Read This Newsletter.....Good Information

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From the Americans for Responsible Recreational Access website.............Washington NewsletterFebruary, 2006As I prepare this edition of the ARRA newsletter, President Bush is putting the finishing touches on his State of the Union speech; the Senate is about to confirm Samuel Alito as an Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court; and House Republicans are preparing to elect a new Majority Leader to replace Rep. Tom DeLay. Beyond this, not much else has happened in Washington since I last wrote except to say that the dark political mood that has cast a spell over the Nation’s Capital continues with no sign of lifting. For the short term, political paralysis is here to stay.Bluewater Network Lawsuit Against the National Park ServiceThe anti-access forces are at it again. The Bluewater Network, a division of Friends of the Earth, along with the National Parks Conservation Association and the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads joined together to file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior in an effort to stop OHV access to those NPS lands that permit such access.Particularly hard hit, if successful, will be National Seashore areas along the coast. Such areas like the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts and the Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina, areas that traditionally permitted OHV access long before these areas received National Seashore designations, would be seriously impacted. Sportfishermen are especially concerned that their means of accessing some of the best coastal shore fishing areas could be cut off if OHV access were to be banned.A number of pro-access groups have filed petitions as intervenors including the United Mobile Sportfishermen, the Outer Banks Preservation Association, the Cape Lookout Mobile Sportfishermen, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the Blue Ribbon Coalition.We will be following this lawsuit closely and sincerely hope that the intervenors are successful in their effort to inject some common sense in this particular judicial case.A Blow Against Eco-TerrorismTerrorism comes in many forms. It’s unfortunate that we have a home grown form of terrorism that comes out of the environmental movement. Fortunately, swift action on the part of Federal law enforcement authorities in California prevented a serious terrorist act that could not only have destroyed property but could have caused human casualties as well.On January 13, three individuals were arrested and charged with plotting to bomb the world’s oldest tree-breeding center 40 miles east of Sacramento. Apparently, the suspects were also considering targets such as a dam and fish hatchery along the American River as well as cellular and electricity towers. While we are relieved that the suspected terrorists were apprehended before they could carry out their plot, we are troubled that some believe that by causing destruction they can advance their political agenda. Also troubling is the fact that many of the established environmental groups are strangely silent about condemning such illegal actions. ARRA has consistently been critical of those who do not practice responsible recreation on our public lands. We are also going to condemn those who are eco-terrorists. We hope that those organizations who are generally against OHV recreation would at least share our disgust for those who plot to destroy and kill for the sake of environmental beliefs. In a civil society, one would hope that we could debate our differences in terms of policy without resorting to violence.FS Final Rule on OHV Route DesignationsNow that the rule is final, we have begun to work with Forest Service officials and members of Congress to see if dedicated funds can be set aside for the implementation phase. Without adequate funding, we are afraid that the implementation phase is going to be hampered and as a result, less successful. Also, adequate funding for trail and road maintenance is of concern to us, so we have begun to focus on this need as well. ARRA, along with a number of other recreation groups, are all working together on these efforts. At some point we will be asking ARRA members to contact their House member or Senators on these issues. Please be prepared to leap into action when the timing is right. ARRA will keep in touch to let you know when your input is needed.Closing CommentsI have written about the partisanship strife gripping Washington. While I don’t know how this vicious cycle can be broken, I know that if it isn’t, the ability of our national legislative body to address issues of importance to the recreation community, along with a host of other domestic issues, will be seriously impaired. I sincerely hope that in the coming months I will be able to report more encouraging news to you, but as of now, that just isn’t the case. In the meantime, please stay involved in local and regional recreation issues. The upcoming implementation of the Forest Service Final Rule on OHV route designations will provide ample opportunities for many of us to be involved. Along the way, we will be furnishing you with information on how to do just that, so please continue to check in with the ARRA website.Sincerely,Larry E. SmithExecutive DirectorARRA