[corax]

Dear Senator,

I am writing this to all the Senators on the Commerce Committee, asking you to support Senate Bill 45*, which, according to The North Carolina General Assembly web site, is now under consideration by the Commerce Committee.

We have an odd happenstance here, in my opinion. At a time when national interest in preserving the environment is extremely strong, we also have a huge growth in Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) ownership and use. These two interests have continued to collide over the last couple of years as the swelling OHV usership seeks areas to enjoy their sport while environmental activists try to protect our natural resources and environment.

In this bill you have a unique opportunity to bring the two disparate groups together! Passage of this bill would be a forward step in providing OHV access in an environmentally sound environment. Creation of The OHV Trust Fund and implementation of the bill would allow our state to be on the forefront of a movement to provide environmental friendly, properly designed and managed OHV recreation areas for the citizens of North Carolina!

I also would like to urge you to emend the wording of the bill as it pertains to OHVs. All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and motorcycles are not the only users of OHV trails. Many full size, four wheel drive vehicles such as Jeeps are also used in an OHV manner as well as dune buggies, and with the proliferation of the sport, custom built chassis off road vehicles. I would like to add these OHVs to the bill by emending the wording to read; "Off-highway vehicle" or "OHV" means any off-road motorcycles, three or four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, four wheel drive motor vehicles intended by the user or owner to be used in recreational pursuits, custom chassis rock crawlers, or dune buggies. "

Thank you for your consideration of this bill which would be beneficial not only to the OHV community but while providing environmentally sound OHV recreation would also speak to North Carolina's forward thinking in environmental/recreation issues on a national level!

Thanks for your help