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| The
Vroom Report The State of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) Across America
In this Issue: Temporary Press Staff Changes at Coalition Temporary Staff Contact Changes at Natural Trails and Waters Coalition: Alix Rauschman will be on maternity leave through the end of March. In the meantime, media inquires should be directed to Scott Kovarovics. His contact information can be found below. Department of Interior Issues "Disclaimer Rule" - Could Give Away Public Interest in National Parks, National Forests and National Monuments Across Country: On January 6, 2003, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a final rule which allows the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to "disclaim" - or give away - the public's interest in its land. This rule is a thinly veiled attempted to use a Civil War-era statute - known as Revised Statute 2477 (RS 2477) - to open Parks, Forests, Monuments and other public lands to road building, off-road vehicle use and other industrial development. In addition, the rule does not allow the public to participate in determining whether or not its land should be given away. This rule also gives the Bureau of Land Management the authority to release land under the jurisdiction of other agencies, including the National Park Service. The potential impact on Parks for example could be severe. In 1993, the National Park Service estimated that as many as 17 million acres throughout the Park system could be affected by various RS 2477 claims. In Mojave National Preserve in California, more than 2,500 miles of questionable routes have already been identified by San Bernardino county. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Extends Comment Period on ATV Safety: On December 26, 2002, the CPSC informed the public that it agreed to extend the comment period on a proposal designed to better protect children under 16 years old from the many dangers associated with adult-size all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). This proposal has been submitted by nine consumer, medical and conservation organizations, including the Consumer Federation of America, American Academy of Pediatrics and Bluewater Network. The agency explained that the extension was requested by all major ATVs manufacturers. The comment period will now close on March 16, 2003. In making this announcement, the Commission also stated that it is preparing to release new reports about ATV-related injuries and those most at risk of injury. These reports will partially update similar documents issued in April 1998. The previous reports found, among other things, that nearly 96% of children were injured by adult-size ATVs in spite of the fact that industry policy recommends against the sale of these large machines for use by children under 16. 108th Congress Opens for Business, New Leadership on Key Public Lands Committees: The 108th Congress convened on Tuesday, January 7 and will be directed by many new leaders on both sides of the aisle and on key committees. Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico replaces Senator Jeff Bingaman (also of New Mexico) as Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee while Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma assumes the helm of the Environment and Public Works Committee. In the House of Representatives, Representative Richard Pombo of California replaces James Hansen as Chairman of the Resources Committee. Representative Robert Goodlatte of Virginia has been named Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Forest Service. National Park Service Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Jet Ski Impacts at Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Last week, the National Park Service issued a final environmental review concerning jet ski use on this National Recreation area in Nevada and Arizona. After agreeing to close several areas as an interim measure last fall, the Park Service is proposing to leave most of Lake Mead open for jet ski use. The Coalition and Bluewater Network are in the process of analyzing the document and will issue an assessment in the weeks ahead. General Accounting Office Issues (GAO) Report that Should Raise Red Flags for BLM in Algodones Dunes: In December, the GAO issued a lengthy report assessing the effectiveness of federal, state and local efforts to protect the endangered desert tortoise and its habitat in the Mojave desert. The GAO concluded that the decisions to classify the tortoise as endangered and designate critical habitat in California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona were reasonable and based on science. However, the GAO concludes that it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of current protective measures because many federal agencies, including the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, are failing to collect and analyze critical information about the health of tortoise populations or adjust management decisions based on that data. These findings are important in the context of the Bureau's proposal to open 50,000 additional acres in Algodones Dunes to dirt bikes, ATVs and other off-road vehicles. The Dunes provide critical tortoise habitat in California. While BLM proposes to expand off-road vehicle use, the GAO states "[a]ccording to a recent review of scientific literature on threats to desert tortoise populations, research has shown that heavy, uncontrolled off-road vehicle use severely damages vegetation that desert tortoise rely on for food and reduces population densities, a finding that supports restrictions on such use." With off-road vehicle use in the Dunes already unmanageable and highly damaging, this report suggests that expanding such use in tortoise habitat is the last thing the BLM should be proposing to do. Scott Kovarovics The Natural Trails and Waters Coalition includes conservation, recreation, hunting and other groups working to protect and restore all public lands and waters from the severe damage caused by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, jet skis and all other off-road vehicles.
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