RECREATION LEADERS UNITE TO FORM
AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE RECREATIONAL ACCESS
Group to educate Americans about the potential threat from Administration plans to limit use of public lands

Washington, DC, June 21 - Leaders of national recreational organizations and trade associations today announced the formation of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA). The alliance has been formed to ensure that Americans are not arbitrarily denied the right to use and enjoy the public lands that belong to all citizens. The broad-based membership of ARRA has joined together in response to unprecedented efforts by exclusionary activist groups and the current Administration to bypass established federal law and procedures for land designation and regulation.

ARRA's education program will focus on the potential impact of the numerous Administration proposals to limit access to public lands.

"Every member of this alliance wants to protect our public lands. We are committed to responsible use, not abuse," said Mr. Tom Crimmins, spokesman for ARRA. "But the American public needs to know that its natural desire to enjoy outdoor recreation may be thwarted if these initiatives are implemented. These rulemakings are being railroaded, circumventing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the public input process, because the Administration knows the American public won't stand for having its desire for responsible access to public lands denied."

ARRA supports responsible and open consideration of multiple-use of public lands based upon environmentally sound principles, and opposes efforts to short-circuit the established procedures for land use designation, usage and preservation.

"Everyone wants to protect the environment," said Crimmins. "But what many people don't understand is that the rulemakings could limit access not only to truly pristine areas, but also to areas that have been commonly used for multiple-use recreation for decades. Not only could they result in locking out a variety of popular recreational activities, but in denying any access at all to many senior-citizens and disabled Americans, who can't access the beauty of our national lands on foot."

ARRA members agree that no individual or group has a right to exclusive, unregulated use of our national heritage. But the alliance opposes closure, or extreme regulation, that denies responsible access to public lands appropriate for recreational pursuits.

Denying outdoor enthusiasts access to public lands runs counter to the very mission of the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, which are both charged with managing for multiple-use programs. Many local and state experts who have asked for "cooperating agency status" have been denied participation in the rulemaking process. Although the policy states that local authorities will have final say in land closures, during implementation, many of the determining factors will be mandated at the Federal level, pre-empting any local input.

"ARRA wants an open dialogue of cooperation, not confrontation," said Crimmins. "Environmentalism begins with education, by instilling a set of values that reinforce responsible use of our public lands. Banning land usage is not a solution - it will only deny Americans the ability to enjoy the great outdoors. And that could reduce the revenues coming to the U.S. forest and park system from park entrance and user fees, further depleting the budget to maintain our public lands."