Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Now A rizona Tries To Pull a Fast One. •• By Randy D. Bailey PHOENIX, ARIZ., Jan. 28, 1971 - Nearly 85 percent of Arizona land may soon be closed to use by mot 0 r c.y c I e san d o t her off-the-road vehicles. A bill (H.B. 63) introduced into the state legislature Jan. 20 by Rep. Stan Turley (R) Maricopa, will make it .....a misdeameanor for any person to drive a vehicle off an established roadway across public or private lands or over an abandoned road or trail." The bill defines "road" as " ...any dedicated federal, state. county or mu nicipal road or street and all undedicated roads marked for public use by the owner or lessee of the land or by a public land management agency." Of 72,688,000 acres of land in Arizona, 61,292,459 are government controlled: leaving 11,395,541 or just 15.68 percent of state land in private control. In a two-hour public hearing. conducted in the main House chambers by the Natural Resources Committee (NRC) today, Arizona Republic reporter Ben Avery was recognized as instigator of the bill which NRC chairman Turley introduced in the House. Rep. Turley told Cycle News Tuesday, "J think it's like most any bill, there's a problem which needs to be resolved and you have to start somewhere. But, I don't know if this bill is the answer:' He pointed out considerable damage was done to the sta te deer population this year by "people who go where there are no roads and break the natural life cycle of the wildlife." Turley, a former cattle rancher, said he is familiar with the damage a motorcycle or other vehicle can do tograzing lands, but added that no pressure had come for legislation from the cattlemen. Frank Odgen, a member of tbe Arizona Cattle Growers Association, said during the NRC hearing tbat the cattlemen had drafted a resolution during a meeting of the group earlier in the month which said "Whereas it is becoming a menace for vehicles to use grazing land, the ACGA recommends the legislature draft a law to halt the use of public lands by vehicles." Ben Avery, newspaper reporter and instigator of the bill, told the NRC be had attended several of the 4-wheel drive associations' meetings and even members of tbose groups said there was some need for control of land use. IS TH IS THE DIRT RIDER OF THE FUTURE? Avery said the opposItIon to the legislation - people who dest~oy the land - are the real targets of the bill. He cited an example of an area in western Arizona wbere he said up to 10,000 persons were misusing the land and destroying it with their vehicles. Andy Duffy, state Land Commissioner. told the committee he is WHERE TO WRITE: Arizona residents are urged to write to the following state legislators who are members of the committees due to act on the land closure bill (H.B. 63) expressing your views on the matter. Pleas keep communications polite, brief and to the point. House of Representatives JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Frank Kelley, 5009 Sberidan, Phoenix. Peter Kay, 5002 E. Calle Redonda, Phoenix. Richard Burgess. Box 15626, Phoenix. H. Thomas Kinkaid, 2345 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson. Bill McCune, 4817 I . 54th Dr., Phoenix. Hal Runyan, 231 S. Litchfield Rd., Litchfield Park. Craig Davids, Phoenix Hwy, Cooledge. Etta Mae Hutcheson, 337 S. 4th Ave., Tucson. Ethel Maynard, 244 E. Elm St., Tucson. Mrs. E.C. Rosenbaum, Box 609, Globe. RULES COMMITTEE: Tim Barrow, 6846 N. 4th Ave., Phoenix. Burton S, Barr, 142 E. Sierra Vista Dr., Phoenix. Ruth Adams, 3315 E. Weldon Ave., Phoenix. Tony Buehl, 4926 E. Copper St., Tucson. Ray Everett, Box 1089, Prescott. TRANSPORTATION: Ruth Peck, 510 E·. Medlock, Phoenix. David Stone, 85 Calle Prima rosa, Tucson. Richard Burgess, Box 15626, Phoenix. in favor of the bill since the government does not wish th e (public!) lands to be "abandoned to the whims of the public." During tile hearing, Chairman Turley reminded the more than 100 persons pres en t in the gallery to remain quiet. They were applauding' after each speaker who talked against the bill and Senate NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE Ray Goetze, 1220 August Drive, Sun City. James A. Mack, 1101 E. Broadmor Dr., Tempe. Scott Alexander, 1457 N. Swan Rd., Tucson. Joseph Shaughnessy Dr., 2118 W. Heatherbrae Dr., Phoenix. Leroy Palmer, Box 277, Taylor Bess Stinson, 1919 W. Earll Dr., Phoenix. Mrs. E.B. Thode, 913 N. Olive DR., Casa Grande. A.V. Hardt, 1089 E. Oak SJ.. Globe. r.T. Gibbings. 14;5 E. 3rd St., Tucson. TRANSPORTATJOJ'\ CO~1MITTEE Howard Baldwin, 1622 W. Clarendon Ave., Phoeni.x. were making noises during the talks of those in favor of the bill. "Thjs is not a popularity contest," he told the mainly pro-vehicle group in the gallery. The noises continued, and a mo tion was made to clear th e gallery of all persons, but Turley told the group he would allow them to stay if the demonstrations would stop. Another state official; Vern ,McClutchinson, state Mine Inspector ,said. "I think we all realize that this bill is needed, but it does need some re·wording to allow for families to drive a short distance off the road to camp or picnic." Bob S oppeland of Yamaha International told the NCR a great deal of monev is involved in this bill. Ile said millions' of dollars could be lost by dealers of motorcycles if the bill is passed. ~10nday evening at a meeting of motorcycle dealers, sand-buggy and other off-the-road vehicle clubs, Soppel~nd said dealers should not just "sit back and take the attitude that government can't shut down the riding areas - they have in California." He said dealers could expect their sales to drop 50·75 percent if H.B. 63 is passed. This. he explained, would mean a loss of more than 6 million per year in Arizona. Dr. Albert Hahn, psychologist and motorcycle dealer told the ~10nday night audience that motor yclists must realize that Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" has arrived and if motorcyclists do not face up to the problem of ecology, then they become a part of the problem. He cited a need for a program to work beyond the attempt to defeat the bill. The program called Motorcycle Enthusiasts Concerned Citizens Association (MECCA) would work to educate the Arizona public in the positive aspects of motorcycling as a sport, and as a form of transportation. Al the NRC hearing, the committee voted to hold the bill in committee for further study or revision. But, Rep. Turley said the committee could do anything with the hill - quash it, pass it to the next committee, or revise it and resubmit it to the House. Turley's legislative aide said the hill can be passed from the NRC t- U

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