Recreational fuel use study

[Dave_Schuldt]

Found this on the BBTC list serve, interesting.

More info here. http://www.seanet.com/~smithjones/BBTC/PDFs/IACNovaMtg01-23-03.pdf

 

Skip Card; The News Tribune

 

A study of how much gasoline is used by drivers on Washington's recreational

back roads found 49 percent of that fuel is burned by sightseers, fishermen,

hunters, campers, berry-pickers and others who typically stay close to their

cars. About 31 percent of the gas is consumed by people driving to trails or

other sites where they can hike, ski or ride horses and bicycles. Only 20

percent is used by motorcyclists, snowmobilers, 4-wheel-drive enthusiasts and

other motorized off-road users.The findings, which could help shape how

millions of fuel-tax dollars are spent, surprised officials with the state

Interagency Committee on Outdoor Recreation, or IAC. Eighty percent of fuel

taxes now spent on off-road recreation goes to maintain motorized trails,

educate their users and enforce off-road laws."The study suggests we need

some fairly major policy changes in the IAC, and potentially other agencies'

programs," said Jim Fox, special assistant to the IAC director.When the IAC

commissioned a survey of fuel use on the state's back roads, officials

assumed most fuel would be burned by people driving to trailheads to walk or

ride. Pollsters lumped sightseeing, berry-picking, picnicking, fishing,

camping and other close-to-the-road activities in a broad "other"

category."We were surprised that it accounted for 49 percent of the fuel

use," Fox said. "We thought it would be a very small number."The goal of the

study was to determine whether Washington is properly spending fuel-tax money

generated when drivers buy gas in the state but then drive on Forest Service

roads or other streets that the state pays no money to maintain. Such roads

are often primitive, but they also include paved roads inside national

parks.In a sort of fuel-tax refund, the state devotes roughly 1 percent of

all fuel tax revenue - usually about $2.7 million a year, or $5.5 million

each two-year budget period - to trails. The money flows through the IAC's

Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicle Activities program, known as NOVA.Sixty

percent of NOVA money now goes to maintain trails and facilities in places

where motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and other off-road rigs are allowed.

Another 20 percent goes to educate riders or enforce laws on such trails.The

remaining 20 percent is spent on nonmotorized trails and facilities for

hikers, bicyclists and horse riders.The money is small change in the state

budget, but it means a lot to people using backcountry trails that often cost

$900 to $1,300 a mile to maintain, said Jonathan Guzzo, director of advocacy

for the Washington Trails Association."When it comes to trails and

recreation, $5 million can make a big difference," Guzzo said.Guzzo said the

WTA, which represents hikers, plans to push to have more dollars shifted to

nonmotorized trails.Motorcycle riders and other motorized users "have been

getting 80 percent of the money and contributing 20 percent of the money,"

Guzzo said. "We just need to get the money reallocated so it goes to the

people who provide money to the program."Such changes might not come soon,

IAC's Fox said. Rather than suggest changes during the current legislative

session, IAC officials are likely to meet with various backcountry groups to

work out a new spending formula, he said.The study suggests more should be

spent on roadside facilities such as restrooms, Fox said. He said such

facilities could be used by every back-road visitor, from drive-by sightseers

to backpackers returning from weeks on the trail."We're going to start

working with stakeholders right away," Fox said. "My hope would be if we can

get all the constituents working together, then we might end up coming up

with some funding categories that ultimately everybody could benefit

from."The survey, conducted by Bellevue-based Hebert Research, polled 7,194

vehicle owners in Washington state beginning in December 2001. Respondents

were selected randomly from the 5.1 million street-licensed and registered

off-road vehicles in the state.Percentages of fuel used in back-roads areas

are different from the percentages of people who engage in recreation there,

since certain activities use more fuel.Of all those who drove back roads for

recreation, 31.8 percent engaged in hiking, 14.8 percent in off-road vehicle

use, 10.9 percent in cross-country skiing, 8.4 percent in mountain biking,

4.8 percent in equestrian activities and 2.6 percent in snowmobiling. Many

users participated in more than one activity.The survey is accurate to within

3 to 5 percentage points.

 

 

Edited January 21, 2003 by Dave_Schuldt

[glen]

Curious if anyone knows how the $5 mil from fuel compares to the revenue base from NW forest passes?

 

Just looking for a yardstick.