GAO Issues Report on Forest Service Trails

QWR's Don Amador Helping FS Trail Rehab Project

 

The Western Congressional Caucus announced today that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its report regarding the maintenance of system trails on National Forest lands.

 

Link to GAO Report

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-618

 

In 2012, Rep. Lummis (R-WY), Rep. Simpson (R-ID), and Rep. Moran (D-VA) asked the GAO to analyze   various challenges faced by the agency to maintain over 158,000 miles Forest Service System Trails in motorized and non-motorized areas.

 

Volunteer Support for Trail Projects

 

QWR believes the report highlights the need for the agency to better utilize partnerships with volunteer groups and other trail stakeholders.  We also believe the report correctly notes how NEPA-related red-tape (and subsequent lawsuits) hinders the agency’s ability to effect on-the-ground services such as trail maintenance and environmental mitigations that both protect resources while allowing public use of route networks.

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FS OHV Program Manager Becomes Dirt Bike Coach

*Training Photos Used by Permission from Paul Hart

Paul Hart is 2nd from Right

 

Quiet Warrior Racing wants to congratulate Paul Hart on his graduation from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) Dirt Bike Coach School.  Hart is the OHV Trails Coordinator for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.  The certification class was held at the Honda Rider Education Center in Southern California.

 

Paul Hart is 2nd from Right

 

Paul Hart stated he will be able to train agency employees, volunteer organizations, and non-profits on how to safely and responsibly ride off-road motorcycles. 

 

QWR believes it is important for agency line-officers, specialists, and recreation staff to learn how to ride OHVs so they can have 1^st hand knowledge of how travel management is being implemented on their unit.

Paul Hart on TMR Tour with QWR in April 2013

 

There are a lot of important resource protection efforts that deserve on-trail review by decision-makers and riding an OHV on those surveys is the best way to appreciate those projects.

 

QWR again wants to congratulate Hart and the other graduates from the MSF program.  QWR looks forward to helping support the training efforts of Hart and other instructors

 

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SxS Trails and Training Serve Greater Sacramento Area and Delta Region

Located just 25 miles east of Sacramento California, Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) offers a lot of diverse recreational opportunity for the OHV enthusiast.   There are a number of trails for dirt-bikes, ATVs, SxSs, and 4x4 vehicles. 

 

 

The unit also has several 4x4 obstacle courses for full-size vehicles, an environmental training center, kiddie tracks, and is home to the world-famous Hangtown MX.

 

QWR believes it offers the residents of the Greater Sacramento Area some great OHV recreation that is convenient, well-managed, and fun.

 

The park offers SxS training as well.  Last year, Prairie City SVRA, Hollister Hills SVRA, and a site in Irvine were designated as official training centers for the Basic DriverCourse created by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA).

 

After taking the free 2 hour online ROV E-Course, students 16 years of age or older which have a valid driver’s license are eligible to take the 3 hour closed-range driving program taught by a licensed ROHVA DriverCoach.  The cost for the Basic DriverCourse is $150 per driver and a passenger can attend for free.    

 

At some locations, the DriverCourse offers additional Open Trail Experiences which allows the driver to put some of their new skills into practice on a variety of terrains. 

 

Link to ROHVA Main Website for info about all the Courses

http://rohva.org/

 

Link to ROHVA DriverCourse Video about the Training

http://rohva.org/Videos.aspx

 

Link to ROHVA Free ROV E-Course

http://cbt.rohva.org/

If you live in the Greater Sacramento or Delta Region of California and don’t have time to take a family OHV vacation into the mountains and are looking for a place where you or your family members can ride or drive their motorized vehicle,  Prairie City SVRA is certainly an alternative that is worthy of consideration.  It is also a great place to get trained up on that new SxS you just purchased.

  

Link to Prairie City SVRA

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1221

 

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OHV Restoration Project Targets Trail Shortcuts

Shortcuts don’t have any redeeming value whether you are at work or on the trail.  While on a recent tour of various travel management prescriptions on the Mendocino National Forest, I had the opportunity to gauge the effectiveness and success of the St. John Mountain Restoration Project.

 

In 2007, the Forest applied for a restoration grant to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division’s grant program to address trail shortcuts created when the unit had an “Open” to cross country travel designation.

 

 

 

The agency was awarded the grant that helped support the effort to use natural woody debris and trail barriers to rehabilitate steep routes that could have impacted water quality or affected other environmental concerns.  Signs were also part of that equation.

 

As you can see in the photographs, the project has been very successful in meeting its goal to protect natural resources.  This project also had a positive benefit in that it enhances the long-term future of managed OHV recreation in the area.

 

 

QWR believes that OHV-related restoration projects have become an important tenet of managed OHV recreation in the 21^st Century.  “Restoration” (R) can now be added as another foundation block to the three “E”s - Education, Enforcement, and Engineering as core elements of any successful motorized program.

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