HUGE anti-ORV noise legislation in WA

[Tod]

A potentially devastating piece of ORV noise legislation has be en introduced in the Wahington State Legislature.

Along with a bunch of other things, this bill would impose a penality of up $800 for riding and being "plainly audible" near a home, regardless of where the home is located. Forest, farm land, industrial or whatever, if its near a house, you are a criminal.

House bill HB1434:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2...Bills/1434.pdf

and companion bill SB5544 from the Senate:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Senate Bills/5544.pdf

 

[jamrock]

This is bull---- damn pricks always pull something.I would like to start law that every time they come up with more stupid laws they go down in pay. wouldn't that be great. the *******s cops around here will nail everyone for sure. Well sorry boys and girls no more riding in washington,we will now half to drive out of state. You my thank the Washington State Legislature. Make sure you write them and tell them what a wonderful job they are doing! NOT!!!! :moon: :pissed:


THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME VENT.
SINCERELY
MIKE JAMROCK...

 

[wardy]

well this is what we get for making machines stupid loud. hidden in that mess is a mandatory helmet rule also. Make noise, "get attention" and now laws....... 96db sounds familiar, looks like that was a cut a paste from the AMA rule book.

 

[Tod]

96db sounds familiar,

Personally I've got no problem with 96dba, its the rest of the bill that pisses me off.

Make sure you write them and tell them what a wonderful job they are doing! NOT!!!!

You can connact them via this link:

www.leg.wa.gov

 

[bailey34]

Personally I've got no problem with 96dba, its the rest of the bill that pisses me off.

Actually there is another bill that proposes a 65 db limit that applies only to OHV. :bang:

This should scare the hell out of everyone... :ohmy:

 

[bailey34]

The legislature is in session in Washington state. There are several bills in committees right now that are detrimental to OHV use :yell: . Below is an email address to use to sign up and get involved to help preserve our riding areas.

This link is administered by WOHVA (Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance). It is a coalition of just about every type of OHV user, including: motorcyles, 4x4, snowmobilers, dealers association, etc. The way to be informed and participate is to send an email to: Washinton Clout Action List by mailing to clout@hpgmc.com

One of the bills in committee right now applies very severe sound limits (65dbs) :yikes: only to OHV's. Normal speech to be heard is louder than that.

You will receive an email back that asks you what legislative district you live in, so you will get email that pertains to you in your district.

I participated in this last year, and through CLOUT, we were able to make our collective voices heard, and got every bill that was detrimental to OHV killed in committee and got several bills passed that were proOHV :cool: . BUt you need to have your voice heard.

Please make sure your riding buddies who may not be part of this forum get this information. It is important that as many of us that can get involved and have our voice heard.

 

[Tod]

One of the bills in committee right now applies very severe sound limits (65dbs) :yikes: only to OHV's.

Could you be so kind as to provide a bill number?
I cannot find such a bill.

HB1434 and SB5544 are actually worse than that, they use a standard of "painly audible" within 100 feet of any residence.

Here's a list of the ORV related bills before the Washington State legislature that I am aware of:

HB1434 - noise

HB1448 - capping administrative spending of ORV tab funds.

HB1692 - prohibiting fed agencies without ORV trails from getting state ORV funds

SB5185 - permits counties to allow hunting from ORVs

SB5215 - extends limited liability to private landowners that charge a fee for ORV use if all revenue go back into land management.

SB5544 - noise

 

[Tod]

This link is administered by WOHVA (Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance). It is a coalition of just about every type of OHV user, including: motorcyles, 4x4, snowmobilers, dealers association, etc. The way to be informed and participate is to send an email to: Washinton Clout Action List by mailing to clout@hpgmc.com

CLOUT is seperate from WOHVA.

Both are good things and some of the same people are involved, but CLOUT is not administered by WOHVA.

Every rider in Washington should be signed up for CLOUT.
Just send your name and address with zip code to the email address listed above.

 

[bailey34]

I don't have the bill number. I was operating on verbal information from the CLOUT administrator that he told me about the day before the legislature went into session. If you are signed up, he will notify.

