FIELD TRIPS ARE THE BEST - HIGHLIGHT OF MENDOCINO NF TRAIL PROGRAM

Grindstone RD Recreation Specialist Explains Post Ranch Fire Recovery

of Mill Valley Camp Ground - Mendocino NF

FIELD TRIPS ARE THE BEST - HIGHLIGHT OF MENDOCINO NF OHV PROGRAM

 

QWR hosted a recent SxS field trip with the Mendocino National Forest Supervisor, Wade McMaster, Grindstone Ranger District Recreation Management Specialist, Les Hill, and Region 5 North Zone Partnership Coordinator, Tanya Torst, to review various travel management prescriptions being used at the Stonyford OHV Area in Northern California. 

Post Ranch Fire Trail Restoration of Popular Single Track MC Route

Stonyford OHV Area - Mendocino NF

 

As a long-time volunteer partner with the Mendocino National Forest, QWR appreciated being able to share the history of how the Forest has been one of the agency pioneers in implementing modern managed recreation tenets over the last 40 years.

Recreation Specialist, Les Hill, Explain Function of Rolling Dips and

Sediment Catch Basins - Mendocino NF

 

On-site discussions focused on the many post-wildfire recovery and restoration projects of recreation facilities on the unit. Other topics included the important role that FS roads have in providing connectivity for both recreation opportunities and pre/post-fire related fuel projects, ingress/egress for public and firefighter safety, and recovery efforts.  

Storm Wash Out of Important Connector FS Road

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino NF

 

Credit should be given to the recreation management team for the hard work they put in to keep that unit open for public recreational activities given the many on-going challenges they face and the important role that volunteer partner groups and clubs have in supporting post winter storm or wildfire recovery projects should also be recognized.

FS Recreation Specialist, Les Hill and QWR's Don Amador

Getting Ready for Start of Field Trip at FS Work Station

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino NF

 

The field trip concluded with discussions about the function of rolling dips and sediment catch basins, trail maintenance, equipment and training, signing, resource and cultural protection techniques, route delineators, volunteer agreements, repairing washed out roads, and the critical trail funding the Forest receives from their partners at the CA State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division’s Grant Program.    

 

The trail management review proved the recreation management axiom that field trips are the best!

 

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Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 34 years.   Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle Industry Council. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Don served as a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition from 1996 until June, 2018. Don served on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He has won numerous awards including being a 2016 Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the 2018 Friend of the AMA Award. Don served as the government affairs lead for AMA District 36 in Northern California from 2019 – 2023. Don is a Co-Founder and current Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don served as an AD Driver for the FS North Zone Fire Cache during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 wildfire seasons. Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.