Post Fire Travel Management Tools - Trail Delineators

Mill Fire's Landscape Alteration

 

Post-fire rehabilitation of destination OHV areas on Forest Service lands requires a lot dedication, determination, and dollars/labor.  Sometimes, the landscape is altered for several generations.

Key trail entrance landmarks such as trees and boulders are often destroyed by the wildfire or impacted by heavy equipment used to blaze dozer lines around the fire.

Dozer Lines Can Also Remove Trail Entrance Features

 

On a recent work detail, QWR’s Sound Trails Initiative had the opportunity to help restore trail entrance features and vehicle-type control devices on the Mendocino National Forest.

Trail Delineators Ready for Installation on MC/ATV Trail

 

As many of you know, the 2012 Mill Fire destroyed about 82,000 acres within the boundaries of the Stonyford OHV Area on the Grindstone Ranger District in Northern California.  Much of the landscape is now unrecognizable and important trail entrance features are no longer there.

Delineators Installed on Designated MC/ATV Trail

 

To help identify trail entrances and vehicle-type restrictions, the Forest has been installing new trail delineators on important route entrances.  Over the last year, hundreds of trail delineators have been installed with the help of agency staff and volunteers to help prepare the unit for the fall riding season.

Trail Delineators Installed on Trail for Full-Size Vehicles

 

This summer’s fire season has devastated a lot of federal timber lands in the West including portions of the Stanislaus National Forest burned by Rim Fire.  Installing managed OHV recreation trail control structures will be important to reopen those routes in an expeditious manner.

QWR believes that volunteers will continue to play an important role in those trail projects.   It is a team effort to repair post-fire damage and will require continued partnerships with users, agency staff, grant funds where available, and other stakeholders.

Agency/Volunteer Work Party

 

Lastly, QWR wants to thank our partners and sponsors for the support over the last year which has enabled us to help with the ongoing post-fire trail rehabilitation efforts on the Mendocino National Forest.

Tools of the Trade

 

 

Post-Fire Recon at Stonyford OHV Area

QWR’s Sound Trails Initiative spent a few days last week working with Forest Service staff doing a post-fire assessment.  As some of you know, about 3/4ths of the designated trail system at the Stonyford OHV Area on the Mendocino National Forest was decimated by a wildfire that was started by two lost hikers in July.  

 

The Stonyford OHV Area is the largest Forest Service destination area in Northern California.   While there is no direct access to the trail system for non-street legal OHVs out of the main camping areas at Davis Flat and Fouts Springs, dual-sport motorcyclists can access a large number of non-burned trails by simply riding a few miles up M10.  Non-street legal OHVs can be trailered up M10 for a few miles where they can use system roads/trails that are open.

 

In addition, dual-sport motorcyclists can access the extensive trail network at the Upper Lake OHV Area by using the OHV corridor that links up Stonyford with Upper Lake.

 

QWR will be working with the Forest Service and volunteers over the winter months to help restore and monitor the trail system for an anticipated reopening of the main route network in late spring of 2013.

 

QWR also wants to thank all of our sponsors who make it possible for us to protect and promote responsible OHV recreation on public lands.

 

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