GOT IT DONE - BLM REPAIRS FIRE DAMAGED BRIDGES

OHV Bridge Post-Fire Repair

Photo courtesy of BLM

 

                 GOT IT DONE – BLM REPAIRS FIRE DAMAGED OHV BRIDGES

OHV bridges have become a critically important part of today’s sustainable trail systems on public land particularly in mountainous or forested regions.  Often they are used to relocate motorized use out of sensitive riparian areas to protect wildlife and water quality or to provide connectivity throughout a unit’s route network.

When those structures are damaged or destroyed by wildfires or other natural disasters, public access to designated roads and trails can be severely impacted for both casual use and permitted competition events. One such federal unit is the BLM’s South Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area near Ukiah, California.

 

                             OHV Bridge - Before Repair                     OHV Bridge - After Repair

                                                           Photos courtesy of the BLM

It is a Congressionally-designated OHV recreation area where managed multiple-use OHV recreation is a prescribed use.  This almost 25K area facility has an extensive route network that provides various degrees of challenge for dirt-bikes, ATVs, SxSs, buggies, and 4WD vehicles.  It also provides motorized access to non-motorized activities such as mountain biking, wildlife views, and hunting.

 

 

          OHV Bridge - Before Repair                                   OHV Bridge - After Repair

                                                       Photos courtesy of BLM

In 2018, much of South Cow Mountain was devastated in the River Fire. Some of that destruction included a number of key OHV bridges that provided important connectivity within the route network.   Impacts to the bridge system created safety concerns and often resulted in trail closures or restrictions and also made it difficult for the agency to issue permits for historic off-road motorcycle events.

        Panther Creek OHV Bridge - Before Repair        Panther Creek OHV Bridge - After Repair

                                                     Photos courtesy of BLM

 QWR commends leadership and staff at the BLM Ukiah Field Office for their “git er done” attitude – during difficult times - to repair severely damaged OHV bridges and restore functionality and connectivity within the 94 mile network of designated roads and trails.  

 

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ENJOY WITH CAUTION - Mendocino Reopens Some Key OHV Routes

Post 2015 Route Complex Wildfire Hazard Sign on Trail

Mad River Ranger District - Six Rivers National Forest

QWR commends the Mendocino National Forest for its decision on July 12, 2019 to reopen a number of important designated roads and trails on the Forest including many popular OHV routes that loop out from, and back to, the main camping area at Fouts Springs near Stonyford, CA.

Post 2018 Ranch Fire Hazard Sign at Forest Entrance

Mendocino National Forest

Although the Forest and volunteers have already done a lot of post wildfire recovery work,  the Forest Supervisor, Ann Carlson, correctly points out in the reopening news release that , “There is still a vast amount of restoration work to do, but we are very pleased to be able to reopen much of the Ranch Fire closure area for summer visitors. We hope that visitors pay close attention to warning signs when entering the area and maintain awareness of their surroundings.”

LINK TO FOREST NEWS RELEASE ABOUT REOPENING

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mendocino/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD642024

Having spent a couple of weeks helping with those recovery efforts at Stonyford, QWR wants to join with Supervisor Carlson in advising OHV enthusiasts who visit the burn area to be aware that hazards may persist in the fire area for several years.  Some of the most common hazards out on the trail include downed trees across trails, washouts, burned out stumps or their root systems that are in or near the designated route.

July 12, 2019 Reopening Map on Mendocino NF

The Forest has a good list with illustration of those potential hazards cited in the link below:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd637738.pdf

An additional “hazard” that was not mentioned in the list is there may be a lot of burned carsonite route markers that help visitors understand where they are.  Getting disoriented could be an issue for riders who are unfamiliar to the area or only ride there during a permitted enduro or dual-sport ride.  Be sure and get a map and don’t venture on routes that you are not familiar with.

