Hello Everyone,
Since the Annual Meeting Sen. Bartlett has firmed up her resolve in favor of the rule as has Lt. Gov. Racine. They need the contacts to keep coming so that they don’t weaken their resolve due to pressure from the Vt. Natural Resources Council, Conservation Law Foundation, and Center for Biological Diversity. I believe the information below gives you what you need.
Steve McLeod
802-434-3346
Through the help of a VASA member and our own efforts, VASA leadership has determined that Democratic leaders of the Legislature are likely to make an effort to nullify the Agency of Natural Resources ATV rule when Legislature begins January 5. VASA needs to do everything in our power to convince Democratic leaders to drop the effort to nullify the rule, and give the Agency of Natural Resources Rule a chance to work.
We need everyone to make phone calls or send e-mails to the following legislative leaders. Your choice. Three of the four of these legislative leaders are also Democratic candidates for Governor. This is IMPORTANT! If only a few people make calls or send e-mails, it makes VASA look weak. It is IMPORTANT that we get a full effort from everyone and every club possible so that we don’t fail at this critical juncture. We ask each club member to report back on calls or e-mails they have completed and any responses they get.
Here’s who you need to call or e-mail:
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie
State House
115 State St.
Montpelier, Vt. 05633
802-828-2226
brian@briandubie.com
Speaker of the House Shap Smith
369 Farm Hill Road
Morrisville, Vt. 05661
802-828-2245
ssmith@leg.state.vt.us
(You will likely reach his assistant in the Speaker’s Office. Leave a message using your talking points and ask for a return call).
President Pro Tem of the Senate
Peter Shumlin
345 Hickory Ridge Road
Putney, Vt. 05346
802-828-3806
senprespt@leg.state.vt.us
(Again, you will likely reach his assistant. Same instructions as for Shap Smith above)
Sen. Susan Bartlett
PO Box 123
Hyde Park, Vt. 05655
802-888-5591
sbartlett@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Doug Racine
909 West White Hill Road
Richmond, Vt. 05477
802-434-2013
dracine@leg.state.vt.us
Talking Points:
- The Agency of Natural Resources made a major concession to ATV Rule opponents.
- The rule is now only a trial involving a maximum of 3 state lands connector trails.
- Let’s not waste legislative time with endless argument over the rule and re-inventing the wheel.
- Let the rule prove on the ground for once and for all whether ATV trails on state land can work or not.
- If the rule doesn’t work, ATVers are out of luck. If the rule does work, it allows a new segment of Vermonters to use state land, proves state land connector trails are a sound ATV management tool, boosts local economies, and increases legal riding opportunity thereby reducing illegal riding.
If you can only get 4 of the 5 Talking Points in, they get the message. If you want to add more, go ahead. Be respectful, but firm about there being no need to take legislative time with this when we can prove it one way or the other on the ground with minimal impact to the 468 square miles of state land.
