OPINION - DOGE SHOULD SUPPORT ON-THE-GROUND PUBLIC SERVICES

 

OPINION

By Don Amador

February 17, 2025

  

DOGE SHOULD SUPPORT ON-THE-GROUND PUBLIC SERVICES

 

As somebody who has worked with federal land agencies over the course of my 35-year trail stewardship, recreation, and multiple-use management advocacy career, I have seen both DEM and GOP Administrations issue new executive orders, policy directives, and reform proposals that could be viewed as disruptive to the status quo.

 

I have found a prudent course for those in my profession is to study the proposals for intended and unintended consequences, consult with trusted colleagues, develop action items and solutions, and then share that info with decision-makers and key stakeholders.

 

First, let me share that on a personal basis, I am concerned and acutely aware about the fiscal and emotional impacts the DOGE cuts will have on recent Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service hires including the affect it could or will have on recreation programs and resource management projects.  I also know that many in my career agency network are deeply troubled and discouraged and that reality weighs on me 24/7.

 

However, I also know that the current regulatory industrial complex that started in the mid 1970s with the creation of numerous environmental agencies, related congressional actions, and the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) that was created to allow veterans and others to challenge adverse government actions and recoup legal fees, a well-intentioned cause for sure.  Unfortunately, it became an abused method for special interest activist groups to fund an endless parade of lawsuits against federal land management agencies.

  

I have seen first-hand how recreation and forest health projects have been stalled due to lack of funding since those EAJA awards are deducted from an agency’s individual budgets.  It’s tough to pay for a trail crew, repair a blown out road, replace toilet paper in an SST, or purchase gas for an agency vehicle to ferry staff to a fuel project when the account balance is zero.

 

In 1990, when I started on my land-use journey, the Forest Service annual budget was $921 million dollars. Today, the annual budget is about $9.3 billion dollars that is largely gobbled up by high level career siloed staff tasked with mitigating adverse impacts to the agency by the regulatory and legal industrial complex that often leaves nothing but fiscal crumbs to support recreation and resource management efforts.   

 

Be assured that I will continue to advocate for budgetary support of important staff work at the local level that provides important on-the-ground public services including access to high quality recreation opportunities, forest health projects, pre and post-wildfire mitigation, and natural and cultural resource conservation practices. 

 

# # #

 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for 35 years.   Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance.  Don is a Co-Founder and Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino, a forest health collaborative that is part of the National Fire Learning Network.  Don served as an AD Driver for the Forest Service North Zone Fire Cache during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Fire Seasons. Don is a Pacific Northwest California native and writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.

OPINION - NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN HIGHLIGHT KEY ROLE OF COLLABORATIVES

Post Fire Hazard Sign - 2015 Route Complex Fire - Six Rivers National Forest

 

OPINION

By Don Amador

January 27, 2025

  

 

NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF COLLABORATIVES

  

On, January 23, 2025, I attended a public meeting at Shasta College in Redding where the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS) planning team gave an update on the planning effort.  Approximately, 50 stakeholders from across the North State attended the meeting to learn more about the DEIS and to share their views and concerns about current and proposed management of their National Forests.

NWFP Amendment DEIS Public Meeting - January 23, 2025

Shasta College, Redding, CA 

 

Several of the key concerns expressed by public statements or in discussions were about the truncated plan timeline, missing significant issues such as Recreation/Transportation Road and Trail System due to self-imposed narrow sideboards, and questioning the practical value of this multi-state regional planning document given the critical staff shortages and other factors at the Forest level which severely limit the agency from implementing current on-the-ground forest health and fuel projects.

Dan Yasuda,  FS Planning Lead 

 I think Don Yasuda, one of the Amendment’s planning leads, did a good job explaining how the agency developed their “Dry” and “Moist” forest management strategies that do reflect a lot of careful consideration of science, lessons learned from the 1994 Forest Plan, and public input.  Don noted the important role that tribes and local stakeholder collaboratives have, and will continue to have, in forest management.

