Help Overturn the Lead Law

Blue Ribbon Coalition press release on helping to overturn the lead law.

House Bill to Overturn Ban on Youth ATVs and Dirt Bikes Introduced!
Weigh in to Have Your Voice Heard!

Youth sized ATVs and dirt bikes are still banned. We need your help to continue to build enough pressure to get the ban overturned. It is unlikely that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will act to approve the Motorcycle Industry Council's petition to grant regulatory relief. This means we need Congress to act.

Representatives Rehberg (R-MT), Burgess (R-TX), Pomeroy (D-ND) and Simpson (R-ID) have introduced legislation that will stop the ban. Please click the Take Action button below to urge your Representative and Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to support and cosponsor H.R. 1587.

ARRA members have responded in huge numbers on this issue already, but it is important that you continue to have your voice heard.

After you weigh in, please use the Tell-A-Friend feature to forward this alert to everyone you know that rides. It is imperative that the voice of every rider be heard!

For more information visit www.stopthebannow.com.

Take Action

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please Cosponsor H.R. 1587

Dear,

I'm writing today as a citizen who enjoys riding ATVs / dirt bikes. I urge you to co-sponsor and support H.R. 1587 which will exempt youth model all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles from the lead content provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

Although the powersports industry has demonstrated that the lead content in the metal parts of ATVs and dirt bikes pose no risk to children's health, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) recent approval of a final rule imposing strict standards for excluding products from the new lead content limits makes clear that CPSC will not provide relief for youth model ATVs or dirt bikes. Congress needs to step in and make immediate amendments to the CPSIA to ensure that reasonable exclusions can be made for these products, which are piling up in stores and dealerships across the country, needlessly resulting in millions of dollars in lost sales and costs at a time when our economy and these small businesses can least afford it.

But the unintended consequences of this ban go way beyond the business and financial ramifications - it affects me personally, and it affects family and friends who ride with their children, because it destroys the chance for families to enjoy these outdoor recreational activities together. AND it poses a potentially huge safety risk if, as an alternative to having the kid-sized vehicles available, parents opt to put their kids on larger, adult-sized vehicles. PLUS, there is mass confusion. Should kids who race in off-road competitions even go to events? Will parents be able to buy critical replacement parts for their kids' ATVs or dirt bikes, like brake pieces or valve stems? Everyone suffers: dealers, manufacturers, aftermarket, motocross event operators, and especially families with children who are being denied their right to ride. And ride safely.

When the new lead standard took effect on February 10, 2009, youth models of ATVs and dirt bikes designed and intended primarily for children 6 to 12 years of age became classified as banned hazardous substances and dealerships in our area were forced to remove these perfectly good products from showrooms. Components in youth model ATVs and dirt bikes that contain small quantities of lead such as valve stems on tires, aluminum in some brake components, and terminals on batteries, do so to address safety (such as machining the deep grooves on tire valves to assure tire air retention) or for functionality (such as the lead in battery terminals, needed to conduct electricity).

The sad irony is that these youth models were created with the support of the CPSC and consumer advocates to give children a safer alternative to larger, faster adult size models. These long-term efforts to promote child safety are now seriously jeopardized. In addition, youth rider training to encourage the safe and responsible use of ATVs and dirt bikes is jeopardized because new youth models and parts and accessories for them are no longer available. As an ATV / dirt bike rider, and one who has respected the law and encouraged responsible riding, I find this to be unacceptable. The lead in those vehicles does not pose a risk to children 's health. Congress needs to stop this ban - NOW.

I respectfully ask that you co-sponsor and support H.R. 1587 so youth ATVs and dirt bikes again will be available for sale and safe and responsible use.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address

About BlueRibbon Coalition
The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national recreation group that champions responsible recreation, and encourages individual environmental stewardship. It represents over 10,000 individual members and 1,200 organization and business members, for a combined total of over 600,000 recreationists nationwide. 1-800-258-3742. www.sharetrails.org

