Don Amador at BLM Pine Nut Mountain Staging Area
QWR believes the quality of our trail future is directly
proportional to the level of your involvement with the Forest Service or BLM. That engagement also includes your robust
participation in all agency planning efforts that can and often do impact OHV recreation.
Historically, OHV organizations have mainly focused on
how motorized recreation is incorporated into landscape level programmatic plans
such a Forest Plan or Resource Management Plan. OHV stakeholders are also engaged in project
level efforts (such as local travel plans, trail projects, new trail
construction, etc.)
OHV Route Covered by Vegetative Debris
Photo by Doug Holcomb
As some of you know, there are other agency “non-OHV” management
planning efforts related to vegetation or timber projects to address fuel
loading and forest/range health via prescribed fire and/or mechanical
treatments.
Popular OHV Route Erased by Vegetative Debris
Photo by Doug Holcomb
QWR believes the current public scoping period associated
with the BLM’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements to analyze potential effects of constructing
fuel breaks, reducing fuel loading, and restoring rangeland productivity within
the Great Basin Region (specifically Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, northern
California, Utah, and eastern Washington) is an important learning tool for OHV
and other recreation interests to better understand how this vegetation
management plan could impact OHV use on roads, trails, and open areas.
OHV Route Cleared by Volunteers
Photo by Doug Holcomb
LINK TO GREAT BASIN SCOPING MEETINGS AND OTHER INFO
For example, in 2013 the BLM’s Carson City District
Office developed a Draft Environmental Assessment to improve Bi-State Sage
Grouse habitat via a vegetation management project. While they did public scoping and other
forms of outreach, it seems that the project’s potential impacts to historic
OHV routes used for both casual trail riding and permitted events were not
substantively addressed nor were mitigations adopted to protect important trail
facilities in the project area.
OHV Route Covered with Woody Debris
Photo by Doug Holcomb
LINK TO 2013 NV BLM VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
The various pictures in this article illustrate just how OHV routes can
be either “decommissioned” or functionally closed to legal OHV use when vegetative
debris is left on the route. PS - Local trail
volunteers worked very hard to clear many of the historic OHV routes that were
impacted by the vegetation project.
OHV Route Reopened by Volunteers
Photo by Doug Holcomb
QWR believes it is important for OHV and other trail
users to attend the Great Basin local scoping meetings and highlight OHV trail
and other riding opportunities in the project area. Then follow up with written comments asking
the agency to analyze potential impacts to OHV recreation and then develop
mitigation measures to minimize said impacts.
Thanks as always to all of you who attend these public
meetings and submit comments!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment