tbill
Registered Member
I know there is not much public land, and the beach is slowly being taken away, but this applies to ALL off road vehicles. And the new Crockett County area is public land.
Feb. 25, 2006, 9:54PM
Many ATVs to need $8 decals
Money to be considered for site in Crockett County
By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2006 Houton Chronicle
RESOURCES
DECAL DETAILS
A new state law mandates an annual decal be affixed to all off-road vehicles used on public land in Texas: • Violation of the decal requirement can result in a fine of as much as $500.
• The decal is not required when using an off-road vehicle on private property.
• The $8 decal, valid through Aug. 31, can be purchased by calling 512-389-8917. A list of tracts where the decal will be required will soon be posted at www.tpwd.state.tx.us .
Texas holds the second-largest number of off-road vehicles in the nation, just behind California, state officials figure.
It is hard to get a solid handle on just how many of them — particularly three- and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road motorcycles — are in Texas. Motor vehicles used exclusively off public roads are not required to be titled or registered.
The state government estimates more than 60,000 ATVs were sold in Texas in 2001 and that 1.3 million Texans use off-road vehicles.
There are probably 1 million or more ATVs out there — it seems almost every one of the state's half-million or so deer hunters has at least one. The huge majority of those ATVs are used on private property. No big surprise there, because most of Texas is private property.
But there are changes ahead — already here, actually — for those who use or want to use their off-road vehicles on public property.
Broad-based fees
Texas this month implemented a mandatory permitting program for off-road vehicles used on public property — federal, state or local government lands such as national forests, state parks, local parks, the beach and elsewhere.
Also, the state made a rare move to increase the amount of land available for recreational use of off-road vehicles.
Acting under a mandate from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has created a Texas Off-Highway Vehicle Program.
A major part of that program involves mandatory decals for off-road vehicles on public lands. Under the program, off-roaders will have to annually buy an $8 decal for each ORV used on any public lands or lands bought for off-road use with public money.
The first of these decals, now available from the
state, will be valid through Aug. 31.
The next decal will be valid Sept. 1- Aug. 31, the department's fiscal year.
The penalty for violating the off-road decal requirement is a fine of $25 to $500.
Under the law, money generated through sale of the decals (and fines paid by those found violating the rule) must be spent on creating and improving sites for recreational off-road vehicle use.
At its recent meeting the Parks and Wildlife Commission tentatively approved a grant of more than $1.3 million to the nonprofit Texas Motorized Trail Coalition.
The money would be used in helping purchase a 3,323-acre tract near Ozona in Crockett County.
Pending purchase of the land and commission approval of the coalition's plan for the tract, the 3,000-plus-acre parcel would become the state's second motorized vehicle park that is operated by the coalition.
Barnwell project
The organization already runs the 1,800-acre Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area near Gilmer in Upshur County.
The flurry of activity concerning off-road motorized vehicles is a result of state and federal laws mandating Texas Parks and Wildlife Department increase areas open to off-road vehicles.
During its 2005 session, the Legislature passed a bill that mandated creation of a Texas "off-highway vehicle trail and recreational area program."
The legislation ordered the state to establish the program and authorized the off-road vehicle decal on public lands.
It further mandated that money collected from sale of the decals be used only to "acquire, construct, develop and maintain" areas for use by recreational off-roaders, make grants for off-road programs and pay for enforcement of the off-road areas.
The Legislature's directive to establish an off-roading program gave state officials a vehicle through which they could better comply with federal imperatives along the same lines.
Federal program helps, too
The National Recreational Trails Fund distributes money collected, in part, through federal taxes on fuel. The tax is supposed to be charged only on fuels used to power vehicles that travel on public roads and not charged to operators of other vehicles.
Persons who buy and use federally taxed fuels for off-road use can apply for reimbursement of that tax, but few do. The federal government estimates the amount of these "unclaimed" fuel tax monies and annually redistributes them to the states.
But the money comes with strings attached — federal law requires the money to pay for programs benefiting those who paid the taxes.
Here's the breakdown
The National Recreational Trails Fund mandates that at least 30 percent of the money passed back to the states be spent on funding trails for motorized, off-road use.
Under Trails Fund rules, groups or local governments applying for grants have to pay for 20 percent of any project, with federal dollars paying for the remaining 80 percent.
The 3,323-acre Crockett County purchase is a Trails Fund grant project. No timetable has been set for development and opening of the site to public use.
