ATV Safety Course Starting April 14th. NOW WE HAVE A SCHEDULE

[Prairie Master]

Thanks for the info

[GrizzlyGator]

This is just another good reason that we need to find legal riding areas that are privately owned and operated like Durhamtown, etc. Keeping THE GOVERNMENT out of our personal business is the only way we can ever have any reasonable rights and freedoms when it comes to riding! Nothing but a bunch of red tape crap that ultimately leads to more taxes (fees) and ridiculous rules and laws!

And what kind of freedoms do we have at durhamtown? Same one way trails!  :dunno.gifSame trail rangers making sure we don't break the rules?  :dunno.gifIt cost you $20.00 to ride at durhamtown 1 day thats 60 to 100 dollars for 3 - 5 day stay ONLY!! Maybe 40 miles of one way trails on ONF at 100 a year isn't so bad, seen the new rules a d-town recently? Seen the trouble they had last year just to stay open? just some observations

[keithhende]

does this new law mean that my 6 year old will not be able to ride his grizzly 90 in onf after jul o8? he has been riding on his own for two years

[Stewards]

Terry:

Some of the things you have stated here are not entirely correct. First I think one should explain about the grants. It is my understanding that you have recieved the grant. If you didn't my question to you is where is the money coming from to do the training of trail rangers?

First the OHV advisory board (the board that is appointed by the state) started by Jack Terrell and several other people. The OHV advisory board main responsiblilty is to oversee the OHV's in the state of Florida. That can be from finding a place to ride, to helping a person get a Mark T.Schmidt grant, and everything inbetween.
The people on this board are 3 State Rangers, 2 Florida Trail Riders, 1 Dealer, 1 average Joe Smo, 1 OGT person. To me the deck is stacked??

The green sticker program is both State and Federal. The green sticker program is to prevent theft, that is all that is for. If you don't have a green sticker, you should have the paper work to prove you own the machine. My problem with this is the ONF has given tickets out for not having a sticker and no paper work.

Where does the money come from to supply the Mark T. Schmidt Bill or the Mark T. Schmidt grant - the green sticker program is part of it, but a small part of it. Majority of the money comes from your gasoline taxes. Yes, so everyone is paying. The state screwed up the sticker program by making it a one time deal, and not every year.

Prarie Master,

3. The $49,600 grant from the T. Mark Schmidt fund includes many items, training the trail rangers, building a safety course,  training TR as first responders,  and how to evaluate the sound requirement of atv's and for gas to patrol the forest.  It was not just for the safety training.

Sound Equipment for ATV's there should be no evaluation. The decibals just went up, so that would make your machine louder. It went from 96 to 99. There is no evaluation, sound equipment has been in effect forever.

Lets look at gas to patrol the forest -- that should come out of the Federal Budget. For every volunteer hour that you put into a Forest System Federal, they get 18.00 dollars in return. That means when I volunteer my time, and even though I might get 10.00 back the Federal government gets 18.00 in exchange. For every hour I put in that is worth 18.00 dollars in grant money. Do the math folks.

Let's address this question - according to Tallahassee where the grant money gets evaluated, according to the grant committee, they will not supply money for training. If that is true how did ONFA get grant money for training trial rangers?

The funding for the trails system construction came from an RTP grant and the vault toilet for the Trailheads is from a state grant.  If the trail system is to work it must stand on its own.  Hence the fee system.  The amount you see mentioned of up to $150 was only an upper limit, they are trying for $75.00 per year and $10 per day.  I have lobbied for and additional break for families (2 adults and up to 5 children)  Nothing is definate as the fee committee has not even met.  It will probably be July or later before you see any fees. 

This I find interesting and don't understand -- Federal government applying for State Funds?

According to the Federal Register a lot more private companies are going to get involved with the forest. For example a lot of the campgrounds will be run by private organizations. Another words the USFS is getting out of the campground business. Here was a money maker - imagine if I owned a hotdog stand at big scrub campground and ran the campground, I bet I would be rich by now.

The grant committee has several environmentalist on it, and I believe forest service personal.

Liability on the USFS - there is a law in Florida that releases all liablilty from public land, besides that the USFS has a ton of lawyers on their side to fight such cases. So the USFS has no liability if the people are using their land, unless the person who got hurt can prove that it was USFS fault.

Terry was right in some of what he stated I just think this makes it clearer, who these people are and what is going on. In another two or three years the places to ride your OHV will be private land, every where else will be closed.

Jack

[lisa]

  Good post Jack. You are right the OHV committee is a stacked deck.

  At the meeting I went to here in Ocala, it seemed to me that USFS practially ran that meeting. They had way too much involvement, way too much input, and way too much influence!

  As far as the fees go PM, USFS seemed very proud that they were the ones making strides to having such huge fees. Jim Schmidt was the one speaking about the fees in ONF btw.

   Jack, I had the same question, why is a federal agency taking our state money? That should be for our state, not for the feds. They get enough money from us as it is, and when they start getting their fees, are they going to quit taking grants? Obviously not with ONFA in place......

[viper]

I have lobbied for and additional break for families (2 adults and up to 5 children)  Nothing is definate as the fee committee has not even met.  It will probably be July or later before you see any fees. 

Who have you lobbied to - the committee has not met yet? Who is the committee?

[GrizzlyBear]

We have not received the grant money.  The ATV Safety Institute had a week long seminar in Orlando for there master instructors in January.  Part of that seminar involved riding and evaluating different atv's that they had brought in from Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and a local dealer.  We provided the facility and the people to coordinate the ride and in return, they provided us the intial training.

[Stewards]

Grizz:

Let see if I can help you out a little bit here. Jack did a pretty good job, but not all the facts are there.

The OHV advisory board:

Effective July 1, 2003, the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Advisory Committee is created within the Division of Forestry and consists of nine members, all of whom are appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture. The appointees shall include one representative of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, one representative of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, one representative of the Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Greenways and Trails, one representative of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, one citizen with scientific expertise in disciplines relating to ecology, wildlife biology, or other environmental sciences, one representative of a licensed off-highway vehicle dealer, and three representatives of off-highway vehicle recreation groups. In making these appointments, the commissioner shall consider the places of residence of the members to ensure statewide representation.

Mark T Shcmidt Bill - 261.12  Designated off-highway vehicle funds within the Incidental Trust Fund of the Division of Forestry of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.--

(1)  The designated off-highway vehicle funds of the trust fund shall consist of deposits from the following sources:

(a)  Fees paid to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for the titling of off-highway vehicles.

(b)  Revenues and income from any other sources required by law or as appropriated by the Legislature to be deposited into the trust fund as designated off-highway vehicle funds.

(c)  Donations from private sources that are designated as off-highway vehicle funds.

(d)  Interest earned on designated off-highway vehicle funds on deposit in the trust fund.

(2)  Designated off-highway vehicle funds in the trust fund shall be available for recommended allocation by the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Advisory Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and upon annual appropriation by the Legislature, exclusively for the following:

(a)  Implementation of the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Program by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which includes personnel and other related expenses; administrative and operating expenses; expenses related to safety, training, rider education programs, management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of lands in the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Program's system of lands and trails; and, if funds are available, acquisition of lands to be included in the system and the management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of such lands.

(b)  Approved grants to governmental agencies or entities or nongovernmental entities that wish to provide or improve off-highway vehicle recreation areas or trails for public use on public lands, provide environmental protection and restoration to affected natural areas in the system, provide enforcement of applicable regulations related to the system and off-highway vehicle activities, or provide education in the operation of off-highway vehicles.

(c)  Matching funds to be used to match grant funds available from other sources.

(3)  Notwithstanding s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance of designated off-highway vehicle funds in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain therein and shall be available for the purposes set out in this section and as otherwise provided by law.

Now if you go to this link and read the rest of the law, you might want to quit complaining. Jack has made some vaild points, so has the link below.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0261/SEC20.HTM&Title=->2006->Ch0261->Section%2020#0261.20

Joan
Stewards

[ScooterB]

Has anyone posting here read the T. Mark Schmidt Act ??

The grant program is not just fill out a application and you get the money, it is complicated.

The safety training is something NPORA has been pursuing for several months and we have run into the same road blocks as ONFA. but we are still moving forward with our training facility.

Keep up the good work Terry....

[viper]

We have not received the grant money.  The ATV Safety Institute had a week long seminar in Orlando for there master instructors in January.  Part of that seminar involved riding and evaluating different atv's that they had brought in from Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and a local dealer.  We provided the facility and the people to coordinate the ride and in return, they provided us the intial training.

IF you have not recieved grant money how are you doing the training courses.

[EDinFL]

Are there any ATVs for rent at this class?  I have an 8 year old that rides a 90cc and was told he can't take the class unless he has a 50cc.

[ridgerunner]

Are there any ATVs for rent at this class?  I have an 8 year old that rides a 90cc and was told he can't take the class unless he has a 50cc.

I have the same issue ,I can borrow a 50cc but it does not have the green sticker is it needed
 

[EDinFL]

I''l just call to make the appointment and tell them he is 12, then the course will be free also.

[GrizzlyBear]

Green stickers are not required.

[Yamahonda41]

My daughter has been riding for 6 years and is an awesome and safe rider.  We have ridden ONF for many years, Durhamtown, NC, TN, WV, etc.  She turns 16 in September.  Does not seem worth it for me to pay $75 to have her ride maybe once between July 1 and her birthday in September...am I correct that she will not need the ID after she turns 16?

[GrizzlyBear]

Once she is 16 she will not need the training. I would wait.

[Turboderf]

My daughter has been riding for 6 years and is an awesome and safe rider.  We have ridden ONF for many years, Durhamtown, NC, TN, WV, etc.  She turns 16 in September.  Does not seem worth it for me to pay $75 to have her ride maybe once between July 1 and her birthday in September...am I correct that she will not need the ID after she turns 16?

I have the same problem my son will turns 16 in september also. but i called and being i bought a 90 back in 2000 they sign him up for free he now rides a 450 and races he also been riding for over 10 years but now we no longer have the 90 the lady on the phone said dont worry he can just stand and watch so we will see the class is this sunday at L-cross 9:00

[quadcabinets]

We are a family of 6, our youngest is 4 he has been riding with a restrictor on the 50 since he was 2 years old riding in the forest his whole life. Now there are no classes offered to him until he is 6?!?!? What now do we risk the fine?!?!? also my 15 year old son is 6ft.170lbs. our LT80 wont even go with him on it, what if the instructor refuses him, will they let him ride a larger atv to take the safety course. thanks!

[GrizzlyBear]

Your 15 yr old can sign up as an observer, this will qualify him to ride on public land.  However, your 4 yr old will not be able to ride on public land until he is 6 and has taken the safety course.  The ATV Safety Institute will not allow us to give the course to anyone under 6, and they are tyhe only cousre approved by the State of Florida.

[Gato]

grizzlybear I have a 06 bike and the booklet with my reciept has a paper to take the course free for mr and my IMMEDIATE  family which is thw wife,daughter(10), son(7) and I how can I make this happen and what do I do? thanks

[GrizzlyBear]

go to atvsafety.org and get the 800 number.  If you want to take it at the O)HV Center, we can do the family in one class, even if they make you sign up for the morning and afternoon class.