Clear Creek bill passed out of committee

NorCalBusa

NorCalBusa

Member #294
The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 1913, the Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act, by unanimous consent on June 27. The bill would reopen the Clear Creek Management Area in California for off-highway vehicle use.

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) introduced this bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Paul Cook (R-Calif.).

In 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management closed Clear Creek due to concerns about high levels of naturally occurring asbestos. Upon further investigation by the International Environmental Research Foundation, these concerns turned out to be unwarranted.

This legislation would direct the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to reopen Clear Creek, which once was considered among the premier OHV recreation sites in the country, attracting thousands of visitors annually.

The bill also would protect 21,000 acres of BLM land adjacent to ClearEnD by designating the area the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness.

This bill's passage could provide a significant boost to the local economy and expand the recreational opportunities for OHV riders across the West.

The bill will now be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
Butch

Butch

poseur
Staff member
Yea! I've been meaning to contact Zoe Lofgren's office, though I have been pestering them on this issue since 2008. I swear. They kinda know me.

If you all could call your congessperson and ask them to support this is does a world of good. All you have to say is "as you constituant, I ask you to support HR 1913". They would love to hear from you.

I swear. It fucking matters.
 
m0t0_ryder

m0t0_ryder

RYD!
Butch said:
Yea! I've been meaning to contact Zoe Lofgren's office, though I have been pestering them on this issue since 2008. I swear. They kinda know me.

If you all could call your congessperson and ask them to support this is does a world of good. All you have to say is "as you constituant, I ask you to support HR 1913". They would love to hear from you.

I swear. It fucking matters.
Click to expand...
Thanks Butch!

Emails sent to Anna Eschew and Ro Kanna.

Also...
constituant <should be> constituent.

View attachment spelling errors.bmp
 
NorCalBusa

NorCalBusa

Member #294
Boom! It passed unanimously.

July 12, 2017 Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), unanimously passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

This bill directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reopen the 63,000-acre Clear Creek Management Area in San Benito and Fresno counties for use by off-road vehicles. The legislation would also protect 21,000 acres of BLM land adjacent to Clear Creek by designating the area the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness. California Reps. David G. Valadao (R-CA-21), Jeff Denham (R-CA-10), and Paul Cook (R-CA-08) joined Congressman Panetta as cosponsors to introduce this bill, H.R. 1913.

“Our nation’s public lands are postcards we send future generations, so we must do all we can to protect and preserve them. This bipartisan bill will not only bolster our conservation efforts, it will promote recreation and tourism in our district,” said Congressman Panetta, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “I will be working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill so that locals and visitors can soon enjoy Clear Creek Management Area.”

Once considered a premier off-road vehicle recreation site, Clear Creek was temporarily closed in 2008 to the public after an Environmental Protection Agency analysis about the risk created by naturally occurring asbestos. First proposed by former Congressman Sam Farr, the bill instructs the BLM to develop a rigorous plan to minimize the risk from asbestos exposure and educate visitors about the naturally occurring asbestos. The BLM would also be required to find ways to reduce the impact of off-road vehicles to protect the area’s habitat.
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Wonder how long BLM has to comply and open the damn gate?
 
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Butch

Butch

poseur
Staff member
I just sent this to Senators Harris and Feinstein:

Subject: H.R. 1913 Clear Creek Recreation Area

Madam:

We have been recreating and riding motorcycles at the subject area since the 1970’s, others before that. I have been actively involved since 2008 when the BLM closed the area under false pretenses. This note by the owner of one of our local websites summarizes it well:

Dear Jimmy Panetta,

Thank you for HR1913. We hope you will will be successful in re-opening Clear Creek to OHV use.
BLM closed Clear Creek to recreational OHV for reasons that don’t make sense. History shows there is zero health risk for recreational OHV users in Clear Creek and the proof is there has NEVER BEEN a single illness in 50 years as a result of Clear Creek recreational OHV use.

BLM will cite the EPA report regarding health risks associated with Asbestos at CCMA, but it does not not apply to OHV recreational users, rather it was based on other usage and many unknowns, this is unfair.

Also note that Rick Cooper and the EPA colluded to close Clear Creek. EPA initially wrote in an executive summary that there might be ZERO risk, but Rick Cooper colluded with Jere Johnson and Arnold Den of the EPA by sending this letter (to follow) to them questioning their conclusions and choice of words.

I know our government has some significant challenges right now, but this bill has passed out of the house and into the senate. I am curious as to the status. I would like to speak with your local chief of staff or whoever is addressing this issue. I will call.

Thank you for your attention. I represent many thousands of motorcyclists.

Butch
San Jose CA 95127
American Motorcycle Association
Blue Ribbon Coalition
California Off Road Vehicle Association
South Bay Riders
Bay Area Riders Forum; bayarearidersforum.com
 
madsen203

madsen203

Undetermined
Butch,

I am happy that you put in all of this effort! Thank you so much for being strong headed and pushing to protect OHV rights. You're the best!
 
