Don Amador at BLM's Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area
Northern California
In November 2016, the USDA/Forest Service released an
important technical report entitled: Federal
outdoor recreation trends: effects on economic opportunities. QWR believes this 56 page document
provides important information to recreation and trail advocates on current and
future trends for both motorized and non-motorized recreation on federal lands
between now and 2030.
LINK TO REPORT WEBSITE
The report states that between 1999 and 2009,
nature-based outdoor recreation generally increased, although trends differ
across individual activities. The number of U.S. participants1 in 50
nature-based outdoor recreation activities increased 7.1 percent between 1999
and 2009, while the number of activity days increased at least that much.
Activities oriented toward viewing and photographing nature have been among the
fastest growing activities, both in terms of number of participants and
activity days of participation. Off-highway vehicle driving realized a
34-percent increase in participants. Several physically challenging activities,
such as kayaking, snowboarding, and surfing also had relatively large increases
in this timeframe.
ATV Use at Oregon Dunes
QWR agrees with the report’s conclusion that states a major
challenge for public natural resource managers and planners will be to ensure
that recreation opportunities remain viable and adapt to a changing population.
This could be accomplished through more creative and efficient management of
existing federal recreation resources.
QWR believes that improvements to existing recreation
resources can include a wide range of management options such designating
connector trails, improved signing and maps, creating new trail opportunities
within developed OHV areas, improved legal connectivity and looped opportunity for
new OHVs such as UTVs, and consolidation of federal lands where appropriate to
provide new staging areas or trails.
Connector Route for SxS Use
Stanislaus NF
As various Forest Service and BLM units continue or start
their resource management planning efforts, QWR believes it will be important
for OHV clubs to arm themselves with good information as they prepare their
public comments. Your comments (including
site-specific examples of where a current or new use should or could occur) will
play an important role in development of those management plans.
This report contains a lot of good information (including
charts and graphs) about current and projected recreation needs related to
developed sites, dispersed opportunities, backcountry activities, motorized
uses, hunting, fishing, water sports, and skiing.
Active participation by local OHV clubs is a critical
element in the land-use planning process.
Now more than ever… you are in charge of your own trail riding destiny.
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