[email protected]
Feb. 25, 2006, 9:54PM
Many ATVs to need $8 decals
Money to be considered for site in Crockett County
By SHANNON TOMPKINS
Copyright 2006 Houton Chronicle
RESOURCES
DECAL DETAILS
A new state law mandates an annual decal be affixed to all off-road vehicles used on public land in Texas: • Violation of the decal requirement can result in a fine of as much as $500.
• The decal is not required when using an off-road vehicle on private property.
• The $8 decal, valid through Aug. 31, can be purchased by calling 512-389-8917. A list of tracts where the decal will be required will soon be posted at www.tpwd.state.tx.us .
Texas holds the second-largest number of off-road vehicles in the nation, just behind California, state officials figure.
It is hard to get a solid handle on just how many of them — particularly three- and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road motorcycles — are in Texas. Motor vehicles used exclusively off public roads are not required to be titled or registered.
The state government estimates more than 60,000 ATVs were sold in Texas in 2001 and that 1.3 million Texans use off-road vehicles.
There are probably 1 million or more ATVs out there — it seems almost every one of the state's half-million or so deer hunters has at least one. The huge majority of those ATVs are used on private property. No big surprise there, because most of Texas is private property.
But there are changes ahead — already here, actually — for those who use or want to use their off-road vehicles on public property.
Broad-based fees
Texas this month implemented a mandatory permitting program for off-road vehicles used on public property — federal, state or local government lands such as national forests, state parks, local parks, the beach and elsewhere.
Also, the state made a rare move to increase the amount of land available for recreational use of off-road vehicles.
Acting under a mandate from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has created a Texas Off-Highway Vehicle Program.
A major part of that program involves mandatory decals for off-road vehicles on public lands. Under the program, off-roaders will have to annually buy an $8 decal for each ORV used on any public lands or lands bought for off-road use with public money.
The first of these decals, now available from the
state, will be valid through Aug. 31.
The next decal will be valid Sept. 1- Aug. 31, the department's fiscal year.
The penalty for violating the off-road decal requirement is a fine of $25 to $500.
Under the law, money generated through sale of the decals (and fines paid by those found violating the rule) must be spent on creating and improving sites for recreational off-road vehicle use.
At its recent meeting the Parks and Wildlife Commission tentatively approved a grant of more than $1.3 million to the nonprofit Texas Motorized Trail Coalition.
The money would be used in helping purchase a 3,323-acre tract near Ozona in Crockett County.
Pending purchase of the land and commission approval of the coalition's plan for the tract, the 3,000-plus-acre parcel would become the state's second motorized vehicle park that is operated by the coalition.
Barnwell project
The organization already runs the 1,800-acre Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area near Gilmer in Upshur County.
The flurry of activity concerning off-road motorized vehicles is a result of state and federal laws mandating Texas Parks and Wildlife Department increase areas open to off-road vehicles.
During its 2005 session, the Legislature passed a bill that mandated creation of a Texas "off-highway vehicle trail and recreational area program."
The legislation ordered the state to establish the program and authorized the off-road vehicle decal on public lands.
It further mandated that money collected from sale of the decals be used only to "acquire, construct, develop and maintain" areas for use by recreational off-roaders, make grants for off-road programs and pay for enforcement of the off-road areas.
The Legislature's directive to establish an off-roading program gave state officials a vehicle through which they could better comply with federal imperatives along the same lines.
Federal program helps, too
The National Recreational Trails Fund distributes money collected, in part, through federal taxes on fuel. The tax is supposed to be charged only on fuels used to power vehicles that travel on public roads and not charged to operators of other vehicles.
Persons who buy and use federally taxed fuels for off-road use can apply for reimbursement of that tax, but few do. The federal government estimates the amount of these "unclaimed" fuel tax monies and annually redistributes them to the states.
But the money comes with strings attached — federal law requires the money to pay for programs benefiting those who paid the taxes.
Here's the breakdown
The National Recreational Trails Fund mandates that at least 30 percent of the money passed back to the states be spent on funding trails for motorized, off-road use.
Under Trails Fund rules, groups or local governments applying for grants have to pay for 20 percent of any project, with federal dollars paying for the remaining 80 percent.
The 3,323-acre Crockett County purchase is a Trails Fund grant project. No timetable has been set for development and opening of the site to public use.
[email protected]
