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Just got this from NMA's Tori Briggs in Washington State.  The environ'mental' extremists will no doubt use this vicious and manipulative  ploy in other states (yours?) if it works there.  WE MUST STOP THIS! 

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Off-Road Crisis!!! 

First, apologies to those who received this twice.

Tom Conner, please send this to every shop you can.

Jim Boltz, we need to talk asap, I'll call when I get a second to breathe

Spread this far and wide - and ACT NOW!!!

Publishers, double check back with me at the last minute, but for now -
print it if you will

Abbo - post it, maximum attention getting devices on the site!!!


Dirt bike riders, ATV riders, 4WD enthusiasts, equestrians, mountain bike
riders - ALERT!!!  THE MOST DAMAGING ATTACK BY THE WTA ON MOTORIZED/MULTIPLE
USE RECREATION EVER, HAS NOW REACHED THE FINAL BATTLE STAGE.  IF THEY
SUCCEED, THESE FORMS OF RECREATION WILL BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPACTED,
ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED ON YOUR (PUBLIC) LAND!

We have been fighting radical green attempts to steal our only source of
funding for off-road motorized/multiple use trails and parks for years.
Last year, they finally made a dangerous breakthrough.  Using our trail
project funds, via key, inside connections in Olympia, they got a fuel use
study going.

Without going into gory detail, the results of this underfunded fuel use
study, which used questionable language and methods (no on-the-ground,
in-person surveys), are being used to justify a complete reallocation of our
only source of funds (gas tax refunds) - to every sort of recreation except
motorized/multiple use!  Non-motorized use of fuel tax refund is an
oxymoron.

While the IAC is at least asking for six months to meet with the existing
NOVA committee, and will be adding whole raft of new members as indicated by
the study, to come up with a new reallocation - the WTA can't wait and is
pushing, with the help of friendly legislators, bills which drive a
reallocation right now!  They think they have got us over a barrel, that
they have won!  NO WAY!

HOW BAD IS THIS?  Motorized/multiple use recreation currently gets about 80%
of the gas tax refund.  Under a straight cut reallocation per the fuel use
study, we would be cut to 20%!

We have a huge disparity between the demand for off-road trails and parks
and the available opportunity, it has reached a crisis level.  To suffer
such a cut in our only source of funding will be a disaster.  We will be
hard pressed to just keep our existing ORV areas open, never mind ever
closing the gap between demand and opportunity!

HERE'S THE PLAN - OBVIOUSLY WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We have a three pronged plan of attack:
    1.    Stop any and all state legislation (bills and budget proviso
language) that would forever reallocate our only source of funds.
    2.    Work hard within the proposed IAC process and try to protect
as much of our current funding as possible.
    3.    Continue to research any legal options.

We need your help to do this!  This is way bigger than a Walker Valley
seasonal closure, and you all came through big time on that one.  DO YOUR
PART, AND MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW INVOLVED!

First, we need to launch a communications blitz into Olympia.  Every single
legislator must receive letters, phone calls, emails and faxes.  And no form
letters!  Following this are the talking points we think will have the
greatest impact on our legislator's thinking.  Use them!  If you need any
help finding out how to contact your legislators, go to the NMA's site,
where you can get the information just by entering your zip code. 

http://www.nmaoffroad.org/landuse/landresources.htm.

Second, we have a dedicated enthusiast now serving as our lobbyist,
attending and testifying at every hearing, and meeting with Legislators.  We
need everyone who can manage to do so, to show up in Olympia and stand by
our man.  Even one more person at a hearing can make a difference!  If you
think you can put some time in here, contact us and we'll connect you up so
that you can know the schedule and can line up a session.

Third, the NMA needs money, to help maintain our presence in Olympia, and
cover legal costs.  Please, as an individual, or as a club, or a business,
make a donation to the NMA Land Use/Legislative/Legal fund!  Take a moment
to think about how much money you spend every year pursuing your off road
recreational interest, then send even just 1% of that amount to the NMA!  Do
it Now!  Next month may be too late!   Send your donation to; NMA Treasurer,
6702 Penny Lane, Lynnwood, WA, 98036.

