The first great test

The year was 1972. The president was Richard Nixon. He had just signed Executive Order 11644, establishing policies and procedures "that will ensure that the use of off-road vehicles on public lands will be controlled and directed so as to protect the resources of those lands, to promote the safety of all users of those lands, and to minimize conflicts among the various uses of those lands."

The American Motorcycle Association published an alert for its members.

Motorcycling Needs You

As motorcyclists enter the political frontier in earnest they face their first great test in the form of Executive Order 11644 ... your response to this challenge will determine the future of off-road riding. Beyond this specific issue your response will determine the political strength of the entire sport, affecting the future influence of off-road cyclists and road riders alike.

Write a courteous, but firm letter to the President.

Sign a petition circulated by the AMA or the MIC.

Encourage others to join the AMA.

Register to vote.

Become politically active.

Fast forward to the present day. Here are a few headlines:

Carnegie OHV State Park Freedom Day - A Call to Action

According to the plaintiffs' petition, pollution caused by off-road use was killing fish and something had to be done. There was, however, one problem with this ruling. There are no fish in the stream running through Carnegie.

Documents reveal ‘monumental’ plans for land by BLM

Broad swaths of western land, equivalent to the size of Colorado and Wyoming combined, should be considered “treasured lands” and managed without regard to state lines or other jurisdictional boundaries, according to an internal Bureau of Land Management document.

BLM Letter Reveals OHV Land Closure

Recently revealed documents show that a federal land management agency has been talking about changing land-use designations on public land that could close from 35 million to 140 million acres to off-highway riding, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

"This memo doesn't read like a draft document," Moreland said. "It reads like a playbook for shutting the public out of land-use decisions."

Congress Passes Massive Omnibus Legislation

By a 285-to-140 vote, U.S. House members on March 25 approved a bill that closes more than 2 million acres of public land nationwide to off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and all other motorized vehicles, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

Without the AMA, off-road riding might be a sport for the history books. To take action on issues the AMA is following today, go here.

Update: Following my last post, I wonder if the Hardy Boys would thank you for supporting the AMA. But with the leftward shift of culture in general, and the media in particular, how can one be sure what Franklin W. Dixon thinks anymore? Today, Frank Hardy probably rides a unicycle and eats tofu at every meal.