SEMA Guide to Land Use Policies & Off-Road Recreation

Many SEMA members market equipment that is used by off-road enthusiasts. Importantly, the same equipment is used to improve and individualize the performance of their vehicles. The enthusiasm for these products is dependent, in part, on the availability of public lands for off-road use.

Threats to off-highway vehicle (OHV) access typically take form in legislation passed by Congress or regulations issued by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or other federal and state agencies. Roads and trails may be potentially closed when lands are designated as “wilderness” (roadless), unnecessarily large amounts of lands are closed to protect endangered species, or other restrictions are placed on federal and state lands.

SEMA supports land use decisions that are reasonable and enjoy local community support but opposed unnecessarily restrictive land-use policies. Since the federal laws and regulations that govern land use are complex, it is sometimes difficult to relate how “no trails” translates into “no sales” for SEMA members that cater to the off-road industry. The following is a guide to major laws that dictate land use, federal agencies that administer the laws, some of the organizations that SEMA works with to protect the rights of off-road enthusiasts to use their vehicles on public lands, and SEMA’s positions on these issues.

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