Threats to Motorcycling in America, Part 1

The AMA's Rob Dingman discusses the latest effort to block OHV access to America's public lands PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) President and CEO Rob Dingman has been leading the world's largest member-based motorcyclists' rights organization since taking the reins in April 2007. During that time, he has reorganized many of the AMA's programs to rededicate the Association to its core mission: protecting and promoting the future of motorcycling and the motorcycle lifestyle. With numerous legislative and regulatory challenges confronting American motorcycling both on the street and the trail, the AMA enters 2009 with a sense of purpose and urgency. AmericanMotorcyclist.com, the website of the AMA, sat down with Dingman to discuss the challenges -- and opportunities -- that lie ahead. In the first of a three-part series, Dingman discusses how the AMA and the AMA's sister organization the ATVA (All-Terrain Vehicle Association) are fighting to preserve OHV (off-highway vehicle) access to America's public lands. AM: The motorcycling community is engaged in a pitched battle with so-called environmentalists who would ban OHVs from public lands. How did we get to this point? RD: I'm glad you said "so-called environmentalists" because, like many AMA and ATVA members, I consider myself an environmentalist, and the groups we are confronting are perhaps better labeled "exclusionists" or "anti-access advocates." They would be completely happy if all of our public lands were excluded from any use except their own. At the core of the anti-access creed is a philosophical belief that only a handful of Americans can be trusted to be good stewards of our public lands, and that most Americans are incapable of acting responsibly when they are on public lands. The AMA fundamentally rejects this elitist assumption. America's public lands are owned by all of us. And all who recreate responsibly should therefore have the right to share in the splendor of our public lands. OHV recreation is enjoyed by millions of individuals and their families, as well as by many less-abled Americans who also rely on OHVs for recreation. There are countless examples of OHV users, many of them AMA and ATVA members, doing their part to protect and preserve the natural environments where we recreate. Our members consider it a sacred trust to act as responsible caretakers of our public lands so that their children -- and many generations to follow -- will have the same opportunities. AM: How are America's motorcycle and ATV riders doing their part to keep public lands open to OHV recreation? RD: We can look at the ongoing success of the Recreational Trails Program, which started in 1990, as an example of how the OHV community has worked collaboratively with non-motorized trail users and the federal government to create a program that funds the construction and maintenance of trails for hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts. That program has helped nurture the latest generation of responsible OHV users. The AMA believes that personal responsibility is paramount for all motorcyclists. That said, the vast majority of OHV riders do act responsibly, stay on designated trails, use a quiet exhaust and spark arrester, and respect the rights of other trail users. Through education, peer-pressure and support for appropriate law enforcement, we hope to teach all riders that it is incumbent upon us all to ride responsibly on public lands. What we do today will impact what we, and countless others, will be allowed to do well into the future. AM: What is the latest threat? RD: Where do I begin? First, we have an ongoing threat with the Forest Service's Travel Management rule. It decrees an unfunded mandate to inventory all trail systems in the United States, has artificial deadlines and rejects user input in many areas. Second -- and more urgent -- we are now facing an additional public lands grab. The battlefield has shifted from our local communities, national forests and desert lands to the floor of the U.S. Congress. In early January, the U.S. Senate passed a massive package of bills -- over 160 in all -- that would close off more than 2 million acres to motorized recreation. Thrown out in that process were the recommendations of local public lands managers, city and county governments, their citizens and the outdoor enthusiasts who spent thousands of hours developing responsible, multiple-use recreation plans for their communities. It's a massive land-grab that, if passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Obama, would lock-up millions of acres of public lands, lock-out millions of people and decimate the coffers of the small towns and counties whose economic vitality relies heavily upon recreational tourism. AM: Is it too late to act? RD: No, there is still time. Legislators pay attention to their constituents, and I urge every OHV rider -- in fact, every motorcyclist -- to write or call their U.S. Representative and insist that their voice be heard. Share with them your personal story. Tell them that you ride responsibly and that actively managed and responsible OHV recreation has a place on our public lands. AM: Is the AMA all alone in this fight? RD: No, I am happy to report that the AMA and the ATVA working with a number of other organizations to preserve our right to access our public lands. Groups like the Blue Ribbon Coalition, the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the Off Road Business Association and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, to name a few. Additionally, aligned with our coalition are snowmobile and personal watercraft users, as well as advocates of non-motorized recreation, such as the American Horse Council. These groups work together as part of the Americans for Responsible Recreational Access in an effort to share resources and strengthen our collective voice. AM: What can we do to prevent these crises from arising in the future? RD: I urge readers who are not AMA or ATVA members to join and help fund the battle to preserve OHV recreation for this and future generations. While there are no guarantees, the more riders we represent, the louder our voice and the stronger we become, whether we are acting proactively or responding to an imminent threat. I am confident that by acting together we will make a difference. Readers who wish to contact their U.S. Representatives today can do so in the "Issues & Legislation" area of the Rights section of the AMA website at www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Next installment: Rob Dingman discusses the AMA's position on excessive sound.

About the American Motorcyclist Association Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world's largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists' interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

Polaris Looking for Riders for 2009 Grassroots Race Team

After announcing a restyled 2009 High Performance Outlaw Sport line up, Polaris is looking for Amateur and Pro Am riders that can tear up the track and trails of, GNCC, WORCS ,CMRC, SCORE, BITD, ITP and ATVA Race Series in the 50cc, 90cc, 450 and Open classes. Riders interested can send resumes, by December 15th, to Polaris Attn: ATV Racing. 2100 Hwy 55 Medina, MN 55341. Or email to atvracing@polarisind.com.