QWR/s Post Wildfire Strike Team Trail Clearing Project

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

Riders should also remember to avoid riding on non-restored or restored “cross-country” dozer lines that were cut in to attack and manage the 450,000 acre Ranch Fire.  These are not legal OHV routes.

Also, respect private property in the area.  There are many inholders on the Forest and the wildfire severely impacted their property as well.  

Dirt-Bike Trail Crews are an Important Post Wildfire Recovery Partner

QWR encourages OHVers of all vehicle types to get out and enjoy/celebrate the reopening of key recreation assets on the Forest.  Also consider volunteering for wildfire recovery efforts or support organizations that are engaged in those projects.

If you would like to find out more about volunteer work opportunities on the Forest or how support ongoing recovery efforts, please contact QWR/Don Amador at – Damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Important Role for Dirt-Bike Based Trail Crews in Post Wildfire Recovery

Dirt-Bike Based Post Wildfire Recovery Project of 50 Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

One of the lessons QWR learned during the ongoing post wildfire recovery efforts of  three federal destination OHV areas devastated by the 2018 450,000+ acre Mendocino Complex Fire highlight the need for skilled dirt-bike based “strike teams” to perform important hazard mitigation tasks on the narrower 50-inch or single-track motorcycle trails.

Downed Trees on 50-Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

While some BLM Field Offices, National Forests, and Ranger Districts have excellent trail crews or volunteers that can buck out downed trees or repair trail damage on routes used by larger OHVs such as SxSs or 4x4 vehicles, it appears that many units do not have the staff in-house with those advanced dirt-bike rider skills to deploy on narrow trail-based hazard mitigation projects.

Bucked Out Downed Trees on 50-Inch Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District

As you know, intense wildfires can destroy important OHV management tools along narrow routes such as trail delineators and signs.  Debris flows and downed trees can also impact trail access and in many remote areas they are most effectively addressed by dirt-bike based post wildfire recovery trail crews or strike teams.

Bucking Out Single Track Motorcycle Trail

Mendocino National Forest - Grindstone Ranger District 

QWR believes that OHV recreation sites in California and the West will continue to face the likelihood of more intense wildfires over the next 10-20 years.  And, that creation of skilled agency and/or volunteer dirt-biked based strike teams will have an ever increasingly important role to play in delivery of timely and strategic post wildfire recovery efforts on narrow OHV trails that are largely inaccessible by larger vehicles.

POST WILDFIRE ACCESS - Avoid Economic Impact to Local Communities

Alert Public to Post Fire Hazards

Extreme wildfires have both immediate and long-term impacts on OHV recreation. They can destroy  trail delineators, signs, viewsheds, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality-related trail structures can often be obliterated by dozers blading fire lines around the blaze.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, “…  many lands sustaining wildfire are naturally stimulated and recover to healthy conditions, some catastrophic fire can damage the land, causing threats to human life, property, and biological and cultural resources downstream. In these situations, land managers may decide to apply "first-aid" immediately after the wildfire to help stabilize and repair the landscape.

The USDA Forest Service and Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies use Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) to manage post-fire response actions within a year of a wildfire being contained. These efforts, also known as Emergency Stabilization, prevent further degradation of natural and cultural resources, and protect life and property.

In some cases, DOI may provide additional funding to improve burned areas and achieve desired conditions for up to 3 years after containment. "Burned Area Rehabilitation" (BAR) supports the healing process and provides a "bridge" to long-term recovery. Allocation of BAR funds involves a rigorous and competitive process to evaluate projects. This ensures the needs of greatest concern on DOI lands are addressed first.

Further rehabilitation and maintenance of healthy conditions are the responsibility of local land managers through agency natural resources programs.

Caution Signs - Post Fire Management Tool

A recent main stream media story (see link below) also illustrates that loss of road and trail access can have a devastating impact to the local community’s culture and economy.

