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.

# # # 

Trail Management - Post-Fire Hazard Tree Mitigation Takes Collective Effort

QWR SxS Module on FS Post-Mill Fire Volunteer Project

Extreme wildfires have an immediate impact on OHV recreation such as public access bans in the burn area for periods of one year or longer.  They also destroy management tools such as trail delineators, signs, kiosks, and campground facilities.  Costly soil erosion and water quality trail structures can often be obliterated in the initial attack by dozers blading fire lines around the blaze.

While these immediate impacts and their associated mitigation measures are readily apparent, the long-term post-fire management efforts to address hazard trees (dead trees) falling across designated roads and trails for the next 2-15 years should not be overlooked.

As OHV users know, downed trees create a number of management issues which include completely blocked routes or riders creating impromptu reroutes to get around the obstacle.   The presence of hazard trees also requires both non-motorized and motorized recreationists to be aware of their surroundings when traveling through the forest.  Trail obstacles can impact both casual use and permitted events.

QWR believes it takes a committed partnership between the agency, volunteers, and other stakeholders to successfully manage a designated road and trail system on any National Forest.  This is especially true on units that have experienced a recent uncontrolled wildfire.

Team Effort to Clear Downed Trees

QWR suggests the best way for you to participate in volunteer trail management projects is to join a local OHV club that has an existing relationship with the Forest Service or BLM unit you like to visit.  If your local federal unit does not have a volunteer program, consider contacting them and inquiring how you can help partner with the agency. 

Young's Corral Bypass Project - New OHV Corridor Between Two FS Ranger Districts

FS LE and Volunteers Install New OHV Corridor Signs

QWR wants to commend volunteers from the Hayward Motorcycle Club and the Marin County Motorcycle Association for their participation and support at the recent Young’s Corral Bypass Signing Project.  Riders helped Forest Service staff upgrade the current signing prescription to reflect reestablishment of an official OHV corridor between the Grindstone and Upper Lake Ranger Districts on the Mendocino National Forest.

FS OHV Staff Give Project Instructions to Volunteers

This has been a 7 year endeavor which started when private property owners decided to not allow public use on a segment of the old OHV corridor that transected their property.  Once no trespassing signs and gates were installed on the corridor by the owners, it became obvious that another route should be found and designated so non-street legal OHVs could tour between the two units.

Private Property Posting on Old OHV Corridor

Another route was found but there was private property at an important intersection.  However, the solution was simple and that was for the Forest Service to utilize an existing road bed for a short bypass around the private property. 

The Young’s Corral Bypass Project was completed last year and the trail bed was allowed to rest and cure over the winter season.   The signing update project reflected official reestablishment of the 26 mile long OHV corridor which allows use by non-street legal dirt-bikes, SxSs, and jeep-type vehicles.

Sign Advising Riders that Private Property is Ahead

(i.e. Don't Go There)

QWR believes that long-term vision/commitment by volunteers and the agency to provide a sustainable, high quality, and common sense OHV route network is a key element to the future needs of the user community and the Forest.

View from Potential Dispersed Campsite Along New Route

QWR wants to again thank all of the public lands partners including individual users, clubs, agency staff, and OHMVR Division for their support of this and other joint efforts.