Date: 06/05/2008

POCATELLO, ID (June 5) -- Greg Mumm, Executive Director of the BlueRibbon Coalition, testified today before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources regarding off-highway vehicle management on public lands.

In summarizing his written comments at the hearing, Mumm stated that "BRC recognizes the marked growth in the popularity of OHV recreation over the last several decades...Motorized off-highway vehicles are also used to reach remote areas when taking part in other forms of recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, mountain-biking, and hiking...Virtually every public land user is motorized at some point in their visits to federal lands and it is simply a question of where they depart from their vehicle."

"We understand the popularity of OHV recreation presents challenges for land managers," Mumm continued. "We point to active management for OHV recreation as the key to solving those challenges."

"BRC urges this committee to support agency efforts to actively manage for OHV recreation. BRC also urges this committee to support fiscal appropriations and other funding mechanisms to help the federal agencies meet their recreation management objectives," Mumm concluded.

A number of leaders from other organizations were invited to speak at the hearing. Testimony from all sides of the OHV issue was heard.

Ed Moreland, Vice President of Government Relations for the American Motorcyclist Association, was also on hand to provide testimony to the committee. "While it remains incumbent upon the agencies to provide a managed setting for recreation--the users to engage in the debate and help provide resources, education and expertise--it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that the agencies have sufficient resources to accomplish their mission."

The full text of Greg Mumm's written testimony to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is available in PDF format (www.sharetrails.org/fwd/scenrht). Video of the entire hearing, as well as additional written testimony and other items, is available on the Senate website (www.sharetrails.org/fwd/senate0605).

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The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible use of public and private lands, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org