LINK TO ROADS ARE MONEY ARTICLE

https://www.businessinsider.com/r-smoke-gets-in-your-eyes-wildfires-sting-california-park-tourism-2018-8

QWR understands that land agencies are faced with a lot of difficult decisions on how to recover the land after the wildfire has been put out and that temporary closures can be an important tool for when a bridge or road is washed out. 

Post Fire Trail Management Tool

However, given the important role that outdoor recreation has as a critical economic driver in many rural areas, QWR believes that land agencies should avoid - if possible - landscape level closures of the burn area and work with various partners in post-fire recovery planning and implementation of subsequent “first aid” travel and resource management prescriptions that are focused on reopening affected areas in a timely manner so as to avoid prolonged impacts to recreation access and local communities.  

POST FIRE GOLD - Don't Trespass - Stay the Trail

Gold Note OHV Area

Eldorado NF

With many FS and BLM OHV areas being impacted by devastating wildfires, QWR believes it is important for the OHV community to remember (and be thankful for) a number of other fun OHV areas that can help offer family-oriented trail recreation during these trying times.

Stay on the Trail

Eldorado NF

While up on a business trip to visit with Dave Pickett, a good friend and AMA District 36 Legislative Action Officer, I made use of some free to take a short tour of the Gold Note OHV Area located on the Eldorado National Forest.

Link to FS Info on Gold Note OHV Area

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3795235.pdf

The Forest Service has done a good job of signing the trails and armoring some of their park/staging areas.

Gold Note OHV Staging Area

Eldorado NF

QWR believes that non-fire impacted OHV areas will play an important role by providing access for both casual use and permitted events while units impacted by wildfires are repaired post-fire mitigations such as hazard tree removal, erosion control structures constructed or reconstructed, and barriers or trail delineators installed.

OHV 4WD Route

Eldorado NF

Please stay safe during this fire season and avoid illegal off-route trespass in sensitive areas or onto private property where signs, barriers, or protective vegetation has been burned off by the wildfires.

OHV ON FIRE - Gear Up to Support Post-Wildfire Recovery Efforts

Don Amador on Past Tour at BLM's Cow Mountain OHV Area

*Unit on Fire Now - Mendocino Complex Fire*

OPINION

Don Amador

July 29, 2018

OHV ON FIRE - GEAR UP TO SUPPORT POST-WILDFIRE RECOVERY EFFORTS

Many in the OHV community are being directly or indirectly impacted by the horrific and deadly wildfires burning throughout the West including those fires raging out-of-control in the BLM’s Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding and the BLM’s Cow Mountain OHV Area near Ukiah/Lakeport in Northern California. 

BLM's Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

*On Fire Now - Carr Fire*

One of the lessons I have learned over the last 10-20 years working on numerous volunteer post-fire recovery projects at OHV recreation sites and serving on a regional forest-health/fuels management collaborative is the important role that OHV stakeholders (i.e. clubs, volunteers, grant partners such as the CA OHV Division, and OHV Industry grants, federal disaster relief aid, etc.) have in the delivery and implementation of post-fire mitigation efforts.

Post-Wildfire Hazards

Intense wildfires can destroy important OHV management tools such as trail delineators, signs, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality trail structures can often be obliterated by dozers creating access routes for firefighters or blading fire lines around the blaze.

2012 Mill Fire - Post-Wildfire Trail Clearing

Mendocino National Forest

With winter rains coming in a relatively short period of time, a lot of the post-fire recovery projects will be centered on soil stabilization.  Here are some of those site-specific project areas.

  

Roads/Trails:

• Restoring drainage
• Clean the ditches and culverts
• Pull floatable debris from uphill of the culverts
• Water bars/Rolling Dips

Trails:

• Erosion control measures
• Trail stabilization
• Hazard tree mitigation
• Install route markers
• Install public warning signs gates and barricades

Protection/Safety:

• Hazard tree mitigation
• Cultural resource protection

Let’s continue to keep our family, friends, and firefighters in our thoughts and prayers and gear up to support important post-fire recovery efforts.

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