Here is SSG Jerry Johnson (holding mag), SPC John Houtz, SSG Chad Nagel, and SGT James Fenstermaker hanging out on a rooftop observation post in Ramadi, reading our favorite mag. SPC Houtz mans the Mark 19 40mm grenade launcher for security.
Respectfully submitted,
SSG Jerry Johnson
Name game: GM has trademarked the phrase "Active Fuel Management" for its displacement-on-demand technology, which deactivates cylinders under light loads to improve fuel economy. The term will come into use when the system arrives on '07 trucks and SUVs, including the redesigned Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon. DaimlerChrysler's cylinder-deactivation technology is called the Multi-Displacement System (MDS).
Reports out of Japan indicate Honda, Nissan, and Toyota will develop diesel engines for their large pickups and SUVs. None of the companies would confirm specifics, says Automotive News, but all three are either "studying" the idea or "developing" the technology.
For the third consecutive year, the Texas Auto Writers Association has given its Truck of Texas award to the Ford F-Series. This year the '06 Super Duty got the nod for its "aggressive visual stance and take-it-to-the-ranch capability," said the Lone Star State scribes. The Lexus RX 400h captured the association's top SUV award.
As gas prices started to drop in late 2005, truck sales felt a corresponding lift, according to SEMA. Light-duty truck sales in November were up 7 percent over the previous month, though they were still down 8.5 percent when compared to November 2004.
Speaking of gas prices, because of the recent spikes, truck buyers are paying more attention to EPA fuel economy ratings-and noticing more and more that they bear little resemblance to actual mileage. The EPA is aware of this, too, and is looking to change its test procedures. Says the Washington Post, the proposed tests will consider faster driving, more idling in traffic, and more abrupt acceleration and braking in its parameters. This won't happen overnight, though; the agency has to propose the new procedures, then wait for "public comment"-from automakers, probably-before anything can be approved. The whole process could take years.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will consider removing the Peirson's milk-vetch plant from the Endangered Species list. The plant, which is found only in portions of the Algodones Dunes in California's Imperial Valley, has been at the center of legal battles for a number of years. The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is managed by the BLM and is a popular destination for OHV recreation. Access to large portions of the 160,000-acre site has been restricted in order to protect the plant. The American Sand Association, the Off-Road Business Association, and other OHV groups have repeatedly questioned the government's contention that the plant is threatened by OHV activity, or is even an endangered species. The groups initially petitioned to delist the Peirson's milk-vetch in 2001; however, the agency ruled that at the time the plant still warranted protection. In their most recent petition, the groups assert that four years of additional data collection show that there are more milk-vetch plants than in 2001 and that the plant's reproductive capacity is stable and strong enough to warrant delisting. The groups also cited a BLM report which stated that only an estimated 0.3 percent of the plants showed evidence of OHV damage. The FWS will initiate a yearlong status review, after which the agency could propose that the plant be delisted.
SEMA reports the National Park Service has released proposed changes to its management policies that regulate OHV use within the park system. The management policies serve as a virtual handbook for park superintendents and other park officials. The Park Service considered revising their policies after receiving criticism from Congressional Republicans who stated that it had shifted too far in favor of conservation, at the expense of public access. SEMA has urged Federal agencies not to adopt "one-size-fits-all" land access policies and allow for increased involvement by state and local officials and the off-road community in the decision making. In regards to OHV access, the proposed language closely mirrors existing policies in stating "routes and areas may be designated for off-road motor vehicle use by special regulation within national recreation areas, national seashores, national lakeshores, and national preserves, and then only when determined to be an appropriate use. Consistent with the executive orders and the Organic Act, park managers must immediately close a designated off-road vehicle route whenever the use is causing or will cause unacceptable impacts."