State and Local Update

California

Nick Haris, AMA western states representative, was named to the recently reauthorized El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee.

Haris will represent the interests of OHV riders.

The El Dorado County RAC is a federal advisory committee established in 2010 under the authority of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act.

RACs help improve collaborative relationships among the people who use and care for national forests and provide advice and recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service concerning funding for conservation projects consistent with Title II of the Secure Rural Schools Act.

All RAC meetings are open to the public.

Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service has released a trails stewardship strategy to guide how the agency will work with its partners “to support recreation, sustain wildlife and natural resources, foster economic prosperity and inspire public health.”

The strategy is intended to balance the often-competing interests of various groups of trail users—including motorcyclists and ATV riders—while improving access and minimizing the impact on wildlife and natural resources.

The next steps will include the development of an implementation plan, which will involve a series of workshops and meetings to gather input from partners and other members of the public who are interested in supporting and helping to implement the trails strategy.

The workshop and meeting schedule will be announced at a later time.

More information is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation/?cid=fseprd851161 or from Chad Schneckenburger at [email protected].

New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill (A. 5390B) that would have eliminated the need for autocycle drivers to obtain a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s licenses.

Current law requires an endorsement and prohibits the taking of an autocycle on a road test.

Autocycles, such as the Polaris Slingshot, are three-wheeled vehicles that have steering wheels, side-by-side seating and other features not typically associated with motorcycles.

Pennsylvania

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced changes to agency policies on ATV trails on state forest land. There had been a moratorium on new trails under the previous policy. The changes, developed to respond to increased demand for off-highway riding opportunities, include:

• Allowing the DCNR secretary to designate portions of the state forest road system as temporary, seasonal or permanent ATV trails;
• Allowing the department to request public comment for projects that have broader effects on the community or region; and
• Supporting acquisition of lands specifically for motorized recreation use.

Rhode Island

A group of ATV and moped riders that has been staging “ride outs” with as many as 300 participants asked Providence officials for a safe place to ride, so riders can take their events off the public roads.

City police have seized and destroyed vehicles used in the rides, which violate state and local traffic laws and include vehicles not legally registered and licensed for road use.

Ride organizers told NBC-10 news they use their rides, in part, to call attention to community and political issues. But city officials said in a press conference that they consider the riders’ illegal actions extremely dangerous.