Cycle News Staff | September 20, 2017
Future Of OHV Recreation In California Secured By Passage Of Legislation – According to the BlueRibbon Coalition, state lawmakers in Sacramento recently passed Senate Bill 249 that permanently reauthorizes the California OHV Program. This historic vote-which also included Senate Bill 159, a companion bill that contained the funding structure for the program-had precedent setting broad support from both the conservation and OHV communities.
Future Of OHV Recreation In California Secured By Passage Of Legislation
BRC Release: The BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org (BRC) was part of a diverse OHV stakeholder group that championed the current OHV program managed by the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVRD) that is an important member of the California State Park family.
Don Amador, Western Representative for the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org, stated, “As a member of the 2007 drafting team that helped create the SB 742-based current program, I believe passage of the new SB 249 legislation honors the spirit and intent of our program that has been heralded as a national model for environmentally responsible OHV recreation.
“I believe a lot of credit goes to the thousands of OHV enthusiasts, partners such as county sheriffs, and non-profit conservation groups, who took time to write letters and/or make phone calls to legislators and the Governor stating their strong support for the current program that granted monies to maintain trails, support law enforcement, open new riding areas and trails, fund important restoration projects, and pay for valuable rider education programs,” Amador continued.
“Credit should also be given to Senator Ben Allen, author of SB 249, for listening to concerns voiced by the OHV coalition, partners, and rural communities about how changes needed to be made to the original bill as that early version was simply too costly because it imposed an unwarranted level of additional environmental studies, reviews, and reports. The OHV Commission and State Park leadership also had key roles in helping resolve contentious issues with early versions of SB 249.”
Future Of OHV Recreation In California Secured By Passage Of Legislation
Amador summarized: “The unanimous bi-partisan passage of SB 249 and 159 by the legislature means the OHV Program, as we know it today, will continue on as a permanent program within California State Parks. Our local and federal partners can now better plan for OHV-related staffing needs on a long term basis now that the sunset (a requirement that the OHV program must be reauthorized every 10 years or so) has been eliminated.
“Off-road enthusiasts can be proud of their involvement in helping raise the level of awareness among lawmakers in Sacramento over the last nine months.
“However, the OHV community must remain vigilant against politically motivated efforts by future legislatures to redirect OHV monies to non-motorized projects or programs. We also have to monitor how the OHV Division and staff are integrated into State Parks so that their highly specialized OHV-related resource and trail management skills are not lost in the agency’s transformation process.
“At the end of the day, both the OHV and conservation community have a lot to be proud of as the OHV program continues on into the future since we expect the Governor to sign the legislation since it was his administration that helped broker the deal between Senator Allen and the OHV Coalition.”
Click here for more motorcycle industry news.