2015 NOHVCC National Trail Conf. - Oct. 25 - Nov. 1

R5 Wet Weather Soil Study Update at 2014 Ranger Ride/Workshop

Tahoe NF

Dear OHV Recreation Agency Contacts,

I talked with a number of agency recreation staff at last week’s OHV commission meeting

in Sonora who asked about the dates for the NOHVCC 2015 National OHV Trail Conf.

As you know, QWR is attending this event and encourages agency recreation staff to

attend as these events are a great opportunity to network with OHV recreation specialists

from around the country. 

NOHVCC is still working on the final event program, but here is the preliminary info.

It will be held in Folsom, a suburb of Sacramento the week of October 25 - November 1, 2015;

most likely using the same schedule as last year.

Here is the agenda from the 2014 conf. as they expect to follow the same format.

2014 NOHVCC Agenda (Tue. – Sun.)

http://www.nohvcc.org/docs/default-source/miscellaneous-files/2014registrationpacket.pdf?sfvrsn=2

QWR will be working with NOHVCC on some potential trail rides at nearby OHV areas during

the 1^st part of the week.

Here is a link to a story QWR did when it attended the 2012 NOHVCC National Conf.

http://quietwarriorracing.blogspot.com/2012/08/new-trail-ideas-highlighted-at-2012.html

Stay tuned for updates.

Don Amador

Quiet Warrior Racing

www.quietwarriorracing.com

CA Online Campfire Permit Program is Important Public Service

As we enter the 2015 wildfire season, QWR wants to let riders know about a new program where you can get your California Campfire Permit online.

The folks at the CALIFORNIA WILDLAND FIRE COORDINATING GROUP (CWCG) have a great website where you can get your campfire permit online and also obtain the latest information on helping prevent catastrophic wildfires. 

CWCG Website

http://www.preventwildfireca.org/

CWCG Online Campfire Permit

http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfires/

QWR learned about the online fire permit program while at the recent CA OHMVR Commission meeting held in Sonora, California.  That meeting included a well-planned field tour of the 2013 Rim Fire.

Stanislaus NF Fire Staff Explain Campfire Safety

One of the tour stops including a presentation by Stanislaus NF fire staff where they highlighted the agency’s fire restriction program and ways to safely manage a campfire on public lands.

CWCG states that your campfire permit is valid from the date issued until the end of the calendar year. And, that permits are required to have campfire or portable gas stoves on public lands.

They also encourage you to check to ensure there are not any local fire restrictions in the area, since during periods of high fire danger, campfires may be restricted. You should also keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby at all times.

QWR believes the online campfire permit program is an important public service since many land agencies are not open on Friday night or over the weekend when folks are most likely to use public lands for OHV recreation.

QWR took the test and it is convenient, easy, and informative.  Once you have taken the quiz and looked at the 2.5 minute instructional video, you can print out your campfire permit.  Remember to SIGN the permit once you print it out.

QWR hopes that you will have a fun and fire-safe summer this year.  Also, if your state has a similar online campfire permit program – be sure and send us a note at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Happy Trails this summer from QWR.

Op - Ed -- No Silver Bullets in Relationship Cultivation

Op-Ed by Don Amador

5/31/15

After 25 years of working in the land-use arena, I believe the single most important key to effective advocacy for the long-term viability of OHV recreation on public and private lands is developing personal and professional relationships with important stakeholders.

There are no short-cuts in the relationship building process.  Relationships with supporters, sponsors, colleagues, agency staff, conservation/environmental representatives, media, and legislative staff are developed over many years and even decades.

Here are the three main relationship building blocks.

Trust

Regardless of who you are dealing with, they must be able to trust your word when it comes to confidentiality.  Advocacy leaders must never breech that tenet as it will tag you permanently as somebody who cannot be trusted.   The degree of your effectiveness is directly proportional to your ability to honor privileged conversations.

Credibility

 If you expect to become a reliable source for correct information, one should make every effort to research a topic before offering information that may be factually incorrect, misleading, or false.  One should resist the temptation, in an effort to appear knowledgeable, to supply inaccurate information that may actually harm your position.  In addition, the most successful advocates have a core group of “advisors” where their ideas can be vetted.

Commitment

There are no silver bullets. The most common assumption that new advocates make is that it will only take  1-2 years of a concerted effort on their part to set everybody straight, correct all problems,  and then get on, or in, their OHV of choice and ride off into the sunset. 

The stakeholders you interface with want to know that you are committed to building a strong professional and/or personal relationship with them.  They want to know their effort in this two-way process will not be a waste of time and resources.

If one adopts these three building blocks, they will find that agency staff will be more likely to work with you on trail issues.  After all, government officials are people too and they have a lot of discretion when it comes to providing, or not providing, high-quality recreational opportunities.

Sponsors and supporters will be more likely to fund your land-use efforts.  You will also find conservation leaders more willing to work with you on joint projects that directly enhance or maintain trail access and protect resources.