 

While appreciating the work put into the plan so far, I asked the question about why the plan did not appear to analyze post fire restoration and forest management on the millions of acres of National Forest lands that were nuked by massive wildfires during 2018 – 2021 fire seasons?

 

It seemed the answer to that question about why that issue was not analyzed in detail and a subsequent strategy developed was due in part to the compressed timeline and overwhelming size of the 3-state planning area.  

 

Several people in attendance expressed doubt about the future of the process given the Trump Administration’s “pause or hold” on NEPA plans until after appointees have time to review them.

 

The FS Planning Team leads and representatives from the Mendocino, Six Rivers, and Shasta Trinity National Forests should be commended for fielding a lot of questions from the audience and sticking around to engage in meaningful dialogue with the public.

Allen Schrage - Mendo 4x4 Club Conservation Lead

  

 

It was great to be joined by the Mendo 4x4 Club conservation lead Allen Schrage and his family where he continued his strong advocacy efforts in support of agency partnerships and managed OHV recreation on public lands.

 

I encourage the recreation community to remained engaged in the planning process and to submit substantive comments on the DEIS.   The future of our forests and recreation opportunities in the Pacific Northwest depends on your participation. 

 

# # #

 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 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 is a Co-Founder and Current Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don served as a North Zone Fire Cache AD Driver for the 2022 to 2024 fire seasons. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  Don can be reached via email at: damador@cwo.com

 

 

POST WILDFIRE TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

2022 CA State Park Wildfire Presentation 

OPINION - By Don Amador - 1/13/25

  

Post Wildfire Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

Besides sending donations to organizations that are providing relief services to victims of the ongoing LA wildfires there is not much that I can do to provide immediate in-person assistance to those suffering tragic losses.

 

I have spent most of my personal life and professional career  recreating and working on public lands in Northern California impacted by the 450,000 acre 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 1 million acre+ 2020 August Complex Fire and 2021 Dixie Fire.

Hard Traffic Stop on Highway 199

2023 Smith River Complex Fire

 I hope the following grief-related information that I have gathered since then might help affected parties in some small way cope with, and process, the devastating long-term effects these fires have on displaced families, first responders, business owners, relief workers, and many others.

 

The American Psychological Association (APA) states that trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.

 

APA goes on to say that accidents or wildfires are typically unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. For many people, there are no outwardly visible signs of physical injury, but there can be nonetheless an emotional toll. As we are seeing, it is common for people who have experienced disaster to have strong emotional reactions.

 

Health professionals at the Mayo Clinic state that Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

 

The Mayo Clinic also states that most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

2019 Post Wildfire Recovery Project on 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire

 I have found the posting of stories and pictures of my experiences in the affected areas to be therapeutic.  Talking with friends, colleagues, and partners are other important ways that survivors cope with PTSD.

  

As the LA Firestorm continues, it is important for us to exercise patience until firefighters and other 1^st responders complete their assignments and understand they may be in some stage of a Post Wildfire Traumatic Stress Disorder (PWTSD).

 

Also, it is important for family members and friends that are outside of the burn area to understand that they too might be suffering from PWTSD.

  

# # #

 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 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 is a Co-Founder and current Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  Don may be reached via email - damador@cwo.com 

QWR OPINION - RECREATION ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO NATION AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

Backcountry OHV Route

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

Redding Field Office

REPORTS SHOW HUGE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO RURAL AREAS AND THE NATION

As both motorized and non-motorized recreation organizations engage in the 2025 state and federal legislative season, it’s important to remember the good fiscal news they got last year when the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) found that outdoor recreation continues to provide a significant fiscal benefit to the U.S. economy. According to the latest data from the BEA Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, outdoor recreation generated $1.2 trillion in economic output (2.3% of GDP), comprises 3.1% of U.S. employees and accounted for 5 million jobs in 2023. 

 

BEA 2024 REPORT

https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/orsa1124_0.pdf

Bothemotash Campground with Trinity Alps in Background

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area, Redding Field Office

 

Fiscal contributions made by the powersports community were presented at the August 1, 2024 CA State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission meeting that highlighted the initial results of a multiyear study the economic impacts of OHV and OSV recreation in California.  That preliminary report authored by Samuel Lankford - a professor at California State University, Fresno – detailed data gathered in over 2,500 in-person surveys.  The study showed that  OHV and OSV recreation provides a $10 billion economic impact to the state and supports approximately 58,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal jobs and generates $1.8 billion in tax revenues. A final report is expected in early 2025.

