DaveInDaytona
05-07-2004, 11:46 PM
June 2004
AMA Government Relations News & Notes is a monthly service compiled and edited by the AMA Government Relations Staff to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world. We welcome your news & views. Please submit all material to Terry Lee Cook, Government Relations Specialist, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147; fax 614-856-1920 or e-mail to tcook@ama-cycle.org.
US Supreme Court justices seemed unsympathetic during opening arguments of a lawsuit that accused the federal government of doing too little to protect undeveloped land in Utah's back country from off-road vehicles.
The court is considering whether citizens can sue to force the federal Bureau of Land Management to more aggressively safeguard land that is being considered for wilderness designation.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said critics of land managers seemed to be trying to use a legal shortcut to force changes. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said it sounds like certain organizations are trying to take over running the agency.
The case asks the court to clarify when a federal agency can be sued for failing to follow a congressional mandate. In this case, the mandate involves preserving areas that may be considered for special government protection.
Congress makes the final decision on extending wilderness protection. But land managers are supposed to preserve candidate areas in pristine condition in case Congress decides they should be formally protected. The Southern Utah Wilderness Association sued BLM, arguing land managers were doing too little and asking the judge to order them to be more aggressive in protecting Utah wilderness study areas.
The Bush administration maintains that the lawsuit filed in 1999 by the group was premature because it did not challenge a final agency action, only day-to-day management decisions.
The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the department could be sued for allowing damage to the lands. Justices will decide by July whether to overturn that decision. The case is Norton v. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
The Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC), along with Utahs USA-All, filed to intervene in this lawsuit. This case will set precedence because rather than a challenge of a BLM management decision, it is a challenge to their management and implementation of a plan. (Associated Press)
British National Motorcycle Week is being launched to raise the profile of motorcycling in the UK and demonstrate the positive aspects associated with motorcycling. The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is responsible for coordinating the event that will take place from July 25th - July 31st. During the week events can be organized by riders, motorcycle clubs, cafes, bars, road safety teams, local authorities and other organizations. Activities taking place across the country will feature rider breakfasts, group rides, competitions, concerts and displays.
People who are interested in running an event during the week or finding out more information are invited to go to the website www.mcia.co.uk - Event packs and competition forms will be available from this site.
China, the world's leading motorcycle producer, has begun banning motorcycles in urban areas. Currently, nearly 100 large and medium-size cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi'an, ban or limit the use of motorcycles to curb increasing air pollution, accident rates and crime. Analysts estimate that China will not have an urban market for motorcycles by 2010 if more cities continue to ban their use.
Since 1994, cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Nantong have stopped issuing licenses to new motorcycles. In Shanghai, many motorcycle shops have been shut down recently.
In 2002, the city of Guangzhou (formerly Canton), shortened the service life of motorcycles to 8 or 10 years from the previous 13 years, and is offering cash rewards to owners who discard their bikes before their "end of life" expires. Within 3 months, the city will begin phasing out motorcycles, leading up to a total ban by 2007.
The Chinese government is following a "no encouragement and no support" policy towards the motorcycle industry, despite the fact that for the seventh year in a row China has produced more motorcycles than any other country, 13 million annually, with more than 3 million exported to foreign markets every year. (China Business Weekly)
Justice for All, a new American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) program to focus attention on inadequate sentencing of drivers who seriously injure or kill motorcyclists, and to push for laws with tougher penalties, now has an internet home: www.AMADirectlink.com/justice.
In these pages youll find a description of the program, along with ways that you can help make Justice for All a reality in your state. Weve also included dozens of useful articles from American Motorcyclist magazine, AMADirectlink.com, and media outside the motorcycling world.
Now you can show the world that motorcyclists want Justice -- display a Justice for All decal on your helmet or bike, or slap a bumper sticker on your four-wheeler or trailer. Were also offering informative flyers that you can distribute at club meetings or at your local dealer.
You can get started for just $8.00 with a Justice for All kit -- shipping is included, and proceeds go directly back into the Justice for All program.
For more information about Justice for All, send an e-mail to justice@amadirectlink.com, or call 1-800-AMA-JOIN.
