Of note, the Morongo Basin's Community ORV Watch (COW) testified at the similar House Committee hearing in March.Scott Miller, the committee staffer who organized the oversight hearing, said the event will help inform senators about the debate and will be similar to a March 13 House Committee on Natural Resources hearing on the subject. There's no pending new legislation, he said.
"The popularity of ORVs on public lands has grown dramatically," Miller told The Associated Press. As a result, the management challenges have grown dramatically as well. We're trying to get our members to better understand our issues." - seattlepi.com
MBCA and COW have long been pushing for licensing and registration of ORVs similar to that required of street vehicles, in order to build accountability into off-roading, where currently a puzzling standard of anonymity prevails. The battles between off-roaders and property owners will continue as long as riders believe they will not be held responsible for their actions.
In a recognition of problems caused by this troubling lapse in regulation, at yesterday's hearing, according to The Hill:
Frank Adams, executive director of the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association, said one of the largest problems he and his colleagues face is that motorcycles and recreational vehicles are often unlicensed. Nevada, for example, does not require off-road vehicles to be licensed. Adams said that he believes there should be standardized federal licensing rules.
But plating every motorcycle would come at the cost of anonymity, which is prized by motorcyclists and off-road vehicle users.
"Prized"? Anonymity is prized by criminals, too, but that doesn't make it their right. That ORV riders should be accountable for their actions is only common sense and perfectly in line with our expectations of all citizens. Why is this one category of activity the exception?
It's about time Congress started examining the practices of off-roading.
MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: On Community ORV Watch and on the Off-Road Vehicle page of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Off-Road Vehicles.
