BLM's Knoxville OHV Area
Ukiah Field Office
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Don Amador
Phone: 925.783.1834
Date: March 7, 2019
OHV RECREATION LEAD APPOINTED TO BLM RESOURCE
ADVISORY COUNCIL
OAKLEY, CA (March 7) – Acting Secretary of the Interior, David
Bernhardt, has appointed a nationally recognized OHV recreation professional to
serve on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Central California Resource
Advisory Council (RAC). Don Amador, a
former chairman of the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation
Commission, will be representing the interests of OHV enthusiasts who enjoy
casual use or participate in permitted motorized events.
BLM Map of Northern, Central, and Desert CA Districts
This particular RAC advises the BLM on public land issues
within the boundaries of the Bakersfield, Bishop, Central Coast, Mother Lode
and Ukiah field offices, which comprise the Central California District.
According to the agency website, the BLM maintains 37
chartered advisory committees located in the West. These include 30 statewide
and regional Resource Advisory Councils; 5 advisory committees affiliated with
specific sites on the BLM’s National Conservation Lands; and two others,
including the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board and the North Slope
Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel.
RACs are sounding boards for BLM initiatives, regulatory
proposals and policy changes. Each citizen-based council consists of 10 to 15
members from diverse interests in local communities, including ranchers,
environmental groups, tribes, state and local government officials, academics,
and other public land users.
BLM Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area
Ukiah Field Office
The Department of the Interior (DOI) established the RACs
in 1995. RAC members vote on recommendations related to public land management
and provide those recommendations to the designated Federal official who serves
as liaison to the RAC. The Designated Federal Officer is usually a BLM line
manager, such as the state director or district manager.
BLM Poleta OHV Area
Bishop Field Office
Although RACs are solely advisory in nature, the
contributions of RAC members are of great value to the BLM and have aided in
the development of balanced decisions that serve the interests of all public
land users.
Upon the request of the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) the
RAC may develop recommendations for BLM with respect to the land use planning, classification,
retention, management, and disposal of the public lands within the area for
which the advisory council is established and such other matters as may be
referred to it by the DFO.
The RAC can also make recommendations on programs and
policies to increase outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans, expand
access for hunting and fishing on BLM land in a manner that
respects the rights and privacy of inholders, and implementation
of the agency’s regulatory reform initiatives.
Don Amador, a trail recreation and forest health advocate,
states, “It’s an honor to be selected to serve on this RAC since most of my 29
years of recreation and resource management career has been spent on public
lands within the RAC boundary.”
“Managed OHV recreation in the 21st Century is
a sophisticated activity and has many moving parts which include construction
of engineered trails, restoration of lands damaged by unauthorized use, law
enforcement, maintenance of existing trail networks, protection of cultural
resources, planning for new OHV areas, and education/safety programs,” Amador
continues.
“OHV is a significant contributor to the economy and an
important part of the California state-wide recreation opportunity matrix. OHV
recreation is also an important partner when it comes to addressing the growing
threat of intense wildfires on both public and private lands. I look forward to working with other user
groups on the RAC in support of access to, and resource management of, lands within
the RAC’s project area,” Amador concludes.
# # #
Don is president of Quiet Warrior Racing, a recreation
consulting company. Don also serves as
the Government Affairs lead for AMA District 36. He served on the CA
Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission from 1994-2000. He is president
and board member of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance, a national
non-profit organization, and since 2013 has served as Core-Team Lead for
FireScape Mendocino, a forest-health collaborative. Don is a member of the Governor’s Forest
Management Task Force Northern Regional Prioritization Group. He is a 2016
Inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and recipient of the 2018
Friend of the AMA Award.