Californias Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area public land wars have broken down along familiar lines again, prompted by a new federal study citing the economic impact of closing areas of the popular Valley recreation site.
Both off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and environmentalists say the study, measuring the costs to the regional economy from closures related to the endangered Peirson's milk-vetch, are inadequate and skewed and maintain no hard numbers are being presented.
A 121-page draft report by the US Fish and Wildlife Service made available in April evaluates the impact closures of the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the dunes for critical habitat of the Peirson's milk-vetch would have on the economies of Yuma and Imperial counties.
According to Fish and Wildlife's report, in 2003 there were an estimated 162,000 trips to the Glamis management area of the ISDRA by OHV recreationists, who spend an average of $390 per trip, totaling around $63 million for the economies of the Imperial and Yuma counties.
The study claims that lost revenue to Imperial County over past closures ranges from $11 million to $22 million for revenue, 227 to 443 jobs and up to $1.46 million in tax money. (BLM)
North Carolinas Graham County, home of such world-famous roads as the Cherohala Skyway, the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, is offering a chance to win an Aprilia Caponord motorcycle for every night you stay in participating motels, lodges, inns, resorts, vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, or private campgrounds until November 30. For each night of lodging you get one free ticket for this drawing. The winner will be selected on December 6, 2004 at the Graham County Travel and Tourism Meeting. For further information and a list of participating merchants call 800-470-3790 or go to www.grahamcountytravel.com.
The Bush administration has advised the US Forest Service to eliminate reviews of its actions by other federal agencies for compliance with endangered species, clean water, and historical preservation laws.
The agency plans to remove any consultation or other "process" it deems unrelated to "the Four Threats" - fire risk, invasive species, unmanaged recreation and loss of open land - according to a memo detailing instructions given by Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. (Environment News Service)
The 13th Annual National Ride To Work Day will be July 21, 2004. The day can be an opportunity to make the point that motorcyclists are ordinary people of all ages and professions; that motorcycles get better gas mileage than cars, helping conserve resources; that they can ease traffic congestion and save parking spaces; and that they are much less damaging to the nations highway system than cars and trucks.
Andy Goldfine, founder of Aerostich and newly elected member of the AMA Board of Directors, believes the world would be a better place if more people rode motorcycles to work. And hes doing his best to make that happen.
Goldfine has always been a believer in motorcycle commuting. Several years ago, he started actively promoting the concept with a takeoff on the old Ride to Live, Live to Ride slogan. Except that the Ride to Work half of his slogan meant literally that: Get on your bike and ride to work.
What started as a T-shirt turned into a movement. A number of people, chief among them Fred Rau and Bob and Patti Carpenter from the Motorcycle Consumer News staff, encouraged Goldfine to declare one day each summer as Ride to Work Day, encouraging all motorcyclists to take to the streets that day.
In the years since, Ride to Work Day has become a reality on the third Wednesday of July, which makes it July 21 this year (for details, see www.ridetowork.org). Its now a major grassroots campaign with the backing of the AMA and many other groups.
Clearfield, Wisconsin residents will decide the fate of proposed ATV routes after the Town Board decided unanimously to place the issue on the November ballot as a referendum question.
More than fifty people, from a town of 737, voiced opinions during a recent meeting on opening several town roads to ATV travel. While some of the residents voiced concern with safety and disturbance issues, many expressed interest in providing designated routes for ATV travel. The proposal is part of a larger plan to connect routes between other ATV riding areas and possible future trails located on county property. (Clearfield Star-Times)
The American Motorcyclist Associations Ride Straight initially launched last year, with part of the plan to use public-service announcements (PSAs). To help educate motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding. The Ride Straight PSAsone for TV and three for radiowere produced by Chet Burks Productions and feature two familiar voices. Dave Despain, host of Speed Channels Wind Tunnel, lends his dulcet tones to all four spots and appears in the TV version; and the voice of Brian Drebber, the popular motorsports commentator who most recently called the Daytona 200, can be heard at the end of each PSA. Point your browser to www.ridestraight.org/support/psa.asp to see (and hear) for yourself.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Hollister, CA office - which oversees nearly 100,000 acres in San Benito County - is revising its resource management plan and wants local residents to get involved. The plan would cover the entire Central Coast region, including nearly 300,000 acres in 11 counties. The region last updated its resource management plan, which guides how the land is used, in 1984.
