Hey guys, here's the update I received from ATVAM, as you can see we're close to losing this one. For those in staters, please write our senate and house members, i'll put the list of addresses at the bottom of this post. Just cut and paste into the bcc line of outlook or outlook express and let them know how this affects you.

Out of staters, please help us on this one. If you could take a moment and let our legislators know how this would affect tourism from out of state both hunting/fishing and recreational ATV riding it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

From ATVAM

SF 850 Passes Senate Finance Committee
Future of ATV Riding in Danger

Senate File 850, coauthored by Sen. John Marty, chair of the Senate Environment Policy Committee, and Senator Carrie Ruud, passed out of the Senate Environment Finance Committee on Wednesday, April 30 after 4 hours of testimony. Senator Tom Bakk offered a delete all amendment to counter SF850 but it was rejected by a 7-5 vote of the committee.

Again, this bill is falsely being portrayed as a compromise bill. This is not the case. As in the action taken by the policy committee, we attempted to take a bad piece of legislation and make it into a better bill before it moved out of the committee. Again, we accomplished some of that, but it is still a bill with many provisions we cannot support.

SF 850 will dramatically change the way ATV’s can operate on public lands if it is finally passed by the entire Senate and put into play in the Omnibus Environment Finance conference committee. Fortunately, the House Environment Finance Committee passed as part of its omnibus finance bill HF 1077, authored by Rep. Tom Hackbarth. This bill is strongly supported by ATVAM and other OHV groups.

Senate File 850 essentially bans us (moves to a closed unless posted open policy) from all state forests effective October 2005 except for some 1500 miles of "provisional trails" allowed to be designated during the next two year period, and the existing 600 plus miles of ATV trails. It is very unclear to us what the status of those "provisional trail" miles will be after the two year period has expired. But expect the worst.

SF 850 will also ban ditch riding by the state unless the local road authority decides it wants to allow it in your area. You can be sure our detractors will be fighting us tooth and nail for every mile of ditch riding in the state.

The legislation also spends all but a few hundred thousand dollars from our OHV dedicated accounts in fiscal year 2004. We know that the anti-access crowd has been trying for years to spend down our funds so we are unable to develop permanent trails versus temporary, provisional trails. If allowed, this will greatly impede our ability to develop trails in the future.

These provisional miles were portrayed in testimony before the Senate Environment Finance Committee as the minimum number of trails, then after the vote they were portrayed in the media articles by the bill author as an "adequate trail system" for OHVers.

YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR IMMEDIATELY AND ASK THEM TO ASK THE ENVIRONMENT FINANCE CONFEREES TO REJECT THE SENATE ATV LANGUAGE AND ACCEPT THE HOUSE ATV LANGUAGE.

The Omnibus Environment and Natural Resources Finance Conference Committee will decide the final outcome of the legislation. Five members from each body will be appointed to conferee the two different bills and come to a compromise to present back to their respective bodies for final action.

Your contact with your legislators can be the vital difference in the content of that compromise legislation.

Other burdensome provisions in the bill call for:
* An OHV training certificate program requiring posting of rules decal on ATV.
* Stiffer penalties for OHV damage to property or threats to landowners
* Charges $15 as a registration surcharge to provide for OHV "damage" account to help pay for alleged OHV damage.

Unsure about how to contact your legislator? Citizen Participation &Contacting Your Legislator http://ww3.house.leg.state.mn.us/leg...asp?subject=20

District Finder:
http://maps.commissions.leg.state.mn...ite/districts/ House &Senate Membership:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legdir.asp

Always indicate you are a constituent when you contact your legislator and always be courteous.


ATVAM's website www.atvam.org


Minnesota Senate and House members. (Cut and Paste into Outlook.)

