DAMN Riders - No rules, Just ride!

Email from PA Trail Riders

Riders,
   There was a typo in the last email regarding the contact info for DCNR.  Correction below.

 "We urge all riders to go to DNCR webpage or email paforester@pa.gov as they are accepting commentary until March 27."

Email:  paforester@pa.gov
DCNR webpage :  https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/about/Pages/Forestry.aspx




- PaTRA

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Original email




Riders,
There are two important items currently in the PA govt legislation we want to make you aware of.

The first is the revised ATV policy that has potential of increasing the current ATV trail system connecting riding areas on state lands ending the moratorium for additional trails, but what it fails to do is include OHM (Off highway motorcycles).   Currently OHM / trail bikes are not allowed on DCNR ATV trails

I urge all riders to go to dcnr webpage or email PaForester.pa.gov as they are accepting commentary until March 27. An example below is what I sent :

  My name is Dr Richard Baylor the current President of PATRA - Pa Trail Riders Association . Concerning the ATV policy revisal. We believe it is imperative to consider not just ATV but OHM to be included in the future discussion of the extension of the state trail system. There are 1000's of riders in PA that are contributing to taxes, registrations and other state revenues and willing to even pay for a state registration
which would potentially generate thousands of dollars to DCNR This is substantiated by a survey of several local riding clubs as well as the Larson feasibility study.

If we look at the surrounding states and states across the country who have developed an infrastructure for off road recreation all are included. By doing so it has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars directly or indirectly into the states and the local economies. We currently help the state manage single track and common trails in the Bald Eagle Forest and have a great interest to help connect the existing trail systems. we encourage the policy to develop the off road riding infrastructure recognizing the further need to include OHM.

  The second issue is a bill developed by representative Gabler, bill #1706 that essentially recommends including OHM riding onto the state ATV trail systems.

This is a BIG DEAL!!!   This could potentially add hundreds of miles of trail access for Off highway motorcycles across
the state! 

We urge all adventure, dual sport riders friends and families to email Rep Gabler and your local state rep to support this bill to be presented to the assembly and vote yes .

Below is a link to the bill.

   https://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/bi ... e=suppress

See you on the trail,
                          PaTRA

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Riders,
   There was a typo in the last email regarding the contact info for DCNR.  Correction below.

 "We urge all riders to go to DNCR webpage or email paforester@pa.gov as they are accepting commentary until March 27."

Email:  paforester@pa.gov
DCNR webpage :  https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/about/Pages/Forestry.aspx




- PaTRA

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Is there someplace I can go to look at the policy revision proposed?

EDIT: http://www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/p ... 200110.pdf

I don't live in PA but I've done a bit of lobbying in my own city, county and state and I've found it more impactful if you can quote the exact chapter and verse of the proposal that is being addressed in your contact with officials. Sometimes rule and law makers aren't that familiar themselves and are just taking their colleagues word for it for what it says.

I'm sure you guys already know or do this but it also helps to point and make introductions to other places that have successfully managed this for all ORV users. I'm thinking Hatfield-McCoy.

I'm happy to write in as a person who brings my out of state dollars to local hotels, restaurants, motorcycle dealers/shops, and other businesses.

It seems like the ATV guys might be doing a more effective job of lobbying these guys and don't want motorcycles on their trails?

HB1703 proposed in 2019 had this language in it:

Off-highway motorcycle" or "OHM." A motor vehicle used off
the roads or highways of this Commonwealth that has a seat or
saddle for the use of the rider and is designed to travel with
not more than two wheels in contact with the ground, including dual sport motorcycles.

I wonder why the bill included language about having a seat? Does that exclude trials bikes? It seems like it would have meant the same thing for motorcycle access if they had not used that language.

The bill I included the PDF link for in my previous post is to lift the moratorium on adding trails for ATVs. Is there a current bill like HB1703 in July last year that adds permission for motorcycles to these state land trails?

You guys are way more up to speed on this than I am so apologies if I'm asking dumb questions. I'm willing to lean in to this as the voice of an out of state rider or to just lend some help to you guys that live there. I've been known to spend more time in politicians offices than your average bear and have effectively worked to get our local County Code changed to allow for more recreational use on open space lands. I was opposed by almost every environmental group in the area but still got the law changed because it made sense and exposed their blind opposition without regard to the facts.

I've found that a lot of time it matters to just show up with a coherent perspective to get amendments to bills or help get bills passed.

Areas like 7-mountains where we connect trails and dirt roads the bikes must be plated. Areas like Shade that are all off road trials bike is no different than a dirt bike.

Boom Boom wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2020 8:06 am Areas like 7-mountains where we connect trails and dirt roads the bikes must be plated. Areas like Shade that are all off road trials bike is no different than a dirt bike.

My trail riding weapon is a WR250R and I have to say that I enjoyed a couple of days of riding in Bald Eagle/Seven mountains as much as anyplace I've been in PA.

I did a little digging and it looks like the revision is to remove the moratorium on connectors and not really ATV or motorcycle specific. I don't understand how motorcycles got excluded from some of these places in the first place so I get why we'd want to jump at every chance to influence a rules change. I've seen it done where an amendment gets added to a related land use bill that changes it for a whole new use. I thought that was maybe what this effort is all about.

Somebody needs to introduce these PA lawmakers to the folks that run the Counties around the Hatfield-McCoy system. They can talk very favorably about what it's meant for the local economy there to allow ATVs and dirt bikes on public roads - a very enlightened view. Nothing affects local business owners views like economic benefit.

Oh welcome to Pa mentality. Quads are hunters friends so welcome. Motorcycle are evil...just tear up trails. That is your mentality in those that make the rules. Trust me, I have written letters. The hunters are a very powerful voice. Motorcycle riders just not that organized nor that great in numbers. It is a real battle to keep what we have.
With places like FRO and other pay to ride areas I have a full schedule of places to ride and the quads can go blow berms and make mud pits and some day they might get recognized for the damage they do. But again, not all are A-holes but those are the ones doing all the damage. You want to help keep open what we have and support a great bunch of hard working people join PaTRA.

Boom Boom wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2020 4:32 pm You want to help keep open what we have and support a great bunch of hard working people join PaTRA.

Will do Mike. We're up there often enough to practically establish residency anyway

One thing to note- my info is the the PA Trail Riders won't join with the PAOHV folks in attending meetings, etc at the DCNR/State level. The PA Trail Rides belong to the PAOHV group and with member numbers they can bring a lot to the "fight".

I don't follow this as close as I should, but sometimes I read things that make me say

Laoch wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 9:48 am One thing to note- my info is the the PA Trail Riders won't join with the PAOHV folks in attending meetings, etc at the DCNR/State level. The PA Trail Rides belong to the PAOHV group and with member numbers they can bring a lot to the "fight".

I don't follow this as close as I should, but sometimes I read things that make me say

I did not know that. I am not active with meetings, I just show up to Shade and do what I can to keep the trails open. Winter season is when we done most of that work and now winter season was also taken away. Not a fan of doing trail work when tics are bad and snakes active.

I'm not very familiar with the priorities and capabilities of the AMA but I wonder if anyone has approached them to send a lobbyist/lawyer to these comment sessions to make a case for the two-wheel crowd? Seems like they could use some big numbers that they represent that should get more attention from people that won their election by a few hundred votes - which I bet is a lot of them.

Meh, I'm just spitballing here.