SEMA LEGISLATIVE ALERT - Anti-Hobbyist Snorkel Bill - Minnesota

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SEMA LEGISLATIVE ALERT

Anti-Hobbyist Snorkel Bill Moves Through Minnesota Legislature

A bill (SF 2793) has been approved by the Minnesota State Senate's Environment and Natural Resources Committee to prohibit operation of an off-highway vehicle (OHV) on public land or public waters with an air-intake pipe or snorkel that is more than six inches above the manufacturer's original air-intake pipe. The bill was introduced as a proposal for a study on the impact of OHVs on wetlands, but was amended in committee to now include the proposed ban on snorkel use. The bill is now pending in the Senate Finance Committee and could soon make its way to the floor for a vote by the full Senate.

We Urge You to Contact Your Minnesota State Legislators Immediately to Oppose this Bill

Existing law in Minnesota allows use of snorkels on OHVs, permitting responsible access to trails and wilderness.


SF 2793 would prohibit installation and use of any snorkel that is more than six inches above the manufacturer's original air intake, essentially banning the snorkel and causing OHV engines and filters to ingest more dirt and dust, rendering them inefficient with gas and possibly causing the engines to produce greater amounts of emissions.

The purpose of SF 2793 originally was to merely study OHV impact on wetlands, but it has been converted into a platform for curtailing OHV use on public lands.

Existing Minnesota law already protects the wilderness and wetlands. Those laws should be enforced first before more laws that seek to further restrict off-road hobbyist rights are enacted.

Please contact members of the Minnesota State Legislature in St. Paul to oppose this bill. If you need assistance in determining who your state legislators are, contact the Minnesota State Legislature's general information line at (651) 296-0504 or (651) 296-2146. This information can also be obtained by calling the SEMA Washington, D.C. office at (202) 783-6007, ext. 38. You also can access this information via the Internet at <http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=SEMA>. Please fax a copy of your letters to us at (202) 783-6024, or mail or e-mail to:

SEMA Washington Office

1317 F Street, N.W., Suite 500

Washington, D.C. 20004-1105

Attention: Steve McDonald

stevem@sema.org