The future of Hollister Hills has been secured for another 10
years with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signing of the Off-Highway
Motor Vehicle Recreation Act.
Hollister – The future of Hollister Hills has been secured for another 10 years with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signing of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Act.
The popular local off-highway vehicle destination on Cienega Road was in danger of being closed for good in January had the state legislature and governor not acted on the bill before Oct. 20.
Schwarzenegger signed the bill Friday extending its funding for 10 years and changing the way the state’s off-highway vehicle parks are managed. The bill was under threat as environmental groups and off-highway vehicle enthusiasts sparred with lawmakers over the allocation of funds and vehicle registration fees.
The green sticker fee, paid when riders register off-highway vehicles, would double under the new bill from $25 to $50 every two years.
“For the first time in a long time, we’ve put balance in the decision-making for the off-highway parks across California,” said Roy Stearns, a spokesman for the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
The bill places fiscal management of off-highway vehicular areas in the hands of the division itself instead of a nine-member commission, Stearns said. It extends the sunset for state funds from five to 10 years. A coalition of off-highway vehicle riders opposed previous versions of the bill that included a five-year sunset for funds.
Under the reformed act, allocation of grant funds and the process of applying for those dollars has been standardized, Stearns said.
Half of grant funds will go to operation and maintenance of parks; 25 percent will go to environmental restoration projects; 20 percent has been designated for local law enforcement needs and education; and safety programs will receive the remaining 5 percent.
Bill critics had argued that previous versions of the law increased funds for allocation of new off-highway vehicular recreation land, but did not do enough to protect environmental resources. Brent Schoradt, a deputy policy director for the California Wilderness Coalition, said three major changes made the environmental advocacy organization favor the legislation.
Schoradt said the organization supports the bill because it provides long-term revenue for environmental restoration projects; prohibits the state from creating new off-highway routes in some 4 million acres of California wilderness; and prioritizes projects that will provide access to non-motorized activities, such as hiking, fishing and camping.
“We did end up supporting (the bill) after hours and hours of negotiation,” Schoradt said.
