Recreational Trails Program

[Ten Bears]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> What's At Stake!
Recreational Trails Program

In early February, the Senate will debate and vote on the legislation that funds the Recreational Trails Program. Literally millions of Americans have benefited from the trails for motorized and non-motorized recreation that have been developed and maintained in every state of the union through this program.

For those of us who enjoy trail-based recreation, be it on hiking, biking, ATV, off-highway motorcycles, snowmobile, equestrian, cross-county skiing or any other type of trail, this is one of the most crucial issues that the Senate will act upon this year which directly affects you!

Tell your Senators that you support funding for the Recreational Trails Program and that they should support the SAFETEA legislation.

Let your Senators know that you support investing money from taxes on gasoline being used in off-highway vehicles to improve the safety, construction and maintenance of recreational trails through the Recreational Trails Program.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/RecreationalTrailsProgram/explanation

 

[Ten Bears]

To think, some of these anti-ATV trail users around here could actually be using trails maintained and supported by gas taxes paid by ATV riders. Oh, the hypocrisy of it all..... One might call that another form of "welfare hunting"......

 

[Oak]

Ten Bears, it's pretty bad when you have to resort to replying to yourself.

Oak

 

[Ten Bears]

I left it open for comment for a day to see which way the conversation would start. But since nobody else wanted in, I figured I'd see how many hypocrits we really have around here.

 

[Ten Bears]

The silence around here is damning.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Ten, You just don't know how to start a topic and keep it going.

 

[Ten Bears]

IT, I think your just at a loss. You could be one of these "welfare" hunters, and don't even know it.

 

[dgibson]

OK, Ten, I'll bite again. How do you think they'll implement this proposed legislation? How many people do you know that pull their ATV up to a gas pump and fill up only the ATV? Are they supposed to fill up & pay for their vehicle, then run back and fill up their ATV on another ticket so they can be taxed for it? Or maybe they'll have a separate pump just for ATV's. What about people like myself who have never, ever, put my ATV on a public trail or gotten it anywhere near public land? Why should I have to pay the ATV gas tax to support trails that I don't even use, just so I can pull my mower around my lot or do work on private property? Will there be an exemption similar to the farmers' exemption on diesel fuel? How will I prove my exemption, or how will you prove that I'm NOT exempted? Will ATV fuel have a special dye in it like diesel? Are there going to be Fuel Nazis posted on these trails, dipping sticks in tanks to check their color?

So on, and so forth. Nice idea, but I just don't see it being practical.

 

[Ten Bears]

DG, the tax is already in place, and states have been receiving money. The program started in 1993 with $15,000,000 and has grown to $50,000,000 a year. KY took in $3,372,150 between 1993 - 2001, and $3,313,133
for nonmotorized trails. Check out the site at http://64.4.26.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=6658fbc7a4365e12d48cfd1349e99598&lat=1076437989&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2efunoutdoors%2einfo%2frtphome%2ehtml

 

[dgibson]

I tried the link; no comprehendo. I'm curious how they tally this...no one has ever asked me how much gas went into my ATV. Do they just assume a certain percentage based on number of machines in the state? That can't be it, either, because we don't register ATV's in this state. I'm all confused again. As I understand your original article, there IS funding for the trails (coming from other sources), but there IS NOT yet an ATV fuel tax. SAFETEA would establish that. Maybe I misunderstood. I'll poke around and see what I can find out.

 

[Ten Bears]

Try to link through this site:
http://64.4.26.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=f53e19dfa492a90683fd5041829974e9&lat=1076439646&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2efunoutdoors%2einfo%2frtphome%2ehtml

 

[Ten Bears]

Important national support for trails of all kinds began with the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in December 1991 and the creation of a program now called the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The RTP program was championed by leading national trails organizations. It utilizes Federal excise taxes generated by off-highway recreational use of motor fuels to fund trail projects that assist hikers and bikers, in-line skaters and equestrians, cross-country skiers and ATV-ers, fourwheelers and snowmobilers, motorcyclists and even canoeists! The program also has sparked new cooperation and coordination among trail enthusiasts designed to improve the quality of trails experiences for all - and reduce social and environmental conflicts.

www.funoutdoors.info/rtphome.html

THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM: HOW IT WORKS

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) begins with purchases of fuel by off-highway recreation enthusiasts, including motorcyclists, snowmobilers, ATV-ers, and four-wheelers. More than 18 cents in Federal tax is paid on every gallon of fuel used in their fun - representing more than $150 million in receipts every year, according to studies by the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2001 and for the subsequent two years, $50 million of this money is used to fund the Recreational Trails Program, administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). FHWA apportions these funds among the states for a wide range of eligible trail projects, including:

maintenance of existing trails;
development of trails and certain trailhead facilities;
new and replacement trail infrastructure, including bridges and signs;
acquisition of trail corridors (from willing sellers);
certain state trail program costs;
trail safety and environmental mitigation projects.
Federal funding can normally provide up to 80% of project costs - and may go higher when Federal land management agencies are involved-but active and diverse partners often stretch Federal funds much farther. In some states, new sources of matching dollars have been created, ranging from registration fees for bikes and OHV's to state motor fuel tax on off-highway recreation. Individual trail projects are selected by each state, normally in consultation with a state trails advisory committee representing a wide range of enthusiasts.
The program also seeks to be sure all trail activities benefit from the funding, directing specific portions of the available funds to non-motorized and open-to-motorized activity trails. Finally, the program specifically prohibits use of funds for certain purposes, including conversion of nonmotorized trails to use by motorized activities and construction of shoulders along roads.

