BAKERSFIELD, CA (April 24, 2007) On April 22 and 23 the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) held its second annual lobby day. This year is very important to the OHV industry because legislators are rewriting the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) program that funds many of the areas where OHV recreation occurs in California. It is important that the legislators involved in this process understand that the OHV community wants a program that provides a quality recreational experience while at the same time protecting the environment.On Sunday evening there was a dinner and open board meeting where attendees were given a short update on the myriad of issues our staff has been working on. We would like to thank Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. for sponsoring the evening's event.In the morning everyone gathered in the Capitol for breakfast, which was sponsored by Yamaha Motor Corporation. During breakfast we received an update on Senate Bill 742, the legislation being used to rewrite the OHMVR program. Business owners walking the halls that day were eager to talk to legislators about the estimated 13 billion dollar economic impact our recreation has on this state. Other messages relayed to legislators were that the OHV community supports a strong law enforcement presence in their recreation areas and that it is important the areas where we recreate be managed in a way that will sustain long-term use while at the same time protecting the environment. Off-roaders are environmentalists and we care about the land we recreate on."This year both Yamaha and Kawasaki helped sponsor our event. We appreciate their support and look forward to future partnerships that will promote the health of the OHV industry," stated Fred Wiley, ORBA's Executive Director.
