[Thanks for the background info Bill. Showing my ignorance a bit more here…
So if the money has to go to trails by law, who is trying to take this money away from mountain bike trails? The ATV users? I guess I don’t understand who stands to benefit from stripping the money if it doesn’t go back into the general federal budget and has to be spent either way… Do the ATV and snowmobile guys have better lobbyists than us?
No, the ATV and snowmobiles are aligned with other members of the trail family fighting to keep the funding in the RTP. The rule that says 30% of the money has 2b spent on motorized trails is inside of RTP……if RTP is defunded this rule goes away along with the money and the entire $85M reverts to other transportation spending.
We are not fighting amongst the trail users for the $85M at this time. We are all on the same team trying to keep the $85M in funding for trails. If the RTP survives, then the grants are written and scored and in that process, we are competing for funding.
Who is trying to take the money? The bill that will strip RTP funding has been submitted by Rep Steve King, a republican house member from Iowa. In my years of following this issue, I believe it is the more conservative members of our congress who have voted to strip the RTP funding. I believe it is their desire to see this funding spent on roads instead of trails. Pay down the debt……not so much.