National and Regional News 

Milwaukee — The USDA Forest Service’s Eastern Region is seeking volunteer committee members to advise the agency on recreation fee changes at national forests throughout the northeastern United States. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), the Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation fees at Federal recreational lands. The Eastern Region reinvests those fees into improving, operating, maintaining, and managing about 380 recreation fee sites.

The secretary is also required to establish a Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) in each region for federal lands managed by the USDA Forest Service. These committees make recommendations on implementing or eliminating standard amenity fees, expanded amenity fees, non-commercial individual special recreation permit fees, expanding or limiting the recreation fee program, and increasing or decreasing fee levels. 

The Eastern Region does not currently have a functioning RRAC. Each committee consists of 11 volunteers who serve for 2-3 years and meet once or twice a year to provide recommendations on recreation fees for national forests. Members receive travel, food, and lodging costs for regularly scheduled meetings, but do not receive pay or other compensation.

The Eastern Region RAC provides recommendations for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management on recreation fee matters in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.  

Candidates are being recruited to represent one or more of the following recreation interests:  

• Summer motorized, summer non-motorized, winter motorized, winter non-motorized, hunting and fishing.  

• Motorized outfitter and guides, non-motorized outfitter and guides, and local environmental groups.  

• State tourism official, a person who represents affected local government interests, and a person who represents affected American Indian tribes.   

The Recreation RAC recruitment process is in alignment with USDA equal opportunity policies and will consider demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.   

Nomination packets and details are available at: fs.usda.gov/main/r9/workingtogether/advisorycommittees or by contacting Krystal Fleeger, Regional Recreation Fees & Reservations Coordinator at sm.fs.r9_rrac@usda.gov. Letters of recommendation are welcome, but not required. Once the advisory committee is seated, all Recreation Advisory Committee meetings will be open to the public and include opportunities for public input.  

Palm Springs, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management will implement a temporary closure of public lands from Jan. 25 – Feb. 3, in the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, San Bernardino County, during the annual 2024 King of the Hammers desert race event. The race is authorized by a BLM Special Recreation Permit and the temporary closure is necessary to facilitate public safety and provide an enhanced recreation experience for event participants and spectators.

In 2022, the BLM approved a five-year public land closure for 10 days a year through 2027. Registered race spectators, participants, and race officials are exempt from the closure. Approximately 81,000 acres of the Johnson Valley Off-highway Vehicle Recreation Area will be temporarily closed to public use and approximately 46,000 acres will be available for public use during the event.

The temporary closure complies with the management plan for the area. Recreation areas nearby will remain open to the public, including the Ord-Rodman Limited Use Area and Stoddard Valley Off-highway Vehicle Area. Information and a map of the closure area for the 2024 race event will be posted at the main entry points into the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area and available for viewing at the BLM’s California Desert District Office and Barstow Field Office. Download a map of the closure here.

The BLM encourages the public to recreate responsibly on public lands. Find additional tips for recreating responsibly on public lands. The BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation in pursuit of its multiple-use mission. For more information, contact the California Desert District Office at (951) 697-5200, or the Barstow Field Office at (760) 252-6000.

Redding, Calif. — Applications are now being accepted for the Trails Capacity Program.  The program, administered by American Trails, funds trail maintenance, research, and stewardship training across the country, with a focus on projects that are inclusive, foster improved trail user behavior and connect trail assets to a broader spectrum of users. This competitive grant program finds the best trail partners from across all nonmotorized and motorized trail user groups, including water trails.

The program is funded by individuals and organizations who care about trails and through sustaining corporate supporters including Maverik and Bronco Wild Fund, a Ford Motor Company program. View a complete list of all sponsors and donors over the years and learn how you can donate. The amount of funding available and number of grants offered will vary year by year, pending funding. Review the Program Overview page for the most updated information prior to applying. Email trailfund@americantrails.org if you have any questions. The application window closes on January 15 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

State News 

Sacramento, Calif. — The California Air Resources Board will conduct a public hearing on Jan. 25, starting at 9 a.m. to consider approving for adoption the proposed amendments to the On-Road Motorcycle emission standards and test procedures and adoption of new provisions relating to ONMCs.  The full announcement can be reviewed here: arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/barcu/regact/2024/onmc/notice.pdf.

The meeting will be held at the California Environmental Protection Agency, Byron Sher Auditorium, located at 1001 I Street Sacramento, Calif. 95814. A Zoom option is also available for those wishing to participate remotely. In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing during the hearing and may provide comments by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the hearing. The public comment period for the Proposed Regulatory Action began on Dec. 1, 2023. Written comments not submitted during the hearing must be submitted on or after Dec. 1, 2023, and received no later than Jan. 16, 2024. 

The Board also encourages members of the public to bring to the attention of staff in advance of the hearing any suggestions for modification of the Proposed Regulatory Action. Comments submitted outside the comment period are considered untimely. CARB may, but is not required to, respond to untimely comments, including those raising significant environmental issues. 

San Diego — Registration is now officially underway for the 2024 Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program Technical Workshop being held on Jan. 17, 2024, in San Diego. Registration is required to participate in either the virtual or in-person workshop. To register, please visit the registration forum. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. If you intend to participate in person, please see the information on the workshop venue. The Division is pleased to provide a hybrid workshop this year, allowing Applicants and current Grantees the option to participate either in-person or virtually.