I believe these concepts, if adopted and put into practice, will establish you as a credible leader and valued friend.

# # #

Don Amador is owner of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting and is a contractor for the BlueRibbon Coalition where he serves as their Western Representative.  Don works from his office in Oakley, CA and may be reached by email at: damador@cwo.com

Full or Half Culvert OHV Bridges Address Water Quality on System Trails

QWR on New Full Culvert OHV Bridge

As federal and state land management agencies throughout the country continue to add or improve environmental protections to their designated trail systems, QWR wants to highlight several newly constructed full and half culvert OHV water crossing structures.

Example One - Trail Before Install of Full Culvert OHV Bridge

These OHV “bridges” were noted on a recent field tour of various trail system improvement projects on the Eldorado National Forest, Georgetown Ranger District.  The Mace Mill OHV Area is a popular motorized and non-motorized trail-based recreation area located in the Sierra Nevada.  Dirt-bike enthusiasts share many of the trails with local equestrians.  Several motorcycle events are held each year including the Fools Gold Enduro and the Crazy Miner Family Enduro.

Example One - Trail After Install of Full Culvert OHV Bridge

Increasing regulations related to water quality and soil erosion means that land agencies, partners, and volunteers will need to employ the most current trail management techniques to address resource concerns.

QWR believes that both full and half culvert trail bridges are appropriate structures depending on site-specific details - such as soil composition, amount of water flow, type of vehicle using the trail, or topography - of each installment.

Example Two - Trail Before Install of Half Culvert OHV Bridge

One advantage the half culvert has over the full culvert is that it maintains the original creek bed and has fewer disturbances to the stream channel.

Example Two -Trail After Install of Half Culvert OHV Bridge

John Ward, OHV Manager for the Georgetown Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest, states, "Modern trail management strategies include armoring stream courses to protect water quality.  The Eldorado National Forest appreciates the partnership it has with the California Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR). The OHMVR grant program provides critical resources that enable the Forest to provide an environmentally sound and high quality OHV trail experience to the public."

One of the Mixed-Use Trails at Mace Mill OHV Area

As QWR has stated before, the future of OHV depends on our collective ability to successfully address motorized recreation-related water quality issues on state and federal lands.

*QWR wants to thank John Ward for his contributions to this article and for his work on the unit.

Forest Service Chainsaw Class - Important Training Tool for Trail Volunteers

Mendocino NF Chainsaw Class and Instructors

Managing sustainable OHV and other recreation programs on federal lands is a complex challenge in the 21^st Century.  Most successful programs have these common factors; appropriated funds, support from line-officers, dedicated recreation staff, supplemental monies from fee programs, state or other grants, and volunteers. 

QWR's Don Amador

 

For this article, QWR wants to focus on trail volunteers and their growing import in the aforementioned equation.   To bolster their volunteer workforce, the Mendocino National Forest recently held a chainsaw certification class for volunteers.

Blowdown on FS Motorcycle Trail

According to the agency, before Forest Service volunteers can operate a chain saw or a crosscut saw on a Forest Service project, they need to attend an official Forest Service training course on the safe and proper use of these saws.  The Forest Service has training courses specific to the use of saws for firefighting and for other purposes.  Usually, the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) course is the preferred crosscut and chainsaw class for non-fire personnel.   The operational and safety based training course for volunteers will help both experienced and inexperienced sawyers use chain saws and crosscut saws for limbing, bucking, brushing, and—to a limited degree—for felling smaller and less complex material.  Safety is the number one element emphasized in the chainsaw training.

Trail Crew Clearing Blowdown on FS 4wd, SxS, ATV, and MC Trail

The training is very comprehensive.  Topics include, but are not limited to: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), area size up, proper body positioning and stance,  familiarity with OSHA requirements and regulations, physics of “binds”,  physics of “kickback”, sawyer/swamper communication, cutting area control, danger tree awareness,  job hazard analysis and emergency evacuation plans,  Forest Service radio communication, radio procedures and how to use a Forest Service radio;  parts of the chainsaw,  how to sharpen chainsaw chain,  and saw maintenance;   and of course the inclusion of safe chainsaw handling, starting and stopping procedures, use of escape routes,  and field practice with limbing and bucking practicum.

LINK to FS Chainsaw Course (with volunteer section)

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/fire-aviation/management/?cid=stelprdb5366863

Bill Aaron, a Region 5 chainsaw instructor who taught our class, states, “Trail volunteers are an important part of the Forest Service trails system.  Without their assistance the upkeep and maintenance would be much more difficult, and they are an integral key in the trails program.”

Chainsaw and Rack on QWR's DRZ400 Trail Maint. Bike

The Forest Service also states that volunteers who have completed saw training successfully are usually certified at the "A”  or “B” level. The level of certification indicates the types of saw work, along with any restrictions, that the volunteer can perform.  The "A" level is considered “apprentice” and the "B level is considered “intermediate” with restrictions limiting them to limbing, brushing, and bucking.