Butch

Butch

poseur
Staff member
I just spoke to Jake with...

Thank you for writing to me. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3553.
Sincerely,
Kamala D. Harris
United States Senator

He said HR 1913 goes to committee, and Harris is on that committee. It would be goo if you guys called and asked...

It could be something really simple like:
"as my representative, please have Senator Harris support H.R. 1913"...
 
Butch

Butch

poseur
Staff member
This just sent to our senator's offices:
I spoke with each of your offices earlier this week. I wish to establish a direct relationship with some individual in the office. With so many avenues of communication it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the truth. I want to share the facts with my fellow club members. This bill has been in the Senate since July.

Please share with the Senators:
Clear Creek Management Area is an issue I have been discussing with my congressperson Zoe Lofgren since the “emergency” closure in May of 2008. The subject bill reopens that area. There is no legimate reason not to open the area. There is no reasonable opposition to opening the area. There are many valid reason to allow your constituents to use this area.

I am involved with several groups (Bay Area Riders Forum (BARF), AMA, BRC, CORVA, SBR, etc) which uses areas such as these. We are thousands of voters. We are millions of dollars of economic impact. I have attached a summary of what BARF is.

The closure is based on misinformation and possibly fraud. The suspect soils are common in California and no incidents of sickness are registered for Clear Creek.

This is a summary prepared by one of my friends when the original bill was introduced:

“Representatives Sam Farr, David Valadao and Jeff Denham sponsor H.R. 1838 which would designate 75,000 acres of Federal land in San Benito and Fresno Counties in California as the Clear Creek National Recreation Area (NRA) and would ensure access for the responsible use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) in the area into the future as well as designate 21,000 acres as the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness (the area is currently being managed similarly to a designated wilderness area).
Background:
Clear Creek was closed in 2008 based on a questionable safety rationale related to exposure to asbestos. Subsequently the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission commissioned an independent risk assessment study which concluded that management and operational strategies could be effectively employed in the area to allow OHV use without exposing the public to unacceptable risks. This legislation would guarantee that moving forward, the area will be managed in such a way as to provide for all sorts of legitimate and responsible recreation, while also providing for the safety of all of the area’s visitors. Further H.R. 1838 would implement a user fee program for the area that will provide for the management and improvement of the NRA.

H.R. 1838 has the endorsement of a broad array of local OHV organizations, businesses and enthusiasts. This local support is possible not only because this legislation would reopen the popular OHV area, but also because diverse constituencies were consulted to develop a land use bill that could attract a wide range of support.”

There is also
Testimony of Don Amador
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Oversight
Hearing on "Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands"
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:00 AM
that is very good.

The amazing thing is, this is a wonderful area being denied to the public for no legitimate reason. We are being denied access, and the BLM is suppressing prosperity. It is amazingly unjust. Please help.

Thank you,

Butch, homeowner, voter, motorcyclist, activist
San Jose 95127
bayarearidersforum.com
 
Butch

Butch

poseur
Staff member
I spoke with the legislative staff at Senator Harris’s office last week, and Feinstein’s this yesterday. I also spoke with Larry Smith of ARRA because I was told he was just in Feinstein’s office. All these folks are in Washington.

HR 1913, CCRA, is now in the ENR, Energy Natural Resources Committee. Larry Smith is contacting all members of that committee.

It would be good if everyone joined ARRA… http://www.arra-access.com/states/california/

It would be good if the Senator's offices got thousands of emails, letters and phone calls requesting support for this bill. Anyone got any good ideas how we can get our community to do that?
 
E

elemetal

3 pings and a zing
I sent Sen Harris an email about my feelings for support of 1913 a few weeks ago. I'll try to rustle up some other folks to do the same.
 
bojangle

bojangle

FN # 40
Staff member
https://benitolink.com/news/opening-clear-creek-remains-distant-possibility

The long and winding road to reopen the Clear Creak Management Area (CCMA) in southern San Benito County, closed in 2008, has taken much longer than retired Congressman Sam Farr could have thought it would when he first introduced a bill in 2012 to reopen it. Clear Creek was closed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after an International Research Foundation (IRF) study found a minimal health risk to off-highway vehicle (OHV) users from naturally occurring asbestos in the Serpentine Area. The bill has less than a month to be approved before having to be resubmitted to Congress. But even if it were approved today, it would most likely be another two years before the area would be opened again to the public.
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Just came across this article. I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done to try to get this thing passed this month. Resubmission would just mean more delays.
 
ThumperX

ThumperX

Well-known member
Call,write, and email!!!!
Be relentless.We were up there last weekend, the 48 hour permit application is total and complete BS!!! :rant
 
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