Off-Road Business Association

Saving Johnson Valley Gains Traction!

Jeff — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:06:00 +0000

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May 15^th 2013 is an historic day for OHV users. While it may not have shook the earth like a SCORE Trophy Truck racing across the desert, it is a very important landmark in the race to save the Johnson valley OHV area. The “Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area Establishment Act,” (HR 1676) sponsored by Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee, with minor changes from its original form. The only Amendment was a change in the days the United States Marine Corps would be able to use the area under a permit from 42 days per year to 60 days per year. Rep. Bishop (R-UT) commended Rep. Paul Cook for introducing the legislation. He noted that the issue was not easy to deal with and that the bill does a good job in balancing needs. He observed that the bill is as close to ideal as possible in the face of challenging issues such as addressing the needs of OHV users. On its path to becoming a law, the bill has been sent to the House Armed Services Committee, Chaired by Rep. Buck McKeon, who is a bill co-sponsor.

The action sets in motion the potential end to a 5-year debate about the expansion of the 2^nd largest military base in the United States. HR 1676 protects OHV activities by establishing the “Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area” under continued management by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The legislation provides for public participation in determining the dates for military activities that will be the least disruptive for OHV activities.

Johnson Valley is the largest OHV area in the US, totaling nearly 189,000 acres. OHV enthusiasts, as well as Stargazers, amateur geologists, and campers use Johnson Valley year-round. The area is also home to numerous motorized events that draw thousands of competitors and spectators to the area every year, including the famous King of the Hammers event.

While this latest action gains traction in the fight to save Johnson Valley, the OHV community remains cautiously optimistic because the fight is far from over. While the Bill is doing well in the House, the Bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate. The road to the finish is going to be rough. “Are monthly expenses are in excess of $12,000 because we have employed a top Washington Lobbyists” Said Save the Hammers Chairman Jeff Knoll. He continued “We have come this far because we have employed a new strategy, I hope we make it all the way to the finish line as it’s always a struggle to raise the funds”. Those who wish to donate can do so at www.savethehammers.org.

The California Motorized Recreation Council (CMRC) and its Save the Hammers committee has been instrumental in identifying the possible solutions surrounding the needs of the Military while balancing OHV rights established by the California Desert Protection Act. The American Sand Association (ASA), American Motorcyclists Association (AMA), California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs (CA4WDC) California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) California Nevada Snowmobile Association (CNSA), AMA D36, AMA D37, and the Off Road Business Association (ORBA) make up the CMRC. In addition the Save the Hammers committee is made up of business, stakeholders, local, and national associations dedicated to the preservation of this unique desert location. One such association is the Partnership for Johnson Valley who has worked to save Johnson Valley for over five years. The work to preserve the unique terrain of Johnson Valley will continue in perpetuity for the grassroots associations made up the dedicated users of the OHV area and citizens of the remote area.

NOHVCC Newsletter, April 2013

Jeff — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:55:19 +0000

Ron Potter To Serve As Program Manager For NOHVCC Management Solutions

After 37 years with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource, Ron Potter recently retired from his position as Recreation Systems Manager in the Parks & Trails Division.

As it turns out, the DNR’s loss is NOHVCC’s gain.

Potter, a long-time NOHVCC partner at the agency level, who has contributed much to OHV recreation in his home state and across the country, has agreed to serve on a consulting basis as the program manager for NOHVCC Management Solutions (NMS). He will be creating the formal process for the review and acceptance of OHV projects as well as assisting in managing some of the projects. “We’re excited to have Ron help us expand the reach and effectiveness of NOHVCC Management Solutions, to better serve local, state and federal agencies with their OHV projects,” said Russ Ehnes, NOHVCC Executive Director. “We could not have asked for a better fit than what Ron brings to the table with both on-the-ground trail implementation experience as well as state agency experience. It compliments other expertise we have in our line-up.”….Read more

Leaving Public Lands Unmanaged To Preserve Forests Has Opposite Effect

Recent NOHVCC newsletters have covered the topic of public lands, including the incredibly high number of public acres already restricted to motorized and non-motorized recreation (February newsletter), and how “Wilderness” designations negatively impact local economies (January newsletter).

