the GAO to express his concerns with the survey. Bishop stated, \"First, the survey is critically flawed because it fails to consider that the Forest Service (and) BLM ... are in the process of implementing a relatively new policy for use on their respective lands.\" Bishop continued, \"Second, the survey contains numerous questions that are far too subjective, littered with vague terminology, and lacking context.\" In a December 22, 2008, letter to Congressman Bishop, the Acting Comptroller General defended the study and flatly refused any further review.  

OHV use occurring on federal lands has increased significantly. All stakeholders agree, and federal regulations require, that OHV use should be managed to minimize environmental impacts and agencies are required to include health and safety concerns in their OHV planning. One must question the validity of a study/report that apparently does not take into consideration success stories and ongoing management activities.

The survey is only part, albeit a critical part, of the whole GAO report.  \"BRC and other interested groups will wait until the report is finalized to pass final judgment.  However, we are very  concerned that the GAO report is designed to conclude that OHV use is unmanageable by its very nature, and that prohibition is the preferred management \'strategy,\'\" Mumm concluded.  

BRC applauds the Americans for Responsible Recreational Access, American Motorcyclist Association, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, Off-Road Business Association, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and United Four Wheel Drive Associations for their involvement.

[Guest]

Message 17:

Right now youth ATVs and dirtbikes can no longer be sold because
of new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act lead
restrictions.
 
Tell your Members of Congress that children do not eat, lick or
mouth ATV or OHM parts. ATVs and OHMs should be granted an
exclusion because the lead-containing components pose no risk of
causing an increase in blood lead levels in children.
 
Congress even included a common-sense exclusion from the new
lead restrictions. Ask your Members of Congress to urge the
Consumer Product Safety Commission to grant the request for this
common-sense exclusion as allowed by law.
 
You must send a letter to Congress immediately!
 
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/consumer_product_safety/xukd5e8r2j5mbwtb?
 
Use the link below to tell a friend.
 
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/consumer_product_safety/forward/xukd5e8r2j5m
bwtb?
--------------------------------------------------
 
If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Americans For Responsible Recreational Access at:
 
http://www.arra-access.com/arra/join.html?r=01BeD_sarRPLE
 
--------------------------------------------------
 
This message was sent to jeeptj@rochester.rr.com. To modify your email
communication preferences or update your personal profile, visit
your subscription management page at:
 
http://www.arra-access.com/arra/smp.tcl?nkey=xukd5e8r2j5mbwtb&
 
To stop ALL email from Americans For Responsible Recreational
Access, reply via email with \"remove or unsubscribe\" in the
subject line, or use the following link:
 
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r2j5mbwtb&

[Guest]

Message 18:

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         Contact: Brian Hawthorne, Public Lands Policy Director
                        BlueRibbon Coalition
                        208-237-1008 ext 102
            DATE: February 24, 2009

TRAIL-BASED RECREATION GROUP RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT GAO SURVEY

The BlueRibbon Coalition, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) advocacy group, joined eight other off-highway groups in questioning the validity of a nationwide OHV survey of federal land managers. The groups made their concerns known in a February 5, 2009, letter to the Acting Comptroller General of the United States Government Accountability Office

The GAO review of OHV use was originally requested by New Mexico Congressman Raul M. Grijalva, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. The survey is supposedly designed to determine trends in the amount of OHV use, potential environmental and human health and safety impacts and how federal agencies are managing OHV use and enforcing OHV regulations. Managers from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service received the survey and were asked to respond.  Preservationist groups and OHV access opponents aggressively petitioned President Obama to appoint Representative Grijalva to the Secretary of Interior cabinet post, but Obama declined, opting instead for moderate Ken Salazar of Colorado.

Brian Hawthorne, BRC\'s Public Lands Policy Director, indicated that BRC and the other national OHV groups sought to work with the GAO to produce a quality product, which would incorporate the perspective of knowledgeable OHV users supportive of active recreation management.  BRC spoke to several GAO staffers and provided a variety of information regarding the large volume of vehicle restrictions since the last GAO study (August 19, 1995), as well as examples of successfully managed OHV programs.  \"Unfortunately, this information was not included, assuming it was even seriously considered, in the final product,\" observed Hawthorne.

\"Any cautious optimism was quickly dashed when we saw a copy of the survey that was going to be sent to federal land managers.\" Hawthorne said. \"Often the call of the question skews the result, and these questions appear skewed to reflect the anti-access agenda from which this project was borne.\"

Greg Mumm, BRC\'s Executive Director, said the survey questions are ambiguous and call for subjective feedback not appropriate given the target audience of professional land managers.  More importantly, the survey largely ignores the unprecedented and ongoing implementation of a change to \"limited to designated roads, trails and areas\" vehicle policies on both Forest Service and BLM lands. \"The survey will inevitably lead to inaccurate and irrelevant observations about OHV use and access to federal lands, which will shift reasonable discussion away from fact and improperly fuel the anti-access agenda.  All nine national OHV groups formally request its recall,\" Mumm noted.

