COVID-19 - Trail Ride Decision Tree

OHV Trail - Mace Mill (circa 2019)

Eldorado National Forest

TRAIL RIDING DECISION TREE

As many Forest Service OHV trail networks reopen this weekend in the Sierra Nevada after the winter wet weather closure period ends, it is important for riders to answer the following questions in the Covid-19  “Trail Ride Decision Tree”  before loading up the trailer or truck with dirt-bikes, ATVs, or UTVs and leaving your house for an OHV adventure.

QUESTION ONE – Does my county have a Shelter-in-Place (SIP) order?  If the answer is yes, then you don’t have to continue reading this decision tree.  Spend the weekend working on your OHV, doing chores, firing up BBQ, or walking with your family.

QUESTION TWO – Does the county I am traveling to have a SIP order?  If the answer is yes, then see activities in question one.

QUESTION THREE – Have I called the Forest Service to see if OHV trails on the unit are open for me to use?  If the answer is yes, then go ride with respect and have fun.  If the answer is no, then don’t go ride at that area.

QUESTION FOUR – If I end up riding, do I have the proper tools to dispose of human waste in the appropriate manner as highlighted by Tread Lightly! : In areas without toilets, use a portable latrine if possible, and pack out your waste. If you don’t have a portable latrine, you may need to bury your waste. Human waste should be disposed of in a shallow hole six to eight inches deep at least 200 feet from water sources, campsites or trails. Cover and disguise the hole with natural materials. It is recommended to pack out your toilet paper. High use areas may have other restrictions, so check with a land manager.

Nobody likes being told to stay home by government officials including me.  But as supporters of sustainable OHV management prescriptions, we do have a responsibility to respect (even if we don’t agree or understand) efforts by land agencies and counties to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in rural communities.  Compliance now means that riding areas will be reopened sooner vs. later.

NEWS RELEASE - CA OHV LEAD APPOINTED TO BLM RESOURCE ADVISORY COUNCIL

BLM's Knoxville OHV Area

Ukiah Field Office

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Don Amador

Phone: 925.783.1834

Email: Damador@quietwarriorracing.com

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 21^st 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. 

Dynamic Management of Trail Recreation – 2017 Interagency Ranger Ride and OHV Workshop

45 Mile Group Trail Ride to "Top of the World"

Vista for Lunch Stop

QWR believes a new term “Dynamic Management of Recreational Opportunities” might be the best way to describe an emerging post-event theme from this year’s Ranger Ride and OHV Workshop held on October 3-5, 2017 at the BLM’s Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding, California.

Approximately 45 agency leads, recreation staff, and non-profit partners attended this annual interagency trail management and education workshop that was graciously hosted by the BLM’s Redding Field Office.

Small Group Discussions - Important Networking Opportunity

The focus of this year’s workshop was centered on looking for management strategies that might allow for or create new high-quality trail opportunities for Side x Sides (SxS) or Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs).   

New Route Signed and Managed for SxS Use

 Other topics or education modules included, OHV sound test certification,  E-Bike recreation, public/private partnerships,  SxS and Dirt Bike driver/rider certification, mentored trail rides/tours  of unit, OHV grants, and soil conservation plans.

The Chappie-Shasta OHV Area was selected for this year’s event because of its ongoing efforts to employ various SxS-related travel management strategies.   Those routes help provide a growing number of SxS enthusiasts with signed routes that include varying degrees of challenge and looped touring opportunities.  

SxS Tour Stop to Check Trail Management Prescriptions

The workshop provided ample “seat time” for agency staff to experience the unit’s effective SxS management prescriptions from behind the wheel on many of the 200 miles of roads and trails in this 52,000 acre area.

State Park Ranger Gets some Seat Time on Trail Tour

The event also offered the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association’s (ROHVA) Basic Driver Course for agency staff that needed certification to operate government SxSs and was taught by QWR’s Don Amador, a ROHVA DriverCoach.

Garrett Villanueva (R5 Trail Lead) Practices Exercise 4

of the ROHVA BDC 

(Garrett was one of seven agency staff who took the course)

 Paul Hart, a certified DirtBike School coach and Trails Manager for the Yuba River Ranger District on the Tahoe National Forest, taught a one-day hands-on training session to agency students that needed Dirt Bike certification. 