Those articles struck a chord with our readers, so we are continuing the discussion by reprinting an article that points out another aspect of public lands. The increasing trend of preventing access and closing roads — leaving large tracts of public land unmanaged in the name of “preserving” forests has huge negative implications, rarely covered in mainstream media. This article, written by David A. Bischel, President of the California Forestry Association, appeared in a recent issue of California Forests. (Reprinted with permission.) www.calforests.org

By now it should be apparent that hands-off approaches to preserving California’s forests have invited increasingly severe wildfire, jeopardized biodiversity, imperiled water resources and exposed millions of acres to environmental degradation. Leaving forests unmanaged does not freeze them in some sort of Kodak moment. Forests keep growing, and walking away from forests after 100 years of suppressing wildfire is leading to uncharacteristic fuel loads and smoke plumes that foul the air for hundreds of miles. High-intensity wildfire spews greenhouse gases and exposes soils to mass erosion that can bury spawning gravels in sediment……..Read more

NOHVCC Recruiting Effort Paying Off With New Partner Applications

“The best ad is a good product.”

I don’t know who originally said that, but I love that phrase, because it’s so true. When you have a good product — whether it’s the latest smart phone, movie sequel, ATV or dirt bike — people take notice, and will stand in line to get it.

Judging by the new applications for State Partners and Associate State Partners that are coming in, the same goes for NOHVCC: It’s a great product. People are taking notice. And joining its large network of Partners who are engaged and volunteering their time to create a positive future for OHV recreation…..Read more

USFS Worker Volunteers Hundreds Of Hours To Maintain OHV Trails

Richard McClanahan is a Lead Forest Technician in the Sanpete Ranger District of Utah’s Manti-La Sal National Forest. He maintains the water systems and campground, repairs ATVs and keeps everything related to recreation running smoothly. But each winter, he does something unique among his peers. He leaves his job with the US Forest Service and volunteers 6 weeks or more of his time helping OHV organizations with much-needed trail work in his home state of California.

“I’m doing it as a volunteer because it’s the right thing to do,” said McClanahan. “I don’t do a lot of trail work on my job, mostly maintenance work. Trail work is what I love, so that’s why I go over there and do it for free. I call it playing in somebody else’s sand box with somebody else’s toys. They give me a tractor and a credit card for diesel and I just go to work. It’s fun.” ……Read more

Yamaha and “Stay The Trail” Win National Awards At International Trails Symposium

Two popular names in the OHV industry –Yamaha and “Stay The Trail” — received national recognition at the 21st American Trails International Trails Symposium. The awards celebration was held April 16, 2013, at Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona.

Yamaha Motor Corporation received the Corporate Award, given to a business or corporation that has demonstrated significant, sustained and exemplary service to trail planning, implementation and/or recreation.

Colorado’s Stay The Trail OHV Education Program received the Outstanding Trail Sharing Award. This award recognizes innovative and successful trail sharing efforts, programs and systems.

Mixed Gear Bag

You know we have to be creative in our titles. Miscellaneous is too normal and potpourri doesn’t sound very rider like. Below are up-coming events and other assorted items of interest.

The 13th annual COHVCO workshop takes place in the Denver, CO area June 27 – 29. Registration and agenda will be coming soon!

Annual NOHVCC and INOHVAA conference to be held in Orlando, FL in October 13 – 16, 2013. More details will be coming soon!

Send us your recruitment stories, functions, details, successes to trailhead@nohvcc.org. We want to share your good ideas with other clubs.

Tread Lightly Gets a New Website

Jeff — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:51:05 +0000

New Website

The new Tread Lightly website has been up and running for a few weeks now. Have you had a chance to check it out?

As a top priority to better communicate in this increasingly digital world, Tread Lightly! implemented a new design and user-friendly navigation.

Along with the new site came our new store. Take a look for great deals on apparel, outdoor gear, educational materials and awesome decals.

