OMRA Legal News 
OMRA Legal News
> Oregon Dept. of Forestry - Public Affairs Office disseminated the
> following news release to Oregon media today.
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Major Media Distribution
> Feb. 4, 2003
Jeff
> Foreman, (503) 945-7506
> 03-14
>
> COMMENT PERIOD ON ANNUAL
> FORESTRY PLANS STARTS FEB. 14
>
> A public comment period on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) annual
> operations plans for its nine individual districts begins Feb. 14.
>
> Written comments on the plans - which identify and describe specific
> projects such as timber sales, road maintenance, stream enhancement and
> trail building - will be accepted until 5 p.m. March 31.
>
> The public involvement process provides an opportunity for ODF districts
> to share their annual plans with the public. It also is a time for the
> public to ask questions and offer comments on the planned activities on
> state forest lands.
>
> The annual operations plans under review are for the period from July
2003
> through June 2004. After public comments have been considered,
district
> foresters will approve the annual operations plans for their districts.
>
> All state forest lands are actively managed under adopted forest
> management plans to provide economic, environmental and social benefits
to
> Oregonians. Most of the revenue from timber sales goes to county
> governments and local taxing districts, and to the Common School Fund to
> benefit schools throughout the state.
>
> The objectives in the district annual operations plans are based on the
> goals and strategies found in the long-range forest management plans.
>
> The Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan provides guidance for
> the 616,000 acres in the following districts: Astoria (Clatsop State
> Forest), Tillamook (western two-thirds of the Tillamook State Forest),
> Forest Grove (eastern one-third of the Tillamook), Cascade (Santiam State
> Forest), West Oregon (scattered tracts in Benton, Polk and Lincoln
> counties), and Western Lane (scattered tracts in Lane County).
>
> The Southwest Oregon State Forest Management Plan covers 18,000 acres of
> blocked and scattered lands in Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Jackson
> counties. The Southwest Oregon District and the six northwest
districts
> also have 10-year district implementation plans, which project a desired
> future condition for the forests that extends decades into the future.
> These plans show how the various management activities will be used to
> move basins toward their desired future condition.
>
> Under the Elliott State Forest Management Plan, the Coos District manages
> the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest in Coos and Douglas counties.
The
> Klamath-Lake District uses the Eastern Region Long-range Forest
Management
> Plan to manage 34,000 acres in Klamath Counties, including the
20,000-acre
> Sun Pass State Forest.
>
> When reviewing and commenting on an annual operations plan, it may be
> helpful to be familiar with or have a copy of the corresponding forest
> management plan and (for districts covered by the NW and SW plans) the
> district implementation plan. Written comments providing the most
useful
> suggestions should focus on one or more of the following:
>
> * Enhancing the consistency of an annual plan with the forest management
> plan and (for districts covered by NW and SW plans) the district
> implementation plan.
>
> * Improving the clarity of an annual plan.
>
> * Providing new information that will affect an annual plan (such as
> location of a domestic water source or a cultural resource site).
>
> * Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of an annual plan or planned
> operation.
>
> Comments and questions may be sent to ODF district
offices or the
> Salem headquarters. They also may be e-mailed to Salem (specific district
> should be identified) to jane.hope@state.or.us
> <mailto:jane.hope@state.or.us>. Addresses and fax numbers follow:
>
> State Forests Program, Oregon Department of Forestry, Attn: Jane Hope,
> 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310. Fax: 503-945-7376.
>
> Astoria District (Clatsop State Forest), 92219 Hwy 202, Astoria, OR
97103.
> Fax: 503-325-2756.
>
> Cascade District (Santiam State Forest), 22965 North Fork Road SE, Lyons,
> OR 97358. Fax: 503-859-2158.
>
> Forest Grove District (eastern one-third Tillamook State Forest), 801
> Gales Creek Road, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Fax: 503-357-4548.
>
> Tillamook District (western two-thirds Tillamook State Forest), 4907 East
> 3rd St., Tillamook, OR 97141. Fax: 503-842-3143.
>
> West Oregon District (scattered parcels), 24533 Alsea Hwy, Philomath, OR
> 97370. Fax: 541-929-5549.
