Notice! The Sept 12th meeting will be at the Gambit golf course in Connie's restaurant. Food and drinks will be available. Come early for the brunch buffet.

There have been lots of updates to ongoing legislative issues on ABATE of IL website, use the button above to stay up to date.

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Contact your Senators and Representative to Oppose! This nothing but a government land grab that caters to environmental groups. It circumvents Congress and is most likely un-constitutional.

A recently obtained internal document from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) shows the Obama Administration is considering a recommendation to designate over 13 million acres of public and private lands in 11 western states as National Monument areas without any public debate. The western states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. This unilateral action by the Administration could potentially prohibit off-highway riding in the affected areas.

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) sent a letter in response to this internal document to DOI's Secretary Ken Salazar, dated February 18, opposing the recommendation to designate areas as National Monuments without any public input. In the letter, the AMA strongly recommended to the Secretary to "reconsider this approach and urge you to reach out to potential affected user groups, local and state elected officials and Congress for input before the disposition of any proclamations pursuant to the Antiquities Act of 1906 (Act)."

AMA Urges Action to Prevent Trail Funding From Being Slashed in Budget

President's Budget Proposal Would Slash Trail Funding	Take Action!
Write your Senators and Representatives Today!

On February 1, President Obama submitted his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2011 to Congress. One proposed cut could be disastrous for motorized trail users. Buried in the nearly 200-page document is one paragraph dealing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CIM) program. The CIM program funds improvements, maintenance and the operation of U.S. Forest Service roads, trails and recreation infrastructure. Under the budget proposal, the CIM program would be cut by $100 million -- from a $538 million appropriation in FY 2010 to a proposed $438 million in FY 2011. In justification for the proposed cut the Administration says that it wants to focus the Forest Service on "road decommissioning, erosion control, watershed health and forest restoration." The proposed cut is particularly disturbing in light of the Forest Service's recent work on off-highway vehicle (OHV) travel management. Many National Forest's have only recently completed their travel management plans and will need funding for implementation. As these plans were developed local Forest Service staff repeatedly told OHV enthusiasts that they lacked sufficient funding to maintain existing trails, provide trailhead facilities or to adequately inventory existing trails. Furthermore, funding for good trail design, construction and maintenance is essential to meeting the Administration's stated goals of erosion control, watershed health and forest restoration. The OHV enthusiast community has done all it can to assist the Forest Service in funding trails. In partnership with the Forest Service, OHV enthusiasts provide thousands of hours of volunteer hours each year to maintain trail systems. In addition to consistently asking Congress to provide adequate appropriations, enthusiasts also fostered the federal Recreational Trails Program and state level motorized trail programs that provide non-Forest Service funding for trails. The OHV community even supported the Forest Service's controversial Recreation Fee program to get badly needed funds on the ground. But it is incumbent on the agency to seek and provide a reasonable level of funding for trails in its own budget. Congress will be considering the President's budget proposal over the next few months. The American Motorcyclist Association urges its members to contact their federal elected officials and request that they oppose any cut in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's CIM budget.

Shawnee Hills Chapter news

Contact your Senators and Representative to Oppose! This nothing but a government land grab that caters to environmental groups. It circumvents Congress and is most likely un-constitutional.

AMA Urges Action to Prevent Trail Funding From Being Slashed in Budget