Ventura Star Article - "Quotes"

[hrlyman]

Article re-produced from another thread: My comments in BLUE where applicable


This spring, as the future of off-road driving in California is debated, plenty of mud is flying.

"It's the worst time we have ever had in 35 years," said Ed Walheim, president of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association, one of the groups that orchestrated the lobby days. "It's never been worse than it is right now." The state Legislature is debating a bill that deals with how off-road programs such as the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area are funded. Environmentalists are ratcheting up their efforts to get more money for closing and restoring off-road hot-spots. And the off-road drivers are trying to convince the legislators that theirs is a growing sport that needs more money to accommodate the family activity.

[hrlyman]

THE ISSUE:

"There appears to be a significant tension between the OHV (off-highway vehicle) riders and their organizations and the environmental community around a series of issues," said Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, the author of a bill aimed at appeasing both sides. "It's just a matter of finding the proverbial middle ground."
Off-road drivers want to make sure enough money is dedicated to maintain trails, enforce laws and create new legal places to ride, whereas environmentalists want more money for restoration and more set aside for other activities besides motorcycling and all-terrain vehicle riding. The two groups have long fought over access, who should be allowed on what trails and how much noise is acceptable in the areas.

THE BILL- and WHAT IT OFFERS:


Steinberg introduced a bill that would provide more money for both the off-road drivers and the environmentalists. His bill would raise the "green sticker" tax on off-road vehicles to $75 every other year and increase the attendance fees at the eight State Vehicular Recreation Areas to $10 for every vehicle that drives into the park. Even if the off-road funding formula was changed — which might not happen because the Department of Parks and Recreation could ignore the study — there would be more money for off-road driving, he said.
Steinberg said he's getting considerable pressure from both sides to have their interests included in Senate Bill 742, which is scheduled to go Tuesday to the Natural Resources and Water committee. Both sides are saying his bill could be pivotal in the way off-road driving is managed in the future.

[hrlyman]

WHAT THE ENVIROS ARE SAYING:


"This is our one opportunity for the next five to 10 years to positively reinforce the OHV program," said Brent Schoradt, deputy policy director for the California Wilderness Coalition, one of the nearly two-dozen environmental groups fighting to have their voices heard.

Schoradt likens this battle to the one against logging or mining and says this is his group's first priority now. (If they want to fight us, bring it on)

He wants more money dedicated to restoring areas that have had erosion, plant damage and other problems as a result of off-road driving. He said too much of the gas tax is going to off-road areas when in reality, many people in off-road vehicles are just driving on dirt roads to get to fishing holes, hiking trails and camping spots. More money needs to be given toward those activities, he said.
Schoradt said he'd like to see a program that, like illegal fishing, takes away offenders' property if they are caught driving off-road illegally. Others say some change in the distribution of funds is needed. (Ok Im sorry but a $7000 MX bike is a little different than a bamboo pole and a tackle box, what a fool!)

"A disproportionate amount of those monies are being spent on the benefit of dirt bikes and ATVs," said Al Sanders, conservation chair of Los Padres chapter of the Sierra Club. "What I'm trying to do is get a better mix on how those funds are used."

[hrlyman]

WHAT the MX'ers ARE SAYING:


‘We are under attack'
But off-road drivers see this as another in a long line of assaults on their sport. "It's come to a point where we are under attack on almost a daily basis," said Mike Koroknay, president of the Ventura County Motorcycle Club. He said environmentalists want to shut down areas of riding and that "restoration" means nothing but closing an area permanently. "We should have an equal say and equal participation in the way we get to use our public lands."

He and others said more money in the program needs to go toward maintaining trails, enforcing laws and developing more areas for the increasing number of people who are riding them.

Under Steinberg's' bill, national forests would have to go through a rigorous, competitive grant process. Whereas grants in the past could be general, the new grant system would require the Forest Service to specify what the money is for.

Trails would have to be closed
Last year, Los Padres National Forest got $124,000 from the state OHV program, a fraction of the $1.25 million for which it applied. Bruce Emmens, public use and facility staff officer with the forest, said money helps maintain trails while preserving the environment.
Though no trail closures are planned, Emmens said if he lost significant funding and unacceptable damage was being done because of lack of maintenance, trails would have to be closed. Keith Stockham of Frazier Park rides a motorcycle in the forest and in Hungry Valley quite a bit. He said Hungry Valley can be overcrowded on the weekends and if anything, more places are needed to ride as the sport becomes more popular. More than 540,000 people visited the park in 2004, compared to fewer than 100,000 in 1997. "It would definitely impact a lot of people if they started closing it down," he said of riding areas.

