MUIRNet-News

Latest budget proposal would "borrow" millions!!

The Governor's recently announced plans to sweep "special" funds would result in yet another "loan" from the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trust fund. These funds are not raised from general tax revenues and are in fact exclusively obtained from payments by riders for their OHV registration and related fuel taxes.

Back in 2007 the OHV community supported a doubling of these registration fees as part of Senate Bill 742. This was done specifically to ensure adequate funds for the OHV program. They are designated to be used solely for OHV program related expenses and to administer and expand the State Vehicle Recreation Areas (SVRA's) system, not to be constantly raided during times of fiscal crisis.

The legislature needs to hear from the OHV community immediately. Tell them before another dollar is "borrowed" from this user funded program they first need to repay the $112 million (total) they took 2008 and 2009. Good fiscal management of this program should be rewarded and respected, not penalized!

With other sectors of California State Parks facing a fiscal crisis, now is the time to identify those facilities that should be part of the SVRA system. State Parks have already announced plans to close a number of parks due to budget constraints. Instead they should work to identify those units that could offer new OHV opportunities and be kept open and managed by the OHV division.