While attendance is not mandatory to participate in the Grants Program, the OHMVR Division strongly encourages everyone to take advantage of this workshop as it offers valuable insights. A limited number of hotel rooms have been blocked for this event. To ensure your room reservation, please visit the Grant Workshop: Attendees Jan2024 – Start your reservation by no later than Dec. 19. For inquiries regarding the hotel’s policies, rates, or cancellations, please contact the hotel directly. 

 Regulation binders are no longer distributed; please visit the Grants Regulation’s webpage to download a copy. If you have any questions, email ohv.grants@parks.ca.gov. 

Industry News 

Washington, D.C. — Tesla has issued an over-the-air software update to its Autopilot active driving assistance system for more than two million affected vehicles after a federal safety investigation determined that it’s too easy for drivers to misuse the feature. The recall comes more than two years after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Autopilot, following 11 crashes where Tesla drivers had Autopilot engaged before colliding with stationary first-responder vehicles.

The investigation found that the feature doesn’t do enough to prevent drivers from using Autopilot in situations where they are not in control of the vehicle, or where the system isn’t designed to be used. According to NHTSA, the automaker did not concur with the agency’s analysis but agreed to voluntarily administer a recall and provide a software update in the interest of resolving the investigation. 

All Model S, Model X, Model Y, and Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot are getting this software update, which increases the text size on visual alerts, adds a setting to activate Autopilot with a single tap of the stalk rather than two on vehicles with steering wheel stalks, and creates a five-strike penalty that disables Autopilot for drivers who repeatedly ignore warnings to apply steering or look at the road. The recall specifically addresses Autosteer, a lane centering assistance feature that keeps a vehicle between painted lane lines. 

AMA News

Pickerington, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association offers its congratulations to 2023 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year Jett Lawrence, as well as the 2023 AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, the late Jesse Thomas. Lawrence was a dominant presence on the track throughout the 2023 season, racing his way to the AMA Supercross 250 West, AMA Pro Motocross 450 and SuperMotocross 450 championships. Although Lawrence’s resume in 2023 is impressive on its own, the fashion in which he competed propelled him above the rest.

During his chase for the 450 Pro Motocross title, Lawrence became the only in-class rookie to record a perfect moto-win season, finishing 22-0 for the series. For Lawrence, his standout 2023 season was the culmination of a long, arduous journey to reach the highest levels of motorcycle racing. A native of Australia, Lawrence and his family — including his brother Hunter, who also races professionally — moved to Europe during the brothers’ teenage years, where they endured economic hardship in the pursuit of racing success.

The Lawrences ultimately proved their racing prowess, moving to the United States in 2018 and earning their AMA Pro licenses in 2019 when Jett was only 16 years old. From there, Jett raced his way to a number of championships — including a pair of AMA Pro Motocross 250 Championships in 2021 and 2022 — completing his ultimate goal of racing at the upper echelon of the sport. 

Thomas’ lifelong commitment to the sport of motorcycling made him the perfect candidate for the AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented annually to an individual who provides the highest level of service to the AMA in any area of activity. Thomas established the West Kentucky Trail Riders AMA club in 1970, thus beginning a long run as a race promoter for several AMA National Enduros and Hare Scrambles.  

In 1987, Thomas founded the KT Riders AMA Club, which currently promotes the longest-running AMA Dual Sport series in the country in the LBL 200, which takes place in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Tennessee. For his tireless efforts as a promoter, Thomas and his family received the AMA Recreational Riding Organizer of the Year in 2019. Despite his passing on Sept. 29, Thomas’ impact is felt throughout his family as his son, Bob, and his grandsons, Chase and Dustin, have continued his work with KT Riders, now known as Thomas Brothers Promotions.

Beyond the world of promoting, Thomas also raced flat track in the late ’50s and owned a successful motorcycle dealership in Cadiz, Ky. Thomas was also a fixture in his community, helping open several county recycling sites, while serving on boards for the Trigg County Hospital, Trigg County Recreation Center, the Tennessee Valley Advisory and the U.S. Forestry Service Advisory.

Fond Du Lac, Wis. — After an added year of anticipation due to last year’s cancellation, the AMA Ice Race Grand Championship GP and Oval events are set to make a return in 2024, with the GP set for Jan. 21 and the Oval for Feb. 10 at Lake Winnebago.

The AMA Ice Race Grand Championships are the only amateur ice racing opportunities in which a racer can earn an AMA National No. 1 plate. Not only will AMA No. 1 plates be on the line, but racers will also compete for the AMA Ice Racer of the Year, AMA Vet/Senior Ice Racer of the Year and AMA Youth Racer of the Year.

The GP event will run alongside the Steel Shoe Fund 3 Hour Endurance Race, an annual endurance ice event that serves as the main fundraiser for the Steel Shoe Fund — a non-profit organization that assists flat track racers who have sustained serious injury during competition. In the event of a cancellation, the GP event will have a makeup date of Jan. 28.

For more information regarding the AMA Ice Race Grand Championships, visit americanmotorcyclist.com/racing/ice-racing/. 

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AMA News & Notes is a monthly publication compiled and edited by the American Motorcyclist Association. Designed to inform motorcyclists of rights-related issues and events in the United States and around the world, AMA News & Notes welcomes your input. Suggestions and editorial contributions can be sent to AMA Director of Communications Matthew Miles at mmiles@ama-cycle.org.

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