4x4Voice

CA4WDC NRC South - Oct 2012 (for South District Meeting)

OHMVR Funding Study - Current project is a funding study of OHMVR Grants, OHV registration,  SVRA attendance and OHMVR operations costs.  I am waiting on response to a Public Records Act request that is expected to be delivered early November.

Dinky Landscape Restoration Project - Sierra NF project with potential impact on a number of OHV trails; Swamp Lake, Bald Mtn, and Dusey.  USFS effort is a major fuels reduction project and protection of Pacific Fisher, Great Gray Owl, and Goshawk.  One sub-project, the Bald Mountain Project, is being reviewed. Within the Cow Creek Critical Aquatic Refuge, decommissioning of NFS roads 9S402 and 9S402A is proposed. Currently, both roads are closed year round to public use

USFS Planning Rule -- The Forest Service Planning Rule has been a very contentious issue for the past decade.  Under the Organic Act of 1897, the purpose of the national forest system is conservation of water flow and assurance of a continuous supply of timber. In 1960, the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act added a mandate for the concepts of multiple use and sustained yield. Under the 1976 National Forest Management Act, the agency is required to adopt rules (the Planning Rule) for writing land use plans. 

CA4WDC has joined with BlueRibbon Coalition American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and a broad group of other national and regional interests in a lawsuit to overturn the new Forest Service Planning Rule adopted April 2012. According to the Complaint, the new Rule violates the statutory requirements Congress has given the agency to prepare forest plans to provide for multiple uses of outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish. The Rule instead elevates the vague concepts of “ecological sustainability” and “ecosystem services” such as carbon storage and spiritual values above all else which will lead to years of lawsuits over new forest plans and forest management projects.

To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. Hamlet's soliloquy poses a complex question that can be re-phrased: To litigate, or not to litigate, that is the question...A complex question that needs some background to explain.  The California OHV program was created in 1971 as a self-funded program.  The primary funding is derived from registration of off-road vehicles, entries fees to State Vehicle Recreation Areas (SVRA), and revenue derived from a calculation of the motor vehicle fuel tax paid for fuel used in off-highway recreation.  In 2007, SB-742 was approved by a near unanimous vote and changed the motor vehicle fuel tax revenue to be derived from a calculation based on the actual number of OHV recreation-related public land visitor-use-days.

The California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs has submitted a letter to California Governor Brown requesting that OHV Local Assistance Grants be restored to their prior year levels.  Grant funding is capped at $10 million for the current year.  Cal4Wheel is requesting that funds identified within the "hidden funds" held by State Parks as OHV Trust Fund monies be released to fully fund the grants program.

The Local Assistance Grants are an important part of the state OHV program by helping maintain trails on public lands managed by US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

In addition to the Governor, the letter was provided to all Member of the Assembly and State Senate Budget Committees with oversight of California State Parks.  A copy of the letter is included below:

Eldorado - The Eldorado National Forest is free from preservationist litigation attacking a Travel Management Plan that originally closed just over 900 miles of roads and trails. Today (July 31) Senior U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton issued his final order and judgment in a case originally filed in 2009.  

The Court's May 2011 decision on the merits largely upheld the Eldorado travel management decision, denying preservationist demands for even more closures. Sadly, the court required further proceedings to address Endangered Species Act procedures concerning 42 routes that cross meadows.  Today's order and final judgment, which terminates the case, determines that the Forest has fully complied with any Endangered Species Act concerns and adopts the Forest Service's proposed remedy over preservationist objections for continued travel along the meadow routes.  According to the Forest Service, the meadow routes encompass a total of about 135 miles.  Under today's order, access will be restored on about 46 miles of those routes, while about 89 miles will remain closed.

The ink is dry on the California budget and details are coming into focus.  So, what about the OHMVR program?  What about the future of OHV recreation in the state of California? The OHMVR budget is linked to the California State Parks budget. Now, for the rest of the story...

While news headlines claim nearly all California State Parks will remain open, the angst caused by Senator Simitian and the California State Parks Foundation ended as no benefit to the Parks and a detriment to OHMVR program.