Long Distance Remote Backcountry Exploration at Risk from EO
OPINION
By Don Amador
September 28, 2020
FIGHT AHEAD - NEWSOM
ORDER BANNING GAS POWERED VEHICLES IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE
Fighting for our rights is nothing new for many of us
that work in the field of recreation advocacy and/or resource management. Over the last 7 months, we have experienced a
plethora of executive orders issued by local and state government officials in
response to both the COVID and wildfire crisis. Some of these emergency directives
have made sense to either streamline the regulatory process to expedite fuel
reduction projects, meet critical electrical power demand, or protect public
safety.
Electric OHV Trail Sign
Unfortunately, it appears that some of these executive
order-prohibitions have infringed on our Constitutional rights of freedom of
assembly or freedom of speech. And,
have created a culture of management by executive orders often with little or
no debate in the public arena.
By now, many of you have expressed legitimate concerns
about the recent climate crisis inspired Executive Order (EO) issued by
California Governor Gavin Newsom that proposes to ban the sale and use of gasoline-powered
OHVs and passenger cars/trucks. The main tenets of that EO are listed below:
1 - It shall be a goal of the State that 100 percent of
in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero-emission by 2035.
It shall be a further goal of the State that 100 percent of medium- and
heavy-duty vehicles in the State be zero-emission by 2045 for all operations
where feasible and by 2035 for drayage trucks. It shall be further a goal of
the State to transition to 100 percent zero-emission off-road vehicles and equipment
by 2035 where feasible.
2 - The State Air
Resources Board, to the extent consistent with State and federal law, shall
develop and propose:
a) Passenger vehicle and truck regulations requiring
increasing volumes of new zero-emission vehicles sold in the State towards the
target of 100 percent of in-state sales by 2035.
b) Medium- and heavy-duty vehicle regulations requiring increasing
volumes of new zero-emission trucks and buses sold and operated in the State
towards the target of 100 percent of the fleet transitioning to zero-emission
vehicles by 2045 everywhere feasible and for all drayage trucks to be zero emission
by 2035.
c) Strategies, in coordination with other State agencies,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local air districts, to achieve 100
percent zero-emission from off-road vehicles and equipment operations in the
State by 2035. In implementing this Paragraph, the State Air Resources Board
shall act consistently with technological feasibility and cost-effectiveness.
However well-intentioned this EO is – I believe it
ignores, disrespects, and damages the ongoing and robust collaborative process
that has been occurring between diverse interest groups from
motorized/non-motorized recreation, land agencies, industry, business, and
other stakeholders to address and solve many of our public land management and
resource issues.
Don on e-MTB on OHV Trail
The shift to electric passenger cars and OHVs is already
taking place. Many state parks and other
land management agencies have added electric vehicles to their fleet in
appropriate areas. OHV manufacturers are
making electric dirt-bikes, mountain bikes, youth OHVs, SxSs, and dual-sport motorcycles and a
growing number of customers are buying them.
Forest health collaboratives and their members are
working to address fuel loading on our forest and grasslands. Often these projects are funded by the state
Climate Change Investment grant program.
Good things are happening!
Executive Orders have a role to address an immediate and specific
emergency when there is not enough time to address said issue through the
legislative process.
It’s my concern that a significant number of users and
other constituents who vehemently oppose this EO will now be forced to abandon
the aforementioned collaborative efforts to band together to fight a plan that
is an affront our culture and highly treasured way of life.
LINK TO NEWSOM EO
https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/9.23.20-EO-N-79-20-text.pdf
LINK TO WHAT CARB CONSIDERS OFF-ROAD VEHICLES
https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/msprog/offroad/offroad.htm
# # #
Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management
profession for almost 30 years. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing, a
recreation consulting company. Don is President/CEO of the Post Wildfire OHV
Recovery Alliance, a non-profit post fire recovery organization. Don is
Core-Team Lead for FireScape Mendocino, a forest health collaborative. Don
served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from
1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road
Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don currently serves
as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California and
also serves as the OHV representative on the BLM’s Central California Resource Advisory
Committee. Don is a contributor to
Dealernews Magazine. Don may be reached
via email at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com
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