This article is the first in a series designed to ensure that the recently completed 2022 NOHVCC Annual Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee has a lasting impact. NOHVCC Conferences bring together the best and brightest in the OHV community to network and learn from one another and from the talented presenters and panelists that share their knowledge. Engaged participants can bring back their new “tools” and share them with others to help create a positive future for OHV recreation. For those that were unable to attend we will try to capture some of the information and momentum created in Knoxville.
Industry Update
Strong Sales – But There Are Supply Chain, Shipping, And Tariff Issues
Participants at the NOHVCC Annual Conference had the opportunity to hear from the Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA), Scott Schloegel. Scott said, “NOHVCC’s conference is the best opportunity to hear from – and meet with – OHV enthusiasts from across the country in one room. We appreciate the ability to have frank conversations about issues facing our industry. It was great to be back together in-person.”
For his presentation, Scott provided an industry update which highlighted the recent growth in our sport including that compared to 2019 sales of Scooters in 2022 are up 18% while on-highway motorcycle sales have risen by 3.8%. Dual sport motorcycle sales are up a whopping 63.7% and four-wheeled OHV sales increased by 40.7%. It hasn’t been all easy going for the industry as supply chain disruptions and increased shipping costs have had a negative impact including delays on deliveries both from other countries and domestically. Scott highlighted rising costs of shipping when he noted that shipping container rates have gone from $4,500/container in 2019 to up to $25,000-$30,000/container in 2022. Finally, Scott covered the impacts tariffs are causing the OHV industry and beyond. Section 301 Tariffs are currently costing Americans $3.8 billion per month and are affecting all sectors of industry including powersports.
Government Funding For OHV Recreation
Scott highlighted several new(ish) opportunities from which clubs, associations and managers may be able to benefit. Specifically, he covered the Great American Outdoors Act (2020) and its Legacy Restoration Fund at the Department of Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) ($1.9B Annually), the Economic Development Administration Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Grants, $750 million (2021), with State block grants ($510M) and competitive grants ($240M), and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) which was reauthorized at $84 million per year for five years. NOHVCC encourages anyone seeking grant funds to develop OHV projects to click on the above links and find out if any of these programs could work for you.
Support For Recreation And Advocacy
Also emphasized was the recently announced Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR). FICOR is intended to create more safe, affordable, and equitable opportunities for Americans to get outdoors and includes leaders from the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense and will focus on improving access to nature, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, and providing the public with improved and more affordable experiences on America’s public lands and waters.
Scott wrapped up by talking about some of the advocacy effort MIC, SVIA and ROHVA have accomplished in the past year. The association’s Government Relations team have met with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. Scott also described advocacy work the Ride With Respect in Utah and engaging with U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT) and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI).
It is important for all committed OHV enthusiasts and managers to understand the state of the industry and its efforts to advocate for our sport. To view Scott’s complete presentation, click 2022 Industry Update. Please make every effort to share this information with anyone who may benefit. Included are potential avenues for funding and partners for advocacy – let’s make the most of these tools!
Reminder – presentation slides are offered for informational purposes and are not intended for public use by anyone other than the original presenter.