BLM regions are required to update their resource management plans periodically, about once every 10 years. Public meetings will be held from May 3 to Aug. 2 in at least three locations in the area. Meeting dates will be announced through newsletters and the BLM Web site, www.ca.blm.gov.
The AMA has honored Larry Schwartz, president of AMA District 3, with the AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, for his efforts in the fight to protect motorcyclists' rights. The award was presented by AMA Board of Directors Chairman Rick Gray on April 17, 2004, at the AMA District 3 Awards Banquet in Climax, New York.
The AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, the Association's top honor for government-relations activities, was created to recognize AMA members who work as advocates before lawmakers and government officials, to promote motorcycling and protect its future.
Schwartz is lobbyist for AMA District 3, founder of AMA PAC (the state-level political action committee), and president of AMA Community Council-Capital Area. Hes been involved with the introduction and passage of legislation requiring a motorcycle-awareness component in the states driver-education curriculum, introduction of right-of-way legislation based on the AMAs Motorcyclists Matter campaign, working with state agency officials to create and use motorcycle-specific construction-zone signs, and securing equitable toll rates for riders on the New York Thruway. Schwartz also serves New Yorks off-road riding community, working closely with the New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Association to create an OHV trails program.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed ATV friendly SB277 and AB530. SB277 will provide an estimated 1 million additional dollars toward ATV trail projects across Wisconsin through increased registration fees and by the enactment of a new non-resident trail pass. Additional county and state law enforcement is now available, along with the re-establishment for the safety enhancement grant program. SB-277 also establishes more precise and stringent sound level language along with mandatory ATV safety course requirements being phased in.
AB-530 establishes legal authority to make use of established bridges over the state designated wild rivers by ATV and snowmobile riders without having to build new trails that further preserves the beauty and back country of Florence County. This bill also provides a trail connection from Florence County to Marinette County.
AMA Government Relations News & Notes is a monthly service compiled and edited by the AMA Government Relations Staff to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world. We welcome your news & views. Please submit all material to Terry Lee Cook, Government Relations Specialist, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147; fax 614-856-1920 or e-mail to tcook@ama-cycle.org.
US Supreme Court justices seemed unsympathetic during opening arguments of a lawsuit that accused the federal government of doing too little to protect undeveloped land in Utah's back country from off-road vehicles.
The court is considering whether citizens can sue to force the federal Bureau of Land Management to more aggressively safeguard land that is being considered for wilderness designation.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said critics of land managers seemed to be trying to use a legal shortcut to force changes. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said it sounds like certain organizations are trying to take over running the agency.
The case asks the court to clarify when a federal agency can be sued for failing to follow a congressional mandate. In this case, the mandate involves preserving areas that may be considered for special government protection.
Congress makes the final decision on extending wilderness protection. But land managers are supposed to preserve candidate areas in pristine condition in case Congress decides they should be formally protected. The Southern Utah Wilderness Association sued BLM, arguing land managers were doing too little and asking the judge to order them to be more aggressive in protecting Utah wilderness study areas.
The Bush administration maintains that the lawsuit filed in 1999 by the group was premature because it did not challenge a final agency action, only day-to-day management decisions.
The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the department could be sued for allowing damage to the lands. Justices will decide by July whether to overturn that decision. The case is Norton v. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
The Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC), along with Utahs USA-All, filed to intervene in this lawsuit. This case will set precedence because rather than a challenge of a BLM management decision, it is a challenge to their management and implementation of a plan. (Associated Press)
British National Motorcycle Week is being launched to raise the profile of motorcycling in the UK and demonstrate the positive aspects associated with motorcycling. The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is responsible for coordinating the event that will take place from July 25th - July 31st. During the week events can be organized by riders, motorcycle clubs, cafes, bars, road safety teams, local authorities and other organizations. Activities taking place across the country will feature rider breakfasts, group rides, competitions, concerts and displays.
