U.S. House Kills Bill that
Would Have Closed 2 Million Acres to Off-Highway
Riding
Pickerington, OH (3/12/2009)
- In a major victory for off-highway motorcycle
and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders, the U.S.
House on Wednesday, March 11, voted down a bill
that would have banned motorized vehicles from
more than 2 million acres of public land.
The bill -- Senate Bill 22: The Omnibus Public
Land Management Act of 2009 -- failed to get the
required two-thirds vote of the House members
for approval. The vote was 282 yes to 144 no,
with six lawmakers abstaining.
The bill had raised the ire of the AMA and others
not only because it was a package of more than
160 bills put together to form a single bill more
than 1,300 pages long, but also because it was
fast-tracked through the Senate earlier this year
and then positioned for a final House vote without
the consideration of House members on more than
70 bills in the package.
"ATVA and AMA members played a significant
role in the defeat of this bill," said Ed
Moreland, AMA/ATVA vice president for government
relations. "We asked all ATVA and AMA members,
off-highway motorcyclists, ATV riders and everyone
who supports responsible outdoor recreation to
immediately contact their congressional representative
and ask them to reject the bill. And people responded,
flooding their lawmakers with requests to vote
'no.'"
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), a leading voice
opposing the measure, agreed: "This bill
was the poor product of a poor process, and it
would have cut off reasonable access for a whole
host of activities on our public lands. I think
it's correct to say that the defeat of this bill
today was a victory for Americans who appreciate
access, such as the millions of folks who enjoy
responsible recreation on our public lands.
"This specific fight is certainly not over,
but the grassroots lobbying so far has definitely
helped our cause," Bishop said.
Speaking on the House floor before the vote,
U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) warned that the
bill "bans recreational access to millions
of acres of public land despite proponents claims
that it will protect vast new land areas for the
appreciation of Americans. Lands that citizens
currently use for enjoyment will be barricaded
from recreational vehicle use."
Moreland noted that other land-access groups
were also involved in fighting this measure, including
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access,
the BlueRibbon Coalition, the Motorcycle Industry
Council, the Off-Road Business Association, the
American Council of Snowmobile Associations and
others.
The bill was written poorly, lumping together
so many different proposals, Moreland said. Additionally,
it would have unreasonably banned responsible
motorized recreation on more than 2 million acres
of public land by inappropriately designating
it as Wilderness. The procedures used for fast-tracking
the bill through the legislative process also
violated the spirit of open and democratic government.
Moreland warned, however, that while the AMA
is cautiously optimistic about the outcome of
today's vote, this bill, or one very similar to
it, could re-emerge in another form soon. Riders
must remain vigilant.
An easy way to stay on top of issues affecting
motorcycling is to sign up for the AMA/ATVA Government
Relations Department's Action E-list in the Rapid
Response Center on this website. That way you
can be notified by e-mail when you can make a
difference on important issues.
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Pickerington, OH 43147-0800 |
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