Sen. Reed expresses concerns as Jewell pushes mandatory LWCF funding

Jeff — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:45:12 +0000

Phil Taylor, E&E reporter

Published: Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Obama administration must remain accountable to Congress if it hopes to receive guaranteed funding for land acquisitions and conservation, a top Senate appropriator said today.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, told Interior Secretary Sally Jewell that he is concerned mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund could impede lawmakers’ oversight role.

The administration in its 2014 budget for the first time asked Congress to provide mandatory funding for a portion of the $600 million it requested for LWCF. The proposal would eventually fund the program with mandatory dollars at its maximum annual $900 million.

“What it doesn’t do is allow, sort of, not just oversight, but members to be able to indicate their local preferences,” Reed said at a hearing of his panel today to examine the agency’s $11.7 billion request for 2014, which is a significant bump over current sequestered levels. “What’s an important project in Alaska or Nebraska or Rhode Island?”

Jewell, who in her former job as CEO of outdoor retailer REI lobbied senators for LWCF funding, said that the nearly 50-year-old program is annually under threat — it is currently funded at just more than $300 million — and that mandatory funding is necessary.

She suggested LWCF could follow the collaborative example of the federal Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, which oversees the acquisition of migratory bird habitat and includes members of Congress.

LWCF funding is “certainly not something that needs to be driven by us,” Jewell said. “It’s something I think we could drive collaboratively.”

The budget proposal for $600 million for LWCF in 2014 and $900 million in 2015 will be a tough sell, particularly in the Republican-controlled House, where fiscal conservatives have balked at the idea of acquiring more federal lands at a time of deficit cutting.

But proponents of LWCF, including some Republicans, say investments in federal land acquisitions pay dividends in the form of enhanced outdoor recreation, which is responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity annually, according to trade groups.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Reed’s appropriations counterpart in the House, has said he could support full mandatory funding for LWCF if it is paired with an extension of mandatory payments for Western counties.

In a letter sent late last month to Reed and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the subpanel’s ranking member, five Senate Republicans and dozens of Democrats urged robust funding for LWCF and noted that the Senate voted 76-22 last year to provide $1.4 billion for LWCF over two years.

Republican signatories included Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Mike Crapo of Idaho and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

Thirty senators, including Burr, have co-sponsored S. 338 to provide full permanent funding for LWCF, though Reed is not among them.

Board of Supervisors Adopts Resolution of Support for Johnson Valley OHV Recreation Area

Jeff — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:43:01 +0000

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution supporting Congressman Paul Cook’s bill H.R. 1676, the Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Establishment Act.

The Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area is the largest OHV Area in the country at 188,000 acres. It has become one of the most popular OHV areas in the nation with 250,000 people visiting last year.

It is also a significant source of revenue for the local economy. The OHV recreation in the County has a current economic impact of $70 million annually which supports local jobs in Lucerne Valley, Johnson Valley, and the High Desert.

Under the Department of the Navy’s Land Acquisition, the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center would acquire 167,971 acres with most of the acreage taking up approximately 80 percent of the Johnson Valley. Withdrawal of the majority of the Johnson Valley for military training would have a tremendous economic impact on the County.

On April 23, 2012, U.S. Representative Paul Cook introduced H.R. 1676 which would designate approximately 188,000 acres of public land as the Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. The land would be designated for public recreation when the lands are not in use for military training and for natural resources conservation. The Act would authorize short-term military training on portions of the lands twice a year.

“This bill is a well-thought out plan that allows OHV use to coexist with limited military operations but in a way that best protects the safety of our residents, our local economy, and our small business owners,” stated Supervisor Ramos.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution of support for this bill and added the Johnson Valley OHV recreation area designation to the 2013 Federal Legislative Platform.

Information on this resolution can be found under Consent Item 4 at http://cob-sire.sbcounty.gov/sirepub/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=2249&doctype=AGENDA.

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Rep. McKeon Backs Rep. Cook’s Alternative Twentynine Palms Base Plan

Jeff — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:23:10 +0000

WASHINGTON – Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) today announced key support for his alternative plan for the proposed Twentynine Palms Marine base expansion.

