4x4 budget cuts in states and letter to senator

this was in my e-mail inbox, thought id share...

It's in our own best interest to help, your senators addresses can
be found in the blue pages of your phone book if you don't already
have them readily available

FROM: Carla Boucher, Attorney
UNITED FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ASSOCIATIONS

May 31, 2005

WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH $3 MILLION IN YOUR STATE ON 4X4 TRAILS?

Build new trails, maintain existing trails, improve trails and
trailheads!

The House of Representatives approved record-breaking amounts of
funding for recreation trails through the Recreational Trails
Program (RTP). However, the Senate cut that funding, on average, by
more than $3 million per state for a total cut of over $161 million
in 5 years. In the next 2 weeks the House and Senate will work to
resolve the difference in funding. We need your help in urging the
Senate to adopt the House funding level in the final bill.

Arizona Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: Funding cut by Senate
= $3.5 million
California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: Funding cut by
Senate = $11.6 million
Colorado Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs: Funding cut by
Senate = $3.0 million
Florida Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $6.1
million
Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in MI by Senate = $3.0 million
Funding cut in OH by Senate = $3.8 million
Funding cut in IN by Senate = $2.7 million
Funding cut in IL by Senate = $4.2 million
Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $2.7
million
Middle Atlantic Four Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in MD by Senate = $2.3 million
Funding cut in PA by Senate = $3.9 million
Funding cut in DE by Senate = $1.7 million
Funding cut in NJ by Senate = $2.6 million
Funding cut in VA by Senate = $2.8 million
Midwest Four Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in IL by Senate = $4.2 million
Funding cut in IA by Senate = $2.7 million
Funding cut in MN by Senate = $3.7 million
Funding cut in NE by Senate = $2.2 million
Funding cut in ND by Senate = $1.9 million
Funding cut in SD by Senate = $2.0 million
Funding cut in WI by Senate = $3.5 million
Montana Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $2.8
million
Nevada United Four Wheelers Association: Funding cut by Senate =
$2.2 million
North America XJ Association (representing all 50 states): Funding
cut by Senate = $161 million
NorthEast Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs:
Funding cut in MA by Senate = $2.6 million
Funding cut in NH by Senate = $2.1 million
Funding cut in CT by Senate = $1.9 million
Funding cut in NY by Senate = $3.9 million
Funding cut in VT by Senate = $1.9 million
Oklahoma Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $2.8
million
Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in WA by Senate = $3.7 million
Funding cut in OR by Senate = $2.7million
Funding cut in ID by Senate = $2.7 million
Rustbelt 4x4 Trailriders Association:
Funding cut in OH by Senate = $3.8 million
Funding cut in MI by Senate = $3.0 million
Funding cut in PA by Senate = $3.9 million
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in NC by Senate = $3.7 million
Funding cut in SC by Senate = $2.5 million
Funding cut in TN by Senate = $2.9 million
Funding cut in GA by Senate = $4.2 million
Funding cut in KY by Senate = $2.8 million
Funding cut in AL by Senate = $3.4 million
Southwest Four Wheel Drive Association:
Funding cut in KA by Senate = $2.6 million
Funding cut in LA by Senate = $3.3 million
Funding cut in MO by Senate = $3.1 million
Funding cut in NM by Senate = $2.8 million
Funding cut in OK by Senate = $2.8 million
Funding cut in TX by Senate = $7.1 million
Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $2.8
million
Wisconsin Four Wheel Drive Association: Funding cut by Senate = $3.5
million

More information about funding levels by state is available at the
United website at www.ufwda.org.

Please, send the following letter, or one in your own words, to your
U.S. Senators urging them to adopt the House-passed funding level
for the RTP program in the HR 3 conference report for the final
version of HR 3.

If you need help finding the name and/or address of your U.S.
Senator go to:
www.senate.gov and enter your zip code. A list of your two Senators
will appear. Please write to both of them. If you do not have access
to the Internet and need help you can contact me by phone or e-mail
at: (757) 546-7969 or [email protected]

Letters must be sent by June 6, 2005.

Please copy all letters to me at
[email protected]
or
P.O. Box 15696
Chesapeake, VA 23328

[form letter to be sent to your U.S. Senator]
Senator [Senator's name]
[address]

[date]

Dear Senator,

I live in your state and am an avid four wheel drive vehicle user. I
am contacting you to ask that you ensure that the House-passed
funding level for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is included
in the HR 3 conference report for the final version of HR 3.

The RTP is a proven success, leveraging federal funds with volunteer
labor, state trails funding generated through registration fees and
gas taxes and private funds. The program relies on user fees paid by
recreationists like me. However, under the current RTP, and under
the Senate-passed version of HR 3, recreational trail users are
unfair "donors" to other transportation programs, receiving just 18%
of the taxes paid. Adopting the House-passed funding levels in the
final bill will address this unfairness.

