Subcommittees to Study Motorized Recreation on Public Lands

Washington, DC- The House Subcommittee on National Parks together with the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health will host an oversight hearing on how federal land management policies have impacted motorized recreational use on federal lands Wed., July 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the Longworth House Office Building Room 1324.

"Federal land managers are responsible for balancing the various interests and uses of our public lands. In trying to strike this balance it appears to me that areas open to motorized recreation have been shrinking," said House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-CA). "I look forward to hearing from witnesses on how to continue allowing motorized recreation while ensuring the proper safeguards for these areas."

The last 40 years have seen the popularization of many new forms of motorized recreation - snowmobiles, personal watercraft and other off-highway vehicles (OHV) - and non-motorized recreational vehicles such as mountain bikes. In 2003 alone there were roughly 7.6 million visitor days of motorized recreation on Bureau of Land Management land.

"Public lands serve an abundance of competing but equally significant objectives," National Parks Subcommittee Chairman Steve Pearce (R-NM) said. "Responsible federal policy provides Americans with reasonable access to the parks their tax money pays to maintain - while ensuring the preservation of these natural wonders for the inspiration and enjoyment of future generations."

"As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to look closely at our federal land management policies to ensure that they balance the many different needs facing public lands today, including the increasingly diverse nature of both motorized and non-motorized recreational use," said Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), chairman of the Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.

More than 30 years ago the federal government issued regulations limiting motorized recreational vehicle use on federal lands, but since then the technology for these vehicles made significant improvements to reduce environmental impacts. The oversight hearing will focus on how federal land management policies have impacted motorized recreational use on federal lands and whether these polices adequately balance public access and preservation.

"As we consider how to strike a practical and sustainable balance, I hope that my colleagues will remember the needs of families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, who must rely upon motorized vehicles for the most basic access to our national parks," continued Pearce.

Wednesday's hearing will aim to chart the beginnings of a course to effectively balance access for those using OHV's on federal lands.