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), who is Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, stated the following:

“I am happy for the opportunity to cosponsor the ‘Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Establishment Act.’ I commend Congressman Cook for taking up this issue and introducing this legislation. While we have been working this particular issue for several years now, it was Mr. Cook’s leadership and unique insight that has created a balanced approach. This legislation provides the Marine Corps with increased training capability and ensures our off-highway vehicle community has a safe and protected recreational area. I look forward to working with Congressman Cook on this important legislation.”

Cook said, “I’m pleased to have the support of Chairman McKeon. His name carries a lot of weight in Congress when it comes to military issues. After announcing my plan last week, I’ve been encouraged by the feedback I’ve received from constituents. Public safety is a key consideration, and I think this plan protects off-roaders while still allowing limited military exercises which do not endanger public safety.”

Rep. Cook’s proposal would withdraw the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) area for the purposes of recreation and military use and designate it as the Johnson Valley National OHV Recreational Area. The withdrawn area would be designated specifically for recreational uses, including but not limited to off-highway vehicle use, camping, and hiking. U.S. Marine Corps activities would be permitted to take place twice annually and could not include any explosives that could be left behind without detonating.

Cook’s bill is scheduled to be presented this Friday, April 26, in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.

A member of the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, Cook served as an infantry officer and retired after 26 years as a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in combat, he was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

The proposed legislative language is available on the Natural Resources Committee website here .
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Congress Introduces Bill to Help Prevent Road Closures, Ensure Public Participation When Designating National Monuments

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:37:34 +0000

Congress Introduces Bill toHelp Prevent Road Closures, Ensure Public Participation When Designating National Monuments

Legislation (HR 1459) has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to require the President to complete an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before designating more than 5,000 acres as a National Monument. The bill would ensure public involvement in the process and discussion of multiple factors including economic impact. Current law provides the President with authority to declare land of “historic or scientific interest” to be a National Monument which can lead to road closures for motorized recreation, among other activities. While this authority has only been used 137 times in 100 years, vast amounts of land have been set aside in the process. SEMA and the SEMA Action Network support a collaborative approach to land-use decisions, including input from local citizens, elected leaders and other stakeholders.

We Urge You to Contact Your U.S. Representatives Today to Urge Their Support for H.R. 1459

Under the law, the President can designate monuments through Executive Order without input from the local community.

H.R. 1459 would ensure that local recreation enthusiasts are included in the decision-making process for any National Monument over 5,000 acres. The bill would require an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Monuments of smaller sizes would not require a NEPA review, but would expire after 3 years if not ratified by Congress.
H.R. 1459 limits the President to one monument designation per state, per four-year term. Any additional designations would be subject to approval by the U.S. Congress.
H.R. 1459 ensures a more collaborate public approach to land use decisions and would include a discussion on the positive economic impact of motorized recreation activities, which accounts for over $257 million in annual economic impact nationwide.
In 1996, President Clinton set aside 1.9 million acres of land in Southern Utah as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. President Obama is now under pressure to establish a 1.4 million acres “Greater Canyonlands National Monument,” closing 1,050 of off-road vehicle trails and monitoring another 1,450 miles for future closure.

DON’T DELAY! Click here to contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives to request support for H.R. 1459. Under Federal Officials, Identify Your Congressional District Representative: www.semasan.com/lookup.asp?g=semaga

For more information, please contact Dan Sadowski at dans@sema.org.

How To Protect Your Brand Reputation

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:34:39 +0000

From Socialmediatoday

Posted April 12, 2013

It’s no secret that social media can break a brand’s reputation in one single Tweet or Facebook post. How can YOU make sure you either avoid this or take control of the situation straight away? You need to use a tool that allows you to monitor your business’s mentions on Social Media.

Most people would suggest using Google Alerts for this, but there is one huge problem with this. The alerts are not in real time. By this I mean I receive Google alerts on my mentions a week later than when I was mentioned. This means it takes me one whole week to react to a mention, which isn’t good enough. A tool I have been using for a long time that allows me to see how I, or my business Gloople, has been mentioned in real-time is Mention.