Dirt Bike School Riders Waiting for Instructions

Grant administration from the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division gave federal and non-profit partners an update on OHV grant opportunities and policies for obtaining fiscal support for OHV-related trail maintenance, restoration, law enforcement, and education/safety.

Chris Real - SAE J1287 Technical Certification Class

Chris Real, President of DPS Technical, Inc. taught agency staff and volunteers the technical inspector class on sound (SAE J1287) and spark arresters.

Will Harris (OHMVRD) Gave Soils Presentation

Will Harris, Senior Engineering Geologist at the OHMVR Division, talked to the group about the importance of clearly defining a project area and/or route network in their soil conservation plans.  There was a robust discussion about what defines a project area which led to the potential for follow up presentations at the OHMVR Division Grant Workshops in early 2018.

E-Bike Sign - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

The need to review and possibly amend current rules and regulations governing the use of E-bicycles/motorcycles on public lands was also discussed including the apparent necessity to address said issues at a national conference of agency professionals, recreation groups, and manufacturers.

An event wrap-up with attendees identified the following key tenets for agency recreation leads to consider when planning for SxS trail-based recreational opportunities.

One – Look for appropriate level 2 roads, trails, or routes where SxS use could be encouraged through signing and public outreach.

Two – Look for looped touring opportunities on federal roads and/or route networks that can be signed or designated for SxS use.

Three – Federal agencies and county government should look for ways to partner with each other to designate appropriate routes for looped OHV touring opportunities that provide connectivity between jurisdictions.

Both seasoned and newbie agency riders expressed their appreciation for the event’s focus on SxS recreation and the opportunity for plenty of trail time in which to hone their riding skills and view the management prescriptions from the ground level.  

Jane Arteaga - Trail and Recreation Lead at CA BLM State Office -

Getting some seat time on the trail

It was appropriate that this year’s workshop was held at an OHV area that was named in honor of the CA OHV Program’s co-founder, Gene Chappie. 

According to the OHMVR Division, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Program was created in 1971 by two state legislators, "off-roader" Gene Chappie and "environmentalist" Ed Z'berg. The Chappie-Z'berg Law aimed to balance the demand for off-highway recreational opportunities with natural and cultural resource management. The intent was also to foster respect for private property rights and protect California's natural and cultural resources through sustainable management of OHV areas.

Sky Zaffarano (L), OHV Program Lead for Chappie, Explains Resource

and Trail Management Program on the Unit

It was also more than fitting that California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on October 3, 2017 legislation that reauthorized the CA OHV Program and gave it permanent status.  And, that announcement was made at the Tuesday night BBQ hosted/donated by the Redding Dirt Riders, one of the unit’s key non-profit partners.

Successful events don’t happen by accident.  They come as the result of a lot of hard work by non-profit partners, agency leadership, and recreation staff.  

The 45 participants from the following organizations and agencies should be commended for their commitment to providing access to high-quality OHV recreation and related educational activities.  Those agencies and organizations include the Forest Service’s R5 Regional Office, BLM California State Office, BLM Redding Field Office, BLM Ukiah Field Office, BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, Tahoe National Forest, Eldorado National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, and the Redding Dirt Riders who are official non-profit volunteers for the Chappie Shasta OHV Area.

List of Partners that Support Chappie Shasta OHV Area

QWR also wants to thank these event sponsors and partners for their support of this educational endeavor to help train agency staff about safe vehicle operation and review new recreation strategies to address emerging technologies and uses.  Those supporters include the Right Rider Access Fund, Kawasaki Motors Corp, USA, RZ Mask, BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org, and Redding Yamaha- Sea Doo.   They join a long list of partners (see above) that continue to make Chappie-Shasta OHV Area a premier West Coast designation site.

 QWR understands that Adaptive Management is the current term used by land agencies to describe how they look at new issues and challenges and include them in the decision-making process.  However, the term “Dynamic” infers a more energetic or enthusiast process that agencies can embrace as they engage with users, partners, and other stakeholders in collaborative efforts.