House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Ranking Member, Utah\'s Rob Bishop, also wrote the GAO to express his concerns with the survey. Bishop stated, \"First, the survey is critically flawed because it fails to consider that the Forest Service (and) BLM ... are in the process of implementing a relatively new policy for use on their respective lands.\" Bishop continued, \"Second, the survey contains numerous questions that are far too subjective, littered with vague terminology, and lacking context.\" In a December 22, 2008, letter to Congressman Bishop, the Acting Comptroller General defended the study and flatly refused any further review.  

OHV use occurring on federal lands has increased significantly. All stakeholders agree, and federal regulations require, that OHV use should be managed to minimize environmental impacts and agencies are required to include health and safety concerns in their OHV planning. One must question the validity of a study/report that apparently does not take into consideration success stories and ongoing management activities.

The survey is only part, albeit a critical part, of the whole GAO report.  \"BRC and other interested groups will wait until the report is finalized to pass final judgment.  However, we are very  concerned that the GAO report is designed to conclude that OHV use is unmanageable by its very nature, and that prohibition is the preferred management \'strategy,\'\" Mumm concluded.  

BRC applauds the Americans for Responsible Recreational Access, American Motorcyclist Association, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, Off-Road Business Association, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and United Four Wheel Drive Associations for their involvement.

[Guest]

BRC Critical Action Alert  -- THEY WANT TO CLOSE TELLICO!

 

You MUST take action to save Tellico NOW!

 

Today the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) met with the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and heard a presentation on what will be in their Environmental Assessment (EA).  While they have 7 alternatives that they are considering, their preferred alternative is to CLOSE TELLICO.  While we know that this is completely unacceptable and will cause immediate and intense emotional reaction, we are asking that everyone maintain a level head and concentrate on what our task is now.

 

STEP 1:  The USFS Forest Supervisor issued a TEMPORARY CLOSURE ORDER that will keep Tellico closed until they decide what the fate of the area will be.  This means that TELLICO WILL NOT REOPEN ON APRIL 1ST!  Please read the order here: http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/tusquitee/tellico/temporary_closure.pdf. and provide comments to the temporary closure.  Be sure to talk about all the plans you have to use the area and all the events that are already scheduled and that you have paid to attend.  We MUST NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!

 

STEP 2:  We must, at all costs, provide as many SUBSTANTIVE comments about the EA as humanly possible.  And we are ready.  SFWDA requests that you download the study that we commissioned (http://www.sfwda.org/trails/tellico/study09/) and that you download the USFS EA which is posted here (http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/nepa/tusquitee/tellico/tellico.htm ) and that you compare the two side by side and start making comments.  Our study will give you the data that you need to make comments about the surveys that have been done, the lack of maintenance they USFS has completed, the science, the engineering, the economics, EVERYTHING.

 

We will work to have a letter generator up, but honestly, we need for you to take pencil to paper and think this through.  Copy this announcement and send it to your friends, family, and everyone you know.

 

STEP 3:  The other thing we need, and you know what it coming, is money.  In this tough economic time, it?s hard to find a few dollars to support a cause, but if you enjoy the Tellico area, or even the dying sport of OHV and 4X4 recreation, please consider a donation to Rescue Tellico so that we may continue to fight for Tellico.  http://www.sfwda.org/trails/tellico/donate.html

 

STEP 4:  In an effort to show that we will not accept these actions, Crawford?s Campground is committing to continue on with the plans for Spring Fling on April 4th.  Please consider attending and showing your support and helping to raise money for Rescue Tellico.

 

So you know, SFWDA is working very closely with United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) and the BlueRibbon Coalition to review these documents.  BE ASSURED that the lawyers will be reviewing all of these documents in detail and that we are all ready to take whatever action is warranted to further the fight to KEEP TELLICO OPEN!

 

Thanks you for your help,

 

SFWDA, UFWDA, and BRC

[Guest]

LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING COURSE (RLTC) OFFERS FREE TRIAL

Del Albright?s RLTC Course offers free trial Module and money back guarantee on course!

 

 

Mokelumne Hill, CA, February 28, 2009.   Del Albright announced today that the success and popularity of the Recreational Leadership Training Course (RLTC) are growing so quickly that an expansion of services is being offered.  In order to minimize administrative questions and facilitate easier signups, Albright is doing two things: 1) offering a free trial Module to anyone who would just like to see the course up front and personal, with no obligations; and 2) giving a 100% money back guarantee to any student who does not feel they got their money?s worth.

 

RLTC is a one-of-a-kind training program, geared towards helping folks become a better volunteer and learning to lead (and help lead) other folks to victory in any cause.  RLTC is an online, work at your own pace course that will help in work, personal and volunteer life.

