*In an effort to save 347,000 miles of roads, the United Four Wheel Drive Associations has filed a lawsuit to overturn environmental documents prepared by the chief of the U.S. Forest Service. United says it is "not willing to just stand by and let this administration redefine hundreds of thousands of miles of roads right out of existence. It is inexcusable, unethical, and a violation of federal law for the chief of the Forest Service to prepare environmental documents without public input."
*The Partnership for New Generation Vehicles is a venture between the U.S. government and Chevy, DaimlerChrysler, and Ford to increase automobile efficiency through development of new materials and fuels. The current obsession is to improve both the reputation and the gas mileage of SUVs.
*Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation has postponed indefinitely the idea of regulating bumper height. However, the bumper bar must fall within 16-20 inches for cars and 16-30 for light trucks and multipurpose passenger vehicles.
*The vehicle-scrappage bill in Texas did not pass.
*Some road closures are taking place in the Rattlesnake Mountains in Park County, Wyoming, because of "resource damage" from "uncontrolled motorized vehicle use of temporary logging roads," according to the Bureau of Land Management. They've been closed for rehabilitation and because these mountains are habitat for summering and wintering deer and elk.
*The Big Cypress Mountain Preserve in Florida is seeing some activity-the National Park Service has issued an Off-road Vehicle Management Plan/Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which identifies and assesses potential impact of alternative options for the management of off-road vehicles.
To voice your support of or objection to a cause, visit Congress.org, a Web site that will help you contact your state rep. You can also check out the Bureau of Land Management (www.blm.gov) for information on this land that's your land.