Here are the talking points for your communication with your legislator:

PLEASE HELP AVERT A DISASTER IN WASHINGTON!

We believe that a grave mistake is about to be made.

Demand continues to grow far faster than opportunities for off-road
motorized (and therefore multiple use) trail and park recreation; indeed,
the disparity is reaching crisis proportions.

An underfunded fuel use study with questionable language and methods, and
results which do not correlate with past and recent studies (including
federal), is being offered by those who oppose shared multiple-use
recreation as a reason to radically reallocate the only funding source for
off-road motorized recreation in this state.

Any reduction in the funding for off-road motorized/multiple use trail and
park recreation will drive the current demand-opportunity crisis towards a
full blown disaster.  Failure to provide managed, appropriate opportunities
will result in the demand naturally seeking other outlets.

Already, bootleg trail systems and backyard tracks are exploding across the
landscape.  When the sole sanctioned ORV trail opportunity in the northwest
sound, Walker Valley, was recently manipulated into an unnecessary seasonal
closure, the outpouring of public response was overwhelming.  The demand is
bursting at the seams!  Forcing this exploding demand to seek its own
unmanaged opportunities is NOT what we want for our state lands!

Further, a frustrated marketplace will soon severely impact the ORV
businesses.  New unit sales and service, and an extensive aftermarket
cottage industry, will suffer and contract, hurting employment and tax
revenues.  Northwest Puget Sound businesses saw their traffic almost
immediately dry up until the Walker Valley reopening.

All of the possible recipients of any proposed reallocation of this funding
have ample primary sources of funding for their single purpose non-shared
use.   Remember, Nonhighway and Offroad Vehicle Activities (NOVA) funding
for off-road motorized/multiple use trails and parks was created in the
early 70's when those very recreationists came to the state government and
offered to rescind their right to a personal gas tax refund and to add a new
OEVe registration fee, in return for the creation, management, and
maintenance of such opportunities.

Washington needs to focus on ensuring that the current meager funding for
off-road motorized trail and park recreation is more effectively spent,
indeed, we need to actively pursue options to increase the funds!  Please,
deeply consider the terribly negative outcomes of any decision to reduce the
funding for, and therefore off-road motorized recreation opportunities!

LOOKING BACK . . .

In the early 70's, emerging demand for multiple use/motorized off-road
opportunities led to the realization that there was no source of funding to
create, manage and maintain such in Washington.  Such recreationists
created, with the Legislature, the only Washington state program focused on
satisfying that demand.

As a result, under RCW 46.09170, 1% of the state's gas tax, and dirt
bike/ATV registration fees were provided to the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) and the Inter Agency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC),
to provide properly managed opportunities.

The growth in demand has rarely faltered over the decades, indeed, it has
been exploding .  Sadly, after an encouraging beginning, growth in
opportunities has been absent.  No, we have instead regularly lost whole
riding areas, and many trail miles from the areas still open.  The disparity
is worse now than it was when off-road motorized recreation enthusiasts
first turned to government to create a solution!

It has not been easy, trying to get value for the small amount of money
supposedly focused on meeting this demand.  Anti-motorized off road
recreation organizations have increasingly blocked projects with lawsuits,
such that land management now avoids even proposing projects, and
bureaucracy has absorbed too great of a percentage.

Now, this thinly veiled attack on this family oriented form of outdoor
recreation by those who openly hate this activity, threatens to create a
land management and economic disaster in Washington.  Please, don't cut the
ONLY source of funding for truly shared multiple use, which includes
properly managed ORV recreation!


Tory Briggs
Sr. Program Manager
Intermec Technologies Corporation
425-348-2798
tory.briggs@intermec.com