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Land Use home pageSouthern Four Wheel Drive Association is very active in land use activities. We used to be mainly concerned with trail maintenance activities in areas such as Tellico, Blairsville, Uwharrie, Royal Blue, etc. We still do a lot of trail maintenance work (more than ever). However, due to Washington politics, we had to add legislative affairs, letter writing, and public meetings to our focus. The Clinton/Gore administration was set on locking more and more people out of public lands by restricting recreational activities on public lands. All 4WD associations, under the umbrella of United Four Wheel Drive Associations, have become very politically active to preserve our rights to enjoy public lands. UFWDA has a staff attorney, Carla Boucher, who works tirelessly to keep 4WD access for all of us. By "Land Use" we generally refer to all aspects of public use of public and private land, including legislative affairs, property rights, citizen lobbying, and trail maintenance activities. While all the clubs and members in our association enjoy and participate in trail riding and 4 wheeling activities, we also realize that we must stand up for our rights to use public lands. That's what our "Land Use" activities are all about. Q: What has SFWDA done for me? State-by-state summary of pending or recent
legislation which affects the 4X4 community Alabama:
Details online Georgia:No relative bills found this session in Georgia. Kentucky:
Details Online
- PDF Reader required
Abstract: 148.795 Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority -Purpose -Membership -Meetings. (1) The Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority is hereby established and attached to the Department of Tourism, Commerce Cabinet, for the purpose of planning and implementing programs to expand tourism opportunities for o......
Commentary from SFWDA Director of Legislative Affairs:
Thu 2/7/2008 5:17 PM -
"You need to make sure that you get the RIGHT members appointed to
this board, if enacted. Please contact your State House and Senate
member and tell them you want to know more about this and you want
to be involved."
Fri 2/15/08 5:56PM - "Kentucky clubs you need to jump on this Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority bill with both feet and demand for Jeep type vehicles to be included and make sure they specifically WRITE YOU IN THE BILL. You also need to MAKE SURE you have 4WD members included ON THE BOARD. In section 1 (b) you will notice that OHV reps are ONLY motorcycle and ATV's You need to CALL and Write your state representatives IMMEDIATELY and get this corrected and (politely) demand that YOUR 4WD Jeep type recreation representatives also be ON THE BOARD!!!!!!! Tell your representative to either AMEND the bill to include you (and make sure it SPECIFICALLY has you written in the bill, do not let them tell you it is ASS/U/ME/ed that you are included because, as written, you ARE NOT) and if not amended tell your representative to KILL THE BILL. This board, if developed, will regulate and decide what OHV activities will be advanced in your state and if YOU are not on this board the state will only provide ATV and Motorcycle trails. Get involved and get this bill fixed and have a club member on this board. You can find your representative at: www.state.ky.us
189.090Brakes. North Carolina:
Details online South Carolina:
Details online Tennessee:April 18 update from Michelle Russell:
From: Iva Michelle Russell
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 7:32 PM To: Subject: Tn OHV Conference Hello All, We have finally nailed down a place for our May 31 OHV conference. This conference is intended for all OHV club leaders or future club leaders in the state of Tennessee. Please post the attached release on your website forums and pass it on to your OHV contact list. While the leadership is stuck inside all day organizing our future that Saturday, we are making arrangements at a new local OHV Park in Sparta for the rest of the crew to hang out and enjoy some playtime and camaraderie. We also hope to do some trail building exercises on Sunday and I believe there is rough camping available onsite as well (and hotels in Cookeville for those who like a little more comfort). As soon as I can confirm that information, I will send it your way. Thanks for you patience, I think it will be well worth the wait. Michelle Chairman, OHV4TN ============================ April 17 update from Michelle Russell:
From: Iva Michelle Russell
