Motorsports and Monuments on Track
RPM Act: The U.S. Congress has heard the voice of enthusiasts and around the country and is working to pass the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act. The House Energy & Commerce Committee passed the bill in December and the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee reviewed the bill during a November committee hearing. The RPM Act clarifies that the Clean Air Act allows motor vehicles to be converted into dedicated race cars and that it is legal to produce, sell and install race parts for these vehicles. Passage of the RPM Act will protect sales beyond emissions-related parts, including racing tires, wheels, brakes, suspension equipment and roll cages. Passage of this bill is necessary to ensure that enthusiasts can continue to purchase and install these products on a car or motorcycle that is used exclusively for racing.
National Monuments: President Trump ordered the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) to review up to 40 national monument designations dating back to 1996 and recommend whether any should be rescinded, resized or modified. The DOI recommended that 10 national monuments be modified, including a size reduction for four monuments: Grand Staircase-Escalante (1.88 million acres), Bears Ears (1.35 million acres), both in Utah, Nevada’s Gold Butte (300,000 acres) and Washington’s Cascade-Siskiyou (87,000 acres). President Trump used these reviews as the basis for signing proclamations to reduce the size of the Utah-based Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments by more than 2 million acres. Boundary changes are also anticipated for Gold Butte and Cascade-Siskiyou, along with the California’s Castle Mountains (21,000 acres). At issue is the 110-year-old Antiquities Act, a law that gives the president authority to preserve land with significant natural, cultural or scientific features. Hundreds of millions of acres have been set aside over the decades leading many to question whether the footprints are larger than necessary. The SAN supports the current review along with legislation in the U.S. Congress to curtail the President’s power to unilaterally designate national monuments by requiring their approval by Congress and the impacted state legislature(s). The issue is consequential since national monuments automatically prohibit new roads or trails for motorized vehicles and require a new land-management plan be drafted that could lead to more road closures.