Land grab in Utah

Posted December 1, 2009

The U.S. representative from New York who is sponsoring U.S. House bill H.R. 1925, which would close 9.4 million acres to off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding in Utah, has sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar requesting the secretary use his administrative powers to close those lands.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), along with 88 other U.S. representatives who joined Hinchey in sending the letter, is asking for the administrative action while the House debates H.R. 1925, also called America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009.

Not a single representative from Utah supports H.R. 1925, which would designate 9.4 million acres managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as Wilderness.

Once land is designated as Wilderness, no vehicles, including motorcycles, ATVs or bicycles, are allowed on that land. Even horseback riding would be limited.

"It is outrageous that Rep. Hinchey would attempt to bypass congressional procedures to put into motion the intentions of a bill that lacks the support of even one representative from the state that bill would impact," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "This attempt is even more shocking in the sense that much of the land in question does not even meet the definition of Wilderness included in federal law. According to the Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness can only apply to lands 'retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation.'"

Included in the 9.4 million acres that the representative from New York wants to close forever to Utah's OHV community are existing OHV riding areas around Moab, the San Rafael Swell and Chimney Rock. These popular OHV areas represent some of the most important remaining OHV recreation areas in Utah, and are some of the most popular with responsible OHV riders. The targeted areas also include existing roads and developments.

H.R. 1925 would be particularly harmful coming on the heels of the recently enacted Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which closed more than 2 million acres of public lands. This vast Wilderness bill would take away additional recreation opportunities that stimulate the local economies and are currently enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike.

The AMA is calling on all motorcyclists and OHV enthusiasts to help stop H.R. 1925. The fastest way to reach your U.S. representative is a telephone call. You can find contact information for your elected officials by entering your zip code in the Issues and Legislation section of this website. A pre-written e-mail is also available to send to your representative by following the "Take Action" option after entering your information at the above location.

To see the Utah delegation and Ranking Member Doc Hastings speak out against H.R. 1925, click here.

The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on Oct. 1 to consider H.R. 1925. To view a video recording of that hearing, click here.

To read the AMA's press release on the subcommittee hearing, click here.

© 2009, All Terrain Vehicle Association

 

Yep, I saw that today. They are trying to go around the "make it a law" process. It would be sad to see this happen as the economy in Utah has a big part played by tourism of the motorized sort. Just some more Eastern liberals trying to tell the rest of the country how to live. They'd make great dictators.

 

? Utah does not gain a big part of it's tourism economy from motorized sports.

? "dictators"

 

Highly unlikely. Shot for the stars and take anything they can get kind of deal. It's not Wilderness, although Congress can designate anything they want Wilderness with enough votes. The main point of the bill is to hold back oil and gas exploration, which has limited national value (1 days worth of oil / 1 week of gas). They want to keep the off-road vehicles out because the trails create legal issues for creating Wilderness, which keep the oil and gas guys out.

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Hummm. Looks as though something might pass, but not the bill as constructed. Not sure what "a series of smaller measures" means in the long haul

"But administrative support may be difficult to come by, and Utah's entire delegation is dead set in opposition.
Rather than create 9.3 million acres of wilderness in one bill, Interior yesterday suggested a series of smaller measures."

If this passes, I'm packing the XP for a Utah trip. -Just got back from AZ the other day. Was out at a Forest Service meeting. The southwest sure is sweet. It was 70 and sunny in Tempe. Perfect wheeler weather.

 

A single dictator can make edicts that will effect the lives, prosperity, and other aspects of other's lives without approval from anybody. I hope I'm wrong but I get the feeling that many things are going to be "enacted" by cabinet heads without congressional approval. I wish I could find it but there was an article a week or two ago that spoke of the Interior Secretary being asked to make a decision by the same congresswoman that originally introduced the bill itself. I don't know if cabinet level officials can make these kinds of sweeping decisions and if they would have the power of law or not. Anybody?

 

Im not up on the atv part of it.

But i was reading in the local paper here recently in Wy & on the net about Utah sueing the fed over( federal) land rights & states rights & land use issues.

Had more to do with mining & drilling i think- the fed making the lands off limits to such things. And in doing so depriving the state & its ppls moneys, jobs, funding to there school systems etc if i understood it right.

I wish them luck. They( Utah) as well as Wy & SD i believe just passed some gun laws this yr exempting guns made within the state from federal laws & controls ,taxes etc.

But dont quote me on every detail there- my memory is getting worse *& the older i get the more its like a pasta drainer.