Represent
Professional Lobbyists on Your Side
COHVCO employs 2 professional lobbyists at the State Capital to stop the efforts to eliminate our sport and promote legislation to keep the sport thriving. When thousands of miles of OHV routes have been threatened and proposed for closure, often at one time, COHVCO has joined multiple federal lawsuits to send a message to the federal government and the anti-access groups that we will not lay down. COHVCO has successfully organized public opposition to more Wilderness successfully, beginning in 1992, and on any bill introduced since, the Hidden gems is an example.
Assist
OHV Grant Registration Program
Unfortunately, in 1987 many clubs and individuals were working to keep public access but there was a lack of organization, working relationships among all motorized users and the need to both learn how to fight back and improve the position of motorized recreationists. COHVCO wrote the legislation and passed the OHV Registration Grant Program, which has raised over 100 million dollars for the maintenance and new construction of OHV and 4wd trails. COHVCO saw the day when closures would be tied directly to funding and thus you have saved thousands of miles of opportunities otherwise lost.
Three times in twenty years either government or anti-access organizations have sought to steal more than 10 million dollars from our OHV fund...they lost, COHVCO members won.
Insurance for Land Stewardship Volunteers
Surveyed the immunity statutes for land stewardship volunteers from all 50 states to remove the insurance obstacles in Colorado with Senate Bill 100 in the 2017 legislative session and to remove a serious obstacle for the OHV by removing a requirement for construction that is completed operations insurance simply because it is not available to grantees.
Educate
Partners in the OHV Community
COHVCO founded and incorporated Stay The Trail, now the Responsible Recreation Foundation, offering educational services and materials to land management agencies, OHV and OHV accessory dealers, educational and community institutions, and the general public. It has been a very successful program, nationally recognized by the Forest Service and BLM.
Annual OHV Workshops
28 years of Annual OHV Workshops to educate recreationists and land managers about critical topics impacting OHV recreation. Providing partnerships and education to all stakeholders in positive OHV, 4wd and snowmobile recreation.
Empower
Much has been accomplished over the past three decades, thanks to the efforts of COHVCO! Here are some highlights of our numerous accomplishments.
Access
COHVCO filed an appeal of the San Juan National Forest Plan that purports conflicts between motorized and roadless areas, to date the trails have remained open.
Tres Rios BLM Field Office Resource Management Plan, sister plan to the San Juan Plan, mentioned above has also been appealed for similar reasons.
Bear Creek lawsuit to which TPA and COHVCO are interveners is supposed to have the Forest Service working on a solution. TPA and COHVCO are working to insure the closures are applied per the terms of the agreement with the submission of a notice of intent to sue the Forest Service if the terms of the settlement agreement are not complied with.
The Grand Junction BLM office released a draft resource plan that proposed to close over 2,000 miles {60-70%) of routes in the area. COHVCO has appealed.
Successfully worked with CO Parks and Wildlife and City of Pueblo to keep the Pueblo Motorsports Park open to OHVs.
Review and comment on the changes and updates to the stat e's Trails Strategic Plan.
Vehicles
COHVCO stopped the efforts of the preservationists and anti-access groups from creating a noise level test for OHVs that would have made OHVs illegal to operate.
Defeated legislation that would have prevented modifications to motor vehicle suspensions in Colorado. It was defeated so badly the bill has never returned.
We are strongly opposing the EPA's attempt to increase minimum ethanol levels in all motor fuels from the current 10% amount to a 15% maximum. EPA testing indicates that small engines not designed for ElS fail almost immediately when it is used as a motor fuel; consequently, manufacturers' warranties don't apply. COHVCO killed the 2016 bill.
COHVCO and partners succeeded in obtaining passage of legislation allowing the titling of off-highway and over the snow vehicles in the state of Colorado to make obtaining a loan easier along with better chance of return of stolen vehicles.
Stopped the sale of inferior Chinese ATVs that had no warranty, no legal dealers and no one to stand behind the product. Many people were burned in these purchases until COHVCO stopped it cold.
Community
COHVCO rewrote the law to set a standard that can be met by all except those who are so loud they jeopardize their fellow rider's rights. COHVCO is at the forefront of educating local governments to the economic benefits of motorized recreation's billion dollar plus positive economic benefit to Colorado. Latest Economic study link: Sued CO State Parks after they shut COHVCO representatives out of critical meetings. And offered anti-access groups their way with your OHV program. The $125,000 cost of the lawsuit was worth it. We won an injunction against the P&W Commission that has prevented takeover of our program by preservationists. Such a takeover has not been attempted in the past decade.
Successfully laid the foundation and worked for the passage of legislation allowing counties and towns greater latitude in opening streets and roads. The legislation has greatly increased the number of streets and roads open to OHV travel.
Environment
COHVCO and partners successfully removed the Forest Service's proposed OHV Manual that presented numerous illegal and non-scientifically based standards for OHV management provided by an anti-access group Trails would have been scientifically analyzed out of existence.
Representative Tipton of Colorado, held federal hearings at TPA and COHVCO and its partners' request concerning the negative impacts of Wilderness designations on Forest Health.
Thanks to the work of, CSA, TPA, and COHVCO, the new lynx management documents have been published that clearly state trail usage and snow compaction are not an issue in lynx habitat. The same parties lead by TPA were critical in preventing the listing of Gunnison Sage Grouse issue prevent massive habitat closures in and around the entire Gunnison basin.
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