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PRESS RELEASE
May 25, 2004
Contact: John Stewart
Director of Environmental Affairs
United Four Wheel Drive Associations
619-390-8747 or E-mail: john@muirnet.net
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RECREATION ADVOCATES HOLD NATIONAL MEETING
Representatives from regional and national recreation organizations
met in Kansas City, MO. to discuss issues of common concern and
develop a plan to achieve solutions to those issues.
Kansas City, MO (May 23, 2004) - The spring 2004 North American
Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC) meeting was held over the May
22-23 weekend in Kansas City, MO. Representatives from regional and
national motorized recreation groups met to discuss common issues of
concern and develop a plan to achieve solutions to those issues.
The meeting identified a number of issues, including user conflict,
Forest Service National OHV Policy, agency land management plans, and
legal actions affecting recreation activities. Organizations
represented included the American Motorcycle Association (AMA),
Arizona State Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs (ASAFWDC),
BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), CalROC, California Association of 4 Wheel
Drive Clubs (CA4WDC), East Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association (EC4WDA),
Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), and United Four Wheel Drive
Associations (UFWDA).
Citing the growing number of people participating in motorized
recreation with different expectations of "recreation experience",
meeting participants agreed to support establishing state-wide
coalitions of recreation user groups and work towards resolving
conflicts.
John Stewart, Director of Environmental Affairs for UFWDA expressed
growing concerns with the National OHV Policy under development by
the Forest Service. The new policy (due to be released for public
comment during the summer months) will provide management guidelines
for all Forest Service managed public lands. Key elements of the
policy are expected to include an elimination of cross-country travel
within the National Forest system and establishing a designated route
system. Citing a recent study by the Southern California Land Rover
Club that identified a greater than 50 percent error rate with agency
route inventories, Stewart commented, "In recent years, thousands of
miles of backcountry dirt roads in the deserts and forests across the
western states have been closed to public access based on faulty
route inventories."
Agency land management plans continue to be an obstacle for motorized
recreation. A study commissioned by ORBA on a land management plan
for one Southern California Desert region noted the lack of a
recreation component within the plan. Also, while that plan called
for increased habitat for protected species, it contained no
provisions to fund habitat protection and monitoring.
Legal and political issues were recognized as key elements in the
effort to retain recreation access to public lands. Roy Denner,
President and CEO of ORBA commented, "We believe that the recreation
community needs to visit our country's leaders in Washington
regularly to make sure that they know what's happening on the ground
with regard to OHV recreation. We expect lawmakers to be concerned
about public access to public lands as well as environmental
protection."
Participants have scheduled a fall meeting to continue working
towards solutions to preserve recreation access to public lands and
increase awareness of declining recreation opportunities.
May 25, 2004
Contact: John Stewart
Director of Environmental Affairs
United Four Wheel Drive Associations
619-390-8747 or E-mail: john@muirnet.net
######
RECREATION ADVOCATES HOLD NATIONAL MEETING
Representatives from regional and national recreation organizations
met in Kansas City, MO. to discuss issues of common concern and
develop a plan to achieve solutions to those issues.
Kansas City, MO (May 23, 2004) - The spring 2004 North American
Motorized Recreation Council (NAMRC) meeting was held over the May
22-23 weekend in Kansas City, MO. Representatives from regional and
national motorized recreation groups met to discuss common issues of
concern and develop a plan to achieve solutions to those issues.
The meeting identified a number of issues, including user conflict,
Forest Service National OHV Policy, agency land management plans, and
legal actions affecting recreation activities. Organizations
represented included the American Motorcycle Association (AMA),
Arizona State Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs (ASAFWDC),
BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), CalROC, California Association of 4 Wheel
Drive Clubs (CA4WDC), East Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association (EC4WDA),
Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), and United Four Wheel Drive
Associations (UFWDA).
Citing the growing number of people participating in motorized
recreation with different expectations of "recreation experience",
meeting participants agreed to support establishing state-wide
coalitions of recreation user groups and work towards resolving
conflicts.
John Stewart, Director of Environmental Affairs for UFWDA expressed
growing concerns with the National OHV Policy under development by
the Forest Service. The new policy (due to be released for public
comment during the summer months) will provide management guidelines
for all Forest Service managed public lands. Key elements of the
policy are expected to include an elimination of cross-country travel
within the National Forest system and establishing a designated route
system. Citing a recent study by the Southern California Land Rover
Club that identified a greater than 50 percent error rate with agency
route inventories, Stewart commented, "In recent years, thousands of
miles of backcountry dirt roads in the deserts and forests across the
western states have been closed to public access based on faulty
route inventories."
Agency land management plans continue to be an obstacle for motorized
recreation. A study commissioned by ORBA on a land management plan
for one Southern California Desert region noted the lack of a
recreation component within the plan. Also, while that plan called
for increased habitat for protected species, it contained no
provisions to fund habitat protection and monitoring.
Legal and political issues were recognized as key elements in the
effort to retain recreation access to public lands. Roy Denner,
President and CEO of ORBA commented, "We believe that the recreation
community needs to visit our country's leaders in Washington
regularly to make sure that they know what's happening on the ground
with regard to OHV recreation. We expect lawmakers to be concerned
about public access to public lands as well as environmental
protection."
Participants have scheduled a fall meeting to continue working
towards solutions to preserve recreation access to public lands and
increase awareness of declining recreation opportunities.