>
> Western Lane District (scattered parcels), PO Box 157 (87950 Territorial
> Road), Veneta, OR 97487. Fax: 541-935-0731.
>
> Southwest Oregon District (blocked and scattered
parcels), 5375
> Monument Drive, Grants Pass, OR 97526. Fax: 541-474-3158.
>
> Coos District (Elliott State Forest), 63612 Fifth
Road, Coos Bay, OR
> 97420. Fax: 541-269-2027.
>
> Klamath-Lake District (Sun Pass State Forest), 3200
DeLap Road,
> Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Fax: 541-883-5555.
>
> Annual operations plans will be available Feb. 14 at each district
office,
> area ODF offices (Northwest Oregon Area, 801 Gales Creek Road, Forest
> Grove; Southern Oregon Area, 1758 NE Airport Road, Roseburg; Eastern
> Oregon Area, 3501 E. 3rd St., Prineville) and Salem headquarters.
>
> The annual operations plans will be posted Feb. 14 on the ODF web site
> http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/management/state_forests/AOP.asp.
>
> Ten-year implementation plans (final drafts pending state forester
> approval) for districts covered by the northwest and southwest regional
> plans will be posted Feb. 14 on the web site
> http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/management/state_forests/IP.asp.
> Regional forest management plans are posted Feb. 14 on the web site
> http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/management/state_forests/planning.asp
> .
>
> Forest management plans also may be requested from district offices or
> from the ODF headquarters in Salem. The contact person in Salem is
> planning specialist Jane Hope, who may be contacted by phone
(503-945-7359
> or leave message at 1-800-482-6866) or e-mail jane.hope@state.or.us
> <mailto:jane.hope@state.or.us>.
>
> # # # #
News
& Notes for the Politically Motivated Motorcyclists
is a monthly service compiled and edited by the AMA Government Relations Staff
to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world. We welcome your
news & views. Please submit all material to
AMA
is hosting a
The
seminar, to be held
The
instructors will also prepare participants to meet face-to-face with members
of their own congressional delegation, but the seminar isn’t all work. There
will be a welcome reception as well as a luncheon and a banquet over the
course of the training.
The
seminar registration fee is $75. AMA membership is required.
For
more information or to register, contact
The
National Forest Foundation
(NFF) Community Assistance Program (CAP), a
new funded opportunity for community groups, will
provide “start-up” grants in the $5,000 – $15,000 range as well as basic
resources, tools, and guidance nationally to new and recently-formed community
groups working on natural resource management issues near or on national
forests and grasslands. The NFF will review CAP proposals on a quarterly
basis. For more information contact
British
Transport Minister
Jamieson
said, “The large majority of motorcyclists were in favor of dark visors,
which they regard as the best way to reduce glare. However,
road safety organizations who have expressed concerns about the safety of
other vulnerable road users, given the potential for misuse of dark visors at
dusk or at night. "
Jamieson’s
announcement comes after a three-month public consultation earlier in the year
on whether the law should change. Activists
who supported a change in the law say this could be the end of the fight.
This
means the darkest visor English motorcyclists will be allowed to use legally
has a 50 percent tint – considered by many not tinted enough to block out
bright or low sun. (MCN)
Motorcycle
helmet law modification bills have already been introduced in
several states across the country and are being actively tracked by the AMA.
Massachusetts H206 allows motor cyclists participating in public
parades to be exempt from the helmet law, while H207 regulates the wearing of
helmets for passengers and operators of motorcycles, and H208 regulates the
use of protective headgear for persons riding on motorcycles.
New York A589 requires motorcycle user to wear helmets that meet the
federal motor vehicle safety standards and which have been impact-tested by
the US Department of Transportation, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or by
an independent laboratory approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. S170
exempts motorcyclist over the age of 21 from the requirement of wearing
protective helmets of a type approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles
when operating or riding a motorcycle.