  

Forest Service Collaborates to Improve OHV Program

Example of FS Road Serving as a Motorized Trail

Mendocino NF

QWR wants to commend the Black Hills National Forest for its continued efforts to provide sustainable high-quality OHV recreational opportunity.  Located in South Dakota, this Forest completed its initial travel management plan in 2010.

As the following Public Broadcast video shows, the Forest Service has worked in a collaborative manner with users and other stakeholders on subsequent post Subpart B trail projects to improve their OHV program.

LINK TO OHV MANAGEMENT VIDEO

http://watch.sdpb.org/video/2365878324/

QWR believes this unit has embraced a holistic approach to managed OHV recreation.   As the video shows, the agency has a “roads to trails” conversion process that utilizes existing system roads to provide varying degrees of challenge and touring opportunities for the riders.

They also install various soil erosion/water quality-related trail structures or construction techniques along with implementing a quality route information program that includes signs, updated motor vehicle use maps, and smart phone route applications.

The video also highlights the important role that OHV recreation has in supporting rural economies and related private sector businesses.

QWR thanks the Black Hills National Forest and other Forests that continue efforts to improve their managed OHV trail programs. 

PS- Thanks to our longtime friend of OHV, Mark Thome, for sending this great info!

User/Agency Trail Field Trips Important Part of Collaborative Process

Stonyford OHV Program Manager - Sarah Ridenour-Chamberlin (R) Explains 

Soil Erosion Structures to Forest Supervisor - Ann Carlson (L), 

and Forest Recreation Officer - Katy Rich (C)

QWR is committed to the collaborative process as a strategy to bring land agency staff and the trail-based recreation community together with a common goal of both protecting resources and providing a high-quality outdoor experience.

Much of the collaborative or stakeholder process is centered on attending meetings where information is shared, values are appreciated, and relationships are formed.

QWR believes that “out-of-the office” field trips where private sector partners invite agency staff to review the development and management history of an OHV area is also an important element of the stakeholder process.

Mendocino Forest Supervisor - Ann Carlson, Reviews

St. John's Mountain Restoration Project (Funded by a CA OHV Grant)

with Agency Staff

Recently, leadership from the Mendocino National Forest toured the multiple-use recreation program on the Grindstone Ranger District.  With one of the largest destination OHV programs in the country, the District is a good case study on how OHV management prescriptions have evolved over the last 36-40 years.

Mendocino NF OHV Manager Reviews Work Order

with Trails Unlimited Crew

On the Mendocino and several other National Forests/BLM units, managed recreation didn’t start with the 2005 Travel Management Rule.   Rather, it has been a multi-decade process where the 1960s-era mining, firebreak, or logging road-based route network was gradually converted to a sustainable trail system that consists of engineered contour trails, soil loss structures, and road-to-trail conversions.

Functioning Sediment Catch Basin on System Trail

Managed federal OHV trail-based recreation programs are hard to sustain on current (and future) recreation budgets appropriated by Congress.   In some regions of the country, the Forest Service and BLM receive grants from state funding sources such as the CA OHV Division Grant Program or OR’s ATV Grant Program.

In the 21^st Century, successful OHV trail programs must also rely on partnerships with the private sector such as OHV clubs, conservation groups, and other local stakeholders.   Those entities can be the source for the agency’s professional volunteer workforce where users are given chainsaw certification classes or other trail maintenance training.

Getting Ready for a Day of Trail Clearing

QWR commends those user groups and agency units where an all-hands-approach has been adopted and implemented.   QWR understands that it can take a lot of agency staff time to manage a substantive volunteer program.   However, a robust volunteer corps can also play a supportive role in helping the agency obtain non-federal resources/monies (i.e. grants to help manage their trail program, fund projects such as an OHV bridge, or donations for construction labor/materials).

Post 2012 Mill Fire Volunteer Work Party

 The collaborative process is a two-way street.  Don’t wait for agency staff to call for a meeting or workshop.  As a private sector partner, looks for ways to engage your federal contacts either at meetings, field trips, or volunteer work parties.  Be willing to do some heavy lifting yourself. 

Successful Day of Trail Clearing

QWR believes the quality of our trail future is directly proportional to the quality of the collaborative process/stakeholder involvement on your Forest or BLM unit.