 

[dgibson]

Well, you're right, sort of. I looked up SAFETEA here. It modifies and reauthorizes the current TEA-21 law. Included in the explanation is:

Program Purpose
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) provides funds to develop and maintain recreational trails for motorized and non-motorized recreational trail users.

Funding/Formula
Continues current apportionment formula: 50 percent equally among all eligible States and 50 percent in proportion to the amount of non-highway recreational fuel use (fuel used for off-highway recreation by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks).
Funds are subject to the overall Federal-aid obligation limitation.
State must spend at least 10 percent of RTP funds for grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts with qualified youth conservation or service corps to perform recreational trails program activities.

which agrees with you in that 50% of the RTP program is derived from the proportional amount of fuel used on off-road vehicles. It's not a tax on fuel or anything like that, but it IS based on the estimated amount of fuel burned. So, technically, Ithaca's state receives more money for this trail program if they have more ATV's, and I suppose you could turn that around and say that Ithaca is a Welfare Hunter if he uses those trails maintained by the RTP. Kinda sorta. But then there's the argument of established trails versus new trails; new trails (i.e., driving the ATV's where no trails exist) aren't maintained by RTP, are they?

I still would like to know HOW they estimate that fuel amount; they sure don't have any solid system in KY that I know of. Fascinating.

 

[dgibson]

Ah, we posted together. So the money is part of the Federal fuel tax, not a separate tax. Part of it is designated to the RTP. HOW DO THEY KNOW HOW MUCH? Arrrrgh!

 

[Ten Bears]

Kinda like figuring out how much gas is used by boaters I'd guess...?????

 

[dgibson]

Maybe the BP pays someone to count ATV's and boats as they come through.

 

[Ten Bears]

Wonder why you don't see GRINNER, BUZZ, & IT trying to tear down this thread. Must be accepting the "welfare" trails.

 

[Washington Hunter]

This is a Senate bill report from the Washington State legislature, might be relevant to this thread...

http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2003-04/Senate/6225-6249/6234_sbr_02052004.txt

Here is part of it:

Background: The motor vehicle fuel tax paid on gasoline consumed on nonhighway roads
is currently used to support nonhighway and off-road vehicle recreational facilities. The
treasurer distributes 1 percent of the total fuel tax revenue, based on a fuel tax rate of 19
cents per gallon, to the nonhighway and offroad vehicle account. The account is then
allocated according to a formula established in statute.

The majority of funds (54.5 percent) is appropriated to the Interagency Committee for
Outdoor Recreation (IAC) for a grant program. Remaining funds are distributed to the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to maintain and manage facilities on DNR land (40
percent); to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the acquisition and management of
nonhighway roads and facilities (3.5 percent); and to State Parks for the management of off-
road vehicle (ORV) facilities (2 percent). A portion of DNR appropriation is transferred
directly to the IAC to be used for enforcement grants.
-
IAC grants must be distributed, with the advice of an advisory committee of recreational
interests, as follows:

· up to 20 percent for ORV education, information, and law enforcement;
· up to 60 percent for ORV recreation facilities; and
· up to 20 percent for nonhighway road recreation facilities.

A study of fuel used by different recreationists on nonhighway roads and trails was completed
in 2003. The study found fuel use by a number of different recreational groups, including the
traditional ORV and nonmotorized trail users, and another group of people who use backroads
for activities such as hunting, fishing, camping or sightseeing. This new group was not
represented in the advisory committee or the grant program.

2SHB 1698, passed in the 2003 session, directed an advisory committee of recreationists,
legislators, and agency land managers to review the existing allocation formulas, and revise
the formulas as needed to be consistent with the 2003 fuel use study.

 

[dgibson]

So, in Washington, they did a study to determine what percentage of fuel went into ORV's. Interesting. At least they have some basis for their allocations, anyway.

I thought this was interesting:

The study found fuel use by a number of different recreational groups, including the
traditional ORV and nonmotorized trail users, and another group of people who use backroads
for activities such as hunting, fishing, camping or sightseeing. This new group was not
represented in the advisory committee or the grant program.

So, in effect, the motorheads who ride just for the sake of riding get representation but those who use the ORV's as a means for other pursuits don't.

 

[Ten Bears]

What's the difference? It's a "welfare" program enjoyed by all....