Bohemotash Campground, BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area, Redding Field Office

 

The study also included the economic impact of permitted motorized special events that occur mostly at destination OHV areas managed by the Forest Service, BLM, and CA State Parks. Some of the larger events include vehicle use on the Rubicon Trail at $57.4 million and the King of Hammers at $34 million.

Black Diamond OHV Trail, Chappie Shasta OHV Area, Redding Field Office

 

One prime local example of where those motorized-related economic benefits are generated is at BLM’s Chappie Shasta OHV Area located next to Lake Shasta about 15 minutes from Redding, CA.  This destination unit provides access to over 250 miles of world class high quality routes that are open to dirt-bikes, ATVs, SxSs, and 4 wheel-drives.  The trail system has a wide range of difficulty ratings from easy to black diamond.  It also has a very challenging 4x4 obstacle course at the main staging area along with a beginner play track.

                                Scenic Overlook of Lake Shasta with Mt. Lassen in Background

The high country routes and the Bohemotash Mountain dry camping area provide many multi-million dollar views of the Shasta Bally, Trinity Alps, Marble Mountains, Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and Lake Shasta.  

View of Mt. Shasta from Bohemotash Campground

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

 

QWR President, Don Amador, states, “I am proud of the partnership that exists between the OHV community and our partner land agencies that work together to provide access to sustainable motorized trail opportunities on public lands in the Western US at riding area like Chappie Shasta where outdoor recreation brings a significant economic benefit to rural communities.”

 

“It is inspiring to see how the BLM recreation staff worked with local OHV clubs and a post wildfire recovery non-profit - with grant support from the CA Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division – to repair damage done by the devastating 2018 Carr Fire and promptly reopen the recreation site to public use,” Amador concludes.

# # # 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 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 Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  

 

 

BOOK REVIEW - YOU REPORT TO ME -Accountability for the Failing Administrative State

 

BOOK REVIEW

By Don Amador

December 12, 2024

 

 *This book gives elected or appointed officials - tasked with a leadership and oversight role in a federal land management or regulatory agency - a better understanding of the challenges they face as they seek to bring accountability to the administrative state

 

YOU REPORT TO ME – Accountability for the Failing Administrative State

 

As a fellow political appointee, CA State Park Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commissioner (circa 1994-2000) with 34 years of experience working with government agencies and elected officials on recreation and resource management policy and legislation, I appreciate David Bernhardt’s  book where he shares his insights into how some career bureaucrats successfully jam the reform efforts of a new administration.  

 

Just how the administrative state (aka deep state) operates to obfuscate, hinder, or bury issues and ignore leaders they disagree with has been a topic of many conversations I have had – on a bipartisan basis – with appointees, elected officials, recreation groups, scientists, agency staff, attorneys, and other stakeholders.

 

Often those discussions center on actions taken by an agency that just don’t make any sense.  When a regulator is questioned by an appointee or the public, the response (if one is given at all) is irrational or confusing.  Those non-responses are exacerbated when millions of dollars are unaccounted for or misspent resulting in lost recreational opportunity.

 

The book is full of examples of how the administrative state operates. However, one of my favorite stories is about the “Surname” process where letters and other documents are “required” to jump through lengthy approval or clearance procedures.

 

The book goes on to detail how unelected rule makers can run-out-the-clock by slowing down a NEPA process they don’t like or agree with by creating an unusable or shoddy work product that extends the final plan until after the current leadership or elected official leaves office.  

 

Bernhardt also illustrates how judicial deference has empowered agencies with more authority than was originally intended by Congress.    

 

Regardless of political affiliation, this book may help inform those with questions about what happened with the EPA digging it their heels regarding the closure of the BLM Clear Creek Management Area to OHVs or even at the state level with Oceano Dunes and the Stipulated Order of Abatement.