Sustainable ATV (OHV) Trails Website - Must Read for Agency and Users

Mixed-Use Travel Sign - Mendocino National Forest

QWR believes the Sustainable ATV Trails website hits the mark when it states the major challenge of managing a successful trails program is providing quality recreational opportunities while protecting the resources. And, the key to a successful trail program is to develop trails that enhance and reinforce the visitors' experience.

OHV Bridge - Tahoe National Forest

QWR commends the Forest Service and project partners for creating a very informative website that highlights modern trail management strategies, concepts, and construction techniques that should be part of any 21^st Century designated OHV road or trail program.  “Looped trail opportunities” are suggested as one of the concepts that could or should be part of a motorized trail system.

Sustainable ATV Trails Website

http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/atv_trails_site/index.html

The website is a must read for line-officers, trail specialists, volunteers, stakeholder groups, state and local land agencies, or other interests who want to learn about trail management and related resource protection efforts.   It contains creative and informative videos, detailed overviews, diagrams, case studies, and links to relevant documents. 

Rolling Dip - Tahoe National Forest

This information is especially useful for Forests that are implementing a travel plan.  Forest planning teams where the unit is being changed from an “Open” for cross-country travel classification to a “Restricted” to designated roads, trails, and areas classification could benefit as well.

Here are just a few of the links contained at the website:

Trail Design and Location Video

http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/atv_trails_site/manage/trail-design-and-locations.html

Trails Unlimited - Installing arch culverts, overside/underside drains, and turf blocks

http://www.fs.fed.us/trailsunlimited/projects/training-photos.shtml

Emergency Stabilization of Roads and Trails

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdf/BAERCAT/lo_res/Chap_4.pdf

Managing Trails in Wet Areas

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/00232839/page08.cfm#improv

If QWR could make several suggestions, it would be for the website to offer more detailed descriptions and/or examples of signs related to trail difficulty and assurance.  QWR also believes the website should include information that describes how trail delineators (rocks, fences, railroad type barriers, etc)  can be used in routine trail management or as post-emergency (i.e. wildfire) road/trail rehabilitation treatments. 

Trail Delineators - Stanislaus National Forest

Other management strategies such as companion trails or “roads managed as trails” should be offered as well.

QWR Article on Trail Delineators Used as Post-Fire Management Tool

http://quietwarriorracing.blogspot.com/2013/09/post-fire-travel-management-tools-trail.html

Again, this information is useful for anybody interested in how modern trail management techniques can be used to enhance responsible OHV recreation while protecting water quality and other natural resources.

Please feel free to share this information with interested parties.  Also, please consider giving feedback or comments.  You may contact QWR/Don Amador at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com
 for any questions.

Legacy of Managed OHV Recreation in Sierra Nevada Continues

QWR's Don Amador (L) and FS's Matt Brownlee (R) on OHV Bridge Constructed

to Protect Water Quality

The Foresthill OHV Area on the American River Ranger District has a long history of running a well-managed and highly popular trail program.  Located on the Tahoe National Forest near Auburn, California, the Forest Service has partnered with many stakeholders in a successful effort to provide

diverse OHV opportunities while protecting the resource.

Weather Station to Monitor Rainfall/Soil Moisture on Trail

While on a recent program review with Forest trail specialists, QWR noted that current staff were hard at work preserving that unit’s legacy by employing the most recent trail management tools and concepts to address water/soil loss, restore off-trail impacts, and armor stream crossings.

Restoration Project of Old Hill Climb

Joe Chavez, the Tahoe National Forest’s Trail Lead, states, “There are a lot of factors that land managers must consider when planning their trail maintenance schedules and work details.  Soil moisture, amount of use, trail design including difficulty, and geography are all factors that determine how a trail is managed.”

OHV Traffic Control Measures

Matt Brownlee, the new OHV Program Manager for the American River Ranger District, said, “I am excited about using my trail building and maintenance skills to help carry on the fine tradition started by my predecessor, Mark Lambert.  I believe there are many opportunities on this unit to enhance OHV 

recreational experiences.”

High Quality Single-Track Motorcycle Trail on Unit

QWR believes the OHV program on the Forest is in good hands and commends the agency for its commitment to work with partners, volunteers, and other stakeholders to offer the public a system of sustainable trail opportunities for current and future generations of OHV users.