Help Keep California OHV Parks Alive!

The following comes to us from AMA Hall of Famer, Baja 500/1000 winner, Dakar Rally finisher, and overall off-road racing badass, Scot Harden. He’s raising awareness about California’s Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) parks being under threat from California bill SB 249, which would essentially dismantle the OHV department, and he’s urging everyone who can to write to their state representative. Harden’s Facebook post and plea for help can be found below. If you’re a California resident and like riding your OHV on designated lands, then it’s in your best interest to join the cause.

To all my off road riding friends, this is absolutely a huge deal that needs your support. If the OHV department is restructured as the bill before the California legislature is currently written it will for all intents and purposes gut the program. Please take time to write a letter to your state assembly representative as soon as possible. The Blue Ribbon Coalition, CORVA and several other access advocacy groups are working hard to get the message out. Our state OHV program has been labeled the gold standard in how these types of agencies can work but this new proposal would undo over two decades of great work in this area. This is serious business. Please take time to let your representative know how you feel.

URGENT!-California Off-Road Riders–Your OHV parks are under a serious threat of closure and elimination from extreme Eco groups under proposed California bill SB 249. We need your letters on club, company or with business logo on letterhead. You can mail or email. See bottom of this post.
If passed SB249 is a “kill the program bill” and does the following:

· Sets up “Science Committee” which is a new super commission that has veto power over the entire program and OHV commission

· Would basically ensure that there are only two “ohv friendly” commissioners on the 9 member OHV commission

· Would support redirects of OHV funds to non-OHV program projects

· Would not require repayment of any OHV funds taken by the legislature and other agencies

· Prohibits any new state OHV parks

· Since it would be a “new” program, there would be a 1 year pause in grants.. so no OHV grants to FS/BLM/county sheriffs, etc.

· Those are just some of the key points… it is a “Kill the Program” bill written by extreme eco groups.

Your letter does not have to be long (one page). Be respectful and concise. Explain what the OHV program means to you as you will be asking the Committee Chairman and Committee Members to OPPOSE SB 249 (Allen).

To have hand delivered at the hearing email to: damador@cwo.com

Or mail your letter to:

Honorable Robert M. Hertzberg, Chair
Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee
California State Capitol, Room 4038
Sacramento, CA 95814