Comments on: California State Parks Still in Danger of Closure

By: Chris Clarke

Chris Clarke — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:45:37 +0000

Unfortunately, the author of this press release has failed to read the current law. Not so. Nothing in the current law says that all activities supported by the Trust Fund must be accessible by green sticker vehicles. But the law does expressly state that non-green-sticker off-road activities must get their proportionate share of the Fund. And since when is hiking, camping, fishing, bird watching, horse back riding, or engaging in non-motorized activities forbidden in OHV areas. Is this a joke? It's forbidden in some areas, and merely impossible in others.

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:44:53 +0000

SB 742 is very specific about program funding.
Funds are generated by not only off road vehicle registration but by the registration of street legal vehicles that use the OHV areas to recreate as well as vehicles required to transport OHV’s to the OHV areas.
Even the OHV Division of the state Department of Parks & Recreation claims this program is user funded.

And since when is hiking, camping, fishing, bird watching, horse back riding, or engaging in non-motorized activities forbidden in OHV areas. If you are there using the facilities regardless of your chosen activity, that is why you contribute to the fund.

By: NorCalRider

NorCalRider — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:37:47 +0000

Really??? Are you sure you don’t want to change your answer? The law is clear already. SB742 passed nearly unanimously by the legislature and was supported by many environmental groups who worked collaboratively with the OHV community. Its very clear that the tax generated on fuel burned by street licensed vehicles and green sticker vehicles when driven off road to access motorized or nonmotorized recreation is to be deposited in the OHV trust fund for OHV recreation including law enforcement, restoration, trail maintenance, education. If State Parks wants some of the OHV trust $$ for their parks they are elligible if the “off road” routes generate the gas tax $$ are accessible to both street licensed and green sticker vehicles. Unfortunately, the author of this press release has failed to read the current law. Nobody wants to see State Parks closed and a solution needs to be found that is colaborative instead of punitive just because you don’t like OHV. If DPC would choose a collabortive approach that didn’t attack OHV you would find support from the OHV community which has had a successful user fee based program since 1971. Also, don’t forget the OHV trust fund has already “loaned” the State $90M this year alone.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:51:38 +0000

If off-road folks don’t like the law, they should work to change it. But misinterpreting it in order to have other people subsidize their hobby isn’t cool.

By: Chris Clarke

Chris Clarke — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:31:10 +0000

No facts are twisted here, John. We’re using the State of California’s own figures. Yes, the funds come from people driving off-road, BUT only a very small percentage of people driving off-road are engaging in green-sticker type activities. The MAJORITY of off-road driving in California — again, using the state’s own figures — is done by people like me who stick to dirt roads, either driving them for pleasure or to get to a destination where they hike, camp, fish, birdwatch, ride horses, or engage in other non-motorized activities. Their money is going to support parks where those activities are forbidden.

We’re not talking about registration fees or green-sticker fees or park entry fees: merely the off-roader fuel tax funds, the majority of which is collected from people doing non-green-sticker activities.

By: John

John — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:19:09 +0000

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your points.

But the trust is funded by: collection of the fuel tax, registration fees for off-highway vehicles, and entrance fees at the SVRAs.

The fuel tax is from gas purchases from OFF ROAD vehicles – not those driven on the road. So, we are self-funding and not siphoning anything.

See the link – it details a previous theft of OHV funds for state parks, that had no OHV facilities.

http://www.bsa.ca.gov/reports/summary/2004-126

The bullets you cite above do indeed need to be reviewed carefully; as they twist the facts of the case. For example, the second bullet makes it sound like we only contribute 12% of the trust. But look at the first bullet and note – “off the pavement.” That’s us, not you.

Again, I wish we weren’t in this situation, I’d love to see the state parks fully funded. But you might want to check the background.

By: Chris Clarke

Chris Clarke — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:01:58 +0000

Howdy John;

If you read the bullet points above more carefully, you’ll see that it’s actually the other way around: four fifths of the money in the OHV Trust Fund is paid by non-green sticker folks. We’re only asking that the OHV Division stop siphoning money from the rest of us to subsidize the expensive hobby of a small minority.

By: John

John — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:36:36 +0000

Hey Guys,

Raise your own money from fund raisers or such. Please don’t steal the money the off-road enthusiasts paid into the dedicated fund.

We are not your enemy! We both enjoy use and stewardship of the natural resources.

thanks,

John