The Double-Speak of the ORV Lobby

If one thing is true of off-road vehicle special interest groups, it is that they sure know how to use rhetoric to spin issues. While this is a credit to their ingenuity, it does nothing but spread disinformation and confuse people. Take the water quality issues of Upper Tellico River, for example. ORVs have so detrimentally impacted the Tellico Off-Road Vehicle Area in the Nantahala National Forest that Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), Trout Unlimited, and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project (SABP) are threatening to sue in order to protect water quality. But what is the response of the off-road industry lobby? That they are "stewards" of the land. In a Blue Ribbon Coalition Press Release, it is claimed that:

"Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) provides extensive environmental stewardship in the area including restoration of trails..."

While this may seem like a positive and caring statement, you must realize that it is Orwellian Double-Speak. It is off-road vehicles and the actions of the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association that are requiring the restoration of the trails in the first place. Is it stewardship when you ruin watersheds to the point of declining trout populations, and then later, after the damage is done, exclaim your excellence through trail maintenance? I don't think so. Neither does PEER, Trout Unlimited, or SABP.

When dealing with off-road vehicle special interests, we must be constantly aware of the length they will go to deceive and misinform the public. We must maintain constant vigilance for this double-speak.