TN OHV Legislative Update 4/21/09

I write this blog post with a heavy heart. SB280/HB365 is dead in the water this year.

After extensive discussions, TWRA is not backing down from their demands for full RTP funding for Royal Blue. Without funding, the OHV Program cannot begin in another government department. Tennessee is in a black (red) hole due to this economy and nothing will be passed if it is not self-funded. TWRA stated they will be spending the full $1.1 million dollars (current and past grant money) this coming year on new OHV trails at Royal Blue. In January 2010, a progress report is scheduled to assess TWRA’s compliance. The fact still remains that this IS NOT A STATEWIDE OHV TRAIL PROGRAM as mandated by the Tennessee Off-Highway Vehicle Act. Let’s not forget this fact as we go forward this year. There are many ways to skin a cat around here. When my temper cools down, we will start planning the next step.

We are still moving forward with SB281/HB367 OHV Liability Reform. I will keep you posted. HB367 is in committee today.

Action Alert: “Doing my part to piss off the heathen left”

Subject: Misuse of TN recreation survey
The ORV crowd have latched onto a TN DEC survey about recreation needs and are trying to load it with pro-ORV responses. They discuss this on the "pirate4x4" website: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9695129#post9695129
The DEC survey is at: http://tn.gov/environment/recreation/plan

Please take time out of your day to fill out the TDEC Recreation Survey and spread it onto every OHV forum you possibly can! I didn’t realize that citizen involvement was classified as “misuse”…I guess the anti-access crowd is not happy with our efforts. Keep up the great work!

Gameplan for the next step will be forthcoming, in the meantime, join or start an OHV club and become active in your community. If you are starting one, go to http://www.nohvcc.org/ and request a Club Start-up kit. Have your friends sign-up for the OHV4TN updates by going to http://www.ohv4tn.org/ and writing on the guestbook or going to www.facebook.com/ohv4tn and join the organization. Join TOHVA by going to http://www.tohva.org/ and get involved in state OHV issues. Go to http://www.sfwda.org/ if you are interested in regional 4x4 issues, become involved. Go to http://www.sharetrails.org/ if you want to get involved in national OHV issues.

Bottom line…get involved in the process. By working together, any goal can be achieved.

Your fellow warrior for the cause,
Michelle