 

I believe this is a must read book for all stakeholders who want to get a better understanding of how the administrative state operates and on potential strategies and solutions to restore accountability in federal agencies.  

 

# # #

 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 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 is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QWR POST ELECTION OPINION - THE 80 PERCENT RULE

 

THE 80 PERCENT RULE

Post- Election Opinion

By Don Amador

December 3, 2024

 

 

President Ronald Reagan is famous for a number of quotes that continue to influence American politics and policy.  Reagan is not often thought as a public land recreation icon, but for me his statement, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally – not a 20 percent traitor” has become a cornerstone of my recreation career.

 

I believe that OHV should urge the Trump administration to continue support for federal land agency  collaboration with diverse force multipliers/partners including recreation groups, conservation organizations, Tribes, timber, land owners, and others with a focus on planning for, and implementing,  unit level projects that provide a direct public benefit.

 

The new cabinet appointments should authorize the increased use of youth-based conservation corps (non-profits, government, tribal, etc.) type groups to bolster their workforce in support of ground-level trail stewardship projects.  Congress may also want to target funding for those youth based efforts.

 

I also believe that any agency staff downsizing in the Washington D.C. bureaucracy should include options for surging those positions out to the field to help backfill Forest or Field Office vacant positions to implement many shovel ready projects.

 

Those new staff positions could make the currently stalled 1,300 acre Blue Oak Ranch OHV Staging/Camping Area addition to the BLM’s South Cow Mountain Recreation Area near Ukiah, CA a reality.  Also, they could help restart the 2020 OHV Travel Management Planning process that would designate a legal trail system at Indian Valley located within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.  

 

Using the Reagan 80 percent rule, finding common ground with other recreation interests is easier than you think.  You may or may not be a Reagan fan, but most of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree that finding that zone of agreement is a good long-term strategy for securing access to sustainable recreation activities and protecting important natural and cultural resources for future generations.

 

# # #

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 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 is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.

 

 

 

 

SHARE THE TRAILS - CA OHV FALL SAFETY WEEK MESSAGE

SHARE THE TRAILS – CA OHV FALL SAFETY WEEK MESSAGE

 

QWR wants to encourage OHV enthusiasts in CA to support the 2024 “SHARE THE TRAIL” themed  Fall OHV Safety Week that is running November 16-24.  The educational goal for this CA State Parks event is to help new owners of OHVs better understand the responsibility they have to drive in a safe manner since there is often two-way traffic on public land roads and trails.

CA STATE PARKS  “SHARE THE TRAIL SAFETY WEEK” NEWS RELEASE

https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1330

  

The foundation for this ongoing State Park safety week program was developed by the California State Parks’ Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division and partners after robust discussions on current OHV safety issues at the August 2022 OHV Safety Summit held at the McClellan Training Center in Sacramento.

 That conference was attended by various key state and federal agency representatives, powersports industry leads, major OHV organizations, ROV/UTV trainers, motorized media outlets, law enforcement, competition event organizers, and educational non-profits.

  

The primary focus was on improving/updating safety efforts to address the rapid growth of ROV/UTV/SxS use on public lands.  That inaugural summit was successful as the group subsequently planted the “safety standard” in the ground and resolved to improve safety education to reduce impacts to natural resources and other user groups.

Don Amador, QWR President and ROHVA Driver Coach, states, “I am glad to see the California Department of Parks and Recreation and OHMVR Division continue these key OHV safety programs.   As a ROHVA driver coach, I have seen the importance of SxS owners enhancing their driving skills,  trail ethics, and the use of proper safety gear.” 

 

 “What makes these OHV safety programs so important is that many new operators have very little if any driving experience on public land roads and trails.  Often they are not aware there could be other vehicles using the same route and meeting another vehicle coming around a blind corner could be a safety hazard which is what makes these outreach programs so important.”  Amador concludes.

  

QWR believes it is important for the greater OHV community to “share” this important safety and responsible use message with our riding network and those new to the sport.

 

# # # 

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.  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 Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino.  Don is a contributor to Dealernews Magazine