AMA News Briefs
Aug. thru Nov. 2004

AMA Government Relations Staff to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world.

      The Vermont Attorney General is investigating actions taken in Vermont that stopped a dual-sport ride before it even started.

      Cindy Maguire, chief of the criminal division of the Vermont Office of the Attorney General, told the Rutland (Vermont) Herald newspaper that her department is reviewing complaints from riders about actions taken in Windham County that blocked the ride.

      The AMA and outraged motorcyclists sent letters to the Vermont state attorney general and the Windham County sheriff demanding to know why the Sheriff's Department intimidated riders and shut down the 5th annual AMA/New England Trail Rider Association-sanctioned Red Fox Turkey Run set for August 8, which was organized by the Pathfinders Motorcycle Club.

      Before the approximately 300 riders could head off on the ride that morning, officers from the Windham County Sheriff's Department showed up in force at the staging area and told riders they would be arrested if they started riding.

      The AMA and riders are also questioning whether Jamaica selectmen acted properly in passing a law banning travel by motorized vehicles from Class IV roads, which are dirt roads, unless a permit is obtained from the select board.

     The AMA Board of Directors has awarded the Motorcycling Advocate Award to Clark L. Collins for his years of leadership in maintaining access to off-road riding areas and his role in founding the Blue Ribbon Coalition. Collins was presented the award by Nick Haris, AMA western states representative and Dal Smilie, AMA Board of Directors vice chairman.

      Collins served as Idaho Trail Machine Association president several times and became more active politically when restrictions began shutting off-road riders out of public lands in Idaho in the 1980s.

      Collins realized that the fight was larger than one state. In 1987, he incorporated the Blue Ribbon Coalition, which reached out to other users of public lands and now represents several hundred member organizations.

      Collins is the fourth person to receive the Motorcycling Advocate Award, which was created by the AMA Board of Directors to recognize individuals and organizations fighting for the rights of motorcyclists.

      Chicago, IL is considering a helmet law for anyone entering the city limits, but Mayor Richard Daley thinks that it should also be tied to getting insurance by requiring a helmet to get insurance coverage. Daley says the City should do what the state has failed to do. The mayor also told WBBM Newsradio 780 that government officials should consider mandating helmets for bicyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders.

      Alderman Edward Burke (14th) introduced an ordinance that would require motorcycle riders to wear helmets within city limits. Burke said the Illinois General Assembly has repeatedly failed to pass proposals for helmet mandates and said the city should act to do so. 

      The AMA and ABATE of Illinois are opposing this proposal.

      The US House of Representatives passed HR 3247, the Trail Responsibility and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands (TRAIL) Act of 2003. TRAIL is designed to provide consistent enforcement authority to the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service to respond to violations of regulations regarding the management, use, and protection of public lands under the jurisdiction of these agencies, and provides for consistent enforcement and penalties on federal lands. 

      TRAIL is a coalition effort of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Council of Snowmobile Associations, United Four Wheel Drive, National Marine Manufacturers Association, and the American Recreation Coalition designed as an alternative to a bill that discriminated against the motorized community.

      California US Senate Candidate Bill Jones was a VIP at the final round of the AMA National Outdoor MX at Glen Helen Raceway. Jones was well received, and ‘Off-Roaders for Jones’ stickers and information pamphlets were distributed to the thousands of race fans. Mr. Jones spoke about California’s environmental policies and the recreational use of land before acting as the official starter for the 125cc main event. Jones is seeking to unseat incumbent Barbra Boxer.

      California and Arizona groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), have vowed to file an injunction that would eliminate all off-highway vehicle (OHV) use at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area if the federal government reopens a 49,000-acre portion temporarily closed as a result of a lawsuit filed by those groups to protect a plant.

      The statement came within one hour after the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce announced their plans to bring together OHV users and the United Desert Gateways Communities, a coalition of the Yuma, El Centro and Brawley chambers of commerce, to assist the BLM with monitoring tourism at the dunes. News of the partnership prompted the CBD to send an e-mail letter to the BLM stating: "We want to be sure you are aware if BLM moves to open conservation areas to ORVs (off road vehicles), it would create a legal situation where we'd likely have to move for complete ORV closure on the dunes. We would be forced to act, and we'd have a strong position, but we'd like to work cooperatively for alternatives."

      The controversy centers on a pending decision by the Bureau of Land Management to reopen a portion of the land that has been closed since 2000 as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Center, the Sierra Club, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Aside from closing a portion of the dunes, the lawsuit forced BLM to revise their recreation plan and is currently waiting on a biological opinion from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

      AMA is hosting a Washington, D.C., seminar for motorcyclists who want to learn how to influence governmental decisions, whether in Congress or their local councils.

      The seminar is March 6-9, 2005 at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, DC.  Participants will meet and learn from the AMA’s Washington staff, as well as other political experts. In addition to learning about state and federal issues facing motorcyclists today, participants will get tips on building relationships with government agency officials and lobbying elected officials.

