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.

Recreation on Private Lands - Important Factor in 21st Century

QWR believes that private lands will continue to grow as an important factor in providing high quality motorized and non-motorized recreational opportunities in the 21^st Century.   A great example of that is the new Off-Road Adventure module at Princeville Ranch located on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii.

This 2,500 acre working cattle ranch also offers horseback riding and zip line adventures.  QWR was impressed with the sustainable grazing prescription that rotates the herd on 7 separate sections.  By integrating recreation with the stock program, QWR believes the ranch provides important food products, jobs, and diverse tourism opportunities to the local economy.

Princeville Ranch joins Plum Creek, a timber management company, and many other private land interests in providing responsible OHV recreation to the public.

QWR believes this “multiple-use” approach adopted by Princeville Ranch and others can help the in-holder meets it resource and business management objectives while providing an important recreational opportunity to the public. 

QWR believes this pro-active approach to recreation management on their private lands should be looked to as a model by other landowners who are considering allowing OHV or other forms of recreation on their in-holdings.

Princeville Ranch

http://princevilleranch.com/off-road-adventure/

Plum Creek Recreation Program

http://www.plumcreek.com/PlumCreek/media/Library/PDFs/Recreation/Plum-Creek-Northern-Hunting-Program.pdf?fileticket=gDT49PaetUY%3D&tabid=142&mid=794

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Wildfires are Not a Laughing Matter - Simple Tips for OHV Recreationists

With wildfires burning throughout the West, QWR wants to remind OHV enthusiasts to follow the recommendations from the BLM and other land management agencies to… “Never park a vehicle over dead grass; the catalytic converter can ignite the vegetation…”

2012 Mill Fire Impacts to OHV Staging Area

 QWR also strongly supports the proper use of a well-maintained USDA Forest Service Approved spark arrestor when operating an OHV on public lands.

Link to Forest Service Spark Arrestor Guide

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/html/03511307/03511307.htm

Another suggestion for operating an OHV during the fire season is for the operator to remove any vegetation that has gotten trapped in the vehicle frame or body.  Our land management friends in Canada produced a short and informative video about the need to rid our vehicles from any buildup of dead grass or other vegetative debris when out on the trail.

ESRD Alberta Canada PSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6vPd6a3-5U

QWR believes that OHVs can be operated safely during the summer months if riders and operators follow many of the common sense regulations and guidelines that will help prevent wildfires and allow us to continue our recreational activities on public lands.

Managed OHV Recreation vs. Status Quo - Our Future Hangs in the Balance

Armored Trail Section on Rubicon Trail

For several years, QWR has stated that “Managed OHV Recreation” is a key tenet to the long-term viability of motorized access to public roads, trails, and areas.

User Group Participation

Arguing for the status quo on federal and state units where agencies are faced with a growing number of OHV-related environmental laws, regulations, and court orders is not a wise course of action.

Catch Basin/Rolling Dip on Rubicon Trail

QWR believes access advocates should champion proven trail management prescriptions that mitigate soil erosion, water quality, and wildlife impacts.   A recent article in the Auburn Journal highlights the merits of implementing pro-active OHV management strategies on the world-famous Rubicon Trail.

Auburn Journal Article on Rubicon Trail

http://www.auburnjournal.com/article/7/29/14/roaders-tackle-rubicon#.U9kP5MdbPiU.facebook

What makes the Jeepers Jamboree possible in the 21^st Century for the 1,000 people who attended this year’s event is the multi-year collaborative effort on the part of the Forest Service, county government, OHV enthusiasts, and the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division Grant program to address water quality, soil erosion, and sanitation issues.   Unless those concerns were addressed, there was a good chance the Rubicon Trail would have been closed.

SST Vault Toilet Installed on Rubicon Trail

QWR believes it is important for professional OHV representatives and grassroots advocates to offer proven and sound trail management solutions to agency staff as they work on various travel management-related projects and landscape level planning efforts.

ADDITIONAL READING 

QWR’s Previous Article on Water Quality Mitigation

http://quietwarriorracing.blogspot.com/2013/02/water-quality-management-key-to-ohv.html

Polaris and National Forest Foundation Team Up to Enhance Trails on National Forest Lands

Example of Grant Funded OHV Bridge in the Sierra National Forest

Installed to Protect Water Quality

QWR believes the future of OHV recreation on public lands is dependent on many factors including agency commitment, appropriated funds, partnerships with user groups and non-profits, volunteerism, use of modern trail management techniques, and non-federal grant opportunities.

QWR would like to highlight a recent example of a where an OHV industry grant program has teamed up with the National Forest Foundation on projects to armor trails (to address soil erosion) and enhance “looped opportunities” on the Superior National Forest.

National Forest Foundation News Release

http://www.nationalforests.org/press/releases/polaris-and-nff-team-up-to-restore-superior-national-forest-ohv-trails

This is a good case-study that highlights a growing trend in managed OHV recreation where both traditional and non-traditional stakeholders and partners are working in a collaborative effort to enhance sustainable OHV recreation on public lands.

QWR believe this new trend is important and will help protect resources and secure high quality OHV recreational activities on public lands for generations to come.

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.

Ethics for Recreational Shooting on Federal Lands

Recreational target shooting is a time honored tradition on federal lands in the West.  Often times, sport shooting enthusiasts use OHVs such as Side x Sides, ATVs, or jeep-type vehicles to access the backcountry where target shooting is legal.

Our good friends at Tread Lightly! have developed some sport shooting ethics such as: practice target shooting and other shooting sports only on lands opened to shooting - never take a shot unless you see the target clearly and you know what lies between you, the target and beyond - don’t shoot across roads, trails, waterways or into caves - and do not shoot in developed recreation sites such as campgrounds, trailheads, parking areas or boat launches.

TL Recreational Shooting Ethics

http://treadlightly.org/quick-tips-for-responsible-shooting-sports/

QWR believes it is important that you do not use live trees as a backstop and to make sure you have a dirt embankment as a bullet stop.  QWR supports TL’s recommendation that shooters check with the local land manager to find out about any restrictions.

Just as riding your OHV with non-sound compliant exhaust is unacceptable, shooting up signs and leaving your spent casings on the ground are equally damaging to ongoing efforts to protect and promote recreational access to public lands.