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U.S. Senate Poised
to Shut Off-Highway Vehicles Out of More Than 1 Million Acres of
Public Land
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The U.S. Senate is
poised to act as early as Sunday on a massive
package of public lands bills that would shut
motorcyclists out of more than 1 million acres
without adequate public comment, the American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
The last-minute move just as the newly elected
Congress takes over has raised the ire of the
AMA and at least one congressman, who believe
the proposal and process deserve more public
participation.
"Those who say things get better with time
obviously never encountered the public lands
omnibus bill," said U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop
(R-Utah). "This bill was a bad idea last
Congress, and it's only gotten worse over the
past month."
Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government
relations, agreed.
"It makes little sense to lump together more
than 160 very important public lands bills into
one package that is nearly 1,300 pages long, and
then expect the public to digest it all -- and
to rush a vote through the Senate on a weekend,"
Moreland said.
More than 160 public lands bills have been
grouped together by Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid. The package would create more than 1
million acres of designated Wilderness land,
which would shut out all motorized vehicles.
The last-minute congressional maneuver would
also make the National Landscape Conservation
System permanent. This system creates an
additional level of bureaucracy for the National
System of Public Lands and would remove much of
the authority of the existing agency in managing
those lands.
"Congress should put together a new package and
pass it through committee rather than debate
legislation carried over from the previous
Congress," Rep. Bishop said. "Poor process
produces poor product, and this is an example of
congressional process at its worst. Parts of
this bill are good, and parts are very bad. Each
part deserves to be discussed and voted on its
own merits."
"Continued responsible access to public lands is
a vitally important right for current and future
generations," added Moreland. "This measure
deserves to be fully analyzed and thoughtfully
debated in the next Congress prior to a final
vote."
All AMA members and anyone else who enjoys
outdoor recreation are urged to contact their
U.S. senators and ask them to oppose the omnibus
public lands bill. An easy way to contact your
senators is in the "Issues & Legislation" area
of the Rights section of the AMA website at
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
About the American Motorcyclist
Association
Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected
the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come
from all walks of life and they navigate many
different routes on their journey to the same
destination: freedom on two wheels. As the
world's largest motorcycle organization with
nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for
motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local,
state and federal government, the committees of
international governing organizations and the
court of public opinion. Through member clubs,
promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more
motorsports competition events than any other
organization in the world. Through its
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA
preserves the heritage of motorcycling for
future generations. For more information, visit
www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
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