CA Online Campfire Permit Program is Important Public Service

As we enter the 2015 wildfire season, QWR wants to let riders know about a new program where you can get your California Campfire Permit online.

The folks at the CALIFORNIA WILDLAND FIRE COORDINATING GROUP (CWCG) have a great website where you can get your campfire permit online and also obtain the latest information on helping prevent catastrophic wildfires. 

CWCG Website

http://www.preventwildfireca.org/

CWCG Online Campfire Permit

http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfires/

QWR learned about the online fire permit program while at the recent CA OHMVR Commission meeting held in Sonora, California.  That meeting included a well-planned field tour of the 2013 Rim Fire.

Stanislaus NF Fire Staff Explain Campfire Safety

One of the tour stops including a presentation by Stanislaus NF fire staff where they highlighted the agency’s fire restriction program and ways to safely manage a campfire on public lands.

CWCG states that your campfire permit is valid from the date issued until the end of the calendar year. And, that permits are required to have campfire or portable gas stoves on public lands.

They also encourage you to check to ensure there are not any local fire restrictions in the area, since during periods of high fire danger, campfires may be restricted. You should also keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby at all times.

QWR believes the online campfire permit program is an important public service since many land agencies are not open on Friday night or over the weekend when folks are most likely to use public lands for OHV recreation.

QWR took the test and it is convenient, easy, and informative.  Once you have taken the quiz and looked at the 2.5 minute instructional video, you can print out your campfire permit.  Remember to SIGN the permit once you print it out.

QWR hopes that you will have a fun and fire-safe summer this year.  Also, if your state has a similar online campfire permit program – be sure and send us a note at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Happy Trails this summer from QWR.

Shaded Fuel Breaks - Vital Tool in Wildfire Management

Shaded Fuel Break - Eldorado National Forest

With smoke generated by numerous wildfires burning in Northern California stinging the eyes of many residents in coastal and inland valley areas, QWR believes it is important for recreationists and property owners to become more engaged in efforts to increase the number, size, and scope of forest /wildland fuel reduction projects on private, state, and federal lands.

One of the many fuel reduction tools used by land managers are shaded fuel breaks.  Recently, QWR visited private and federal shaded fuel breaks along the Highway 88 corridor on the Eldorado National Forest.

"Defensible Space" Shaded Fuel Break on Private Property

According to Fire Safe San Mateo County, one of the more common vegetation management practices is the creation of shaded fuel breaks, which are a carefully planned thinning of dense tree cover and the removal of underlying brush. These are placed in strategic locations along a ridge, access road, or other location such as around a subdivision.

Fire Safe San Mateo County Shaded Fuel Break Program

http://www.firesafesanmateo.org/resources/shaded-fuel-breaks

The objective of a shaded fuel break is to reduce, modify, and manage fuels within designated areas in order to enhance mitigation efforts in the event of a wildland fire situation. A shaded fuel break does not remove all vegetation in a given area.

Shaded Fuel Break along Forest Service Road - Eldorado National Forest

Cal Fire says that fire suppression resources can utilize this location to suppress wildland fires due to the modification of fuels of which may increase the probability of success during fire suppression activities. Any fuel break by itself will not stop a wildland fire.

OHV recreationists and other public land users know all too well about how uncontrolled wildfires can impact destination trail opportunities at Stonyford on the Mendocino National Forest (2012 Mill Fire) and the Hull Creek OHV area on the Stanislaus National Forest (2013 Rim Fire).  Mandatory 1 year or longer “hazard tree” closures are imposed which eliminates access to trail and campground opportunities within the burn footprint.

1 Year Rim Fire Closure - Stanislaus National Forest

 QWR commends those recreationists who are participating in pre and post-fire collaborative stakeholder processes.   Trying to find common ground with diverse interest groups on substantive vegetation management projects that can help protect resources and provide an economic benefit is an honorable task.  We really don’t have any other choice. 

Partnerships Core Element of Modern Trail Program

Mike Damaso (L-Merced Dirt Riders) and Chuck James (R- FS OHV Lead)

QWR recently took part in a post Rim Fire recreation and resource tour of the Hull Creek OHV Area on the Stanislaus National Forest.  The Forest Service OHV Program Manager, Chuck James, led the ride and was also joined by AMA District 36 leadership, and the Merced Dirt Riders Motorcycle Club.

L-R: Jerry Fouts (D36), Don Amador (BRC/QWR), Mike Damaso (Merced Dirt Riders)

Chuck James (Forest Service)

While the fire’s impact to about 20 percent of the OHV trail system was clearly evident, the main takeaway from the event was the outstanding public/private partnerships the agency has embraced to help them manage their high-quality OHV facilities.

OHV Trail Leading Out of Campground

 Here are some of the recent partner projects on this unit.

Hull Creek Campground Restrooms- Funding partnership between Forest Service, Tuolumne County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) Grant, and Recreation Enhancement Act (REA campground fee collections) for purchase and installation of two CXT vault restrooms. Operations and maintenance of restroom facilities are a partnership between the Forest Service, Calif. OHMVR OHV Ground Operations Grant funding, and Forest Service Campground Host.

Trail Barriers Next to CXT Vault Restrooms

Hull Creek Campground Trail Barriers - Partnership between Boy Scouts from Troop 500 in Sugar Pine, assisted Michael Oryall in this Eagle Scout Project with Mi-Wok Recreation Specialist, Chuck James, supervising the effort.  Approximately 623 feet of barrier fence was installed to protect riparian habitat, stream banks, the Hull Creek aspen grove, and prevent unauthorized vehicle use adjacent to Hull Creek Campground campsites 20, 21, 22, and 23.