 

?This is a great course for anyone just looking for some self-improvement, not to mention the suggestions it offers for dealing with bureaucracy that I can apply to my day job as well as my volunteer work,? says Harry Wagner of www.harrysituations.com.

 

Mark Cave, noted activist in California and VP for the Central District of the California Association of 4Wheel Drive Clubs considers the course a life-changer. ?I can now conduct better meetings, communicate more effectively, and engage in short term and long range planning, while also being able to promote better group cooperation and organization,? Cave adds.

 

This dual strategy of ?try a Module? and ?get your money back if you don?t like it? takes the guess work out of signing up for the RLTC course.  Try a Module; if you don?t like it you don?t have to spend another second on the course.  If you do take the course and at the end feel you did not get your money?s worth, you get a total money back refund.

 

Stacie Albright, Ad Sales Rep for the BlueRibbon Coalition sees RLTC at work all year long and had this to say: ?RLTC students run projects on the Rubicon Trail and at several events I attend in my BlueRibbon work.  I am constantly impressed at what a difference this course is making in all aspects of outdoor recreation and volunteer management.?

 

RLTC will help you in several ways, including how to build a better club; how to conduct better meetings and events; how to supervise, nurture and manage volunteers; and how to avoid burnout in good volunteers, among other useful topics.   RLTC offers 35 years of supervision and management tips and tricks in one package.  The course retails for $150 but members of state and national recreation organizations receive the course for $120.  Other discounts may available. Learn more at http://www.rltc.biz.

[Guest]

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
          Contact: Don Amador
          Phone: 925.625.6287
          Email: brdon@sharetrails.org
            Date: March 4, 2009

ISDT/E CHAMPIONS CELEBRATED AT INDY POWERSPORTS SHOW

POCATELLO, ID - On February 15, 2009, over 350 people attended the BlueRibbon Coalition\'s (BRC) 11th Annual Breakfast of Champions (BOC) to honor the off-road racing heroes of the International Six Days Trials/Enduro (ISDT/E).  The event was held at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom as part of the Indianapolis Powersports Expo.

Ignition3 TV produced a captivating visual history of ISDT/E and provided the backdrop to Jack Penton\'s informative, and sometimes poignant, interviews with champions and Industry icons associated with ISDT/E.

The interviews kicked off with everyone\'s hero, Malcolm Smith, Bruce Brown  legendary film maker of On Any Sunday, and ISDT/E\'s leading medalist, Jeff Fredette. What many in the crowd did not know was that Brown\'s film was the inspiration for Fredette to compete in the ISDT/E.  It should be noted that after watching Bruce\'s movie, Jeff went on to ride 28 events and won 17 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal.

A touching moment came during the 2nd interview segment when Jack was interviewing his famous dad, John Penton.  The father-son relationship and interplay on the stage struck a warm cord with the crowd and reminded all of us of similar moments in our riding careers.

Mark Woodward was the show\'s auctioneer and helped raise funds for the BRC to continue its efforts to champion responsible OHV access to public lands. Some of the featured items offered for bid were two brand new ISDE Arai helmets, a ProMoto Billet ISDE commemorative plaque/kickstand, and a private trail ride hosted by Stan Simpson, Chairman of AMA\'s Board of Directors.

The show journeyed through the 1980s-1900s and ended up interviewing current ISDT/E stars from the USA Trophy Team, Junior Trophy Team, and Women\'s Trophy Team.

Don Amador, the BRC\'s Breakfast of Champion\'s event coordinator, said, \"I can\'t thank the Lague Family, Jack Penton, Don Emde, Eric Anderson, Gunny Claypoole, Chris Carter, and Mark Woodward enough for making this year\'s BOC such a success.  Thanks also to NOHVCC for helping with the auction. All the stars I talked to said they did not want the 2 hour show to end.  It was truly captivating.\"

\"There are not too many venues where an average rider or motorcycle enthusiast can walk up to and talk with motorcycle racing champions such as Jack Penton,  Malcolm Smith, Kevin Schwantz, Broc Glover,  Chuck Sun, Randy Hawkins, Jeff Fredette, Drew Smith, Rodney Smith, Fred Hoess, Shane Watts, Jimmy Jarrett, Amanda Mastin, and many others,\" Amador continued.

