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Show October 1975 Utah Farm Bureau News PageS--4 Highway Trust Fund Transportation An American Farm Bureau transportation committee has made these basic recommendations for consideration by members on vital transportation issues (summary of committee study): 1. The Interstate Commerce Commission should be reformed to reduce regulatory red tape and improve competition in the industry. 2. All federal transportation authority should be coordinated into one agency. 3. Users of each transportation mode should basically pay their own way. Emphasis should be on fuel and energy efficiency. 4. The Highway Trust Fund should remain intact. 5. The interstate highway system should be completed and upgraded with a continual federal aid system. 6. Recent actions to reduce rural road systems eligible for federal aid should be reversed to the 1972 sources. The Highway Trust Fund was established by Congress to build major highways, collector road with etc. terminals, bridges, emphasis on the interstate system. Approximately 9,000 miles of this system have not been built to date. n dollar fund comes Money for the from the federal fuel tax, excise taxes on autotrucks and accessories, and certain other mobiles, cross-count- multi-billio- 4-ce- nt ry Legislation is now pending which would seriously alter the Trust Fund. Under the proposal, two cents of the fuel tax money would go into the general treasury, one cent would be turned back to the states and one cent would remain in the Fund. Highway experts say the Fund should be preserved as Congress established it. They argue that in addition to the 9,000 miles still not constructed, maintenance on existing major highways is rapidly falling behind. They say the roads are deteriorating 50 percent faster than they are being maintained and they say Trust Fund money should be shifted to maintenance. Those who favor keeping the Trust Fund intact also say the collector road systems must be the next target of Fund monies after the interstate system is built. Proponents of changing the Fund say the money is needed for other forms of transportation. They emphasize mass transit, needs. The proposal to turn one cent back to the states, they say, will help meet the need for maintenance on the highways already built. Farm Bureau has traditionally been an active supporter of keeping the Trust Fund intact as a means of making the vehicles that use the highways pay for them. Farm Bureau has argued that motor vehicles carry the vast majority of Americas economic goods and that the dedicated Trust Fund is the best method of financing the federal share of major roads. In veiw of present legislative proposals, what should Farm Bureaus position be? 1975 County Farm Bureau classification. 7. Entry into the trucking industry should be gradually deregulated to improve competition and reduce user rates. 8. The ICC should specifically reform trip leasing agricultural arrangements as an aid to truckers; require prompt payment by regulated carriers; expand agricultural exemption to include some farm supply inputs or to permit these haulers to carry regulated goods on backhaul. 9. Permit two combination trailers up to a total of 105 feet if within existing weight limits on the interstate system only. Are these recommendations in keeping with your non-regulat- ed 40-fo- ot views? Are there other needed policies Farm Bureau should adopt? Off-Ro- ad Vehicles Utah has a total of 50,000 recreation vehicles. A limited number of these vehicles, especially trail bikes and drive vehicles, cause damage to watersheds, parks and recreational facilities. Park and recreation officials say closing parks to d vehicles is not the answer. They say this would only transfer the problem to four-whe- el off-roa- non-designat- ed areas. Recreation vehicle groups are attempting to cope with the problem through organized riding areas with due respect to noise, watershed protection and :vate property. programs have helpeo solve the problem. Other riders insist that their right to public lands should not be restricted. 1. Should Farm Bureau, as an organization of initiate and areas for orowners, property programs ganized riding as a protection to adjacent property owners? 2. Or should Farm Bureau support further restriction on d vehicles on public lands? 3. Are there other solutions to this problem? Self-polici- ng off-roa- |