ORBA NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER, 2002 OFFROAD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
IN THIS ISSUE
- June DAC Meeting
- Washington, DC Trip
- Temecula OHV Leader Meeting
- Riverside BLM Meeting
- Las Vegas Off-Road Show
- Bakersfield ORBA Meeting
- SEMA and ORBA
- Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard
- National BLM Director Mtg.
- ORBA and Talk Radio
- ORBA's "Extreme Raffle"
- Desert Tortoise Meeting
- New Members
DESERT ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING
A Desert Advisory Council meeting was held in Bakersfield on June 28th & 29th. The BLM reported that the new desert land management plans (NECO & NEMO) are being finalized without any modifications to accommodate the Council's recommendations that were voted on with a 10 to 2 vote. One of the votes was against the closure of two off-road recreation areas because they were "under utilized." The new plan incorporates the closures in spite of the Council's vote! ORBA's President stated that it is clear that the BLM is supporting the enviro-extremist agenda when OHV areas are being closed without good reason. He also warned the BLM that the off-road community recognizes that litigation works well for the enviro-extremists and that the BLM can expect similar actions from groups who believe in fair, balanced land management plans!
ORBA's President also presented a challenge to the BLM. He proposed that, if the BLM could get the environmental groups to pull their money budgeted for lawsuits over the Desert Tortoise and put it on the table, he will get the OHV community to match that amount. The total collected would then be applied to hiring a good tortoise biologist firm to do a serious study of the problems with the desert tortoise. The OHV community is not afraid of good science and feels that the large amounts of money being spent on legal action could be put too much better use and actually help the Desert Tortoise survive. Many biologists believe that the major problem with the Desert Tortoise is a contagious upper respiratory disease. The second most serious problem is believed to be raven predation. OHV impacts are minimal, yet the BLM is generating land management plans, and spending huge sums of money, to close BLM lands to vehicle access. If the environmental groups refuse to accept ORBA's challenge, it becomes clear that they are not really concerned with the Desert Tortoise but are using this critter as an excuse to close public lands to public access.
OHV LEADERS GO TO WASHINGTON, DC AGAIN
ORBA'S President, and lobbyist Pete Conaty, organized a 2nd trip to Washington D.C., on Sept. 16-18, to talk to government leaders about federal land planning actions that are being continued under the "Management by Closure" philosophy. CORVA President, Ed Waldheim and ASA Legislative Director, Keith Rosewitz, completed the team. During a previous trip to Washington in April, Denner and Conaty were assured by Assistant Secretaries of the Interior Craig Manson (Fish & Wildlife) and Rebecca Watson (BLM) that the new administration would be demanding good supporting science to back up land management decisions by Federal Agencies under their control.
During meetings with the same Assistant Secretaries on this trip, Denner, who is a member of the BLM's Desert District Advisory Council, provided examples showing that federal agencies are continuing to make planning decisions based on "warm and fuzzy" feelings about the environment without concern for good science to back up those decisions! National BLM Director, Kathleen Clarke, was present at the meeting. It was clear that the government leaders at the top were unaware of many events taking place in the field that are closing millions of acres of public lands to public use.
The OHV team also met with 21 members of Congress or their key staff members. Assistance in arranging those meetings was provided by Congressman Duncan Hunter and Tom Porter, Hunter's land-use representative. With Hunter's help, a letter was generated to Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior, objecting to land use decisions being made without adequate supporting science. Congressman James Hansen, from Utah (Chairman of the House Resources Committee) co-authored the letter with Hunter. 17 other Congressional Representatives that the OHV team visited have signed on to that letter! (The letter is posted to ORBA's website). The team was assured that a letter with such Congressional support is certain to bring about changes in the way federal land planning decisions are being made. Congressman Hunter has promised to stay on top of these issues and will support OHV leaders in their attempts to pro-mote off-road recreation.
OHV LEADERS IN TEMECULA
Several OHV organization leaders met in Temecula with attorney, David Hubbard, to discuss the cost of filing suit for the appeals to the closure of almost 1 million acres of public land to OHV use in November. It was decided that the lawsuits would be split into two filings. A suit for the reopening of the Glamis closures has been filed in one federal court and the suit for the other 12 closures was filed in a different federal court. ORBA will be participating, financially, in all of the lawsuits.
RIVERSIDE BLM MEETING
ORBA's President attended a BLM meeting in Riverside with the BLM District manager and her Field managers. The land- management plans (actually Environmental Impact Statements) currently being prepared by the BLM were discussed. It was clear that the BLM will not be changing the plans to accommodate input from recreationists or even to accommodate recommendations by the BLM's Advisory Council, whose members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
LAS VEGAS OHV SHOW
ORBA participated in an off-road show in Las Vegas. Several Las Vegas businesses were exhibitors for this show and they described land use problems in the Vegas area. ORBA indicated a willingness to get involved.
