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| ARRA August newletter - ATV | OHV News - Rides | ATV News and Events - Can-Am Headquarters ...Aurora Wheelers ATV Forum | ||||||||||||||||
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outlandish AWF Admin 
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August, 2005 Newsletter Recreational Trails Program Miracles do happen in Washington, even in July! After months of writing about it, we are pleased to report to you that the Congress has finally passed the highway authorization bill. This means the Recreational Trails Program has been reauthorized for five more years with an increase in authorized funding of $370,000,000. This is a major accomplishment! Many recreation groups have worked very hard to shepherd this program through a very lengthy reauthorization process. The fact that RTP was not only reauthorized but also received a significant increase in authorized funding is very good news. ARRA members have consistently been in touch with their Senators and Representatives urging support for RTP, and this hard work has finally paid off. Congratulations to all who have supported this important program. New Forest Service Report on OHV Recreation Hot of the press, the Forest Service has just released a major study on OHV recreation. This is an excellent report with a wealth of information. OHV enthusiasts will find this to be a very good resource for OHV data. The report is called: Off Highway Vehicle Recreation in the United States, Regions and States. To access this report, please go to this link: http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/OHV_final_report.pdf. Oversight Hearing on OHV Recreation On July 13th, two subcommittees of the House Resources Committee, the Subcommittee on National Parks and the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, held a joint hearing on OHV recreation on public lands. The lead witness was Dale Bosworth, the Chief of the U. S. Forest Service. Chief Bosworth talked about the growing popularity of OHV recreation on Forest Service land and the need for the agency to do a better job of managing this activity. Bosworth made specific mention of the proposed rule on designated OHV routes that is currently under consideration by his agency. ARRA along with the American Motorcyclist Association, the Blue Ribbon Coalition and the Off-Road Business Association were all invited to testify as well. If you care to read what I had to say at the hearing, please click here. ESA Reform A movement is afoot in the House of Representatives to begin a process of reforming the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Richard Pombo, Chairman of the House Resources Committee, has said that he hopes his committee will consider revising the Act to reflect new scientific standards for determining threatened species of plants and animals. The last time ESA was authorized by the Congress was back in 1992. It seems to us that after 13 years, it’s time for another thorough review of the Act. It can’t hurt to examine the Act to see what is working well and what areas are in need of improvement. Since the Act is often used to declare certain public lands off limits to various types of recreational activities because of an endangered plant or animal, recreational groups will have an interest in how this debate plays out. Chairman Pombo has his work cut out for him. Even before he circulated a draft outline of his ideas for ESA reform, the environmental community was attacking his intentions. We anticipate that the process will be lengthy and very contentious. But we also think it is long overdue and merits the time and effort on the part of all members of the House Resources Committee. This is certainly an issue of importance to ARRA and we will be working on it in the months ahead. We wish Chairman Pombo good luck and success. Unfortunately, the success won’t come without a little bit of luck considering the commotion his efforts will generate on the part of anti-access organizations. August Much of the nation was gripped by hot, humid weather during the month of July. Farmers in the midwest are concerned that the lack of rain will diminish crop harvests come fall. And many vacation destinations have seen a fall-off in attendance due to the extreme heat. The heat index for Washington’s weather during the next few days is supposed to be around 105 degrees. So, here’s hoping for cooler weather and an enjoyable August for all ARRA members. Come Labor Day, the Congress will return to work with a full plate of unfinished business. As a result, we also expect that the fall will also be a busy time for ARRA. In the meantime, please enjoy August with your family. And remember, encourage all your family and friends to recreate responsibly! Sincerely, Larry E. Smith Executive Director Americans for Responsible Recreational Access
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