HB1632

[Grumpy]

HB1632 – ATV ROAD USE LEGISLATION
WHAT THIS BILL DOES AND DOESN’T DO - CLARIFIED

The original intent of this legislation’s primary OHV user sponsor was to allow ATV’s with some street vehicle equipment installed, to use forest roads on public lands along with some county or state roads with a speed limit of 35 mph and under. WOHVA supports that objective. However, a lot has changed and it no longer accomplishes this primary objective.

As it is currently written it would allow local jurisdictions the option of allowing converted ATV’s to use more roads.

It will not force any roads on public lands to be opened for ATV use.

It will allow traffic infractions with fines of up to $500 for ATV related violation of any rules or regulations. This penalty could be applied things as minor as improper parking, having a burned out headlight, an expired ORV permit or Discover Pass, or going too fast on a trail even though there is no speed limit.

While there are many reasonable rules and regulations WOHVA supports, a $500 traffic ticket applied only to people on ATVs, not the general public, is not just and reasonable.

Unlike all other citizens, it will allow these $500 traffic infractions to be issued by law enforcement officers based on the accusations of untrained members of the general public. . As with all infractions, you will be forced to go to court and prove your innocence for each claimed violation.

And what do the ATV users get in return? Certain quads will be able to have limited access to drive on certain county or state roads after completing the process to obtain a restricted road use sticker for their plate.

The anti-access people (see www.waorvabuse.org) who are really pushing this legislation get everything they want, e.g. large license plates on all ATVs whether they want to use roads or not; the ability to get traffic infractions issued by their own accusations against ATV users; Outrageous fines that apply only to ATV users who break any land owner/manager’s rules, but not the general public.

The anti-access people are giving up nothing. Their efforts in the past have pretty well proven they would prefer all OHV’s be restricted to using only roads.

Please contact all of your legislators (easily done all at once) using the http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/ website and let them know how you feel about this Bill as currently written.

www.wohva.org

[Grumpy]

Despite everyone's best efforts, this thing escaped the Rules committee, and is on it's way to the House floor Jan Swenson in Haler's office is keeping me posted. This is the legislation that I worked on with Delvin last year that died. I'm not sure who fired it back up, but I'd like to wring their neck! Waiting for a reaction from WOHVA now...