[andymoto]

What percentage of land in the State of California is used for OHV purposes? Hungry Valley gets 540,000 visits last year compared to 100,000 in '97? And to get 1/10 of their funding needs?

Lets quickly designate a protest day to get those from South, North and Central to come to the Capitol to get signs, info sheet/packets and pack the Capitol with the people that pay to use our lands and not let the enviros get their one chance to stick it to us. I mean pack in block after block after block.

Its a shame that a miniscule amount seem to care (at least on this site) when all the enviros are laughing at how easy we are to push around. And a portion, no matter how small or large(more large) is going to their projects of closing trails permanentally so they can 'RESTORATE' them to their former original state.......That's where the biggest portion of OHV money is going. Just ask the OHV commission and who (mostly anti-OHV people) are on the commission.

If that's ok with you guys-- why should we have to pay green sticker fees if we go to places to practices/races that are NOT funded in any way by the Green Sticker fund? Why should I ride and race at Dixon, Sandhill, E, CM, wherever that is not an OHV funded area?

I at least think we should have a choice if were NOT riding at Green Sticker parks not having to pay a $75 fee every two years? It's everyone's money, that should make ya mad enough, especially the ones buying two and three or more bikes a YEAR? $225-$300 a year for what? Practicing at NON sticker riding areas?

Ed Waldheim, lets get a protest together real quick like.

[NOR*CAL54]

The sierra club said we got twice the amount of money we should have. 59 million. Now how many ohv areas are there in ca?? And where exactly has all that money gone?? Is that 59 million separate from the green sticker funds?

[andymoto]

Originally Posted by NOR*CAL54

The sierra club said we got twice the amount of money we should have. 59 million. Now how many ohv areas are there in ca?? And where exactly has all that money gone?? Is that 59 million separate from the green sticker funds?

I think what youre talking about is that Fuel Tax Study that the SC is justifying raising the Green Sticker fees. If wrong, sorry, I think SC says we get way too much money from this Fuel Tax Fund since the price of gas has more than doubled. Whatever the case, they love to attack, attack, attack.

Lots of sticker $ gone to "Restoration" projects-meaning closing former riding areas permanently. There is suppose to be a listing of public record as to where and how our money is being spent. Where, dunno.

[TomMason1968]

Originally Posted by hrlyman

W Schoradt said he'd like to see a program that, like illegal fishing, takes away offenders' property if they are caught driving off-road illegally. Others say some change in the distribution of funds is needed. (Ok Im sorry but a $7000 MX bike is a little different than a bamboo pole and a tackle box, what a fool!)

Yea so they can sell them and bank the money for some other program.

[hrlyman]

Originally Posted by TomMason1968

Yea so they can sell them and bank the money for some other program.

Yea I can see it now (on Ebay)

Slightly Used Motocross Bikes....

will trade for TREES!!!!!!

Call GOVERNOR SCHWARTZY!!!!!!

1-800-ILL BEBAC

[andymoto]

Now he's at Georgetown U with Gov. of New York bragging about all the magazine articles talking about climate change and OF COURSE, MENTIONING HIS COVER ON NEWSWEEK, holding the earth in one hand.

Too bad all the revenues from sales tax, fuel tax, green sticker tax, entrance to park fees "tax" that law abididing riders gets robbed from us..
Maybe one day Ill try riding again with the ol pacemaker/defib, but they aint gettin my tax dollars- for what- to 'restore' and area that'll never be open again for riding?
How much of this issue of climate change is or isnt true, We riders don't make a fraction of the pollution that the millions of broken down Pintos, Tauras's or whatever make EVERYDAY. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
The OHV parks we have are of no use to the state (Prarie got old Aerojet pollution in ground). dont think these OHV lands are the most precious lands in the world. They got flaws that dont allow developers to develope housing tracs, warehouse lots, etc
Wouldnt doubt no more than 5 -less than 10% are dedicated lands to OHV purposes. And Hungry Valley gets 5 times more ridership in 10 yrs, but 1/10 of their funding needs. Explain that formula to me?
One day it will be a law only OHV's can be used on one or two days/week.
but if everyone's happy with that, good, glad to hear it. For all the Ed Waldheims that try and protect our riding rights, sorry Ed, some of us are trying, but no one seems to care. We appreciate what you've done.