LEGISLATION

[Dave_Schuldt]

Found this on a MT bike site.

 

A couple of interesting legislations that were introduced so far in

October in the House include:

 

HR3283 "To improve recreational facilities and visitor opportunities

on Federal recreational lands by reinvesting receipts from fair and

consistent recreational fees and passes, and for other purposes. "

 

An attempt to pass a legislation for nation-wide fee system for all

federal recreational sites including national parks, national

recreation areas, national conservation areas and national forests.

The bill also proposes to repeal and replace regional "Fee

Demonstration Programs" such as NW Forest Pass... finally.

 

HR3247 Trail Responsibility and Accountability for Improving our

Lands Act (TRAIL Act) "To provide consistent enforcement authority to

the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the United

States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service to respond

to violations of regulations regarding the management, use, and

protection of public lands under the jurisdiction of these agencies,

to clarify the purposes for which collected fines may be used, and

for other purposes."

 

HR3247 seeks to set single set of rules and authority for all federal

land management agencies as to enforcement against "recreational

abuses" of fedrally managed lands. If you "unwillfully" damages the

fedral land, you'll be guilty of Class B Misdemeanor and can be fined

up to $5,000. If you "willfully" damages the federal land, you'll be

quilty of Class A Misdemeanor and can be fined up to $100,000. The

bill, unlike another attempt earlier in the year that specifically

targeted OHV users, penalizes any and all recreational users, so

technically hikers, or MTBers, can be found guilty of misdemeanor if

they are found to have caused damage.

 

What's really interesting is the introduction of this bill by Rep.

Tancredo (R-CO) and see in the picture what kind of "damage" he is

talking about fining...

 

http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Tancredo10603.pdf

 

I wonder if the picture would have been used so sensationalistically

if the trail had mud bog with hiking boots imprints all over instead

of tire tracks...

 

 

[HRoark]

This does not sound like good news.

[chelle]

Dave_Schuldt said:

HR3247 seeks to set single set of rules and authority for all federal

land management agencies as to enforcement against "recreational

abuses" of fedrally managed lands. If you "unwillfully" damages the

fedral land, you'll be guilty of Class B Misdemeanor and can be fined

up to $5,000. If you "willfully" damages the federal land, you'll be

quilty of Class A Misdemeanor and can be fined up to $100,000. The

bill, unlike another attempt earlier in the year that specifically

targeted OHV users, penalizes any and all recreational users, so

technically hikers, or MTBers, can be found guilty of misdemeanor if

they are found to have caused damage.

 

What's really interesting is the introduction of this bill by Rep.

Tancredo (R-CO) and see in the picture what kind of "damage" he is

talking about fining...

 

http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Tancredo10603.pdf

 

I wonder if the picture would have been used so sensationalistically

if the trail had mud bog with hiking boots imprints all over instead

of tire tracks...

 

 

So I wonder if this will make it harder to bivy on federal land. And whether this applies to all the ranchers that pay a $1.50 an acre to graze their cattle.