The Motorcycle Industry Council, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America are urging Congress to oppose proposals that would allow the federal government to sell more than 3 million acres of public lands.
This is a press release from Motorcycle Industry Council…
In outreach to lawmakers, the associations emphasized their opposition to large-scale public land sell-offs intended to generate federal revenue. At the same time, they acknowledged that limited, small-scale sales or transfers—such as efforts to resolve “checkerboarding” for state or local use—may be appropriate if done responsibly. In such cases, access protections must be clearly defined, and any action must not come at the expense of motorized recreation.
They outlined four key conditions:
- No net loss of motorized recreation areas
- Recreational access must be preserved in the sale or transfer language
- Motorized trails, roads, and riding sites must remain accessible after transfer, and the net amount of recreational access must not be reduced
- In rare cases where a small-scale transfer cannot allow continued access, the purchaser or government must develop equivalent nearby riding opportunities within one year
“Selling off public land without careful consideration could permanently impact riding opportunities across the country,” said Scott Schloegel, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the MIC, ROHVA, and SVIA. “We’ve made clear that any sale must protect access for OHV users.”
The powersports industry contributes nearly $51 billion annually to the U.S. economy, with millions of people relying on public lands for recreation and work.
The associations are calling on everyone in the powersports industry and enthusiasts nationwide to contact their Senators to oppose large-scale federal land sales at https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm?lang=en.
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