Montana ORV Bills Die in Committee, But Statehouse Hears the Issues

The House Transportation Committee voted to table House Bill 614 that would have created a state penalty for violating travel restrictions on any public lands in Montana. If passed, anyone riding an off-road vehicle illegally would have been subject to a maximum $500 fine and up to 6 months in jail.

At last week's hearing several groups and individuals showed up in support for the bill including the Powder River County Attorney, the DNRC and Fish, Wildlife and Parks as well hunting and fishing organizations like Montana Bow Hunters, Montana Wildlife Federation and Back Country Hunters & Anglers.  Testimony centered on the need for a specific state law since Forest Service prosecutions are rare and enforcement is a continuous challenge. The bill would have allowed state game wardens to issue citations year round; right now they are only allowed to enforce federal travel plans during hunting season. Proponents also highlighted the growing instances of ORV violations and that conflicts with other users has been on the rise for years. Overall, the bill received strong support from a majority of those testifying.  

Unfortunately, a few ORV opponents testified against the bill calling it a continuation of the "war of off-road vehicles." They complained about all the places they cannot ride as a result of Forest Service travel planning decisions, and generally tried to cast doubt on the bill. Unfortunately, they were effective and said this bill would make criminals out of regular Montanans who may not know about travel restrictions, claiming confusion around the Forest Service's new Motor Vehicle Use Maps. They never disclosed that these maps are meant to supplement the agency's Visitor Maps that folks normally used.

The really sad part about the hearing today was that the bill never even reached debate. One representative called for an immediate motion to table the bill that passed on a 7-5 vote.

This bill joins another (SB383) that was tabled in the Senate Transportation Committee, which would have required full sized license plates on all off-road vehicles except snowmobiles and motorcycles. There too, the ORV activists complained about being singled out and said the bill was unnecessary.

However, even though both ORV bill did not pass out of their respective committees, proponents did a great job in bringing the issue to the attention of the Montana Legislature, which will help future efforts to increase ORV enforcement and help ensure road, trail and area protections.