| Message |
If you're not a member of SAN @ SEMA.org, you better be... these people are fighting for your right to own a custom car & not have to deal with 'recon' crap like we heard about the other day in Hawaii. [ http://www.SEMA.org ]
Driving Force Presented “Golden Quill” Award
The folks at Old Cars Weekly News & Marketplace recently recognized Driving
Force’s efforts to protect the hobby from government intrusion while
promoting its growth. We thank them for their support and look forward to a
continued partnership with their publication.
While it’s always nice to have your hard work noticed, the SEMA Action
Network staff does what it does for the love of the hobby. Brian Caudill
(Driving Force Editor), Steve McDonald, Stuart Gosswein and Andrew Rasberry
work as a team to arm SEMA Action Network members with information regarding
legislation and regulations affecting the hobby. What makes it all
worthwhile is when you, the enthusiasts, are motivated to act and
collectively we are successful in protecting our hobby from unnecessary
government intrusion. Legislators only answer to their constituents, and
were it not for SAN members around the country calling and writing their
elected officials to voice their concerns, our pastime would almost
certainly be worse off.
We owe every SAN member a big “Thank You” for willingly jumping into action
to support the hobby and our way of life. This award belongs to you, just as
much as it belongs to us.
CARB Reviews Scrappage Regulations
In late July, SEMA and other aftermarket associations submitted joint
comments to a California Air Resources Board (CARB) draft proposal to revise
its vehicle scrappage regulations. The draft proposal attempts to minimize
differences between CARB’s scrappage program and the scrappage program
operated by the Bureau of Automotive Repair. At SEMA’s insistence and per
California law, the draft also proposes policy options designed to maximize
parts recycling.
SEMA has long believed that California law is very specific in
requiring “vehicle retirement” programs to “maximize the salvage value of
vehicles through recycling, sales and use of parts . . .” (Calif. Health and
Safety Code, Section 44102). We believe this clearly indicates the
legislative intent to accommodate the interests of car collectors and
low-income citizens. In the past, CARB has maintained a far different
interpretation and, to date, has done nothing to ensure that parts from
retired vehicles remain available to automobile collectors and restorers or
low-income drivers.
Under Option 3 of the draft proposal, CARB would allow total recycling and
resale of all parts, including emissions-related and drive train parts.
“SEMA believes Option 3 is not only the most desirable to vehicle collectors
but also the easiest to implement,” said SEMA Director of Government Affairs
Steve McDonald. “It would provide the greatest flexibility and least burden,
while also maximizing the availability of vehicles and parts and reducing
overall emissions of the vehicle fleet.”
Option 1 of the proposal would continue CARB’s prohibition on parts
recycling, while Option 2 would allow the recycling of all but
emission-related and drive train parts.
After reviewing comments to the draft proposal, CARB will publish final
proposed changes for formal public review. We will keep you updated on
developments.
U.S. Forest Service Rethinks “Roadless Rule”
Adding a new chapter to the contentious debate over public access to
federal land, the U.S. Forest Service is reconsidering the Clinton
Administration’s regulation prohibiting road construction and maintenance in
58.5 million acres of national forests. This controversial regulation is
commonly known as the “Roadless Rule.”
Announced by the Clinton Administration on Jan. 5 of this year, the
original regulation outraged the off-highway vehicle (OHV) community because
it threatened to effectively close many miles of forest roads currently
enjoyed by recreationists nationwide. In response, the OHV community,
including SAN members like the California 4 Wheel Drive Association, East
Coast 4 Wheel Drive Association, Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association
and the United Four Wheel Drive Associations, joined the timber industry,
many western state governments and other forest access supporters in
protesting the regulation in both Congress and the courts.
So far, the strategy has worked. A federal judge has blocked the roadless
rule from continuing, and in July, the Bush Administration formally reopened
deliberations on a new regulatory approach designed to appease the OHV
community and other land access advocates.
As part of the new rulemaking, the Forest Service sought comments on a
number of priority questions: how roadless areas should be managed; what
activities should be allowed in roadless areas; how the agency should work
with local groups in creating forest policy; and what activities should be
allowed or banned at “unroaded” sites.
In its comments to the new proposed rule, SEMA urged the Forest Service to
protect the legitimate interests of OHV recreation and the industry that
supports this popular pastime. Brian Caudill, SEMA director of outreach and
public affairs, noted SEMA’s basic position, “Road and trail access is about
more than environmental concerns for the ‘green’ movement and financial
considerations for the timber and mining industries. It’s also about
fairness. Tens of thousands OHV hobbyists enjoy access to established Forest
Service roads every year and have been doing so for decades. To simply block
access to the land without sufficient justification is unwarranted and
excessive. We hope the Forest Service will take our comments into
consideration when issuing a final rule.”
U.S. House Addresses Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
During recent consideration of the Bush Administration’s national energy
policy program, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected hard-fought
efforts to drastically hike Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.
Current CAFE targets are frozen at 20.7 mpg for light trucks and SUVs and
27.5 for passenger cars.
Legislative proposals to raise CAFE varied widely. Many House Members
supported an incremental approach, raising CAFE from 20.7 to 25.8 mpg on
light trucks and SUVs and from 27.5 to 31.6 on mpg on passenger cars by
2007. Hard-line environmentalist Members wanted greater concessions,
preferring an across-the-board CAFE standard of 40 mpg by 2016. Still others
preferred a go-slow approach, advocating a slight hike in standards for
light trucks/SUVs alone.
For our part, automakers and SEMA opposed any legislative CAFE increase.
Our argument remains that any CAFE hike will force automakers to limit
consumer vehicle choice, particularly in the light truck/SUV and
performance/luxury car markets, by either eliminating or curtailing
production of popular models in order to meet fuel economy targets.
In the end, industry won a minor victory. Instead of raising standards
specifically, the House bill would require light trucks to consume 5 billion
fewer gallons of gas by 2010. Industry experts note that this will likely
result in a net 1 mpg CAFE rise. The bill also includes tax incentives for
purchasing vehicles equipped with advanced fuel economy technology, such as
hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles.
Brian Caudill, SEMA Director of Outreach and Public Affairs notes with
caution: “National energy policy and fuel economy considerations now move to
the Senate where there is likely
Later
wesman's engine hoist
VTD-GT3 "But it will NOT win. It is only a hunk of metal, and I have opposable thumbs and a tool box that would kill someone if it fell on them :-)" - toyluvr
|
 |
