Federal forest bill negatively impacts Montana OHV recreation

Many miles of popular riding trails would be shut down under legislation that will be the subject of a hearing by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests on Dec. 17.

The bill—S. 1470, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009—was introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D_Mont.).

"Despite the senator’s effort to reach out to the off-road community for input, the bill doesn't fully address the fundamental concerns that OHV riders have expressed," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "Therefore, the AMA opposes this bill, as it is currently written, and urges the subcommittee and Sen. Tester to continue to work with local riders, the AMA, and other groups to more fully address rider concerns so that families can continue to enjoy OHV trails in a responsible manner."

"In addition to our grave concern over the loss of trails, the AMA remains troubled that the bill language may not go far enough to protect remaining designated motorized use areas created by this legislation from future threats," Moreland said.

"We are asking concerned riders to contact their U.S. senators right away to ask them to oppose this bill," he said.

The quickest way to reach your senators is to call them. You can find contact information for your elected officials by entering your zip code in the Issues & Legislation section of the AMA website here. In addition, a prewritten e-mail is available for you to immediately send to your lawmakers by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information.