BAKERSFIELD ORBA MTG
Kim Kammer, ORBA's representative in central California, organized an information seminar on June 7th in Bakersfield for interested off-road businesses. Several Bakersfield company owners attended.
SEMA and ORBA!
ORBA's President met with the President and the Chairman of the Board of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association).
SEMA recognizes that many of its members are involved with products that are used by the off-road recreation industry.
SEMA is looking for an organization that can provide its members with information on off-road land use issues. Both SEMA and ORBA are business trade associations and ORBA is perfectly qualified to provide land use information. ORBA will have a booth at SEMA's 1 million square foot trade show in Las Vegas in November. ORBA President, Roy Denner, will be conducting a seminar on the impacts of federal land management plans on the off-road recreation industry. If SEMA members show interest, ORBA can become SEMA's off-road land use associate. Denner, and ORBA's lobbyist, Pete Conaty, met with SEMA's Washington, DC lobbyist and discussed opportunities to work together on land use issues.
FLAT-TAILED HORNED LIZARD
ORBA's President organized a meeting in the office of environmental attorney David Hubbard to discuss the proposed listing of the Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard to the Endangered Species List. Several off-road organizations agreed to split the cost to hire a qualified herpetologist to study the available literature and provide a summary report. His report states that there is no new evidence to suggest that the Lizard should be listed. Hubbard included a legal position letter and submitted the package to Fish & Wildlife. Since the listing of this lizard would have a drastic negative impact on off-road recreation across the southern deserts, ORBA is prepared to participate in litigation, if necessary, to prevent this listing.
OHV LEADER MEETING WITH BLM NATIONAL DIRECTOR
ORBA's President, with other off-road leaders, participated in a meeting in Sacramento with the National Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Kathleen Clarke. Ms. Clarke invited off-road leaders to visit her in Washington, DC to discuss land management issues further.
ORBA ON TALK RADIO
ORBA's President and ORBA board member, Howard Hughes, from Off-Road Warehouse, participated in a radio talk show "Business on Air." Together they described how important off-road recreation is to the economy.
ORBA'S "EXTREME RAFFLE"
ORBA occupied exhibitor booths at the Sand Sports Super Show and the Pomona Off-Road Expo. ORBA member signs were displayed profusely at both shows. Winners were drawn at the Pomona Expo.
ORBA's "Extreme Raffle" was a big hit. A lifted off-road golf cart, 3 ready-to-run VW engines, a $7,000 Mendeola custom-built transaxle, a Suzuki Z400 ATV, a Honda 250EX ATV, 4 KTM Mini-Motorcycles, tires of all sizes and shapes, a Chenowth powder-coated sand buggy frame, and lots of other good stuff attracted herds of raffle ticket purchasers.
IMPORTANT MEETING WITH BLM + FISH & WILDLIFE
ORBA's President received an invitation from the State Director for the BLM and the State Director for Fish and Wildlife to attend a Management Oversight Group meeting in Las Vegas, on Oct. 9. Denner was accompanied by Attorney, David Hubbard, and representatives from SDORC and Action/CORVA. About 40 agency managers and biologists were there.
The invitation was in response to Denner's challenge regarding the Desert Tortoise mentioned previously in this newsletter.
The MOG agreed that the Upper Respiratory Disease and Predation are the major impacts on the Tortoise - NOT OHV USE! Workshops are being formed to study diseases and predation and to determine relative levels of problems impacting the tortoise. Another workshop will review the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan to decide if it should be updated, with current science, or redone completely. ORBA has been invited to participate in those workshops.
OHV rep's left the MOG meeting with the feeling that the Bush Administration's directive - that land use decisions will require good supporting science - is finally getting to the people in the field!
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
- Infinity Exposure
- OffRoad Rentals.com
- VW Paradise
- Alpinestars USA Inc.
- San Diego's House of Motorcycles
- Ironwood RV Storage
- Motopro of Oceanside
- Stimulus Designs
- Trail Master Products, Inc.
- Fabtech Motorsports
- Light 'Em Up
- Outback Motorsports
- Powertye USA Inc.
- Skip's at Carnegie
- Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
- Buggy Whip
- Powerhouse
- Cycle Gear
- RPB Mfg.
- Sunwest Sports
- D J Safety
- O'Neal
- Baja Bros.
- Light Force USA
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