The Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association are praising an order, signed by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, that directs bureaus within the Interior Department to create plans that develop or expand recreational opportunities on public lands.
“Whether your favorite activity is kayaking on a river, riding an ATV on sand dunes, jogging on a trail or hunting on a refuge – recreating on public lands and waters is good for the mind, body and soul,” Zinke stated in the department’s news release about Secretarial Order 3366.
The order also is directing Interior bureau heads to designate a full-time staff member in charge of recreational opportunities. And Secretarial Order 3365, also signed by Zinke yesterday, establishes a Senior National Advisor to the Secretary for Recreation, a position to be held by Rick May, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer who has worked to help veterans with a variety of recreational activities. May’s job will be to “ensure deliberate and active coordination of recreational policy in the U.S. Department of the Interior.”
“We are excited about these positive developments at the Department of the Interior, that we expect to help ensure that powersports enthusiasts have proper riding and driving areas, for responsible use, open to them and open to future generations,” said Tim Buche, CEO of the MIC, SVIA, and ROHVA, and board member of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. “We appreciate and applaud Secretary Zinke’s efforts and congratulate Rick May on his new post. These secretarial orders and other welcome steps have already shown the value of our participation in the ORR as we work with others on a variety of challenges facing outdoor recreation, including trail maintenance and expanding land access for our fellow enthusiasts.”
Secretarial Order 3366 requires Interior bureaus to deliver plans to the department within 90 days. Interior bureaus have also been tasked with creating recommendations for streamlining and improving permitting (for guides, outfitters and facilitated recreation providers) and updating contracting processes for recreation concessioners.
Zinke also stated that outdoor public-land recreation is “incredibly vital to local economies who rely on recreation spending to help create jobs.”
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is a coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and organizations working to promote the policy and legislative reforms needed to enhance the outdoor recreation economy. ORR members represent the thousands of businesses that produce vehicles, equipment, gear, apparel and services for the 144 million Americans who enjoy the outdoors. The various recreation business sectors produce a combined $673 billion output for the U.S. economy and support 4.3 million direct jobs.
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