People who are interested in running an event during the week or finding out more information are invited to go to the website www.mcia.co.uk - Event packs and competition forms will be available from this site.
China, the world's leading motorcycle producer, has begun banning motorcycles in urban areas. Currently, nearly 100 large and medium-size cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi'an, ban or limit the use of motorcycles to curb increasing air pollution, accident rates and crime. Analysts estimate that China will not have an urban market for motorcycles by 2010 if more cities continue to ban their use.
Since 1994, cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Nantong have stopped issuing licenses to new motorcycles. In Shanghai, many motorcycle shops have been shut down recently.
In 2002, the city of Guangzhou (formerly Canton), shortened the service life of motorcycles to 8 or 10 years from the previous 13 years, and is offering cash rewards to owners who discard their bikes before their "end of life" expires. Within 3 months, the city will begin phasing out motorcycles, leading up to a total ban by 2007.
The Chinese government is following a "no encouragement and no support" policy towards the motorcycle industry, despite the fact that for the seventh year in a row China has produced more motorcycles than any other country, 13 million annually, with more than 3 million exported to foreign markets every year. (China Business Weekly)
Justice for All, a new American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) program to focus attention on inadequate sentencing of drivers who seriously injure or kill motorcyclists, and to push for laws with tougher penalties, now has an internet home: www.AMADirectlink.com/justice.
In these pages youll find a description of the program, along with ways that you can help make Justice for All a reality in your state. Weve also included dozens of useful articles from American Motorcyclist magazine, AMADirectlink.com, and media outside the motorcycling world.
Now you can show the world that motorcyclists want Justice -- display a Justice for All decal on your helmet or bike, or slap a bumper sticker on your four-wheeler or trailer. Were also offering informative flyers that you can distribute at club meetings or at your local dealer.
You can get started for just $8.00 with a Justice for All kit -- shipping is included, and proceeds go directly back into the Justice for All program.
For more information about Justice for All, send an e-mail to justice@amadirectlink.com, or call 1-800-AMA-JOIN.
Californias Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area public land wars have broken down along familiar lines again, prompted by a new federal study citing the economic impact of closing areas of the popular Valley recreation site.
Both off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and environmentalists say the study, measuring the costs to the regional economy from closures related to the endangered Peirson's milk-vetch, are inadequate and skewed and maintain no hard numbers are being presented.
A 121-page draft report by the US Fish and Wildlife Service made available in April evaluates the impact closures of the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the dunes for critical habitat of the Peirson's milk-vetch would have on the economies of Yuma and Imperial counties.
According to Fish and Wildlife's report, in 2003 there were an estimated 162,000 trips to the Glamis management area of the ISDRA by OHV recreationists, who spend an average of $390 per trip, totaling around $63 million for the economies of the Imperial and Yuma counties.
The study claims that lost revenue to Imperial County over past closures ranges from $11 million to $22 million for revenue, 227 to 443 jobs and up to $1.46 million in tax money. (BLM)
North Carolinas Graham County, home of such world-famous roads as the Cherohala Skyway, the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, is offering a chance to win an Aprilia Caponord motorcycle for every night you stay in participating motels, lodges, inns, resorts, vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, or private campgrounds until November 30. For each night of lodging you get one free ticket for this drawing. The winner will be selected on December 6, 2004 at the Graham County Travel and Tourism Meeting. For further information and a list of participating merchants call 800-470-3790 or go to www.grahamcountytravel.com.
The Bush administration has advised the US Forest Service to eliminate reviews of its actions by other federal agencies for compliance with endangered species, clean water, and historical preservation laws.
The agency plans to remove any consultation or other "process" it deems unrelated to "the Four Threats" - fire risk, invasive species, unmanaged recreation and loss of open land - according to a memo detailing instructions given by Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. (Environment News Service)
The 13th Annual National Ride To Work Day will be July 21, 2004. The day can be an opportunity to make the point that motorcyclists are ordinary people of all ages and professions; that motorcycles get better gas mileage than cars, helping conserve resources; that they can ease traffic congestion and save parking spaces; and that they are much less damaging to the nations highway system than cars and trucks.
