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NYSORVA: Advocacy Update

7/12/2006

The now-repealed funding Law was passed in the 2005-2006 State Budget. The Budget Law included a promise to create the necessary Program Law in a subsequent Act by the end of 2005. However, no Program Law has been passed to-date.

A state-level Trail Program would have utilized the former funding source to promote trail development and management, and underwrite safety programs across New York. Continued resistance by influential anti-ATV organizations and politicians has to-date overridden state-level advocacy efforts of the riding community, and therefore no ATV Program Law has been passed despite the facts, merits, clear need, promises made, and multiple opportunities to resolve the matter over the years. The Regular Legislative Session for 2006 ended on June 22. Off-Session legislative efforts by state-level NYSORVA are ongoing, but cannot be effective without the active participation of riders and groups at the local level.

Lewis County, with its recent establishment of a County-supported ATV Trail Program —the first of its kind in the State [see LC Chamber site for more info], has shown us what can be accomplished locally when conditions are just right. However, the problem persists that without state-level pro-ATV legislation and policymaking, rider groups and well-meaning local governments in other parts of the state will continue to have their hands tied without wide availability of tools such as funding, landowner insurance, and technical support necessary to create and sustainably-manage legal and safe ATV and OHM trails across our state. Also, anti-ATV legislation and policymaking remains a constant threat to the pursuit of satisfactory riding opportunities, making matters even worse than they already are in much of the state. It is clear that riders need to keep an eye on Albany and participate in the process, even if the only thing that can be accomplished is to keep the situation for riders from deteriorating any further. Whether the goal is to simply hold the line, or to finally make policy and legislative advances to make New York ATV/OHM-friendly, it is clear that strong leadership, organization, and coordination on both state and local levels are absolutely essential. It has always been and remains an incredible challenge to get the bulk of the people who make up the riding community to understand and value this basic mission-critical theme and to act upon it for their own benefit.[Obtain your Senator/Assembly Member contact info here.] Best regards for a great Summer riding season,

TEAM NYSORVA