Amador concludes, \"It was an honor for this event to pay tribute to the heroes of ISDT/E and to have them come and support our efforts to keep public lands open for off-road riding. I think the attendees had fun bidding on auction items.  In fact, EBC\'s Andy Freeman made a large donation to celebrate his 30th year anniversary selling brakes in the USA. BRC is grateful to all those Industry leaders who opened up their checkbooks to help support the sport.\"

BRC is especially thankful to our 2009 sponsors who made this historic event possible.  Those companies are Kawasaki Motors Corporation, ProMoto Billet, American Motorcyclist Association, American Motorcyclist Association Museum, Leo Vince USA, Western Power Sports, EBC Brakes, KTM North America, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Arai Helmets, Tucker Rocky, FMF, Motion Pro, Kenda Tires, Parts Unlimited, DealerNews, Scott USA, Mikuni American, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, ADP Lightspeed, Honda Rider\'s Club of America, Motorcycle Industry Council,  Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Micheal\'s Action Art, NOHVCC, Polaris Industries Incorporated, Yamaha Motor Corporation, Van Leeuwen Distributing, Silent Sport, Don Emde Publications, Inc., Scorpion Sports Inc., and Tugger Lift Strap.

[Guest]

DEL ALBRIGHT ENTERPRISES ? VOLUNTEER TRAINING & LEADERSHIP

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Del Albright

C: (209) 304-7693

Email: del@delalbright.com

 

VOLUNTEER TRAINING COURSE OFFERS WARN WINCH FOR GRAND PRIZE

Warn M8000 Winch is Top Prize in Recreational Leadership Training Course 2009

 

Mokelumne Hill, CA, March 9, 2009.  Del Albright, course developer of the Recreational Leadership Training Course (RLTC) announced today that the top prize for the 2009 yearend drawing will be a new Warn M8000 winch! Every student who graduates from RLTC in 2009 will have a chance at this marvelous grand prize.

 

?RLTC is about helping recreationists become a better volunteer in saving our sports and keeping our trails open,? said Albright.  ?Training is the one area where we need a lot of improvement and more opportunities for our dedicated and passionate army of volunteers. RLTC is one answer that has taken me years to develop and offer to students around the country,? Albright added.

 

RLTC is an online, work at your own pace, open-book exam course that consists of ten modules of information running from basic supervision to organizing an event to running a convoy or trail ride to NEPA, with dozens of subjects in between.  

 

One lucky graduate will win this Warn M8000 winch in the December 2009 yearend drawing.

[Guest]

ARRA Newsletter
March 2009
 
Sticky Fingers in New Mexico
----------------------------
The budget crunch is being felt in cities and states throughout
the country. Legislators, governors and mayors are looking for
any \"free\" cash they can get their hands on in order to fund new
and existing programs. Strange things happen during difficult
economic times and we only need to look to New Mexico for an
interesting, but disturbing development.
 
OHV riders in New Mexico were sounding the alarm a few days ago
when they discovered that the New Mexico State Legislature was
getting ready to dip into the New Mexico OHV sticker fund to the
tune of $500,000. Rather than use the money to provide public
education on safe OHV practices and trail construction and
maintenance, as it was originally intended, legislative language
in House Bill 2 would direct the funds to an \"eco-tourism
initiative\" by the State Tourism Department. Apparently,
Governor Richardson wants to use the eco-tourism initiative as a
way to promote \"a nature-based form of specialty travel that
conserves the environment and improves the well-being of the
local community.\" I\'m not sure what that means, but that is the
legislative language and one has to assume that the Governor has
a clue.
 
Governor Richardson, as you will recall, was nominated by
President Obama to be the Secretary of the U. S. Department of
Commerce. Richardson later had to withdraw his nomination
because he is under investigation by federal authorities for
possible violations of political fundraising laws. As far as we
can tell, the investigation is ongoing and Richardson still has
not been given the signal that he no longer has to worry about
pending legal issues. Perhaps the federal investigators should
expand their investigation to include \"eco-tourism\" and the
potential misuse of the OHV sticker fund.
 
GAO Report on Proposed Merger of FS and BLM
-------------------------------------------
Last year during an Interior Appropriations Subcommittee hearing
on wildfire costs, Rep. Norm Dicks, D.-WA., Chairman of the
Subcommittee, suggested that it might be time to merge the U. S.
Forest Service with the Bureau of Land Management in an effort
to manage federal lands in a more efficient manner. This
consolidation would mean that the Department of Agriculture
would lose jurisdiction over the Forest Service and the
Department of the Interior would gain the responsibility.
 
The idea of a merger is controversial because both agencies have
their own unique culture and practices. To move this idea
forward, Dicks requested that the Government Accountability
Office, GAO, conduct a study on the ramifications of putting
these two land agencies together. Well, the results are in and
as could be predicted, GAO\'s findings are mixed. GAO said that
such a merger would enhance the \"effectiveness of federal land
programs\" but at the same time the upfront costs of completing
the merger would be costly. Apparently, bringing together two
diverse organizations with would be too difficult of a task and
any efficiency hoped for due to the merger would be lost in the
reorganization.
 
Despite Chairman Dicks\' efforts, our best guess is that at least
in the short term inefficiency will win the battle and the
federal government will continue to have separate agencies in
separate departments managing the millions of acres of public
lands.
 