'rep.connie.bernardy@house.mn'; 'sen.leroy.stumpf@senate.mn'; 'sen.rod.skoe@senate.mn'; 'sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn'; 'sen.carrie.ruud@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.tomassoni@senate.mn'; 'sen.tom.bakk@senate.mn'; 'sen.yvonne.prettner_solon@senate.mn'; 'sen.becky.lourey@senate.mn'; 'sen.keith.langseth@senate.mn'; 'sen.cal.larson@senate.mn'; 'sen.paul.koering@senate.mn'; 'sen.dean.johnson@senate.mn'; 'sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn'; 'sen.dave.kleis@senate.mn'; 'sen.betsy.wergin@senate.mn'; 'sen.sean.nienow@senate.mn'; 'sen.steve.dille@senate.mn'; 'sen.mark.ourada@senate.mn'; 'sen.gary.kubly@senate.mn'; 'sen.dennis.frederickson@senate.mn'; 'sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn'; 'sen.thomas.neuville@senate.mn'; 'sen.dick.day@senate.mn'; 'sen.daniel.sparks@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.senjem@senate.mn'; 'sen.sheila.kiscaden@senate.mn'; 'sen.bob.kierlin@senate.mn'; 'sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn'; 'sen.gen.olson@senate.mn'; 'sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn'; 'sen.claire.robling@senate.mn'; 'sen.pat.pariseau@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.knutson@senate.mn'; 'sen.mike.mcginn@senate.mn'; 'sen.jim.metzen@senate.mn'; 'sen.bill.belanger@senate.mn'; 'sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.hann@senate.mn'; 'sen.david.gaither@senate.mn'; 'sen.steve.kelley@senate.mn'; 'sen.ann.rest@senate.mn'; 'sen.linda.scheid@senate.mn'; 'sen.leo.foley@senate.mn'; 'sen.michael.jungbauer@senate.mn'; 'sen.debbie.johnson@senate.mn'; 'sen.satveer.chaudhary@senate.mn'; 'sen.don.betzold@senate.mn'; 'sen.michele.bachmann@senate.mn'; 'sen.mady.reiter@senate.mn'; 'sen.john.marty@senate.mn'; 'sen.chuck.wiger@senate.mn'; 'sen.brian.leclair@senate.mn'; 'sen.sharon.marko@senate.mn'; 'sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn'; 'sen.larry.pogemiller@senate.mn'; 'sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn'; 'sen.wes.skoglund@senate.mn'; 'sen.jane.ranum@senate.mn'; 'sen.richard.cohen@senate.mn'; 'sen.mee.moua@senate.mn'; 'rep.jim.abeler@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.abrams@house.mn'; 'rep.peter.adolphson@house.mn'; robin larson; 'rep.jeff.anderson@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.atkins@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.beard@house.mn'; 'rep.connie.bernardy@house.mn'; 'rep.len.biernat@house.mn'; 'rep.greg.blaine@house.mn'; 'rep.dick.borrell@house.mn'; 'rep.lynda.boudreau@house.mn'; 'rep.fran.bradley@house.mn'; 'rep.laura.brod@house.mn'; 'rep.mark.buesgens@house.mn'; 'rep.lyndon.carlson@house.mn'; 'rep.karen.clark@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.cornish@house.mn'; 'rep.ray.***@house.mn'; 'rep.greg.davids@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.davnie@house.mn'; 'rep.chris.delaforest@house.mn'; 'rep.randy.demmer@house.mn'; 'rep.jerry.dempsey@house.mn'; 'rep.david.dill@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.dorman@house.mn'; 'rep.john.dorn@house.mn'; 'rep.rob.eastlund@house.mn'; 'rep.kent.eken@house.mn'; 'rep.keith.ellison@house.mn'; 'rep.matt.entenza@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.erhardt@house.mn'; 'rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn'; 'rep.brad.finstad@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.fuller@house.mn'; 'rep.chris.gerlach@house.mn'; 'rep.barb.goodwin@house.mn'; 'rep.mindy.greiling@house.mn'; 'rep.bob.gunther@house.mn'; 'rep.bill.haas@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn'; 'rep.elaine.harder@house.mn'; 'rep.alice.hausman@house.mn'; 'rep.bud.heidgerken@house.mn'; 'rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn'; 'rep.bill.hilty@house.mn'; 'rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn'; 'rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn'; 'rep.larry.howes@house.mn'; 'rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn'; 'rep.carl.jacobson@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.jaros@house.mn'; 'rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn'; 'rep.jeff.johnson@house.mn'; 'rep.al.juhnke@house.mn'; 'rep.phyllis.kahn@house.mn'; 'rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.kielkucki@house.mn'; 'rep.karen.klinzing@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.knoblach@house.mn'; 'rep.lyle.koenen@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.kohls@house.mn'; 'rep.phil.krinkie@house.mn'; 'rep.william.kuisle@house.mn'; 'rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.larson@house.mn'; 'rep.ron.latz@house.mn'; 'rep.ann.lenczewski@house.mn'; 'rep.john.lesch@house.mn'; 'rep.bernie.lieder@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.lindgren@house.mn'; 'rep.arlon.lindner@house.mn'; 'rep.eric.lipman@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.magnus@house.mn'; 'rep.tim.mahoney@house.mn'; 'rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.marquart@house.mn'; 'rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.meslow@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.mullery@house.mn'; 'rep.mary.murphy@house.mn'; 'rep.michael.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.carla.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.peter.nelson@house.mn'; 'rep.bud.nornes@house.mn'; 'rep.stephanie.olsen@house.mn'; 'rep.mark.olson@house.mn'; 'rep.joe.opatz@house.mn'; 'rep.lynne.osterman@house.mn'; 'rep.maryellen.otremba@house.mn'; 'rep.rebecca.otto@house.mn'; 'rep.dennis.ozment@house.mn'; 'rep.erik.paulsen@house.mn'; 'rep.michael.paymar@house.mn'; 'rep.gene.pelowski@house.mn'; 'rep.maxine.penas@house.mn'; 'rep.aaron.peterson@house.mn'; 'rep.duke.powell@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.pugh@house.mn'; 'rep.jim.rhodes@house.mn'; 'rep.tom.rukavina@house.mn'; 'rep.connie.ruth@house.mn'; 'rep.char.samuelson@house.mn'; 'rep.alice.seagren@house.mn'; 'rep.marty.seifert@house.mn'; 'rep.tony.sertich@house.mn'; 'rep.dan.severson@house.mn'; 'rep.katie.sieben@house.mn'; 'rep.dean.simpson@house.mn'; 'rep.nora.slawik@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.smith@house.mn'; 'rep.judy.soderstrom@house.mn'; 'rep.loren.solberg@house.mn'; 'rep.doug.stang@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.strachan@house.mn'; 'rep.steve.sviggum@house.mn'; 'rep.howard.swenson@house.mn'; 'rep.barb.sykora@house.mn'; 'rep.cy.thao@house.mn'; 'rep.paul.thissen@house.mn'; 'rep.kathy.tingelstad@house.mn'; 'rep.dean.urdahl@house.mn'; 'rep.ray.vandeveer@house.mn'; 'rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn'; 'rep.neva.walker@house.mn'; 'rep.dale.walz@house.mn'; 'rep.lynn.wardlow@house.mn'; 'rep.scott.wasiluk@house.mn'; 'rep.andy.westerberg@house.mn'; 'rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn'; 'rep.tim.wilkin@house.mn'; 'rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn'; 'rep.mike.beard@house.mn'