Washington Newsletter

August 2011

Perilous Times?

Back when I was growing up, there was a TV show called Beat the Clock where contestants tried to perform some sort of stunt while a large clock ticked off the seconds. If you beat the clock, you won a cash prize or a consumer product. If you didn't beat the clock, you went home empty handed.

The Washington debate about raising the debt ceiling became like that TV show, though the consequences of not beating the clock were far more serious. As citizens, we were all contestants. And fortunately for us, the Congress and the President reached an agreement to reduce the deficit making us all winners for at least a while. Perilous times? Maybe. But with the debt crisis adverted, better times just might be ahead of us. Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking...

H.R. 1581

On July 26th, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a rather lengthy hearing on H. R. 1581, the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011. Thirteen witnesses testified at the hearing. Among those testifying in favor were Dan Kleen, President of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, Chris Horgan, Executive Director of the Stewards of the Sequoia and Melissa Simpson, Director of Governmental Affairs, Safari International. One of those testifying against the legislation was former Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt.

The hearing focused sharp attention on the absurdity of locking up over 42 million acres of federal land classified as Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) and Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs). Read more...

Recreational Trails Program (RTP)

The future of the RTP remains up in the air and isn't likely to be resolved anytime soon. We are beginning to gain a better picture on where the issue stands within both the House and the Senate and frankly it is a mixed bag.

John Mica, the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee outlined on July 7th his vision of a six-year reauthorization bill for federal transportation programs. His vision includes a consolidation of many programs and it is our belief that he doesn't intend to keep RTP as it is presently structured. Our fear is that it could be eliminated altogether.

The word out of the Senate is more encouraging. At a July 21st hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Committee, specifically mentioned that "we kept recreational trails" in the Senate Committee proposal. Read more...

Good News to Share

After more than two years of struggle, both the House and the Senate on August 1st passed H. R. 2715 which amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) effectively ending the ban on youth ATVs and dirtbikes due to their minimal lead content.

Once it became known about the unintended consequences of the initial lead ban, ARRA members became actively engaged in contacting the Congress requesting this exclusion. Your work made the difference and we can all now celebrate a well deserved legislative victory.

Finally, one other bit of very good and surprising news. During the House vote on the debt ceiling measure, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, (D. Arizona) made an unexpected visit to the House floor to cast her vote. Giffords' return to the House of Representatives is a remarkable comeback after being seriously injured in an attempt on her life. The determination she has shown in her recovery process is an inspiration to all.

What many might not know is that Rep. Giffords is a long standing motorcycle enthusiast and serves as co-chair of the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus. We wish the very best as she continues her recovery.

Sincerely,

Larry E. Smith
Executive Director
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access