OPINION
By Don Amador
May 15, 2024
CA OHV TRAIL PROGRAM NOT OUT OF THE WOODS
While many in the OHV community including numerous
federal and county land agency partners are breathing a sigh of relief after
seeing $29M restored back into the OHMVR Division local assistance grants program,
the question remains: what is Parks doing to increase the revenue stream?
How can we grow the OHMVR Program into the future when
spending is outpacing revenue by 25% every year, which is draining the
previously robust OHV Trust Fund?
With the latest $29M budget allocation the OHV TF is
dangerously depleted with only a $50M balance to start the 25/26 fiscal year.
At current spending levels the TF will soon be empty. Will Parks then bail out
the division with SB1 gas tax money?
Over the last 4-6 years the OHV Program has annually been
$25 - $30 million in the red and has only survived by spending down the OHV
Trust Fund and axing important capital outlay projects that improve recreation
experiences and safety. I continue to
believe this all points to a program in crisis unless Parks takes immediate
action and implements measures to increase the revenue stream.
I believe that Parks should review the following issues:
- Update the antiquated day use, camping and annual pass fee schedules
- Object to the “temporary” $866,000 monthly gas tax diversion to the General Fund that has continued for 13+ years.
- Review questionable SB1 personnel % allotments that further drain the OHV TF
- Review questionable OHMVR Division equipment and personnel charges to the OHV TF when work occurs outside of OHMVR units.
Dangling the future of the OHV Program from a fiscal
cliff each year during the budget process is not a pretty sight nor sustainable
for this historically financially sound and forward-thinking program.
# # #
Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation
management profession for over 33 years.
Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don serves as the Western
States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council. Don is Past
President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery
Alliance. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996
until June, 2018. 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 served as the government affairs lead for AMA
District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. Don is a Core-Team member
on FireScape Mendocino. Don is a
contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.
WELL SAID! Department is Draining Division, SB1 was a scam from the beginning when Lehman Bros too big to fail, and did - thus the CA rush for cash which was supposed to be only 2 years........ Lying legislaters did not keep their word. Stupid public did NOT read the Bill, as the title was headed for more votes with syurping title and public fell for it. Grrrrrrrrr. As Don pointed out $866,000 THOUSAND per month equals $10,000,000.00 (Million) per annum, X 13 years= $130,0000,000.00 (M) paid for the by the user community. Time for a HUGE AUDIT of this program, OHV Folks should be mad as hell. Dave Pickett, D36 LAO [Ret]
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