What Happens in Washington DC Doesn’t Stay in Washington DC

UTV Weekly | April 8, 2013

Things that happen in Washington DC affect us locally. And most of us don’t have the time, money, or opportunity to be in DC or keep track of what is happening there. The Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) is one of partners in Washington DC that helps us do that. ARRA sorts through all of the politics on the hill and only tells us about the important pieces, much as a local lobbyist would at your State Capitol, only you don’t have to pay ARRA’s salary.

If you have not signed up to receive the ARRA messages, do so now at www.arra-access.com. They send out a newsletter to give you updates and send out the important alerts and that is it. They won’t send a lot of junk or clog up your inbox. Their alerts have readymade messages that leave room for you to add your own, personal, comments or you can delete their message entirely and write your own. Their response mechanism is sophisticated enough to send the message to the appropriate parties on your behalf without making you find the correct addresses, etc. It is simple and easy for you.

Recently ARRA, sent out two alerts. The lasts alert explains that out-going Interior Secretary Salazar and President Obama are planning on creating 5 additional National Monuments including 240,000 acres in New Mexico and the San Juan Islands in Washington. The area in New Mexico is about 1/3 of the size of the entire State of Rhode Island. The San Juan Islands contain the homes and businesses of many families. Other areas affected are Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio. National Monument status limits the ability of local people and lawmakers from managing their land in a way that is best for themselves and the country. It is not fair to the local people and it is not fair to us. To help stop this designation, use ARRA’s readymade response form at http://www.arra-access.com/site/R?i=nWZeoo_Iu8FoRw0tNg2yXg.

The other recent alert was to help keep and protect the OHV riding at Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. The alert for to ask for contacts for a March 14th hearing. Many people responded and we thank all who did. It makes a difference.

So, help us all out. Sign up for the ARRA alerts at www.arra-access.com, respond to the above alert, follow ARRA on Twitter and Facebook, and stay informed and active regarding the important issues in Washington DC that affects all of us. Together, we can ‘Create a Positive Future for OHV Recreation’