S.22 Stalls in the House
------------------------
The infamous Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 seems to
be in a state of legislative limbo and its fate is uncertain.
You will remember that at the end of the last session, Senator
Coburn prevented passage in the Senate of this 180 plus public
lands bill (that also included permanent designation of the
National Lands Conservation System, NLCS) even though the
measure passed in the House earlier in the session.
 
Now, it seems the reverse is true. In last month\'s newsletter,
we reported that the Senate passed S. 22 by a vote of 73-21. We
assumed at the time that the House of Representatives would rush
passage of the measure and quickly send it to President Obama
for his signature. Well, not so fast. We were mistaken about the
definition of speed. In an attempt to move the legislation
quickly through the House floor, House leaders decided that they
would not allow any amendments to S.22 when the House begins
consideration of the measure. Such a maneuver requires a super
majority for approval and it seems as though the leadership is
short in getting the required number of votes.
 
House Democratic leaders are now trying to find a way out of
this mess. One option is to begin breaking the Omnibus measure
up into multiple parts and voting on each separate bill. If that
happens, each measure would then go back to the Senate for
approval, meaning that parts of S. 22 will have to go through
the legislative process in dribs and drabs. ARRA members have
consistently opposed this measure and have made their feelings
known with Members of Congress and that opposition appears to be
having some impact.
 
Consumer Product Safety Law Causes More Harm Than Good
------------------------------------------------------
Last year a serious problem arose when foreign produced toys
which contained high levels of lead paint were found to be
entering the U.S. marketplace. Infants and young children, doing
what they do, were susceptible to lead poisoning when they
placed the toys in their mouths.
 
Congress rushed to the rescue by enacting the Consumer Product
Safety Improvement Act that included lead limits for products
intended for use by children 12 years old and under. As the name
indicates, the purpose of the legislation was to ensure that
products are safe for use by the American consumer.
 
The rule of unintended consequences is coming into play in a big
way as it relates to youth-sized ATVs and dirt bikes. It just so
happens that these vehicles contain some levels of lead in parts
such as terminals on batteries and tire value stems. There
haven\'t been any reports of kids placing such items in their
mouths and suffering the perils of brain damage due to unusually
high levels of lead. However, until the Consumer Product Safety
Commission approves exclusion for these vehicles or Congress
amends the law, dealers have to keep these vehicles off their
showroom floors and cease any sales of either new or used
youth-sized vehicles.
 
So the question is what will kids do in the meantime... ride
adult sized vehicles? We certainly hope not, but we fear that
the result will be a situation that threatens the safety of our
children rather than protect them. In short, we have a law that
misses the mark and runs amok.
 
If you have not already done so, you can weigh in with Congress
on this important issue by taking action on the ARRA Website
today:
 
  http://www.arra-access.com/ct/QdBeD_s1SYQM/
 
ARRA
----
Beware, there is another ARRA in existence and it has nothing to
do with maintaining recreational access to public lands. The
recently passed economic stimulus package has a name. It is
called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and
its abbreviated name is ARRA. We hope the newly minted ARRA is a
success because our economic future depends upon it. To avoid
any confusion about our mission, our ARRA will continue to do
what we have been doing and that is focus attention on the need
to keep public lands open to all forms of recreation.
 
Sincerely,
 
Larry E. Smith
Executive Director
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access

[Guest]

Sent: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:45 pm
Subject: PUBLIC LANDS: Future of omnibus thrown into doubt

E&E PM: PUBLIC LANDS: Future of omnibus thrown into doubt (03/11/2009)

Noelle Straub and Eric Bontrager, E&E reporters

The future of an omnibus package of more than 160 public lands, water and resources bills remains cloudy after the House rejected it today.

By a vote of 282-144, the House failed to pass S. 22 under suspension of the rules, a maneuver that shields legislation from amendment but requires a two-thirds majority for passage.

House leaders could bring the bill to the floor again under suspension. Or they could move it under regular order, which would only require a majority vote on the floor. That option could subject the bill to amendment and a GOP motion to recommit, something Democratic leaders seem eager to avoid.

A senior Democratic aide said that hurdle was too great for House leaders to take up the bill again under a rule. \"We\'re not going to bring it up under a rule,\" the aide said. \"We are looking to the Senate to send us a package we can pass.\"

House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) said he knew the vote was going to be close but added that \"a lot of groups came out of the woodwork\" in the final days leading up today\'s vote discouraging lawmakers from voting for the omnibus.

While there have been no discussions thus far as how to move forward, Rahall said the bill is not dead. \"Anything is on the table,\" he said.

House Democratic leaders had held off on bringing the bill to the floor since the Senate passed the package in January while they attempted to gather enough support for the bill to pass it under suspension. Any changes to the bill would require sending it back to the Senate, where it would again face objections by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), before it could go to the White House.

But before bringing the bill to the floor today, Democrats added language from Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) designed to ensure that the omnibus would not close off lands that are already open to hunting and fishing. Rahall said the inclusion of the provision helped clear up many of the concerns some groups, including the National Rifle Association, had with the measure.