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:24 AM To: Subject: OHV Legislative Update Just when it appeared safe to go back into the water… Shark attack. It’s always about the money. The proposed funding split between TWRA and TDEC ended up devolving into just a split for TWRA/Royal Blue. The amendment that came out of subcommittee was subtly yet drastically different then what was proposed. So heading into yesterday’s meetings we had a melt down in cooperation. At the end of the very stressful day, we were able to salvage one more week to shore up support from TDEC to move the program over this year without funding. This is very, very important in the whole scheme of things. As y’all know, “Birthing” this OHV program must be done in baby steps, the first of which is to get it in a “home” that will use the first year of the move in inventory analysis and gameplan. Our new OHV state organization that will help guide this process will be formalized May 31 and it will take us a good year to format the program guidelines. What this funding cut means is that we have to work a little harder this year with no immediate resources. Been there, done that. So this year, as an organization, we will have to figure out how to fund this program, to what degree and to what measures of success. Next year, I will introduce legislation accordingly. I just want this step behind us…but heck, at the end of the day, we are doing pretty darn good. We just have to keep our eye on the prize and remember that our goal is a statewide system of trails in Tennessee. Will keep you posted! Michelle =================== April 1, 2008 Update from Michelle Russell:
From: Iva Michelle Russell
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 4:24 PM To: Subject: WE MADE IT OUT OF SUBCOMMITTEE We did it!! That’s right, we have successfully made it out of a House Subcommittee, a place where bills go to die a quick death. This is the place that make old men weary and young men (and women) cry. It’s been an incredibly long journey. The amendments are being cleaned up as we speak, so the results won’t be posted until legal does their thing. TWRA will keep RTP funding for East Tennessee (Royal Blue) and the rest of the RTP funds will be distributed by TDEC (New OHV Program Manager) equally to the other two grand divisions (Middle and West TN). Chairman McCord added an amendment that would enhance liability protection for OHV users similar to the Equine Liability laws on the books. We have also added the SFWDA approved OHV definition to include 4x4 recreational vehicles. All in all, I think we have a better bill then what we went in with. The only tweaking that will need to be done in full Committee is the confiscation amendment. The current amendment will apply the confiscation law only to state owned lands not private. Everyone was in agreement that vehicle confiscation for a misdemeanor violation was absurd, but TWRA wanted to have it at Royal Blue so I think that is where we will try to leave it at. For more information go to: www.legislature.state.tn then click on Legislation to the left and put in HB3339. Many thanks go to Rep. Judd Matheny for navigating the treacherous waters most effectively. We are in his debt. Special thanks also go to Bob Yarborough (past SFWDA Pres) for expert testimony today. We didn’t need too much of a big bang today but Bob really put a warm and fuzzy, professional touch to why we are where we are and why need to keep going there. Plus finally, I couldn’t have done any of this without Bob Richards of TDEC. He is truly the “Yoda” of trailbuilding. Congratulations to everyone who wrote, called and persistently emailed our legislators, governor, state leaders and everyone else they could get ahold of. It is because of YOU that we have made it to where we are today. We should be able to move our amended legislation thru both legislative bodies by the end of session! Way to go team! Location and Registration details for the May 31 statewide OHV conference will be out next week. Let’s get our statewide organization solidified then let’s build some trails!! Onward Ho! Michelle ==============================
Details Online - (requires PDF reader) Details of the Tennessee OHV plan are here. Acronymscourtesy of John Stewart, Director of Environmental Affairs, United Four Wheel Drive Associations, www.ufwda.org, The below is a partial list of acronyms encountered when dealing with land use and environmental issues.
United 4WD Associations Forces U.S. Forest Service To Settle Out of CourtIn 1999, United filed suit against the Forest Service over road closures. For more details, go directly to United's page for this issue at http://www.ufwda.org/access2000/legal03.13.00.html. Global Warming???This web page discusses global warming as a scientific theory and a political issue in simple everyday terms, but backs up its arguments with solid scientific proof and explanations.. It makes the argument that the main thing wrong about the global warming theory is that there isn't any warming and how political goals are driving the misuse of scientific data and outright lies by the environmental movement. This article is not really 4-wheeling related, but it's about politics and indirectly about land use. This are the same kind of political arguments being used against recreation on public lands. A very interesting and informative aritcle!!! http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFossils/ice_ages.html Last updated: 04/21/2008 10:23:01 PM |