SEMA LEGISLATIVE ALERT
A bill (SF 2793) has been approved by the Minnesota State
Senate's Environment and Natural Resources Committee to prohibit
operation of an off-highway vehicle (OHV) on public land or public
waters with an air-intake pipe or snorkel that is more than six
inches above the manufacturer's original air-intake pipe. The bill
was introduced as a proposal for a study on the impact of OHVs on
wetlands, but was amended in committee to now include the proposed
ban on snorkel use. The bill is now pending in the Senate Finance
Committee and could soon make its way to the floor for a vote by the
full Senate.
We Urge You to Contact Your Minnesota State Legislators Immediately
to Oppose this Bill
- Existing law in Minnesota allows use of snorkels on OHVs,
permitting responsible access to trails and wilderness.
- SF 2793 would prohibit installation and use of any snorkel that is
more than six inches above the manufacturer's original air intake,
essentially banning the snorkel and causing OHV engines and filters
to ingest more dirt and dust, rendering them inefficient with gas and
possibly causing the engines to produce greater amounts of emissions.
- The purpose of SF 2793 originally was to merely study OHV impact
on wetlands, but it has been converted into a platform for curtailing
OHV use on public lands.
- Existing Minnesota law already protects the wilderness and
wetlands. Those laws should be enforced first before more laws that
seek to further restrict off-road hobbyist rights are enacted.
Please contact members of the Minnesota State Legislature in
St. Paul to oppose this bill. If you need assistance in determining
who your state legislators are, contact the Minnesota State
Legislature's general information line at (651) 296-0504 or (651)
296-2146. This information can also be obtained by calling the SEMA
Washington, D.C. office at (202) 783-6007, ext. 38. You also can
access this information via the Internet at
<<http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=SEMA>
http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=SEMA>.
Please fax a copy of your letters to us at (202) 783-6024, or mail or
e-mail to:
SEMA Washington Office
1317 F Street, N.W., Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20004-1105
Attention: Steve McDonald
stevem@sema.org
--
John Stewart
Director, Environmental Affairs
United Four Wheel Drive Associations,
http://www.ufwda.orgNatural Resource Consultant
California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs,
http://www.ca4wdc.comRecreation Access and Conservation Editor,
http://www.4x4wire.comModerator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network
To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE to MUIRNet, send email to john@muirnet.net.