House Republicans would not object to considering the package again on the House floor if it came under a rule that would allow the package to be amended, said Natural Resources Committee ranking member Doc Hastings (R-Wash.). \"In an ideal world, we would have considered this bill in committee first, but obviously, the Democratic leadership isn\'t interested in that,\" he said. \"A rule on the floor would be the next best thing.\"

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who himself had two bills in the failed package, said it was a mistake for the Senate to pass such a large package and for the House to take it up. \"If they have to lump these bills together, they could easily pass it by removing any bills members object to, which would truly make it a noncontroversial bill.\"

While unsure what will happen next, Bishop speculated that the easiest step would be to reintroduce the bill with the Altmire language under a closed rule, meaning it would only require a simple majority to pass. However, he noted, Democrats might not have the votes to overcome a motion to recommit.

The bill would designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states and would establish three new national park units, a new national monument, three new national conservation areas, more than 1,000 miles of national wild and scenic rivers and four new national trails. It would enlarge the boundaries of more than a dozen existing national park units and establish 10 new national heritage areas.

It would also authorize numerous land exchanges and conveyances to help local Western communities and address water resource and supply issues, and includes provisions to improve land management (E&E Daily, March 11).

Supporters confident

Environmental groups that support the bill vowed to continue pushing it.

\"This is not the end of the world,\" said Mike Matz, executive director for Campaign for America\'s Wilderness. \"We\'ll be able to move forward at some point.\"

Matz\'s group had been lobbying hard for passage of the bill. He noted that it fell just three votes shy of the needed two-thirds and received 34 Republican votes, more than enough votes to pass the bill under regular order..

\"It was close, but no cigar,\" he said. \"We fell three votes short. We\'re pleased they tried to take it up expeditiously like this. But we\'re going to have to regroup with the leadership and see how to move it forward and when to move it forward. ... I think it\'s something they would have liked to check off the list and get done, but they\'ll get to it.\"

Kevin Mack of the Wilderness Society said the vote total shows broad congressional support for the measure. \"Two-thirds is a heavy list for any piece of legislation, so there\'s no one thing [that went wrong],\" he said. \"I think it\'s important to note it was two votes shy. ... We look forward to having another day on it.\"

NRA officials did not return phone calls by deadline.

Senate action needed?

If House leaders keep the Altmire provision, the package would have to return to the Senate before heading to the president\'s desk.

The Senate passed the omnibus, 74-21, after nearly a year of trying to beat Coburn\'s procedural roadblocks against various provisions in the measure, which he claimed would increase government spending and limit potential oil and gas development on public lands.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staff said the Senate would not need to vote on the entire bill again, but rather would vote to concur with the House amendment and send the bill to the president.

If Senate leaders could not get unanimous consent to agree to the House amendment, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would need to file a cloture motion to end debate. But unlike when the Senate considered the whole bill, which required numerous votes to overcome procedural objections, this would require only one cloture vote, the aides said.

Coburn spokesman John Hart said the bill\'s failure in the House shows that it is \"deeply flawed and in need of major revisions.\"

\"If it is brought up in the Senate, Dr. Coburn will continue to insist on a full debate and open amendment process,\" Hart said. \"The bill is still loaded with wasteful earmarks and other provisions that undermine property rights and our ability to access domestic sources of energy.\"

Specialty Equipment Market Association


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[Guest]

Greg Mumm, BRC\'s Executive Director, just called me from Washington D.C. He told me that the infamous Omnibus Public Lands bill, commonly known as \"S. 22,\" failed by 1 vote in the House.

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 had been fast-tracked through the U.S. Senate and had been expected to pass the House earlier today. Tell me one vote doesn\'t count! The bill is over 1,200 pages long with over 160 different bills, designates 2.2 million acres of Wilderness, identifies three new national parks, 10 national heritage areas, and designates over 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers.

We\'ll have details later. Thanks to all who made calls and emailed on this bill.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 10

[Guest]

David Brill
Blue Ribbon Coalition
Brilliant Signs & Grafix
Guilford, CT

?You thought it was going away didn\'t you? Everyone saw the news over the last few days, Omnibus Bill missed by one vote! WooHoo we won.

Nope...

Those crafty Dems have inserted the ENTIRE S22 bill into

?H.R. 146, the Revolutionary War and War of
1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program as an amendment... All 1300 pages of the bill, tucked neatly into another bill as an amendment.

So, now, if we want to keep the Omnibus Land Grab Bill from becoming reality, we need to call becuase they have fast tracked it into a Monday March 16th vote!

Please read below for more info.

-----Original Message-----

From: AMA
[mailto:rpodliska@ama-cycle.org]

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 7:26 PM

To: William Kaeppner

Subject: Omnibus Public Lands Bill to be Voted on Monday, March 16!

