COMMENTARY - "FS NEEDS A HAND" Spotlights New Era of Partnerships

 

COMMENTARY – FS NEEDS A HAND

By Don Amador

April 21, 2026

 

“FOREST NEEDS A HAND” SPOTLIGHTS NEW ERA OF SHARED STEWARDSHIP

 

A quiet but important shift is underway in how America’s public lands are being managed.T hrough its “Forest Needs a Hand” outreach, the U.S. Forest Service has made something clear: it cannot meet today’s forest health, access, and recreation challenges alone.

 

FS NEEDS A HAND - SHORT VIDEO

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/features/forest-needs-hand

 

The scale of wildfire risk, deferred maintenance, and growing recreation demand highlights the growing role and responsibility that key private and public sector partners have in the new forest management reality based on shared planning, stewardship, and implementation. 

FS NEEDS A HAND VIDEO

 

As one of those partners, the greater OHV community and powersports industry are well positioned to assist the agency build capacity to carry out its multiple-use mission with a skilled volunteer and professional workforce, state grants, and industry trail awards that compliment exiting Forest recreation programs and collaborative efforts.

 

At the national level, the powersports industry has long supported access and stewardship through targeted investments such as the Polaris Trail Grants Program, Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, and Right Rider Access Fund.  These programs provide flexible, fast-moving funding that helps launch projects, support restoration, and enable local partners to act quickly.  They also are inspiring local and regional grant-makers to fund trail stewardship projects.

 

State programs such as California’s Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Grant Program and Oregon’s ATV Grant Program provide stability and scale. Together with industry grants, they create a powerful funding stack—combining continuity with flexibility.

 

Collaboratives like FireScape Mendocino align priorities and stakeholders. Implementation partners such as the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance, Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, and Resource Conservation Districts bring workforce and field expertise.

 

It is clear that federal agencies, states, industry, collaboratives, tribes, and local partners form a true force multiplier that will be the helping hand the country needs.

 

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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 is Past President/CEO and current board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. 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 served as an AD Driver at the FS North Zone Fire Cache for the 22, 23, and 24 wildfire seasons. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.