Colorado State Parks has proposed to the Joint Budget Committee that they will sacrifice about 2.3 million dollars of OHV registration funds to help satisfy the the Parks portion of the General Fund shortfall. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!! This is our OHV grant money at stake!

The decision will be made tomorrow (Tuesday 3/31/09) afternoon when the JBC meets. We have until about 1:00 P.M. to get the attention of the JBC.

Below are the names and individual phone numbers of the members of the JBC. Any phone messages will go to their voice mail, so it is OK to call tonight, or anytime up until about 1:00 Tuesday afternoon. Call every member of the committee.

There will be not time for testimony, and the message needs to be short and pointed. Call and leave the message with the JBC committee members that "Parks should not steal our registration money, and that they should look somewhere else to find the money to fund their state parks operations, for which we receive no benefit."

We need to get the word out as far and as fast as possible.

Updated with email address's
The Joint Budget Committee members and the districts they represent are as follows, call, email or do both, and anyone can call or email their opinion!

Senator Moe Keller
District 20- Jefferson County
303-866-2585
moe@moekeller.com

Senator Abel Tapia
District 31- Pueblo County
303-866-2581
abel.tapia.senate@state.co.us

Senator Al White
District 8- Eagle, Garfield, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt Counties
303-866-2586
al.white.senate@state.co.us

Representative Jack Pommer
District 11- Boulder County
303-866-2780
jack.pommer.house@state.co.us

Representative Mark Ferrandino
District 2- Denver County
303-866-2911
mferrandino@yahoo.com

Representative Don Marostica
District 51 - Larimer County
303-866-2947
don@donmarostica.com

I did not think they could just use Grant money as they want too. To get the Grant , you have to explain what it is going to be used for. If it is not used for that then the feds take the money back.
EDIT: of coarse this is the goverment we are talking about, it seems they can do what ever they want these days. MORALS DO NOT EXISTS IN WASHINGTON

Colorado State Parks has proposed to the Joint Budget Committee that they will sacrifice about 2.3 million dollars of OHV registration funds to help satisfy the the Parks portion of the General Fund shortfall. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!! This is our OHV grant money at stake!


I did not think they could just use Grant money as they want too.

In California we have them trying to BORROW (like we can expect it to be paid back) 90 million dollars of our OHV fund money

Val, do we have to be from CO to be able to help? or can anyone call?

<<< is calling anyway

Funny thing is I hear talk the Governors office is finally going to put a leash on Greene, big help they are now that it no longer matters, guess now she fulfilled their agenda (apparently handing over $90 Million of our money) their not so much letting her run a muck any longer. Hope this is not an indication this "borrowing" is going to spread like user fees, hey why not it worked her, also they say as goes California so goes the nation...TJ:shaking:

Double check, I don't think this is 'grant money', well at least in Cali its not. Its our registration fees. Money that we pay to register our toys as well as a percentage of the gas tax collected.
It has happened before, and I'm not aware of any of the money being paid back.

Colorado OHV sticker fund goes into an account to be divided out, minus management fees (for the OHV State Parks rec planner), for grants. What is left in the fund is given out via grants that are applied for in November of each year, paid the following June.
The $2.3 million that State Parks is proposing to use of the OHV funds has already been allocated via grants to projects that start June 2009. If the JBC agrees with State Parks recommendation, then it only leave $800,000 for OHV trail maintenance and new trails, and for the Stay The Trail program, as it is run off the OHV grant funds.
:(

UPDATE:
The JBC did not get to vote on the OHV registration fee usage. They have until tomorrow before 1 PM to vote on it.

Jerry Abboud, COHVCO's Exec Director, has been down at the state capital all day lobbying for the OHV community. He said that we have the enviro's to thank for this mess as they hired a lobbiest to lobby state parks and the Department of Natural Resources to use the OHV registration funds to make up the shortfall specifically because they know if there is no OHV registration money, no OHV projects for trail maintenance and no new trails, plus no Stay The Trail program. :mad::mad::mad:

With that said, keep up the good work and continue to email and call the representatives. LUCKILY there are a couple of people on the JBC that knew what the OHV registration money went towards and that is the only reason the JBC did not vote on it yesterday and postponed it to today.

Our efforts were felt in full force! Keep emailing and calling to let the JBC members know that we want our money to use on our trails the way it was set up to be allocated, not go into the general funds.

Just get the Army out of the barracks, us out here in California are not the example to follow in this case, it's just pathetic our main Org's out here still refuse to get off their hands...TJ:shaking:

:bounce2::bounce2:We won this one. :bounce2::bounce2:


The JBC finished their business and closed the Long Bill at about 5:00 pm, and did not consider the DNR proposal to move money from the OHV Registration Fund to the General Fund. We must now wait to see if DNR (or their rats) seek late bill status. This could theoretically happen anytime up until the last day of the session, but Jerry says this would ordinarily be difficult, and with us watching, probably next to impossible.



When Jerry and I have time, we will describe in a little more detail what happened, and why, and why we need everyone to get and stay involved.



It appears that in the end, Senator Tapia was convinced that our position was the correct position, so thanks to all of you that sent emails to Senator Tapia last night.



Please circulate this to those that have helped by calling and emailing the JBC - good job every one - but we are not done yet. We do have a little breathing room, and a lot more eyes watching.



- Glenn Graham, COHVCO Chairman



The last minute proposal from DNR was tabled on Monday afternoon by our hero; Representative Don Marostica, District 51 - Larimer County. This gave us time to rally the troops. With the help of hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from the OHV community, the JBC was convinced to leave our money alone.



This would have never happened were it not for the years of work and relationships built by Jerry Abboud. Many thanks also to JBC Chair; Senator Moe Keller, Senator Abel Tapia, Senator Al White and a special THANK YOU again to Representative, Don Marostica for giving Jerry the heads up.

Congrats, nice to see someone awake...TJ

Just get the Army out of the barracks, us out here in California are not the example to follow in this case, it's just pathetic our main Org's out here still refuse to get off their hands...TJ:shaking:

Yes sir re, we all need to call our so called OHV leaders, till them to get off the Koolaid (Geene Koolaid that is) and do their stinking jobs. Wake up California, you all got screwed and your leaders got snookered, do something.