FULLERTON, CA - July 31, 2001
In what ORBA founding member Roy Denner proclaimed as a "history-making event", KTM became the first major manufacturer to publicly support an off road organization by joining the Off Road Business Association.

Yes, there have been other off road-related manufacturers that have supported the off road community in the past, but it has always been a "we support you, but don't let the environmentalists know" approach. Most organizations fear the eco-nazis and the supposed power they possess.

After attending a previous ORBA meeting and looking further into the organization, KTM decided that "ORBA is focused" and, as he addressed the meeting of business owners, urged the potential new members to "join, join, join".

Personally, I'd like to see a coalition of OHV users, mountain bikers, hikers and campers join together and keep public lands open for everyone. We can all co-exist in the great outdoors - as much as the greenies would like you to think that we can't.

The first speaker at the latest ORBA meeting was David Hubbard, ORBA's lead counsel in the fight against extreme environmentalism. "Plants and animals have been pushed to the forefront (of the public land battle) to shield what is really going on - the environmentalists what people out - period.", he said.

He went on to say that there are plans to file suit against the BLM for not following NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act). The BLM was supposed to provide an Environmental Assessment - which they failed to do when they closed the Glamis Dunes. The BLM also cannot go behind closed doors with the CBD (Center for Biological-Diversity) and arbitrarily close public lands - the BLM is required to hold pubic hearings - something they apparently have a hard time doing.

David went on to explain how the legal process works when a lawsuit is filed. First a hearing is set to discuss the lawsuit and the judge gets the issues on the table. If there is no possibility of a settlement, a trial date is scheduled.

David is optimistic of a positive outcome from ORBA lawsuits because the CBD will have difficulty in explaining away the data that ORBA lawyers have. Plus, the stance that the BLM is taking runs counter to their data - "it's going to be messy", David said.

During a Q & A segment, the following questions were asked of David Hubbard:
Question -
"How do ORBA, SDORC, ASA and others work, without being just another organization that wants money?"
DH -
There is good communication between the above mentioned organizations with very little, if any, duplicate work. Results should begin to show up within a year. The more these organizations band together, the stronger they'll be and the more effective they'll become.
Question -
Do we recoup attorneys fees if we win a lawsuit against the government?
DH -
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) does not have a provision to include attorneys fees. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) does allow for attorney's fees to be paid in prevailing lawsuits.

The next speaker was Pete Conaty, one of ORBA's lobbyists in Sacramento. Pete spent 21 years in the Army and has spent the last three years lobbying for the off road community. He explained to the 40-plus business owner in attendance that lawsuits are just one part of the environmentalists industry - and they have the financial resources to support them. In 1999, enviro groups had more than 3.5 billion dollars at their disposal.

From our standpoint here at Off-Road.com, the entry of a company the size and influence of KTM into ORBA marks a watershed event in the annals of OHV history. Many of the newer OHV enthusiasts, and even some of the old, remain unaware of some of the trials and tribulations fought by a mere handful of men during the late 70's and early 80's that received no support whatsoever from any of the "major" companies who profited extensively from the "dirt bike" and "4x4" craze.

Rick Sieman (then-editor of "Dirt bike" magazine) and Louis MeKey (the "Phantom Duck of the Desert") waged a virtual war against the seemingly unlimited budget of the Sierra Club and the nearly limitless power of the federal government. Aside from some small financial help, mostly from the industry's smaller companies, these men took on the green juggernaut of the day. And at great cost to themselves personally, financially, and to their families.

When Sieman approached the Motorcycle Industry Council armed with the facts and requesting their assistance both financially and as a voice of the industry, the literally closed their doors in his face. Excuses varied, but the bottom line is that while they were willing to profit from their victories, they were unwilling to share in their losses.

That's a situation that we feel is about to change, thanks to the leadership shown by KTM and their willingness to stand up to the forces of environmentalism gone awry. There's a new smell in the air these days. Groups like the ASA and Blue ribbon Coalition have become more vocal in their opposition to the greens. Groups like ORBA have formed to lead the industry charge against the loss of our land and in fact, our very rights.

While we cannot in good conscience tell you whose products to buy, we will say this - As a community, we need to put our buying dollars behind the businesses who are willing to stand with us against the greens, rather than simply profit from us until all our recreational opportunities are taken away. Thanks to ORBA, we now have a "buyers guide" of sorts, if you will, for the companies who put out outstanding products and aren't too "politically correct" or too "PR myopic" to give some of that money and support back to the community as a whole.

Visit ORBA's new web site and get a list of their members - companies that are supporting the fight against land closures - at last count there were more than 70 campanies on board.

These companies understand that this is a long-term fight and they have dedicated their time and money in support of this cause. What are you waiting for?

Remember it's not just about money. It's about integrity. And that's something that the members of ORBA are showing in abundance.

ORBA - Fullerton Photo gallery

For all ORBA members - Off-Road.com is giving all new advertisers a 15% discount on all ad campaigns as our way of supporting those businesses that support ORBA.
PLUS, ORC will donate an additional 5% of your total ad campaign cost to ORBA in the name of your business.
Send E-mail for more info.

Send questions and comments about this story to: Eddie Perez