luseinfo

Up coming Legislative Session - Help needed

I am monitoring the state legislative session again this session. So far there are 1201 bill draft requests. (as of 2 Dec 08) There will most likely be a few bills that will affect 4x4 users. So far I see 7 that will bear watching.

I want an e-mail network in place so I can alert you to bills that need to be responded to. I will provide you with all the info you need to either e-mail your local area legislators or provide a phone # so you can call the switch board and leave a message for them. Early in the session we usually have a few days to react. Late in the session we sometimes only have 12 hours, so paying attention and responding quickly is important.

This will only require that you look at your e-mail daily for a couple of months. If anything needs attention, you'll have a message from me with what to do. It will only take a few minutes of your time to help. And probably only 2 or 3 times during the session. If a bill looks ominous, I'll send you a link so you can read the bill for yourself.

News release by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks - 2/22/2008

STATE TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SOUGHT

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking four new State Trails Advisory Committee members for three-year terms. Applicants must have experience in at least one of the following activities: horseback riding, off-highway motorcycle riding, or off-road 4X4 truck driving.

9/10/2006

Press Release

For Immediate Publication

For more information contact:

Fred Hodgeboom, President
Montanans For Multiple Use
406-837-1363
hodgeboom@centurytel.net

Kerry White, President
Citizens for Balanced Use
406-587-3653
406-209-3173
autodoc@in-tch.com

Jerry O'Neil
406-892-7602
oneil@centurytel.net

Approximately 100 members of grassroots associations gathered at the Montana State Capitol on Saturday. Present were: representatives of U.S. Senator Conrad Burns and U.S. Representation Denny Rehberg; Montana Public Service Commissioner, Doug Mood; Montana State Senator Jerry O'Neil; and Montana GOP Legislative Campaign Coordinator Larry Grinde. Forest use groups present were: Citizens for Balanced Use, Families for Outdoor Recreation, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, Montana Snowmobile Association, Montana Four Wheel Drive Association, Montanans For Multiple Use Association, Montana Property Rights Association, and the Treasure State Alliance.

At the front steps of the Capitol, these groups presented Hal Harper, Governor Schweitzer's representative, with petitions signed by over 7800 Montana citizens. These petitions stated:

We the undersigned wish to voice our opposition to the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule and Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath's continued support for this rule. We the undersigned furthermore ask Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer not to make any petition to President Bush asking these lands be further studied or preserved as roadless areas for future wilderness.
We object:

* to having our access to our National Forests restricted;
* to the gating and destruction of our forest roads;
* to having our National Forests mismanaged and reduced to fire fuel;
* to being subjected to arbitrary restrictions concerning our preferred activities while on our National Forests.

We are the people who live, work, pay taxes and vote in this state.

These groups submitted for Governor Schweitzer the election results from Mineral County and from Flathead County. In Mineral County 73% of the voters approved motorized recreation and roaded timber management as part of multiple use on their local forests. In Flathead County 63% of the voters voted for the forests to "be managed by the Forest Service for multiple use purposes including motorized recreation and roaded timber production."

-end-

Enough is enough!

Rally will be held at the Helena state capitol building, Noon on Sept 9, 2006. Lets ask the Governor and Attorney General to drop the lawsuit against the Bush Administration and give the people of Montana a say on roadless issues. We as Montana citizens (not someone from DC) have the right to have the input on what happens on our public lands.

Bring your toys and trucks to show the Governor that we don't need any more land of "NO USE"

View the poster here:
http://ffor.org/images/stories/Rally.pdf

(Note: This is an Excellent, fact-filled and well-researched, that explains succinctly why "environmental" agendas are Trojan Horses. OSVs -- Over the Snow Vehicles -- are not detrimental to national forests or private land. Please share widely with anyone who recreates! Don't snowmobile or use motorized recreation? Just wait ... this agenda will come to your form of recreation, sooner or later!)

January 2, 2006

By Dave Hurwitz daveh-wa@snowmobile-alliance.org

Snowmobile Alliance of Western States

http://www.snowmobile-alliance.org

United Four Wheel Drive Associations was one of 24 national organizations uniting in one voice urging Congress to fund the recreational trails program at all-time high levels.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federal program that funds motorized and non-motorized trail grants at the state level. Each state receives a portion of the multi-million dollar program to fund grants for both motorized and non-motorized trail projects.

BlueRibbon Coalition
-by Adena Cook

On May 5, the Final Rule on management of our National Forest System Roadless Areas was released. Subsequent news stories totally misrepresented the intent of the Rule or what it could accomplish. The stories postulated that the Rule would stimulate road-building and timber harvest in these relatively undeveloped areas. In describing these areas, they chose to ignore that our Roadless Areas are where a significant amount of recreation occurs in our National Forests, the importance of that recreation, and how it is crucial that these areas be actively managed to provide for forest health, access and diverse recreation opportunities.

Original Article

USDA FOREST SERVICE ACTS TO CONSERVE ROADLESS AREAS IN NATIONAL FORESTS Announces National Advisory Committee to Help Implement New Rule

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2005 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced a final rule that invites input from state governors in the conservation and management direction for inventoried roadless areas within national forests. This rule will provide environmental benefits and help to ensure that the needs of local communities are considered in roadless area conservation.

"Our actions today advance President Bush's commitment to cooperatively conserve inventoried roadless areas within our national forests," Johanns said. " USDA is committed to working closely with the nation's governors to meet the needs of our local communities while protecting and restoring the health and natural beauty of our national forests."

Off Highway Vehicle Trail Grants

(Without Any Casualties)
By Del Albright, Blue Ribbon Ambassador and
Daniel R. Strà, Founder, JonFund 4X4 Club

Is your club/group held in the clutches of time by its club elders? Do you wish that you had more input, or that the club/group would change to keep up with the crises our sports face?

As a club elder, are you worried that letting go of things will cause the club to spiral downward or that if you let go of the power no one will step up and continue your good work?

Either situation can be remedied.

Many groups have problems related to a lack of distribution of the workload and responsibilities. There are those who do a lot (and are getting tired) and those who want to do more but aren’t being given things to do. Both situations lead to burn-out and membership decline.