You are correct CLOUT is just and email notification about legslation. WOHVA is a group of concerned groups that are pooling resources to lobby on behalf of OHV groups.

 

[bailey34]

One of the Tacoma Motorcycle Club members reported yesterday at the Elffendahl staging area (Tahyua State Forest outsde Belfair Washington) there was a group surveying riders and doing sound checks for free.

They would not say who they were affiliated with, nor did they display any identification. They told one rider he was too loud to leave. :bang:

The problem is no sound level enforcement unless there is a organized event.

They told the TMC member that his Yamaha TTR 225 was too loud, (with a stock pipe and arrestor) that it was registering 104db:confused: They challenged the tester to see if the meter was certified or calibrated. The tester refused to show any certification. The TMC member told him that the equipment has to be defective. They loaded up and came to eh club property a few miles away. I heard his bike run and there is no way that bike was 104db.

They were illegally kicking people out of the ORV area with no authority to do so.

The survey they were doing was five questions that were heavily slanted to anti ORV use. Questions such as how close sould an ORV park be to residences and the answers ranged from 1/4 mile to 2 miles. The Tayhua area is surrounded by houses that come within 1/4 mile of the park. Most of the people who live around the ORV area also ride. ANd more questions about "did you modify your pipe" which alot of bikes have to to add the spark arrestor so they are legal to ride in the forest.

Many think this is another attmept by greenies to shut down the area. :moon:

Department Of Natural Resources (DNR) is required to display identification at all times. IF you ride this are, be suspect if you do not see a DNR or Sherriff (in uniform with badge displayed). The local DNR and Sheriff are very easy peopl to deal with and very courteous. :nod: :nod:

 

[Tod]

I don't have the bill number. I was operating on verbal information from the CLOUT administrator that he told me about the day before the legislature went into session.

Must not have happened as planned.
I have access to every bill filed on the evening before it will be introduced and haven't seen it.

CLOUT ...... If you are signed up, he will notify.

Been signed up from the very start...thanks :cool:

IF you ride this are, be suspect if you do not see a DNR or Sherriff (in uniform with badge displayed). .

If they don't identify themselves, take a bunch of photos. Their attitude at that point will tell you alot. If they won't tell you who they are, definately don't comply with their orders. Forward the photos and info to the DNR and Mason County Sheriff.

 

[Tahuya Rat]

I'll be at the DNR Tahuya Focus Group meeting thursday night, and will ask if DNR was involved in any way. From what you have described, it is very unlikely they were.
There's a public hearing tomorrow at the capitol, 8:30 @ the Cherberg building. Hope to see some boots on the ground!

BTW, check out section 1-g. ANY erosion, including "overturned soil" will be a crime under this bill.

They are looking to shut us down. :yell: :| :(

 

[Racesmith]

Too many d*&n tree huggers...

 

[Moose]

BTW, check out section 1-g. ANY erosion, including "overturned soil" will be a crime under this bill.

What happens if you're out for a jog? I know you over turn soil when you run.

 

[Tahuya Rat]

All they are concerned with is shutting down ORVs. Common sense, fair play, reason - non of these are considerations in our upside down legistature.

 

[Tod]

BTW, check out section 1-g. ANY erosion, including "overturned soil" will be a crime under this bill.

Howdy T-Rat,

Long time since we crossed paths.
Here's a hint when reading bills.

New words are either underlined with double parenthesis at each end or whole new sections titled "NEW SECTION" at the top of the paragraph.

Deleted words are crossed-out with double parenthesis at each end.

The overturned soil part is already the law.
It the government and its here to help :yell:

 

[CaptainObvious]

Too many d*&n tree huggers...

In this case, it's not the tree-huggers, it's our bikes. A 4T (or quad) with a performance exhaust is simply too loud. We are killing-off our own sport because of our selfish enjoyment of loud pipes.

Spread the word (your friends WILL argue with you) that we have to use stock, or quieter, pipes.