Mention was recently nominated as “Startup of the Year” at the TNW French Startup Awards, proving its worth in the social tool market. This application can be accessed via the web, desktop and even iPhone. You can create alerts for key terms based on your business so you can monitor your industry, brand mentions and competitors.

After setting up my alerts, I found it much easier to track and mute all of the social noise on the world wide web.

As I am a contributor for various sites, I find Mention great to see what has been published and in real time. Without the use of Mention, I would never have found an article written about me by ZoneTwo from when I was at Pure London earlier this year. I also found an article written by the Telegraph on Gloople and the SEIS.

One of the reasons why I stand by Mention is the fact that I can use their platform on my mobile. A lot of companies have managed to make the transition from desktop to mobile but not quite made it as user friendly as most consumers would hope but this isn’t the case for Mention. As you can see in the image below, their iPhone and Android app is very easy to use and still works in real time.

WILDERNESS: Durbin, Holt introduce 9.1M-acre Utah Red Rock bill

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:30:33 +0000

Red Rock Wilderness bill reintroduced in 113^th Congress…

1. H.R.1630 : To designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States.
Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush [NJ-12] (introduced 4/18/2013) Cosponsors (60)
Committees: House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: 4/18/2013 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

2. S.769 : America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2013
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 4/18/2013) Cosponsors (11)
Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: 4/18/2013 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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WILDERNESS: Durbin, Holt introduce 9.1M-acre Utah Red Rock bill

Phil Taylor, E&E reporter

E&E: Friday, April 19, 2013

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) yesterday introduced a bill that would preserve 9.1 million acres of Utah as wilderness, prohibiting drilling and motorized recreation among some of the state’s prized red rock canyons and sandstone arches.

The measure, which was first introduced in 1989 by former Utah Rep. Wayne Owens (D), faces tough odds of passage, as no members of the Utah delegation sponsored it.

The lands proposed for protection are popular among backpackers, hikers and wildlife enthusiasts and are home to an array of archaeological resources, sponsors said.

“This land was chosen based on meticulous research and surveying of thousands of square miles to determine which lands should be protected,” Durbin said in a statement. “America’s Red Rock Wilderness is a lasting gift to the American public that will give future generations the opportunity to enjoy a landscape that so many now cherish.”

The bill would protect canyons, mesas and “fantastical sandstone formations” from development and irresponsible land use, Holt said.

The lawmakers said 1.1 percent of Utah lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management are protected as wilderness. They argue BLM failed to include “vast areas of wild country” in its original wilderness inventory.

In its first stand-alone hearing in the House in fall 2009, the bill drew support from former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and CEO of Black Diamond Equipment Peter Metcalf, among others.

But while the bill attracted 120 House and 13 Senate co-sponsors of both parties last Congress, wilderness bills rarely move without the support of their local delegation.

Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch (R) and Mike Lee (R) and Reps. Rob Bishop (R), Jason Chaffetz (R) and Chris Stewart (R) yesterday released a letter urging colleagues to oppose the bill, arguing that the federal government already owns 66 percent of land in Utah.

“The sponsors and cosponsors of this bill will not be from Utah,” the lawmakers wrote. “In fact, Utah elected officials, including the governor, state legislative leadership, rural county commissioners and Utah’s Republican and Democratic members of Congress have unanimously opposed this bill.”

The lawmakers said they are in the process of crafting a bill that would allow for both conservation and development on public lands “in a locally-driven, transparent process.”

Energy industry jobs are among the highest-paying in Utah, they added.

PUBLIC LANDS: Obama admin backs wilderness bill, cites concerns with streamlined grazing

Jeff — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:29:01 +0000

Phil Taylor, E&E reporter

E&E: Friday, April 19, 2013

The Obama administration yesterday said it generally approves of a bill to convey lands in western Nevada to support a copper mine in exchange for the designation of 48,000 acres of wilderness but said it still has concerns with a bill to streamline the permitting of grazing on public lands.

An Interior Department official also opposed a proposal to slightly reduce the length of federal wild and scenic protections along California’s Merced River to allow more water storage.

