Keep Informed.....Good Reading

[KTMrad 512]

Good information..............especially about recreation budgets, and wilderness designation.....read on.

Washington Newsletter

March, 2007

FY 2008 Federal Budget

The Congress finally put to bed the FY 2007 budget by passing a continuing resolution that provides funding for most federal agencies at the 2006 funding level for the remainder of the 2007 fiscal year. In short, this means that most agencies are operating on a flat budget. When you factor in the cost of inflation, most agencies actually have less spending power in 2007 than in 2006.

Some would argue that this isn’t all that bad, but when it comes to funding recreation programs on public lands, this is a growing problem. And sadly, the President’s proposed budget for FY 2008 further disadvantages recreation on Forest Service land. The Administration has proposed cutting the Forest Service’s recreation budget by 11% ($29 million) from the estimated funding level of FY 2007. The proposed budget would also cut 6% ($4 million) from the trails budget as compared to the estimated FY ’07 budget. When you consider that the Forest Service has more than 15,000 recreation facilities and is devoting resources to implement the Travel Management Rule, it doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that more campgrounds are going to be closed and more trails eliminated if less money is available for recreation.

ARRA will be fighting to restore the cuts to the Forest Service’s recreation and trails budgets. And, we are going to be asking you as ARRA members, to join us in that fight by being in touch with your Representative and Senators on this important issue. We will be sending a special alert enlisting your participation when the timing is right.

One bright note in the FY 2008 budget submittal is the fact that the National Park Service is slated to receive a $227 million increase over what it received in FY 2007. This increase is in recognition of the fact that the Park Service has innumerable problems including a huge maintenance backlog and a declining visitation rate at many of its parks. Our hope is that if the Congress grants this increase, we will see a more positive attitude emerge from the Park Service in terms of recreation issues. We will have to wait and see whether more dollars translate into more access.

Wilderness Legislation

In recent years we have witnessed a rather large increase in the number of wilderness designation bills introduced in the Congress. It seems as though every Representative or Senator wants to leave a legacy of having preserved in perpetuity a spot of land. To date, more than 107 million acres of federal land have been designated as wilderness areas, meaning that any mechanized access to these areas, for any purpose, is forbidden. In the last Congress alone, more than one million additional acres were designated as wilderness.

One would think that there is nothing else left to designate. Think again. With both houses of Congress now controlled by the Democrats, we anticipate that designations will actually increase over those of previous years.

In the coming weeks and months, we will be identifying wilderness designation proposals that could have an adverse effect on mechanized forms of recreation. We have already heard from some local and regional OHV clubs about steps they are taking to protect their favorite riding areas. This is a public policy issue that deserves more attention on our part and it will have it throughout 2007.

Regional and National Recreation Forums

As we reported last month, the American Recreation Coalition and the National Forest Foundation are sponsoring with the U. S. Forest Service and other federal agencies a series of regional forums on recreation. Suggestions coming out of these regional forums will then be forwarded to a National Forum to be held on April 30th in Washington, D. C. Regional forums are being held this month in Golden, Colorado; Marietta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Portland, Oregon and Chicago, Illinois. If you want a voice at any of these forums, you must register ahead of time. To learn more and to register, please access this web address: www.recreationforums.info.

It is imperative that access issues relating to motorized recreation be raised at these regional forums. If not, then there is always a possibility that access issues will not emerge as a priority on the national recreation agenda when the final list is assembled at the National Forum in Washington. So, if you live close to any of the regional venues listed above, please give some thought to attending and participating.

Global Warming Fears Contribute to User Conflict

User conflict on the trails is not only a summer problem nor an exclusive issue west of the Mississippi. In the State of New York where the magnificent Adirondack State Park is located, a movement is afoot to reconfigure hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails in order to satisfy the demands of snowmobilers, environmentalists and hikers. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation last year released a 404 page master plan called, the “Snowmobile Plan for the Adirondack Park. This plan came out of a multi-year process of public meetings and focus groups comprised of local officials, environmentalists, private land owners and snowmobilers.

The plan does several things. First, it recognizes the positive economic impact that snowmobiling has on those communities located in economically depressed upstate New York. Second, it tries to bring some semblance of order to the network of snowmobile trails that cross both park and privately owned land by establishing “community connectors” and “town-to-town networks.”

All sides seem to be arguing over various points of the plan. And some observers are beginning to wonder whether technical and legal issues won’t eventually kill the plan. If that happens, it will be most unfortunate for those communities dependant upon snowmobiling giving their local economies a much needed boost during winter months.

Interestingly, the global climate change issue seems to be having an impact on the political strategy of some groups. Some believe that global warming is the cause of reduced snowfall, in recent years, in this part of New York State. These same folks fear that if this trend continues and if snowmobiling declines in popularity, political pressure will build to permit ATVs access to the Adirondack Park. Current policy bans ATVs on state-owned land. So, rather than trying to implement the plan as presented, some believe political deadlock better serves in minimizing snowmobile access and ensuring no ATV access in the future.

This is not what I would call enlightened policy, but maybe we should blame it on the heat and CO2 emissions!

Motorized Vehicle Route Designation Workshops

In the coming weeks and months, three more workshops are planned on the Forest Service Travel Management Rule. Upcoming venues include Arkansas, Colorado and Montana. And more are being planned. Please click here to find out more specific information about these important workshops.

Sincerely,

Larry E. Smith

Executive Director

ARRA