Virginia H1848 limits the application of the motorcycle helmet law to
operators and passengers less than 21 years old; provides that a citation for
a violation may not be issued unless the officer has another reason to stop
the vehicle or arrest the driver. H1938 exempts motorcyclists operating on
scenic highways and
West Virginia S61 relates to motorcycle operators and passengers;
requires that motorcycle operators and passengers under twenty-one years of
age wear helmets while riding; and requires that any operator licensed less
than two years wear a helmet while riding.
For information on these, or other, laws effecting your right to ride
go to www.AMADirectlink.com, click on the “Protecting Your Right To Ride”
icon, then click on the AMA Statewatch icon.
The proposed legislation would require the titling of
ATVs and off-highway motorcycles with no other benefit to riders other than
providing a central data base for recovery in the event of a theft.
Under LB-333, current owners would have to prove ownership of their vehicles
with a manufacturer’s statement of origin (MSO) or other official document.
In some instances, owners could be required to pay to have ATVs or
off-highway motorcycles inspected by the county sheriff's department prior to
receiving a title.
Nebraska
OHV Association (NOHVA) has been in contact with Senator Burling’s
office to ask if the state is going to require owners to pay a titling fee
for owning ATVs and off-highway motorcycles in
AMA’s
"Save Our Trails" Fund is winding down, having paid out more than
$76,000 to AMA District 37 for legal expenses in the District's battle to
protect off-highway riding areas in
The
"Save Our Trails" Fund was created to accept donations for District
37 (
Supporters
can donate online at
www.AMADirectlink.com to help protect trails or send contributions to: Save
Our Trails, AMA,
As
Congress considers the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), the Governors'
Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is making several recommendations to
continue federal highway safety programs.
Among the listed priorities GHSA feels Congress should allow federally
funded state and local highway safety offices and their grantees to lobby
state legislatures on behalf of safety legislation. While TEA-21 strongly
encourages states to enact safety legislation, GHSA feels the lobbying ban
makes it very difficult to pass these laws which was the intention of the AMA,
Motorcycle Riders Foundation and many state motorcyclists rights organizations
for inclusion of this important provision included in TEA-21.
The Berkshire Trails Council (BTC) performed 1,750 man-hours of
volunteer trail work in five western
The
Knox Trail Riders performed 346 man-hours of trail maintenance in
Other
significant trail maintenance contributors include New England ATV (300
man-hours), WestMass ATV (532 man-hours), The
Berkshire Trail Riders (417 man-hours), The Greylock
Riders (155 man-hours), Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders (356 man-hours), and the
King
Trail maintenance includes building bridges, installing waterbars
to prevent erosion, building causeways through muddy areas which are undrainable,
cutting and cleaning out drainage ditches, clearing blowdowns,
cutting new trails under DEM direction, and regrading/gravelling
eroded sections. Lumber and supplies were paid for by the DEM.
AMA
leadership learned of Sen. Hurt's intentions in a message which read, in part:
"You win ... I'm pulling New Mexico SB 239."
The
AMA had expressed its outrage at SB 239, which, if it had passed, would have
allowed the harvesting of organs from any motorcyclist who didn't wear a
helmet and was declared brain dead as a result of an accident.
"This
victory demonstrates how powerful our voice can be when American motorcyclists
speak together," said
The
AMA organized opposition to the bill, urging motorcyclists to use the AMA
Rapid Response Center—part of the Association's website,
www.AMADirectlink.com—to send a message to Hurt and the New Mexico
Legislature's leadership.
AMA
member
Camlin indicated they have a secondary
problem to deal with now, but it probably will be resolved soon. The Board
voted to impose a $125 fee per motorcycle as a "registration fee".
AMA
has responded to mandatory helmet law proposals in
Arkansas
House
Connecticut
Senate
AP- California commission stirs off-road vehicle debate
> Monday, February 3,
2003 (AP)
> California commission stirs off-road vehicle debate
> DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer
>
>
> (02-03) 14:24 PST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) --
> An obscure state commission that controls millions of
fuel tax dollars
is
> driving a new debate over the use of off-road vehicles on public lands in
> California.
