February Legislative Issues Report
By Roy Ulrich
Posted February 05, 2018
There’s a lot going on and a lot coming up. I’ll keep it short as I can.
1. 2018 BLM SNDO RMP comment period closed February 2nd. MRAN submitted substantive comments that were emailed to CC members and posted on Facebook. The RMP offered (all 4 alts.) does not reflect the new federal political ethos and it does not fairly include recreational users as equal partners with other stakeholders and preservationist. We’ve established standing by commenting. Our next step should be making our case for equal standing with elected officials.
2. USFS NEPA PLANNING comment period closed February 2nd. MRAN signed onto BRC/Sharetrails comments.
3. USAF Nellis Bombing Range expansion. Comments due by March 8th . https://sharetrails.org/alert/nevada-usaf-releases-draft-legislative-environmental-impact-statementleis-for-review/ Another link with different priorities, but detailed explanations of why expansion is needed – http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Military-Base-expansion.html
4. BLM GREAT BASIN SAGEBRUSH STEPPE ECOSYSTEM, Public meeting Feb. 13th, Ely. Comment period closes March 8th . https://sharetrails.org/alert/ca-id-nv-or-ut-and-wa-blm-announces-great-basin-ecosystem-strategy/ https://go.usa.gov/xnQcG
5. BRC/Sharetrails membership: https://sharetrails.org/bus-org/?mem=4
6. TO KEEP OUR PUBLIC LAND OPEN WILL TAKE OUR PARTICIPATING IN OUR GOVERNMENT because there’s people working hard to close our access. The comments we send by not commenting are; “we don’t care” and, “do what you want”. There’s enough of us to make a difference by working together to make a difference. Our problem is, most of us care enough to complain, but not enough to do anything about what we’re complaining about. As an organization, we submit substantive comments. They’d mean a lot more if just 10% of our members sent comments based on MRAN’s comments. MRAN’s RMP comments were posted on Facebook January 9th . From your feedback, I feel most of MRAN didn’t care. Did you send a comment? If not, why didn’t you? What would convince you your comments can make a difference?
7. SPARK ARRESTOR TESTING: The biggest part of my job is knowing and understanding the laws that affect us. The law requires our motorcycles have spark arrestors and defines spark arrestor and testing procedures. I work for MRAN, not for the BLM. I don’t enforce laws. Knowing laws that apply and by observations, I feel clubs using 1 test kit works best for MRAN, clubs, and the riders. I discussed this with Nick Harris at AMA and Don Amador at BRC. Both suggested we buy a test kit from DPS. There’s nothing in the test kit, except for the certification and instructions that riders can’t buy from Home Depot for next to nothing.