Yesterday’s hearing before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation was the first this Congress to consider new wilderness after the 112th Congress became the first since the 1960s not to designate any new wilderness.

Freshman Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) said H.R. 696 would both convey 12,500 acres to the city of Yerington to support development of Nevada Copper’s Pumpkin Hollow project and prohibit mining, road building and other developments in the Wovoka Wilderness, an area used by hunters, hikers and explorers for more than 150 years.

The bill carries Republican support from Nevada Reps. Mark Amodei and Joe Heck and is sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

“It’s a ground-up effort that is worthy of this Congress’ approval,” Horsford said.

George Dini, mayor of Yerington, said the proposal is supported by the Nevada governor, the superintendent of schools, the state’s Legislature and Yerington’s City Council. He said the mine’s development would provide long-term, high-paying jobs for his region, which is wracked by high unemployment.

The federal lands would be purchased at fair market value and would be used mostly for infrastructure to support the mine.

“This land sale represents the economic future of the city of Yerington and Lyon County,” Dini said.

Ned Farquhar, Interior’s deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management, said the bill’s 180-day timeline for completing National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act reviews and land appraisals would be tight, but that overall, “we think this is a good bill.”

Leslie Weldon, deputy chief of the Forest Service, said the bill’s Wovoka Wilderness rules would protect the “largest remaining tract of wild country in Lyon County” and would preserve sage grouse habitat, prehistoric sites and primitive recreation opportunities. She said the agency has concerns over provisions involving wilderness boundaries, water rights and wildlife management, including the state’s use of helicopters in the wilderness area.

The bill was backed yesterday by the Wilderness Society, which said the Pine Grove Hills areas slated for protections contain an array of Great Basin habitats and offer impressive recreational opportunities.

“Finally, the subcommittee heard its first wilderness bill of the 113th Congress,” said Paul Spitler, director of wilderness campaigns at TWS. “This is a balanced bill that the committee should approve immediately. It has been 1,480 days since Congress last protected an acre of wilderness, and the House Natural Resources Committee failed to advance a single wilderness bill in the 112th Congress.”

In the House, passage of conservation bills will in large part depend on whether they are paired with economic development proposals such as Horsford’s bill’s language conveying lands for Nevada Copper. But it remains to be seen whether the House and Senate can agree on a public lands package amenable to both parties and the environmental and development stakeholders they serve.

The Senate companion to Horsford’s bill, S. 159, will be heard by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee next Thursday.

Grazing bill concerns

Members also discussed H.R. 657 by Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), which seeks to provide regulatory certainty to ranchers who graze livestock on Forest Service and BLM lands.

The bill, which is strongly endorsed by the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, would extend grazing permits issued by BLM and the Forest Service from 10 years to 20 years and codify appropriations language that allows grazing under expired permits to continue until an environmental review can be completed.

It would also require certain grazing permits to be reissued under categorical exclusions that limit review and public comment under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The Obama administration said it could support having the option of issuing 20-year permits but that the bill limits agencies’ ability to provide for appropriate environmental reviews.

“The [Interior] Department cannot support it because of the overarching impact the bill could have on the 155 million acres of public lands used for livestock grazing, potentially affecting other valid uses and the health of the land itself,” Farquhar said.

Farquhar said the administration also opposes H.R. 934 by Reps. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.), which would adjust the Merced Wild and Scenic River boundary to allow the Merced Irrigation District to apply for federal approval to raise a spillway at Lake McClure. The measure would allow storage of an additional 70,000 acre-feet of water annually in a wet year, the sponsors said.

While the bill would reduce federal protections by about 1,800 feet, Farquhar said the proposal deserves more review by the public.

McClintock said the bill would simply correct an encroachment that the wild and scenic designation made on a previous Federal Energy Regulatory Commission boundary and that lawmakers would be hesitant to designate new wild and scenic river boundaries if they knew how difficult it would be to amend them.

Critics of the bill say it would set a bad precedent.

“The reasons given for nibbling away at the wild and scenic area can, at some point now or in the future, be made for every protected river as nearby population rises and water and power needs increase,” said Dan Sealy, a board member with the Northcoast Environmental Center.