Contact: Emily Romero
505-459-4304
cscnm@aol.com
New statewide group to partner with local groups and individuals to curtail destruction of public lands by reckless and irresponsible off-road vehicle riders
(October 31) - NM PLAN held its initial statewide organizing meeting in Albuquerque recently and more than 40 ranchers, hikers, private land owners, acequias, land grants, watershed associations, law enforcement and public health officials and others joined forces to promote responsible use of public lands and ensure that the state's ORV-related laws are strongly and effectively enforced.
NM PLAN's statewide director Emily Romero said the group hopes to achieve its goals through education, advocacy and partnerships with local groups.
"Public lands belong to all of us, but along with the privilege of using them for recreation, we also have a duty to use these lands responsibly," Romero said. "It's not right that a small minority of reckless riders are destroying our beautiful landscapes with no regard at all for the rest of us."
Federal agencies in New Mexico have reported that the number one complaint from ranchers who lease grazing lands are damages caused by reckless ORV riders, Romero said. She said that more and more watershed associations are working to prevent damage to riparian areas caused by reckless riders.
Romero said reckless ORV riders also cost taxpayers money in injury-related treatment. She said many ORV accidents result in death and serious injuries requiring long-term care. Often, ORV riders lack the necessary insurance to pay for care, and taxpayers end up footing the bill.
To learn more about New Mexico PLAN, contact State Director Emily Romero at 505-459-4304 or visit the organization's web site at: www.newmexicoplan.org Please see attached fact sheet for additional information about NM PLAN and the impacts of reckless riding on public lands.
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FACT SHEET ON OFF-ROAD VEHICLE IMPACTS & NM PLAN
Impacts on New MexicoIn 2005, the New Mexico state legislature passed a law, SB252, focused on off-highway vehicle safety requirements, updating ORV registration requirements and establishing a statewide safety advisory board for these motor vehicles.
NM PLAN is currently engaging this board to take common sense steps that strengthen law enforcement and trail safety with public education and resources to ultimately keep our public lands safe and intact.
Cost of Enforcement
Off-road vehicles are growing in popularity and are a successful draw for tourism. Many residents also responsibly use these vehicles on their private land for transportation or assistance with farming and ranching.
In New Mexico, the Forest Service and BLM manage hundreds of thousands of acres that are open with unrestricted motorized access.
These agencies do not have the sufficient officers to educate riders where they can and cannot ride legally and to enforce the laws that are in place. In addition, local, city and state police in New Mexico find the problem and demand increasing.
Cost of Injuries
Child ATV deaths and associated financial costs increased from $493 million in 1999 to $723 million in 2003, according to a study by the University of West Virginia
With respect to other recreational activities and many common sports, ORV driving has the highest risk of hospitalization of 33 sports and activities in which children routinely participate, including riding a bike, snowboarding, skateboarding, wrestling, basketball and scooter riding. The risk of serious injury associated with driving ORVs is 61 percent greater than the activity with the next highest risk (football)
Over the past decade in the U.S., the number of children killed in ORV accidents increased by 88%, while the number of children hospitalized increased by 109%
In New Mexico, from 1992-2002, at least 373 children were injured seriously enough in off-road vehicle-related accidents to require emergency medical care, and 52 died. Of these, 47% of the Off Road Vehicles (ORV)-related injuries seen in the UNMH Emergency Department involved children under the age of 16 and 38% were under the age of 14 years.
The cost of caring for admitted patients is over $2.4 million per year (average $26,000 per patient) at the University of New Mexico Hospital
Mission of NM PLAN
Off-road vehicles are important to many people's lifestyles in New Mexico, but a small number of reckless riders are creating safety problems, destroying our beautiful landscape, and overburdening law enforcement. Our state has a new law to address this situation, but more needs to be done. New Mexico Public Lands Action Network (NM PLAN) is a new coalition of New Mexicans who use the state's public lands, are working to promote responsible use of these lands and ensure that the state's ORV-related laws are strongly and effectively enforced in a way that makes sense to all New Mexicans.
Current NM PLAN Goals
NM PLAN is urging the New Mexico OHV Safety Advisory Board to take the following common-sense and effective steps:
By the end of this calendar year, the Board shall pass a resolution to commit at least 65 percent of the fund to enforce safety standards and prevent reckless riding.
The Board shall withhold funding for new trails until a self-sustaining enforcement system is in place. We already have an abundance of dangerous and poorly maintained trails that require the attention of the Board.
The Board shall commit to working in partnership with outside entities including the U.S. Forest Service, the federal Bureau of Land Management, NM Game and Fish and state law enforcement agencies, to promote public safety and responsible riding.
The Board shall commit to marketing focused on the promotion of safe and responsible riding.