AMA Fights Utah Wilderness Bill In Congress
Legislation Would Close 9 Million Acres Of Utah Public Land To Riding
Bills that would close 9.1 million acres of Utah public land to
off-highway vehicles have been
introduced in Congress, the American Motorcyclist Association
reports.
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) introduced H.R. 1630, and U.S. Sen.
Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced S. 769, on April 18. Both bills are
called America's Red Rock Wilderness Act and would designate more
than 9 million acres of Utah public land as Wilderness. Once land
is designated as Wilderness, no vehicles, including motorcycles,
all-terrain vehicles or bicycles, are allowed on that land.
Included in the 9.1 million acres are existing OHV riding areas
around Moab, the San Rafael Swell and Chimney Rock. These popular
OHV areas represent some of the most important remaining OHV
recreation areas in Utah, and are some of the most popular with
responsible OHV riders. The targeted areas also include existing
roads and developments.
Passage of the legislation would have a significant, negative
effect on local economies already struggling to recover from the
recession.
"It is outrageous that Rep. Holt of New Jersey and Sen. Durbin of
Illinois would attempt to bypass the Utah congressional delegation
to shut down 9 million acres in Utah to just about everyone but
hikers," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government
relations. "This legislation is also puzzling because much of the
land in question doesn't come close to meeting the definition of
Wilderness that's spelled out in federal law. According to the
Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness can only apply to land
'retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent
improvements or human habitation.'"
On April 18, the Republican members of Utah's congressional
delegation sent a letter to their congressional colleagues asking
them to withhold their support for the legislation.
The lawmakers, Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, and Reps. Rob
Bishop, Chris Stewart and Jason Chaffetz, wrote: "In fact, Utah
elected officials, including the governor, state legislative
leadership, rural county commissioners and Utah's Republican and
Democratic members of Congress have unanimously opposed this
bill."
"The Utah delegation is not opposed to preserving
wilderness-quality lands," they wrote. "In fact, several members of
the Utah delegation are working on a Utah lands bill based on input
from state and local government officials, conservation groups and
other stakeholders. This will be a balanced bill that provides for
both conservation and development opportunities in a locally
driven, transparent process."
Allard, a former U.S. senator representing Colorado, added: "The
Utah congressional delegation is doing this properly by making it a
bottom up process with input from affected citizens and communities
instead of a top down process from Washington. The Wilderness area
the New Jersey member is attempting to force onto the people of
Utah is almost twice the size of his state with no public input
from the people of Utah."
The AMA is calling on all motorcyclists and OHV enthusiasts to help
stop H.R. 1630 and S. 769. The fastest way to reach your U.S.
representative or senators is a telephone call. You can find
contact information for your elected officials by entering your zip
code at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/issueslegislation.
A pre-written email is also available there to send to your
representative or senators by following the "Take Action" option
after entering your information at the above website.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, please visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