Hull Creek Campground Eagle Scout Project

OHV Trail Repair and Maintenance (Turf Pavers/Tread Block)- Partnership between Forest Service, Calif. OHMVR OHV Ground Operations Grant funding, American Conservation Experience Crews (ACE), Calif. Conservation Corps (CCC), Merced Dirt Riders, and Summer of Success High School Crew funded by Tuolumne County RAC and administered by Mother Lode Job Training.

AMA Dist. 36's, Dave Pickett, Riding on Paving Block Armor

Trout Creek/Clavey OHV Restoration Project (blocking of unauthorized routes with debris, installation of erosion control woodstraw, straw wattles, and silt fence, and installation of project signing)- Partnership between Forest Service, Calif. OHMVR OHV Restoration Grant funding, and Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC).

Trout Creek Restoration Project

Twomile OHV Restoration Project (Camp Clavey Barrier Fence Construction) - Partnership between Forest Service, Calif. OHMVR OHV Restoration Grant funding, and Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC).

Camp Clavey Barriers

Twomile OHV Development Project (Construction of reroutes to avoid sensitive areas and reduce need for tread hardening mitigation per Stanislaus NF Travel Mgt. Plan, Construction of 3N01 bypass trail to reduce Combined Use segment)- Partnership between Forest Service and Calif. OHMVR OHV Development Grant funding.

Camp Clavey Meadow Protection

As you can see after reviewing this impressive list of projects, it really does “Take a Partnership” to keep trails managed and riding areas open in the 21^st Century.

Sierra Trip Launches QWR Adventure Bike Module

QWR’s trip today to the Stanislaus National Forest marks the launch of its new “Adventure Bike” module that currently consists of a 2006 Triumph Tiger 955i.   Our discussions with agency staff centered on Subpart A of travel management and the impacts of the Rim Fire to the trail and road network.

Adventure bike and dual-sport based recreation is a growing segment of the OHV community.   Those interests deserve a seat at the table and we want to make sure that opportunities continue to exist for those forms of motorized recreation on public lands.

A March 29, 2012 letter from the Washington Office of the Forest Service to all Regional Foresters stated the agency expects to maintain an appropriately sized and environmentally sustainable road

system that is responsive to ecological, economic, and social concerns. The National Forest Road

System of the future must continue to provide needed access for recreation and resource

management, as well as support watershed restoration and resource protection to sustain healthy ecosystems.

QWR wants to encourage both street legal and non-street legal motorized trail and road users to be on the lookout for travel analysis reports which are to be published by the end of FY2015. Those reports are supposed to rank, identify, and/or map FS system roads (maintenance levels 1-5) according to their ability to meet a unit’s resource and recreation goals.

Catastrophic wildfires such as the Rim Fire can often cause the impacted area to be closed to all human activity (i.e. OHV, hunting, hiking, fishing, etc.) for periods of a year or more.  Also, those fire events can have a devastating impact on the developed OHV recreation infrastructure such as engineered trails and campgrounds.

QWR is excited about the addition of our adventure bike module which joins our other vehicle programs that advocate for responsible SxS, SUV, trail-bike, and dual-sport use on public roads, trails, and areas.

Link to March 29, 2012 FS Chief’s Subpart A Letter

http://www.lbl.org/pdf/2012ChiefsLetterTravelManagement.pdf

*Thanks to all our sponsors and supporters who help keep us on the road or trail!

Post Rim Fire Update - Trail Stabilization on Stanislaus National Forest/Hull Creek OHV Area

Post Rim Fire Trail Work on Stanislaus National Forest

With winter rains approaching in the next few weeks, QWR wants to commend agency staff on the Stanislaus National Forest for their work to stabilize or stormproof motorized routes in the Hull Creek OHV Area that were impacted by the Rim Fire.

According to an October 21, 2013 update from the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program, implementation is well underway ahead of the rainy season and assessment of additional needs is ongoing. Emergency response actions being taken include falling hazard trees near roads trails and campgrounds; improving and stormproofing roads to restore drainage; repairing and constructing rolling dips (drivable dips that remove water off the road); stabilizing and repairing trails; installing public warning signs gates and barricades for public safety; applying mulch and chipping woody material to protect exposed soil; and protecting cultural and natural resources.

Example of a Post Fire Rolling Dip

The BAER program also stated that while these treatments will help to reduce post-fire effects it must be recognized that not all effects can be mitigated and potential threats to life and property remain during runoff events. The projects underway are listed below.

Roads/Trails:

Restoring drainage - 61% complete:

Clean the ditches and culverts

Pull floatable debris from uphill of the culverts

Water bars – helps with the drainage of water and

grading the road.

Rolling dips: (repair and construct) - 13% complete

Trails:

Erosion control measure - 46% complete

Trail stabilization - 100% complete

Hazard tree mitigation - 100% complete

Install route markers - 100% complete

Install public warning signs gates and barricades

Protection/Safety:

Hazard tree mitigation - 94% complete along priority roads.

Cultural resource protection: erosion control measures are 69% complete and hazard tree mitigation is 100% complete.

QWR again wants to commend agency staff on the Stanislaus National Forest for their work to stabilize motorized trails that are so important to the OHV community.