 

[bsmith]

I called my representatives.
A couple of my reps are also farmers, so I mentioned that a bill like this passing may be turned against farmers and their equipment. I know we have a couple tractors well over 96db and if this passes neighbors could have us fined. For it is a OHV!

 

[Tod]

In this case, it's not the tree-huggers, it's our bikes. A 4T (or quad) with a performance exhaust is simply too loud. We are killing-off our own sport because of our selfish enjoyment of loud pipes.

Spread the word (your friends WILL argue with you) that we have to use stock, or quieter, pipes.

This is why I have written proposed legislation that would lower the 20 inch exhaust decibel limit from 105dba to 96dba, with 98dba been allowed until 2009. The NMA supports this position.

The person behind this legislation is Senator Karen Fraser. She hates ORV's period. It has very little to do with environment noise issues, just hate. She has been the driving force behind stealing our ORV funds and most every other anti-ORV legislation proposed to the State Legislature for quite a while.

She also has a friend that lurks here, (you know who you are), please feel free to forward this thought to her anytime:moon:

 

[bailey34]

She also has a friend that lurks here, (you know who you are), please feel free to forward this thought to her anytime:moon:

:nener:

I second that too, not on the side, butt right in the middle :nod: :laugh:


She was one of the driving forces behind shutting down the Thurston County ORV park a few years back. Thanksfully, Grays Harbor County stepped up to the plate and with the assistance of the OHV community we were able to re-open the ORV park last year.

Last year she was behind a rediculous sound limit. Fortunately we were able to stop that bill, because it was descriminating towards OHV only.

The OHV folks were able to get organized and convince the legislators just how much this industry supports jobs and taxes in Washington. The legislature decided they couldn't lose that kind of money, especially since the travel and tourism dollars really supports smaller communities in a big way.

I go out of my way to make sure I shop in small communities where I ride and engage teh shop owners in conversation. I want them to know how much my family appreciates being able to ride in the area. :nod:

 

[Tahuya Rat]

Hi Tod, been too long.
Since we last saw each other in that small soviet enclave in Redmond, I went to school for boat building for a couple years, and am now happily building/repairing boats out of a small shop at home in Home, on the Key Peninsula.
They still don't have a product out as far as I know.

Thanks for the tip.

They've got the 96db in there, section 1) e, and crossed out the previous (?) language. The "being 'audible' adjacent to or inside a residence" is way over and beyond a drop to 96db, it's a drop to zero.

 

[Tod]

The Senate Consumer Protection and Housing committee hearing on SB5544 is tomorrow 2Feb2007.

Let the committee members know what you think of SB5544.

Here's their email addy:

Chairman
Weinstein.brian@leg.wa.gov

Vice chair
Kauffman.Claudia@leg.wa.gov

Honeyford.Jim@leg.wa.gov
Delvin.Jerome@leg.wa.gov
Haugen.MaryMargaret@leg.wa.gov
Jacobsen.Ken@leg.wa.gov
Kilmer.Derek@leg.wa.gov
Bob McCaslin.Bob@leg.wa.gov
Tom.Rodney@leg.wa.gov

 

[Tod]

Went to testify before the Senate committe Friday.
T-Rat was there to testify too.

Good job, Thanks! :cool:

 

[Tod]

Passed Senate Consumer Protection and Housing committee.

It will probably pass throught the Senate Rules committee easily and will be brought before the full Senate soon. :|

If you live in Washington State, its time to write your State Senator!

You can contact them via www.leg.wa.gov

or

1-800-562-6000

 

[Tod]

Here is what Washington State Senator Adam Kline thinks of us:

+++++++

From: Kline, Sen. Adam
Subject: RE: Possible NC: SB 5544


Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX,

I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too
many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehicles
that have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow--it doesn't
include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles
whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boaters
and swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.

Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of
these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have
been pleasantly surprized to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why,
do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.
There is nothing sporting--athletic, physically demanding--about riding any
machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors
as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be
happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone
without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call
this an anti-obesity measure.

Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can
remember never to vote for me.

Adam Kline