OFF-ROAD NEWS
The SAN Creates “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation”

Free and unfettered access to public lands is vitally important to many U.S citizens, not the least of which are Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. This hobby represents a growing trend and leads to more people actively using and appreciating our public lands each year. Land use policies developed in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere have a dramatic impact on the availability of public land for hobbyist use, so it is important to be a knowledgeable and active enthusiast. Because these laws and regulations are massively complex, the SAN has created a “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” to help you decode the Washington lingo.

The “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” provides several key tools that will help you build a solid foundation of land use knowledge. It includes a broad overview of such topics as the key federal agencies managing public lands; major laws and regulations, such as the Endangered Species and Wilderness Acts, that affect access to public lands; private organizations who are active in the conservation of natural lands while supporting the hobby; and SAN position statements, which act as a guidepost for legislative and regulatory advocacy.

Many laws and regulations that are passed or proposed are well intended, but have a tendency to be one-sided and too vast in scope, taking little account of hobbyists who responsibly enjoy nature through a variety of motorized activities. Far too often, laws are enacted by legislators who do not take into account the beneficial impact that enthusiasts have on public lands through the OHV hobby. Many hobbyist groups and clubs actively participate in the maintenance of roads and trails on their own time and dollar, conduct clean up days on public lands, and work to preserve the environment not only because it’s the right thing to do, but to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same natural splendor and beauty our public lands possess. These are the same individuals that are as passionate about their vehicles as they are the land they enjoy them on, and maintaining a future for this hobby on public lands is essential.

How can these wilderness bills affect my hobby you ask? Imagine planning a trip to go enjoy OHV trails in The Great Basin, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Moab-La Sal Canyons or San Rafael Swell areas. Now imagine the U.S. Congress passing a bill called America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 which closes significant portions of those parks to all OHV use. The threat that these laws and regulations pose to hobbyists are not imagined or abstract; they are very real and require action on the part of hobbyists, hobby groups and other industry associations.

This March, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 was signed into law, designating more than 2 million acres of wilderness (land closed to all motorized activities) in nine states. This included areas in and around Joshua Tree National Park and Eastern Sierras in California, Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands in Idaho, Mt. Hood in Oregon and Zion National Park in Utah. Additionally, a bill entitled “The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act” has been introduced in Congress. This legislation would set a precedent by using the term “bioregion” as justification for converting 24 million acres across five states into wilderness areas. How would you feel if congressmen and senators from distant states came to your backyard and told you how you can use local designated trails? Keeping access decisions about these lands at a local level and to be determined by those who enjoy them is vital to keeping them free for all Americans.

The SAN has taken the action of submitting comments in opposition to these bills, but participation by invested hobbyists and businesses may be necessary to secure access to these areas in the future for all tax-paying hobbyists. The SAN’s “Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation” is another means of protecting access to these lands by putting the information necessary to understand the issues and the players at your fingertips. Educating yourself and using that knowledge to take action by writing your legislators and passing the information on to your friends is the key to creating a win for your hobby and passion. The guide can be found at www.SEMASAN.com.