Andy Goldfine, founder of Aerostich and newly elected member of the AMA Board of Directors, believes the world would be a better place if more people rode motorcycles to work. And hes doing his best to make that happen.
Goldfine has always been a believer in motorcycle commuting. Several years ago, he started actively promoting the concept with a takeoff on the old Ride to Live, Live to Ride slogan. Except that the Ride to Work half of his slogan meant literally that: Get on your bike and ride to work.
What started as a T-shirt turned into a movement. A number of people, chief among them Fred Rau and Bob and Patti Carpenter from the Motorcycle Consumer News staff, encouraged Goldfine to declare one day each summer as Ride to Work Day, encouraging all motorcyclists to take to the streets that day.
In the years since, Ride to Work Day has become a reality on the third Wednesday of July, which makes it July 21 this year (for details, see www.ridetowork.org). Its now a major grassroots campaign with the backing of the AMA and many other groups.
Clearfield, Wisconsin residents will decide the fate of proposed ATV routes after the Town Board decided unanimously to place the issue on the November ballot as a referendum question.
More than fifty people, from a town of 737, voiced opinions during a recent meeting on opening several town roads to ATV travel. While some of the residents voiced concern with safety and disturbance issues, many expressed interest in providing designated routes for ATV travel. The proposal is part of a larger plan to connect routes between other ATV riding areas and possible future trails located on county property. (Clearfield Star-Times)
The American Motorcyclist Associations Ride Straight initially launched last year, with part of the plan to use public-service announcements (PSAs). To help educate motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding. The Ride Straight PSAsone for TV and three for radiowere produced by Chet Burks Productions and feature two familiar voices. Dave Despain, host of Speed Channels Wind Tunnel, lends his dulcet tones to all four spots and appears in the TV version; and the voice of Brian Drebber, the popular motorsports commentator who most recently called the Daytona 200, can be heard at the end of each PSA. Point your browser to www.ridestraight.org/support/psa.asp to see (and hear) for yourself.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Hollister, CA office - which oversees nearly 100,000 acres in San Benito County - is revising its resource management plan and wants local residents to get involved. The plan would cover the entire Central Coast region, including nearly 300,000 acres in 11 counties. The region last updated its resource management plan, which guides how the land is used, in 1984.
BLM regions are required to update their resource management plans periodically, about once every 10 years. Public meetings will be held from May 3 to Aug. 2 in at least three locations in the area. Meeting dates will be announced through newsletters and the BLM Web site, www.ca.blm.gov.
The AMA has honored Larry Schwartz, president of AMA District 3, with the AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, for his efforts in the fight to protect motorcyclists' rights. The award was presented by AMA Board of Directors Chairman Rick Gray on April 17, 2004, at the AMA District 3 Awards Banquet in Climax, New York.
The AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, the Association's top honor for government-relations activities, was created to recognize AMA members who work as advocates before lawmakers and government officials, to promote motorcycling and protect its future.
Schwartz is lobbyist for AMA District 3, founder of AMA PAC (the state-level political action committee), and president of AMA Community Council-Capital Area. Hes been involved with the introduction and passage of legislation requiring a motorcycle-awareness component in the states driver-education curriculum, introduction of right-of-way legislation based on the AMAs Motorcyclists Matter campaign, working with state agency officials to create and use motorcycle-specific construction-zone signs, and securing equitable toll rates for riders on the New York Thruway. Schwartz also serves New Yorks off-road riding community, working closely with the New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Association to create an OHV trails program.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed ATV friendly SB277 and AB530. SB277 will provide an estimated 1 million additional dollars toward ATV trail projects across Wisconsin through increased registration fees and by the enactment of a new non-resident trail pass. Additional county and state law enforcement is now available, along with the re-establishment for the safety enhancement grant program. SB-277 also establishes more precise and stringent sound level language along with mandatory ATV safety course requirements being phased in.
AB-530 establishes legal authority to make use of established bridges over the state designated wild rivers by ATV and snowmobile riders without having to build new trails that further preserves the beauty and back country of Florence County. This bill also provides a trail connection from Florence County to Marinette County.