FJ Cruisers of Northern California

ATTENTION ATTENTION CAL SVRA PARKS UNDER ATTACK !!!!!!!

We must ACT NOW to save the OHV program!

The Issue: On Friday, February 18^th, the Assembly Budget Committee voted to take $27 million out of the OHV operating budget. This would NOT be a loan, and would continue unstopped year after year. It would result in closures and cut-backs to the California OHV Parks – Carnegie, Clay Pit, Heber Dunes, Hollister Hills, Hungry Valley, Mammoth Bar, Oceano Dunes, Ocotillo Wells and Prairie City. The Snow Grooming program and State Sno-Parks will also be greatly affected or closed. In addition, the Governor is proposing to take $21 million more from the OHV program. This could be the end of the OHV program as we have enjoyed it for the last 40 years.

This Wednesday, February 23^rd, the Conference Committee will meet in the State Capitol to iron out difference between the State Assembly and Senate Budget Committees. We have to influence the following Conference Committee members through our elected legislative representatives: Senator Leno, Vice Chair; Senator Lowenthal, Senator Negrete McLeod , Senator Huff, and Senator Emmerson, and Assemblyman Blumenfield.

What can you do: ACT NOW! and contact your legislative members ASAP. Find your representatives here, and use the speaking points below, or add some of your own: http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators...

è The budget proposes only an $11 million cut for 270 State Parks, yet a cut of $27 million is proposed from the OHV division which has only 8 State OHV Parks. This represents less than a 10% cut to State Park operations, but over a 40% reduction to the operating budget of the OHV parks. The OHV Division is a user funded program, taking NO money from the General Fund.

è The State OHV Parks are all about children, offering them opportunities to recreate outdoors. The OHV parks encourage families to go camping, and offer urban residents the chance to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment. The OHV parks enjoyed a 150% increase in attendance over the last 10 years, which State Parks cannot equal.

è The Law says the OHV division of State Parks should have equal priority among the other State Parks. Budget impacts should be equally shared....yet the State OHV Parks have had $112 million dollars taken over the last 3 years. Now the Assembly proposes to gut the program, favoring less popular State Parks. This is certainly discriminatory, and counter to the law. The OHV community has given more than it's fair share of the OHV Trust Fund. These are dedicated user fees.

è The OHV community has taken legal action for two other attempts of this kind...and the State has lost! We sued you and won $21.5 million. We are willing and able to do this again, and the State will lose even more money before all this is over. We will pursue all legal remedies to stop this action, and stop the discrimination against the State OHV Program and affiliated activities.

GET INVOLVED RIGHT NOW OR DON'T BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO WHEEL ANYMORE!!!!!

This is not a joke, nor is it an over dramatization, This is real, this is happening right now.

Get Involved !!!

Also pass the word around the web, repost this on all forums to get max participation!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by potatomutato on February 24, 2011 at 1:18am

thanks for posting, Boss!

for those of you who may be wondering what else to include in your correspondence outside of the points listed above, please consider some of the following:

Include how often you visit an OHV/SVRA per year
Include who you go with (e.g. family, kids, etc.)
Include any volunteer efforts you have participated in (e.g. trail cleanups, etc.)
State specific memories/experiences you have had at these parks (e.g. first experienced one as a child...dad taught you how to 4WD...first got into the sport of 4WD, etc.)
Cite the importance of programs such as Prairie City's nature interpretation program, safety classes for kids, etc.
Cite any of your affiliations (e.g. Tread Lightly!, etc.) your signature

access the link provided to find your local representative or better yet, download the Congress app to your smartphone to find them and view their voting records. positively reinforce those who oppose the cuts and diplomatically point out the issues to those who are in favor.

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Permalink Reply by Boss73 on February 24, 2011 at 5:28am

Yes being very diplomatic is the only way to handle this. Have a positive discussion is the only correct way to handle this problem.

We need to have the debate and discussions be open and fair.. As we have seen in WI, Democrats will run away to stifle debate when they do not want to vote. We should always have debate and never stifle discussion and being diplomatic is the only way to accomplish this in a positive.

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Permalink Reply by manoweb on February 28, 2011 at 11:07pm

WI = ???

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Permalink Reply by Boss73 on March 1, 2011 at 6:45am

Wisconson.

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Permalink Reply by Boss73 on February 28, 2011 at 8:49am

Here is more information from HHORA (Hollister Hills Off Road Assoation).. This could be very bad indeed..

HHORA Notes

Diversion of Funds vs Loan of Funds

On Friday February 20^th the Assembly Budget Committee recommended that the OHV Program give $27 million out of its annual operations budget to the General Fund. This would be 40% of the annual operating budget for the OHMVR Division.

As an example, the proposed 40% would cut the Hollister Hills budget in half, laying off staff, possibly closing during the summer, removing programs that are keeping them open (water quality monitoring, dust monitoring) etc. Resource monitoring would be impossible to complete and yet still provide public safety support.

This recommendation by the Assembly Budget Committee was moved forward to the full budget Conference Committee on Friday (basically the step before the Governor signs it). There is a very limited opportunity to lobby and there will be no public input.

In the past (going back to 1982) the Legislature has borrowed (loans) money from OHV Trust Fund (reserves that would have gone to improving/expanding the Program). The loans have prevented the Program from growing in the last 25 years despite a major component of the enabling legislation requiring expansion. This issue alone needs to be addressed but now may not be the time.

Loan totals - Including the $21 million that the governor has already identified this fiscal year, over $160 million has been borrowed from the OHV Trust Fund in the last 3 years. That means close to $200 million total has been borrowed in the last 15 years from the Program and none of it has been repaid.

The current proposal is different and even more extreme than anything in the past. It is a flat out diversion of money from the Program and not a loan. This would also continue into the future budgets and the amount of the Diversion or future transfers has no limits.

This Diversion of funds would also require the OHV Trust Fund language to be disassembled, effectively “the beginning of the end of the Program”.

What the legislature is proposing is illegal on a number of fronts (even if they disassemble the OHV Trust Fund Statutes there is still a State Constitutional question). We just need to get their attention with Attorney/Lobbyist (probably Dave Hubbard and Terry Mchale). The last time for public comment was two weeks ago so now we have to rely on these avenues.

This may be over very quickly and easily if we are able to act now.

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Permalink Reply by 5AND5TORM on February 28, 2011 at 9:51am

Just sent another email, this one to Governor Jerry Brown.

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Permalink Reply by Bz on March 1, 2011 at 12:36pm

re-posted on my facebook page

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Permalink Reply by Boss73 on March 1, 2011 at 1:22pm

Right on !!

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Permalink Reply by FJ Scout on February 28, 2011 at 2:47pm

Letters and emailed submitted by my wife and I. I've also forwarded this to several other off road enthusiasts outside of.our group and have 13 and counting commitments to 'get involved'.

Let's kick some _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!