On October 26^th, 2001, over a dozen NOHVA members met with state senators on the Unicameral Natural Resources Committee concerning a Legislative Resolution to ask for help in finding new places to ride ATVs and dirtbikes in Nebraska.

Legislative Resolution 72 (LR-72) was proposed by Senator Deborah Suttle of Omaha. Senator Suttle represents District 10, a district in north central Omaha where Interstate 680 passes through the middle. The resolution has been referred to the Natural Resources Committee for study. Specifically, the resolution calls for a study on how to fund the development and maintenance of off-the-highway vehicle trails in (eastern?) Nebraska for use by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirtbikes. The study shall determine what federal funds may be available, how such funds might be accessed, and what state or local agency may be used to assist in obtaining the funds or developing and maintaining the trail.

Senator Ed Schrock of Elm Creek is the Chairperson of the Committee on Natural Resources. Other members include Senator Elaine Stuhr, Vice Chairperson of Bradshaw, and Senators Bromm of Wahoo, Senator Bruning of Sarpy County, Senator Hudkinds of Malcom, Senator Jones of Eddyville, Senator Kremer of Aurora and Senator Preister of Omaha.

At the hearing, NOHVA members Dan Nitzel (Grand Island), Chris Didamo (Bellevue) and Kevin Parr (Fremont) discussed the need for places to ride in Nebraska. An important point that was of great interest to senators was the problem that people in Nebraska often don’t have any where to ride in Nebraska and often travel out of state. When they travel they are taking tourist funds out of state with them.

Dan Kleen, president of the Iowa OHV Assn. gave an excellent presentation concerning the ATV and dirtbike programs in Iowa. Representing ATV and dirtbike dealers was Casey Sadler (Starcity in Lincoln).

While most all of the people who testified before the committee in support of funding and developing ATV and dirtbike trails in Nebraska, the representative from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission stated that the state agency was not at all interested in becoming involved with ATV and dirtbike trails. In fact, the Game and Parks representative said that the hiking and biking trails were dumped on the agency by the legislature. In response, a state senator mentioned that Game and Parks was the state’s recreation manager, and Senator Schrock directed the Game and Parks representative to study who ATV and dirtbike trails can be developed and funded.

We need to thank Senator Suttle for all of her help with this resolution and for her concern about our cause! Also thanks to those who attended the hearing and special thanks to Dan Kleen for coming over from Iowa to help us out.

I expect some kind of developments to come out of the hearing some time this year or next year.