> Since a change in the panel's membership last year,
commissioners have
> blocked grooming of heavily used snowmobile trails near Lake Tahoe;
> refused to provide money for a Southern California off-road site that
> draws 3 million people annually; and persuaded the U.S. Forest Service to
> withdraw a grant request for one of the nation's few "urban"
national
> forests.
> "Certainly it's a seismic shift in the way this
commission has operated
> for the past 20 years," said Don Amador, western representative of
the
> Blue Ribbon Coalition of off-highway vehicle users. But the shift has
been
> welcomed by conservationists.
> Back in 1992, Karen Schambach started protesting how
the Off-Highway
Motor
> Vehicle Recreation Commission awarded grants funded by fuel taxes,
> off-highway vehicle registration fees and vehicle recreation area
entrance
> fees. With $36 million, California's is the nation's largest off-highway
> vehicle program.
> Environmental concerns weren't considered in "a
program that was run by
> the (off-road) users," said Schambach, now state coordinator for
Public
> Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
> By 1998, a coalition of environmental groups sued the
Department of
Parks
> and Recreation over grant guidelines they said illegally disregarded the
> environmental damage caused by off-road vehicles.
> Gov. Gray Davis' new administration settled the suit.
But the
conservation
> groups said the standards were being applied only to state off-highway
> parks that make up about 10 percent of the available acreage, not to
> federal lands that account for the bulk of off-highway access.
> They set out to gain an outright majority on the
seven-member
commission,
> and in doing so joined an ongoing debate between Davis and Democratic
> legislators over whether administration policies do enough to protect the
> environment.
> Environmental groups pushed legislative leaders to
appoint "green"
> commissioners, including Paul Spitler, executive director of the
> California Wilderness Coalition, which helped sue over the program in
> 1998.
> The Democratic leaders' four members now outnumber the
three more
> off-road-oriented appointees of the Democratic governor, and have made
> their majority count in awarding $16.4 million in grants for this year.
> The commission first signaled a sea change last fall in
rejecting a
U.S.
> Forest Service request for $400,000 to groom 118 miles of snowmobile
> trails used by more than 50,000 snowmobilers in and near the Lake Tahoe
> Basin.
> Some of the trails had been groomed annually since the
1980s, but fell
> victim to complaints from cross-country skiers about the machines' noise,
> pollution and speed in the increasingly crowded area.
> The move was criticized by the Forest Service and the
Blue Ribbon
> Coalition, which was incensed enough to file a still-pending
> conflict-of-interest complaint against new Commissioner John Brissenden
of
> Hope Valley, owner of a Lake Tahoe-area resort near the snowmobile
trails.
> In January, commissioners split 4-3 in rejecting $1.1
million sought by
> the Bureau of Land Management to operate the Imperial Sand Dunes
> Recreation Area, which draws more than 3 million people annually.
> Commissioners who opposed the grant were upset by delays in a BLM
> management plan and by a Bush administration plan to open another 49,000
> acres to off-roading.
> The commission's new split also persuaded the Forest
Service to
withdraw a
> request for $900,000 to study and operate off-road programs in the
> Eldorado National Forest, which is battling a lawsuit over its
off-highway
> vehicle programs filed by critics including Schambach and the Wilderness
> Coalition.
> Located between Sacramento and Reno near Lake Tahoe,
the Eldorado is
among
> 21 of the nation's 155 national forests to be labeled an "urban
forest"
> because it is within an hour's drive of more than 1 million people. The
> forest recorded 68,600 off-road visits last year.
> The commission last month had its first public hearing
on priorities,
as
> required by a new law dedicating more gasoline tax money to conservation,
> law enforcement and restoring areas damaged by off-road vehicles. The
same
> law lowers permitted off-road noise levels that had been one of the
> loudest in the nation.
> The changes, Amador said, will have "federal
agencies re-evaluating the
> partnership they've had with the state the last 15-20 years."
> But, Schambach said, off-roaders are lucky the
Legislature's green
> majority didn't cut off all the money. With the new rules and commission
> majority, "it's a whole new game, and they're being held to
standards they
> haven't had to follow for 20 years."
>
> On the Net:
> Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division:
ohv.parks.ca.gov/
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Copyright 2003 AP