Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125802
'REC FEES' ;; ." "" l>N ..... dwe're at it again .... '" Cl M" .Y@J ~ u 0 '" ;: w Z w ~ U <"''''.~ .. by Charles CIa yton This Is The Future You're a typical family. One of the ways that you relieve tJ,e anJeiety of full participation in urban life is by going into the mountains or the desert and finding recreation occasionally. The boys like to ride trailbikes or backpack, 'mom and the girls prefer to just sniff the wilderness and get away from the kitchen stove. Gramps hunts for things to add to his rock collection, while Granny is an entomology buff and is happy just to study the insects round about. Dad likes to shoot holes in tin cans. So you trek into the public lands' vastness and pitch camp. but a man in a .green uniform drives up, stops and demands a $1 fee from everybody in the family, for the privilege of using the desert, forest or whatever. "It's the law, now." he barks. Far-fetched? . Maybe, but this is exactly what the U.S. Department. of Interior is starting to do, beginning, naturally, with the weakes_t, most poorly-organized, and least troublesome public recreationist - the motorcycle racer. Once ag"in the motorcyclist has been singled out for saddling with " precedent to "'tisfy the Government power freakos. Dept. of Interior bureaucrats must h"ve noted with delight how easily their friends in the Dept. of Transport ran over us with helmet dnd other nonsense laws. But Transport isn't as smart as Interior. They didn't make any money, outside of some alleged bribes from unscrupulous helmet and light-bulb manufacturers. I ntcrior is greedier than . th"t. Why should we pay for more policeman and cop-equipment to protect and h"rass public land users? Think what a detriment to the ecology all those gumshoes and helicopters would be' The fee is already set for desert race participants. Tl1c promoter of a race, even jf it is a non-pr9fit club, must now post a $300 ransom with the Bure"u of Land Management, and collect an extra $1 from every participant for the Bureau's tribute. One desert enduro promoter estimates that entry fees will have to be increased $3 immediately to cover the fees, insurance and goo-gaws that the BLM is demanding. Naturally, this fee is unearned and discriminatory, as well as unnecessary, It's happening to you, the oil-road motorcyclist, rightno1N! for the BLM makes plenty of money off of grazing leases and sale of other resources out of public trust into the hands of private developers. But our few hundred thousand dollars a year will certainly finance a bigger and stronger Desert Police to rake in money from unsuspecting; hikers, campers, rockhounds, 11orsemcl1, etc. in the near future. 'Assist"nt secretary of the . Interior Harrison Loesch (ptonounced Ltsh) assures me in a letter that his Depart";ent is quilty of no discrimination, for they are intending to charge everybody else fees when they get around to it. Meanwhile, for motorcycle riders, the future is alread y here. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT There are three ways that we could defend dur outpost against the recreational ripoff, and by so doing, perform a patriotic service for all American recreationists: 1) We could stop having organized events of 25 riders or more on BLM turf: 2) We could refuse to pay the extortion and go to jail; or, 3.) We can seek an injunction to prevent the BLM from doing th is to us. In my opinion, the last report is our best course. Courts would stall the BLM long enough to let us finish this season unmolested and gain us time to enlist the support of other recreationists, who can't afford to 'have such a precedent established. Alread y several competen t Attorney s, 'who also happen to be motorcycle enthusiasts, have offered to file the injunction with no charge for their services. The )istrict 37 AMA SPOrts Committee is the group most seriously affected by the new "wreck fee" as well as being the most reputable force in motorcycling. The BLM injunction shoula be filed in the name of District 37 of the AMA. Jf the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, then the cost ofjustice has got to Be cheaper than tryranny. ~,' . \H\\'. ~ae\\ l..1 e\t1\e\...n of 'your choice Drawing SATURDAY Sept. 30 - 2 PM No purchase necessary_ I Super Bonus I If winner is present at the hehnet drawing, he or she will receive as a BONUS .... 1 pair of GRAN PRIX LEATHER MOTOCROSS PANTS Come early & shop for our specials '" SPECIAL HOOI!.- LONG ,. SURP/(/S£SALES LOTS 0,& 07H£1!. SP£CIAL SALES UJ " UJ ~ ~ o u CLoSED SIl"'D~ 1201 "A" East Ball Road Anaheim CA 92805 (714) 776- > u ..