ORBA NEWSLETTER - April, 2002
OFF-ROAD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION


IN THIS ISSUE
· Meeting with Congress Aides
· Oceano Dunes Rally
· Washington D.C. Trip
· New ORBA District Manager
· OHMVR Comm. Sacramento
· Sacramento Legislative Day
· Mtg. w/new Desert Manager
· Indianapolis Trip
· OHMVR Comm. Mtg El Centro
· ISDRA RAMP
· 60 Day Intent to Sue Letter
· New ORBA Directors
· New Members

OHV LEADERS MEET WITH U.S. CONGRESS-MAN HUNTER'S AIDES
ORBA President, Roy Denner and several representatives from other California OHV or-ganizations met in January with Tom Porter, Congressman Duncan Hunter's Chief of Staff from Washington D.C., and Rick Terrazas Hunter's San Diego Representative. The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) Management Plan (RAMP) was discussed as well as the other California Desert District Management Plans that are currently being drafted. Hunter's team assured the members of the OHV Com-munity that Congressman Hunter supports OHV recreation and multiple use of public lands while providing reasonable protection to the environment.

OCEANO DUNES RALLY IN HANFORD A HUGE SUCCESS!
On February 9th the Friends of Oceano Dunes held a rally in Hanford, California in support of keeping open the last 5 miles of beach available to OHV recreation. An overflow crowd packed the 200 person meeting
room and several hundred at-tendees listened to loud speak-ers placed outside. With approval from the ORBA Board of Directors, President Denner contributed a total of $4,300 to this important cause on behalf of ORBA.
OHV TEAM HITS A GRAND SLAM IN WASHINGTON D.C!
ON THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH A WEARY, BUT EXCITED, GROUP OF OHV REPRES-ENTATIVES RETURNED TO CALIFORNIA FROM WASH-INGTON, D.C. THE PRESI-DENT & CEO OF ORBA, ROY DENNER, SERVED AS THE LEADER OF THE TEAM WHICH INCLUDED ORBA'S WELL-KNOWN ATTORNEY, DAVID HUBBARD; POLITI-CAL CONSULTANT, PETE CONATY; SDORC CHAIR-MAN, JIM MCGARVIE; REP-RESENTING CORVA AND THE ACTION PROGRAM, MICHELLE CASSELLA; AND AMA, DISTRICT 37'S DAVE OAKLEAF. IN TWO VERY INTENSE DAYS, THE TEAM HAD MET WITH 5 CON-GRESSMEN, 6 CONGRESS-PERSONS' AIDES, AND 2 ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF THE INTERIOR.
AS EXPECTED, THESE U.S. REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOT TOTALLY AWARE OF THE LAND USE ACTIONS TAKING PLACE IN CALI-FORNIA. CONGRESSMAN HANSEN, FROM UTAH, DE-SCRIBED SIMILAR PROB-LEMS IN HIS STATE.
THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

OHV TEAM IN CONGRESSMAN POMBO'S OFFICE

ORBA DISTRICT MANAGER
ORBA's Board of Directors has decided that, in order to continue a reasonable rate of growth, it will be necessary to have knowledgeable representatives located around the state and, eventually, around the country. The first step in accomplishing that goal has been to bring aboard Kim Kammer, who lives in Clovis, CA. Kim is a long-time off-roader and is very well-versed on land use issues. She will be working on a commission basis. Kim will be covering, primarily, from Bakersfield to Sacramento, allthough she has already signed up members from Southern California as well as Tuscon, Arizona.
"Welcome aboard", Kim Kammer!

OHMVR COMMISSION MEETING IN SACRAMENTO
On February 12th, three ORBA Board members attended an important meeting of the Cal-ifornia Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission in Sacramento (AKA the "Green Sticker Commission"). Presi-dent Roy Denner, Honorary Board member Mark Harms, and new Board member, Jim McGarvie all gave input to the Commission at that meeting supporting the decision to fund grant money to the ISDRA. Much of the funding to operate the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area comes from grants issued from the State's Green Sticker Fund.

OHV LEGISLATIVE DAY IN SACRAMENTO
Once again, OHV Lobbyist Pete Conaty did a great job of setting up the annual Legislative Day in Sacramento for the OHV Community.
THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE IN SACRAMENTO!
On March 18th a large group of OHV enthusiasts visited the Capitol Building in Sacramento. We walked the halls, knocking on the office doors of our State Legislators. Almost without exception OHVers were well received by our California Leg-islators.

INTERIM CALIFORNIA DESERT DISTRICT MANAGER APPOINTED BY THE BLM
During the first week of March, Linda Hansen visited with ORBA President Roy Denner and newly elected ORBA Board member Jim McGarvie in San Diego. (Jim is also Chairman of the San Diego Off-Road Coalition). Linda has been appointed to take Tim Salt's place as the BLM Desert District Manager - for the time being, at least.
Linda purports to be in favor of multiple use of public lands.

ORBA'S PRESENCE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR- CYCLE DEALERS' SHOW
On February 15th ORBA Pres-ident Denner packed up the "ORBA MEMBER" signs and headed for Indianapolis. With the help of two ORBA Board members ORBA's presence was evident. John Pederson, of Southern Motorcycle Supply shared his booth space with ORBA and Rocky Trevino, of Cycle Parts West, helped introduce ORBA to many of the vendors present. Before the weekend was over ORBA MEMBER signs were hanging in many of the display booths.

OHMVR COMMISSION MEETING IN EL CENTRO
ORBA President Denner spoke at the dedication of the Herman Schneider Bridge recently built to connect the Gordon's Well OHV area to the Buttercup OHV area. The dedication followed an OHMVR Commission meet-ing in El Centro. Herman was a long-time volunteer in the Imperial Sand Dunes Rec-reation Area and a pioneer sand dunes enthusiast.

ISDRA RAMP
The draft version of the new Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) has been released by the BLM and comments will be accepted through June 28, 2002. Public comment meetings are being held in Southern California and Arizona. Information about the draft RAMP can be obtained from the BLM office in Riverside by calling (909) 697-5220 or by visiting the American Sand Association website www.glamisonline.org.

LITIGATION
ORBA, along with the San Diego Off-Road Coalition, is backing the American Sand Association by signing on to a letter of intent to sue sent to the Department of the Interior. The BLM has not met its legal requirement to respond to the petition, filed by these organizations, to remove the Peirson's Milk Vetch Plant from the threatened and endangered species list. The delisting of this plant should lead to the reopening of the closures in the Imperial Sand Dunes.

NEW ORBA DIRECTORS
¨ Scot Harden - VP of KTM Sportmotorcycle USA.
¨ Jim McGarvie - Member of OHMVR Stakeholder Group.
BOTH OF THESE NEW MEM-BERS TO ORBA'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS WERE OVER-WHELMINGLY VOTED IN DURING ORBA'S FISCAL YEAR-END ELECTION.
These gentlemen will be playing a major role in deciding how ORBA's resources are expended.

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS!
· Latest Rage
· TPD Trailers, Inc.
· FMF Racing
· FTM Enterprises, Inc.
· Gilmore Offroad
· CB Performance Products
· Corona Yamaha
· San Luis Motorsports
· IMS Products, Inc.
· Petroworks Off-Road
  Products, Inc.
· Clawson Motorsports
· One Industries
· 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers
· Ivan Stewart Protruck Racing
· Brento's Cycle Center
· Dealer's Distributing
· Chirco Automotive
· Buckshot Racing
· Maier Manufacturing, Inc.