      Participants will also prepare to meet face-to-face with members of their congressional delegation.  But the seminar isn’t all work; there will be a welcome reception, as well as a luncheon and a banquet over the course of the seminar.

      The seminar registration fee is $75. The registration deadline is February 11. AMA membership is required. For more information or to register, contact Sharon Titus at (614) 856-1900, ext. 1252 or by e-mail at stitus@ama-cycle.org.

      Recreation receipts brought in more money than grazing this year for the first time in the history of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For fiscal year 2004, the BLM collected $13.5 million in recreation receipts compared to $10 million for grazing. Plus, the agency estimates that 93 percent of its contacts with the pubic are now related to recreation.

      Recreational fees required to use national forests and parks could become permanent if the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act is approved by Congress before the end of the year. Current legislation requires 80 percent of the fees collected at a certain site be used at that location. 

      The fee program began in 1996 to ease the cost of operating and maintaining federal recreation sites. Congress also stressed the fees would be used to improve quality. The National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service collected $175.7 million during fiscal 2002, up from $172.8 million in 2001.

      While some money was redirected into local projects, data released by the four federal agencies also revealed that a substantial amount of the fees has remained unused each year. The money has accumulated to $295.8 million. (BLM)

      The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has appointed New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (NMOHVA) Vice-president and AMA Ride Into Political Action graduate Joanne Spivack to the Regional Resource Advisory Council (RAC) for the BLM in New Mexico. RAC's were established in 1995 to provide the public an opportunity to advise both the BLM and the US Forest Service on a broad array of resource issues currently facing the agencies. The New Mexico RAC provides input on BLM decisions from local community members, concerned citizens and government officials from all levels. The 15-person RAC represents the many different public land users around the country. Ms. Spivack is the only OHV representative on the RAC and received a letter of recommendation from the AMA.

      AMA member Mike Conaway has been elected to the US Congress (R-Texas-11) with 77% of total ballots cast in that Race.   Representative-elect Conaway will represent a large Congressional district including Midland County. The American Motorcyclist Political Action Committee (AMPAC) supported Representative-elect Conaway’s campaign.

      Lee County, Virginia’s Stone Mountain All Terrain Vehicle Club, empowered by a growing statewide interest in local mountain trails, has started a grassroots effort to establish a recognized and regulated ATV trail system on the mountain for which they've named their organization.

      Most trails in Lee County traverse private property and roads constructed for fire control purposes by the Virginia Department of Forestry. The club would like to see those trails permitted and regulated for not just off-road vehicles, but also for hikers, mountain bikers, horse enthusiasts and others.

      The club points out West Virginia’s Hatfield-McCoy trail system, and that after a decade of persistence a once-depressed area is now beginning to thrive. The West Virginia legislature approved the creation of an authority to oversee the trail system, and that authority sells permits that fund trail maintenance, trailhead development and amenities, and enforcement officers. The system now draws an average of 3,500 riders monthly.  The club speculates that Lee County could do just as well.

      The club has affiliated with state and national organizations related to off-highway vehicles, including the ATVA, and through contacts made with them, clubs from across Virginia - and even from other states in the region - have been visiting Lee County. They have already received support from the County Board of Supervisors to allow ATVs to make short trips from trails to local businesses to refuel or purchase supplies, and they’re hopeful to get state legislation for the same thing.

      New Jersey Assemblymen Michael Panter (D-Red Bank) and Robert Morgan (D-Red Bank) have introduced A3425 which prohibits operation of motor vehicles on race tracks in the State located within a one-mile radius of residential housing.  In addition, the bill prohibits the use of public address systems at race tracks on any day before 11 am or after 10 pm, except for Sundays, during which the prohibition is before 11 am or after 7 pm.

            A3425 carries penalties of $2,500 for the first offense, $5,000 for the second offense, $10,000 for the third offense, and $25,000 for the fourth and subsequent offenses.

      Garden State motorcyclists are encouraged to contact their respective representatives and urge them to oppose A3425. You can find your elected representatives on the AMA Statewatch section of www.AMADirectlink.com.

      The 2004 US Congressional election proved to be one that was an important to all Americans, especially motorcycle and ATV riders.

      With 435 US House races and 34 US Senate races there were some interesting numbers involved. There were 44 open seats (36 House/8 Senate), 69 races where the Republican or Democrat has no major party opposition, with just over 1,300 total candidates (900+ Republican and Democrat).  Of these 72% have websites and e-mail, 84% were male, and 16% were female.  19% are attorneys and 25% have served in the military.  One surprising figure was that of all the candidates for US Congress 49% held no prior elected office and only 33% have state legislative experience.

      The American Motorcyclist Association’s Political Action Committee (AMPAC) donated $37,250 to 52 Congressional candidates with a success rate of 91% of our recipients being elected into office.