?

?Take Action;

?????

Omnibus Public Lands Bill to be Voted on Monday, March 16!

?

Call your Senators NOW!

?

?

?

The American Motorcyclist Association urges everyone to contact their
Senators to vote \"No\" on H.R. 146, the Revolutionary War and War of
1812 Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program.? This bill was formerly known
as S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which would prohibit
all motorized vehicle access including motorcycles and ATVs on over 2 million
acres of public lands.? As you may know, S. 22 was defeated just days ago
on March 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

?

Now, following defeat of the bill, the U.S. Senate leadership is
expected to employ a little used parliamentary procedure that allows them to
overcome the outcome of the House vote on S. 22.

?

The U.S. House of Representatives preserved your access to vital public
lands when S. 22 fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass
on March 11th.? The successful defeat of the bill was only accomplished
after thousands of concerned individuals, like you, contacted their
Representatives to tell them to oppose the legislation. However, the Senate Leadership
wants to try and un-do that success by bringing the bill back as a 1,300 page
amendment to an unrelated bill for a vote as early as Monday.

?

With such a short time frame for action, the best way to tell your
Senators to vote \"No\" on H.R. 146 is to call.? Click here
?;
to get the phone number for your Senators.? Enter your zip code in the
\"Find Your Officials\" box and click on the name of your Senators.

?

If you would prefer to contact your Senators with e-mail, you may
contact your Senators by clicking here
;
...? We have pre-written a letter for your use.

?

Immediate action is critical to help keep 2.1 million acres of public
land open to motorized recreation.? Please call your Senators and tell
everyone you can to do the same.

?

Next week, every Senator must know to vote \"No\" on H.R. 146!

[Guest]

PLEASE:  TAKE TEN MINUTES FOR TELLICO NOW!  We need you to send in comment letters to the Forest Service.  Pass this on to your friends and fellow OHVers.

UPDATE ON THE TELLICO EFFORT:  BRC, UFWDA, and SFWDA have all teamed up to fight the battle for Tellico.  Thanks to all who responded to our Phase 1 alert and have written, called and visited their elected officials about the USFS proposed closure of Tellico.  We still need those calls and letters to continue.  Don\'t let up.  

The letters to your congressmen are working!  Jay Bird from SFWDA and Greg Mumm from BRC will be going back to Washington, D.C. to follow up with some offices early next week.  At this late date phone calls will work the best.  Please follow up on your letters to those who represent you.

For more information and background, see our previous alert here: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=958

Now we are shifting to Phase 2.  It is important and it is time to respond to the Forest Service\'s draft Environmental Assessment with comments.  We\'ve made this very easy for you with an online letter generator (http://www.sharetrails.org/letters/letter.php?id=39).   All it takes is for you to click here  and there is a very easy process set up for you to send in your comments.

It is vital that you take action to Rescue Tellico.  The Forest Service has told us what they want to do and it is incumbent on the OHV community to change their mind.  We NEED to generate as many letters as possible, so:

PLEASE TAKE TEN MINUTES FOR TELLICO NOW!  The deadline is fast approaching so don\'t put it off.  Click here and help by sending in your comment letter.  You CAN make a difference.

As always, this has been a long and expensive fight and we ask that you help us to sustain the ongoing effort with your donations.  You can donate simply and easily online at www.sharetrails.org/rescue-tellico .
Thank you for your help!

SFWDA, UFWDA, and BRC

If you would prefer to send in your own letter, we encourage you to do so.  Below are some talking points to help you with that effort.

Letters need to be sent to:

National Forests in North Carolina
Attn: Candace Wyman
160 A Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801

Letters may be emailed to:

Email: comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-tusquitee@fs.fed.us

Be sure to put in the reference line to the project:

RE: Transportation System and Related Recreation Management Actions for the Upper Tellico Off-Highway Vehicle System and Temporary Closure of the Upper Tellico OHV System
Nantahala National Forest: Cherokee County, North Carolina

It is important to tell the Forest Service why Tellico is important to you and your family.

Oppose the temporary closure of the Upper Tellico OHV System effective April 1, 2009 and ask the Forest Supervisor to reconsider that decision.  

The emergency closure is unwarranted and unjustified based on the information provided.  
Planning for many historic and permitted events in the area are and have been underway for sometime now based on the good faith of the Forest Service and the originally proposed action for planning in the area.  The immediate economic impact to the surrounding communities of this temporary closure order is devastating and cannot be replaced.  Communities affected by this sudden change in management are historically dependent on money brought into the area by OHV recreation and these events.  
The decision for the emergency closure prior to the decision on the draft environmental assessment appears to point to a pre-determined outcome for the environmental assessment.

The Forest Service should/needs to conduct more complete planning.  

