UNIQUE PARTNERS RALLY TO SUPPORT HB 1069

Background

The OHV Registration Program in Colorado has grown from 55,000 registrations in 2000 to 121,000 registrations in 2006. This is a significant growth rate of 14 percent per year. Moreover, the population of Colorado is increasing, predicted to crest over 5 million by next year. Thus, the overall recreational use of the state's public lands will continue to increase. The need for a coordinated, state-wide transportation system and integrated planning and enforcement on our public lands is critical to accommodate increasing demand. Providing for long-term sustainable use of Colorado's public lands is essential to maintaining the quality of the recreational experience we cherish in this state. While motor vehicle use is an appropriate way to recreate on public lands (for fun as well as a means to hunt and fish), the growing number of vehicles has prompted both the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to revise their management of this use so that the agencies can continue to provide opportunities desired by the public, while sustaining land health standards and supporting their multiple use mandates. In order to ensure that these new management strategies are successful it is critical for the myriad of constituents concerned with the long term health of our public lands to support these efforts in every way possible. Beyond State Trails Grants, educational programs, stewardship projects and other partner-oriented efforts, one need these constituents have been hard-pressed to address is the alarming lack of law enforcement personnel on the ground to enforce off highway vehicle violations.

What HB 1069 Will Do

HB 1069 will give state peace officers the authority to enforce off highway vehicle violations on federal public land and will provide penalties for anyone found guilty of violating closed areas and trail closures. Currently, without a local cooperative agreement, state peace officers cannot enforce federal travel regulations even when they witness infractions first hand.

HB 1069 will modify and mitigate irresponsible use of OHVs in an effort to minimize resource damage on public land and reduce user conflicts. There is a strong movement to encourage responsible riding in Colorado. This bill aims to improve upon the growing culture of responsible OHV use (in keeping with other state-wide programs such as Stay the Trail) building on an already strong stewardship ethic among OHV recreationists in Colorado.

Incidental Enforcement

It is important to note – this enforcement will be incidental and should not increase demands on state peace officers.

Diverse Grassroots Support

HB 1069 represents a unique collaboration among the hunting and angling, off-highway vehicle, and conservation communities. Supporters include, but are not limited to, Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO), Colorado Wildlife Federation, The Colorado Mountain Club, The Colorado Snowmobile Association, and the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. These organizations recognize HB 1069 as an important step toward ensuring the long-term sustainability of Colorado's public lands to support the recreational experiences Colorado is renowned for and increasingly dependant upon. And it is these types of partnerships that will come to define land management policy in the 21st century.

For More Information Please Contact

Bryan Martin, Assistant Director of Conservation, Colorado Mountain Club

(303)519-2027

Jerry Aboud, Executive Director, Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition

(303) 421-6255

John Smeltzer, Vice President, Board of Directors, Colorado Wildlife Federation

(970) 690-3598

Supporters

Endorsees of HB08-1069

Primary Supporters:

Colorado Wildlife Federation

Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition

Colorado Mountain Club

Endorsing organizations:

• Colorado Bowhunters Association

• Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (Colorado

Chapters)

• Wild Connections

• Upper Arkansas South Platte Project

• Public Lands Initiative

• Trout Unlimited

• Colorado Trout Unlimited

• Colorado Wildlife Federation

• Colorado Snowmobile Association

• Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition

(COHVCO)

• Denver Chapter, Trout Unlimited

• Colorado Wilderness Network

• Sierra Club – Rocky Mountain Chapter

• Western Colorado Congress

• Colorado Environmental Coalition

• Colorado Mountain Club

• San Juan Citizens Alliance

• Sheep Mountain Alliance

• Arkansas Valley Audubon Society

• Western Resource Advocates

• High Country Citizens Alliance

• Environment Colorado

• The Wilderness Society

• Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project

• Quiet Use Coalition

• Wilderness Workshop

• SINAPU

• Center for Native Ecosystems

• San Miguel County BOCC