Please ensure that the final version of HR 3 includes the House-
passed funding for the RTP program. This is a very important issue
to me and I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Yours truly,



[Your name]
[Your address]


You can see that nobody is exempt, if your state isn't listed above
it's likely because your state association hasn't joined United yet.

thanks guys for doing your part - i sent mine in...
-Ranger

More on this in an E-mail from Del Albright:

____________________________________________________
Dear Friends,

Below is a BRC ACTION ALERT. It's one of those rare opportunities for a email action alert to really make a difference. As I write this, House and Senate Conferees are preparing to wrangle over the Surface Transportation Bill (a.k.a. "the Highway Bill") and millions of dollars of Recreational Trail Program funds are on the table. Senators need to hear from OHV users and in big numbers. Your email between today and Monday, June 6, 2005 will make a difference.

Thanks in advance for your action,
Brian Hawthorne

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON RECREATIONAL TRAILS BUDGET NEAR
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
As you know, BRC doesn't blast nationwide ACTION ALERTS unless action by the recreation community has a good chance of producing positive results. This ACTION ALERT concerns an opportunity to increase trail funding available for maintenance and development of recreational trails.

BRC's public lands team has classified this Action Item as HIGH PRIORITY and STRONGLY urges you to take action immediately. Detailed information is below, as well as a quick link to BRC's Rapid Response Center.

Thank you in advance for your involvement,
Brian Hawthorne
Public Lands Director
BlueRibbon Coalition

SITUATION:
After years of partisan wrangling over legislation funding the surface transportation bill (A.K.A. the Highway Bill ), both the House and the Senate have passed alternative versions of HR 3, the reauthorization of the nation's surface transportation programs.

WHY THAT MATTERS TO YOU:
The surface transportation program includes the Recreational Trails Program (RTP)!!!

As most of you are aware, RTP uses a portion of the federal gas tax collected on non-highway recreational use (in snowmobiles, OHVs, etc) in order to provide funding to state recreational trail programs. Currently, taxes paid on fuel used for OHV recreational purposes are estimated at $286 million annually. This tax money should go to recreational trails instead of highway projects.

BRC, working with a broad ranging coalition of recreational trail interests recommended that a modest 50% (approximately $143 million annually) of these taxes be allotted to the RTP programs.

Thanks to our Champions in the House of Representatives, their legislation approaches our recommendation, increasing funding to reach $110 million for Fiscal Year 2009. Unfortunately, the Senate RTP proposal is $56 million annually.

Our champions in the Senate are sensitive about representing their proposal as a cut. Technically, one could describe the Senate funding proposal as flat funding for RTP programs. However, the neither version of the highway bill represents a fair and equitable accounting of the taxes the OHV community pays for fuel used for vehicle use on recreational trails.

The House and Senate have now appointed conferees to address the differences in the two versions of HR 3. We expect serious work to begin on June 6 and believe a decision on RTP funding may be finalized by June 15.

There is a tremendous opportunity here. BRC strongly encourages all OHV users to take advantage of that opportunity, and contact your Congressional representatives and encourage them to include the House-passed funding for the RTP program.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Your Congressional representative needs to hear from you today. It is a matter of simple fairness. You pay taxes for fuel used when you travel on your favorite trails. Those taxes need to be spent you your favorite trails.

You can use our Rapid Response Center automatic email system, or better yet, send a personal message to your Congressional representative.

Don't wait! Send your letter TODAY!

Link to BRC's Rapid Response Center: http://capwiz.com/share/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7671861

Super-Easy 3-Step Instructions for Sending a Personal Email to your Congressional Rep:

Step 1:
Click here: http://capwiz.com/share/home

Step 2:
Enter your zip code, and then click “GO”

Step 3:
Use the information to contact both your Senators (and your Congressman if you wish) to deliver the message below. If you click "email" you can "cut and paste" the message.

IMPORTANT: Enter "Fairness with RTP funds in ISTEA" the "Subject" field!

Dear Senator,
I am an avid OHV enthusiast who pays taxes on fuel used on recreational trails. I am contacting you to ask that you ensure that the House-passed funding level for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is included in the HR 3 conference report for the final version of HR 3.

RTP is a proven success, leveraging federal funds with volunteer labor, state trails funding generated through registration fees and gas taxes and private funds. The program relies on user fees paid by recreationists like me. However, under the current RTP, and under the Senate-passed version of HR 3, recreational trail users are unfair "donors" to other transportation programs, receiving just 18% of the taxes paid. Adopting the House-passed funding levels in the final bill will address this unfairness.

Please ensure that the final version of HR 3 includes the House-passed funding for the RTP program. This is a very important issue to me and I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Yours truly,
[Your name]
[Your address]

ps. if you have not visited my land use and access web site in a while, please do by clicking here: http://www.delalbright.com (go to New Stuff).

Del Albright
BlueRibbon Ambassador, BlueRibbon Coalition Life Member
State Environmental Affairs Coordinator, CA4WDC
Trail Boss, Friends of the Rubicon (FOTR)
PO BOX 127, Mokelumne Hill, CA 95245-0127
Del's Web Site: http://www.delalbright.com/
Sponsored by: the BlueRibbon Coalition; with support from the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA).

________________________________________________________

Senator Boxer put a block to the web page sending out that e-mail so you have to copy and paste the letter here:
http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm


This will take you less then 5 minutes!

I contacted my government representatives through ARRA. Do it!

done deal!

I sent letters thru arra a few days ago, this is a BIG deal, even if you havent heard of it before.

I sent it and will pass this on.