The draft environmental assessment needs to address findings and conclusions of the independent report from Caliber Engineering recently provided to the Forest Service which conflicts with much of the findings and the internal studies of the Forest Service in the draft environmental assessment.  
The draft EA does not consider the report commissioned by and provided to the Forest Service by the Enterprise Team, USFS Trails Unlimited, assessing the Upper Tellico OHV System.  This report is also in conflict with the findings reflected in the Draft EA.
Neither the Caliber study nor the Trails Unlimited report recommended closure of trails in Tellico.  Both concluded the trails could be sustainably managed.
Failure by the Forest Service to consider other sources of sedimentation invalidates agency implication that the OHV system is the cause of high turbidity measurements.  This failure leads to an inaccurate and unsupported conclusion that closure of the OHV system will resolve turbidity issues, if such exist.  

Ask that the Forest Service to conduct additional study and planning in an Environmental Impact Statement.  

Given the potentially devastating economic impact to the local communities alone (as cited in the University of Tennessee survey), a finding of no significant impact cannot be a determined outcome.  
The range of alternatives should be developed utilizing the additional science and information provided in both the Caliber report and the Trails Unlimited report discussed previously.

The Forest Service needs to exhaust all possible options to mitigate the issues prior to closure.  

The Forest Service must also recognize that closing the opportunity was never the intent or desire of the interested stakeholders.  
Proper management for the use is the better solution.
Closure alone will not solve the stated issues.  Mitigation of those issues still must take place.
Resolving those challenges in partnership with the OHV community provides both the manpower and additional funding from the private sector necessary for proper mitigation.
Be honest, professional and polite.  Most importantly, be timely.  Don\'t put it off.

For more information and background, see our previous alert on Tellico here:  http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=958

[Guest]

Senate set to send Omnibus to House
Calls to Congressional Offices Increasing
BRC urges: Keep Pressure On - But Shift Calls to House of Representatives

*** BRC has new email system. If you have any problems with links not working please send me or Ric an email: brbrian@sharetrails.org or brrichard@sharetrails.org.

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscribers,

Latest news on omnibus lands bill:

Although the official vote in the Senate has not yet taken place, we must be honest and say that the bill is likely to pass either tomorrow or Thursday.

This sends the bill back to the House, and the leadership there is expected to suspend normal rules in order to jam it through without debate or chance of amendments. As we noted in the previous action alert, D.C. insiders expect House leadership to call the legislation up as a \"preferential bill,\" which would prohibit committee review and limit amendments.

For more information on the Omnibus Land Bill, see our previous alerts here.
(http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/)

Important info:
I need to mention that the number of calls on this omnibus bill have increased over the last few weeks.  This is really rare for long running marathon bills like this one.

Your calls are making a difference and many of the legislators you are calling are starting to question why, in a time of financial crisis, is it so important to jam through a $10 - $12 billion land bill.

Another question that should be asked is, \"Why is there no opportunity for an amendment?\"

I\'ll take this opportunity to mention a few Congressmen asking the tough questions, including Utah\'s Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, California\'s Devin Nunes, Florida\'s Alcee Hastings, Montana\'s Denny Rehberg and Oklahoma\'s Mary Fallin, just to name a few.

Honorable mention goes to Wyoming\'s Cynthia Lummis, who penned a very well reasoned letter as to why she could not vote for the omnibus bill. I encourage all BRC Action Alert Subscribers to take a minute to read what she said. http://lummis.house.gov/2009/03/lummis-votes-no-on-big-spending-lands-package.shtml

What you need to do:
BRC is asking all of our members and supporters to call their Senators AND their Representatives NOW. Finding their phone number is easy. Just enter your zip code on BRC\'s Rapid Response Center webpage at http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/.

For Maximum Effectiveness:
Call both Senators and your Congressperson. Three quick phone calls. Simply tell them that you oppose the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009. Tell them you oppose putting public lands bills into these \"all or nothing\" omnibus packages.

Be brief. Be polite. Do it NOW.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, call or email.

Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Policy Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 102

[Guest]

Friends,

Time is running out--please help rescue Tellico today!

As we rapidly approach Tellico\'s effective closure date, April 1st, we need your help now more than ever to rescue Tellico. We do not yet believe we have generated enough letters from the OHV community to be most effective.

If you have not done so already, it is vital that you take 10 minutes of your time to write a letter to the Forest Service. You CAN make a difference. We have made this very easy with our online letter generator (http://www.sharetrails.org/letters/letter.php?id=39). All you have to do is click here to begin the process. If you know a friend or family member who has not yet sent a letter, please encourage them to do so.

For more information and background, see our previous alerts here:
http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=981
http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=958

As always, this has been a long and expensive fight and we ask that you help us to sustain the ongoing effort with your donations. You can donate simply and easily online at www.sharetrails.org/rescue-tellico

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Greg Mumm
Executive Director
BlueRibbon Coalition

Del Albright
Western Representative
BlueRibbon Coalition