ENJOY WITH CAUTION - Mendocino Reopens Some Key OHV Routes

Post 2015 Route Complex Wildfire Hazard Sign on Trail

Mad River Ranger District - Six Rivers National Forest

QWR commends the Mendocino National Forest for its decision on July 12, 2019 to reopen a number of important designated roads and trails on the Forest including many popular OHV routes that loop out from, and back to, the main camping area at Fouts Springs near Stonyford, CA.

Post 2018 Ranch Fire Hazard Sign at Forest Entrance

Mendocino National Forest

Although the Forest and volunteers have already done a lot of post wildfire recovery work,  the Forest Supervisor, Ann Carlson, correctly points out in the reopening news release that , “There is still a vast amount of restoration work to do, but we are very pleased to be able to reopen much of the Ranch Fire closure area for summer visitors. We hope that visitors pay close attention to warning signs when entering the area and maintain awareness of their surroundings.”

LINK TO FOREST NEWS RELEASE ABOUT REOPENING

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mendocino/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD642024

Having spent a couple of weeks helping with those recovery efforts at Stonyford, QWR wants to join with Supervisor Carlson in advising OHV enthusiasts who visit the burn area to be aware that hazards may persist in the fire area for several years.  Some of the most common hazards out on the trail include downed trees across trails, washouts, burned out stumps or their root systems that are in or near the designated route.

July 12, 2019 Reopening Map on Mendocino NF

The Forest has a good list with illustration of those potential hazards cited in the link below:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd637738.pdf

An additional “hazard” that was not mentioned in the list is there may be a lot of burned carsonite route markers that help visitors understand where they are.  Getting disoriented could be an issue for riders who are unfamiliar to the area or only ride there during a permitted enduro or dual-sport ride.  Be sure and get a map and don’t venture on routes that you are not familiar with.

QWR/s Post Wildfire Strike Team Trail Clearing Project

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

Riders should also remember to avoid riding on non-restored or restored “cross-country” dozer lines that were cut in to attack and manage the 450,000 acre Ranch Fire.  These are not legal OHV routes.

Also, respect private property in the area.  There are many inholders on the Forest and the wildfire severely impacted their property as well.  

Dirt-Bike Trail Crews are an Important Post Wildfire Recovery Partner

QWR encourages OHVers of all vehicle types to get out and enjoy/celebrate the reopening of key recreation assets on the Forest.  Also consider volunteering for wildfire recovery efforts or support organizations that are engaged in those projects.

If you would like to find out more about volunteer work opportunities on the Forest or how support ongoing recovery efforts, please contact QWR/Don Amador at – Damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Important Role for Dirt-Bike Based Trail Crews in Post Wildfire Recovery

Dirt-Bike Based Post Wildfire Recovery Project of 50 Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

One of the lessons QWR learned during the ongoing post wildfire recovery efforts of  three federal destination OHV areas devastated by the 2018 450,000+ acre Mendocino Complex Fire highlight the need for skilled dirt-bike based “strike teams” to perform important hazard mitigation tasks on the narrower 50-inch or single-track motorcycle trails.

Downed Trees on 50-Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

While some BLM Field Offices, National Forests, and Ranger Districts have excellent trail crews or volunteers that can buck out downed trees or repair trail damage on routes used by larger OHVs such as SxSs or 4x4 vehicles, it appears that many units do not have the staff in-house with those advanced dirt-bike rider skills to deploy on narrow trail-based hazard mitigation projects.

Bucked Out Downed Trees on 50-Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

As you know, intense wildfires can destroy important OHV management tools along narrow routes such as trail delineators and signs.  Debris flows and downed trees can also impact trail access and in many remote areas they are most effectively addressed by dirt-bike based post wildfire recovery trail crews or strike teams.

Bucking Out Single Track Motorcycle Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District 

QWR believes that OHV recreation sites in California and the West will continue to face the likelihood of more intense wildfires over the next 10-20 years.  And, that creation of skilled agency and/or volunteer dirt-biked based strike teams will have an ever increasingly important role to play in delivery of timely and strategic post wildfire recovery efforts on narrow OHV trails that are largely inaccessible by larger vehicles.

POST WILDFIRE ACCESS - Avoid Economic Impact to Local Communities

Alert Public to Post Fire Hazards

Extreme wildfires have both immediate and long-term impacts on OHV recreation. They can destroy  trail delineators, signs, viewsheds, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality-related trail structures can often be obliterated by dozers blading fire lines around the blaze.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, “…  many lands sustaining wildfire are naturally stimulated and recover to healthy conditions, some catastrophic fire can damage the land, causing threats to human life, property, and biological and cultural resources downstream. In these situations, land managers may decide to apply "first-aid" immediately after the wildfire to help stabilize and repair the landscape.

The USDA Forest Service and Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies use Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) to manage post-fire response actions within a year of a wildfire being contained. These efforts, also known as Emergency Stabilization, prevent further degradation of natural and cultural resources, and protect life and property.

In some cases, DOI may provide additional funding to improve burned areas and achieve desired conditions for up to 3 years after containment. "Burned Area Rehabilitation" (BAR) supports the healing process and provides a "bridge" to long-term recovery. Allocation of BAR funds involves a rigorous and competitive process to evaluate projects. This ensures the needs of greatest concern on DOI lands are addressed first.

Further rehabilitation and maintenance of healthy conditions are the responsibility of local land managers through agency natural resources programs.

Caution Signs - Post Fire Management Tool

A recent main stream media story (see link below) also illustrates that loss of road and trail access can have a devastating impact to the local community’s culture and economy.

LINK TO ROADS ARE MONEY ARTICLE

https://www.businessinsider.com/r-smoke-gets-in-your-eyes-wildfires-sting-california-park-tourism-2018-8

QWR understands that land agencies are faced with a lot of difficult decisions on how to recover the land after the wildfire has been put out and that temporary closures can be an important tool for when a bridge or road is washed out. 

Post Fire Trail Management Tool

However, given the important role that outdoor recreation has as a critical economic driver in many rural areas, QWR believes that land agencies should avoid - if possible - landscape level closures of the burn area and work with various partners in post-fire recovery planning and implementation of subsequent “first aid” travel and resource management prescriptions that are focused on reopening affected areas in a timely manner so as to avoid prolonged impacts to recreation access and local communities.  

Trail Management - Post-Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Takes Collective Effort

QWR SxS Module on FS Post-Mill Fire Volunteer Project

Extreme wildfires have an immediate impact on OHV recreation such as public access bans in the burn area for periods of one year or longer.  They also destroy management tools such as trail delineators, signs, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality trail structures can often be obliterated in the initial attack by dozers blading fire lines around the blaze.

While these immediate impacts and their associated mitigation measures are readily apparent, the long-term post-fire management efforts to address hazard trees (dead trees) falling across designated roads and trails for the next 2-15 years should not be overlooked.

As OHV users know, downed trees create a number of management issues which include completely blocked routes or riders creating impromptu reroutes to get around the obstacle.   The presence of hazard trees also requires both non-motorized and motorized recreationists to be aware of their surroundings when traveling through the forest.  Trail obstacles can impact both casual use and permitted events.

QWR believes it takes a committed partnership between the agency, volunteers, and other stakeholders to successfully manage a designated road and trail system on any National Forest.  This is especially true on units that have experienced a recent uncontrolled wildfire.

Team Effort to Clear Downed Trees

QWR suggests the best way for you to participate in volunteer trail management projects is to join a local OHV club that has an existing relationship with the Forest Service or BLM unit you like to visit.  If your local federal unit does not have a volunteer program, consider contacting them and inquiring how you can help partner with the agency.