After training is complete, a line officer (usually the district ranger or unit manager) issues the volunteer's saw qualification card. Saw training and recertification is required every 3 years.

Don Amador, QWR President, states, “A skilled trail volunteer workforce is a force-multiplier and they not only help keep trail clear of trees and other vegetation, but their donated hours can be used as a match for grants from the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division.  Volunteers continue to be an important factor in the land-management equation.”

Chainsaw Certification Card

“I considered it a privilege to have been part of this chainsaw class where safety and proper cutting techniques were emphasized.  Recent wildfires at popular OHV areas such as Stonyford on the Mendocino National Forest and Hull Creek on the Stanislaus National Forest highlight the need for a skilled volunteer workforce,” Amador concludes.

# # #

Amateur Off-Road Events are Educational Opportunities

Youth at Tech Station

2015 Shasta Dam GP

Amateur off-road events are great family-oriented venues where competitors challenge their skills on designated OHV trails.  In addition, they can provide an important real-time in-the-field educational opportunity for professional advocates, volunteers, club members, and land managers to share new management concepts, review trail maintenance and restoration projects, and practice enforcement of OHV-related rules and regulations.

Recently, QWR had the privilege to help with tech services at the AMA National Shasta Dam Grand Prix held at the BLM’s Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding, California.   Hosted by the Redding Dirt Riders, this event afforded us chance to help educate riders - young and old alike - about riding with current vehicle registration, sound compliant exhaust, and U.S. Forest Service approved spark arresters.

QWR Riding with BLM Staff on Trail Review

Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

Before and after the event, QWR was able to tour a number of recent and proposed trail and restoration projects with BLM recreation and fire/fuels staff.  This was a great opportunity to see how the use of modern trail management techniques are used to address water quality and soil erosion.  In addition, it was important to see how fire/fuel reduction projects might help reduce the intensity of a wildfire.

BLM's, Sky Zaffarono, at Current Trail Maintenance Project

Chappie-Shasta OHV Area 

This last weekend, QWR was at Round One of the AMA Sanctioned SRT D36 Northern California Championship Enduro Series.  The 61^st Annual Sawmill Brand Q Enduro was hosted by the North Bay Motorcycle Club. 

Sara Mathews, the Outdoor Recreation Planner for the BLM’s Ukiah Field Office, was on hand to help oversee the event and to practice the field-level application/enforcement of California’s OHV regulations related to spark arresters, registration, and sound compliant exhaust.   QWR, RDR, and BLM were also able to tour trail and restoration projects.

BLM's, Sara Mathews, Checking Spark Arrester

Cow Mountain National Recreation Area

Trail Armor on Climbing Turn

Cow Mountain National Recreation Area

The 2015 Sawmill Enduro was held at the BLM’s Cow Mountain National Recreation Area (NRA) near Ukiah, California. This NRA was designated by Congress specifically for OHV use in 2006.

The ever growing number of retiring BLM and Forest Service recreation staff and line-officers who are experienced with managing OHV recreation is problematic.  QWR believes a lot of corporate knowledge is being lost.  Additionally, said retirements have even a greater impact on OHV because those personal and professional relationships that have been developed over the last 20-30 years are lost as well.  

QWR believes it is incumbent on the OHV community to make sure that relationships are cultivated with new federal and state recreation staff and leadership.  It is not just enough to ask for a meeting at the district office.  While those meetings are important, it is even more critical that you ask for agency staff to meet you in the field to review issues, ideas, and solutions.

Often times, new agency staff are not familiar with OHV recreation and in some cases have never taken a ride in a 4WD, ATV, dirt-bike, or SxS.  At that introductory meeting in the office, try and schedule a time when you can meet recreation staff in the field or at an event.  There is no substitute for taking a ride together in a SxS or other OHV and discussing trail and resource management from that close perspective.

Proudly Display Your "E-Ticket" OHV Registration Decal

QWR believes that registering your off-highway motorcycle (and other OHVs) and properly displaying your state’s particular vehicle identification decal in the required manner in an important part of managed OHV recreation in the 21^st Century. 

Modern OHV recreation management is a complex formula that includes appropriated monies for trail construction/maintenance, dedicated recreation staff, volunteerism, grant funding, support from line officers, resource protection, conservation efforts, restoration projects, safeguarding cultural sites, use of sound compliant exhaust with spark arresters, appropriate levels of law enforcement, and proper placement of OHV-related vehicle identification decals.

In California, the state OHV decal is called a “green or red sticker.”  The CA Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVRD) states that for [off-road] motorcycles  the decal shall be placed on the left fork leg, horizontal or vertical, visible from the left.

*LINK to OHMVRD FAQs

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26294

Over the years, QWR has seen CA green/red stickers placed behind front number plates, inside the airbox cover, on the frame, under the seat, or inside a side cover.  

Proper placement of your OHV identification decal helps the sport in a number of ways.  It shows other riders that you value high-quality OHV recreation and the ongoing efforts by agency staff and private sector advocates to keep trails open.  Following decal placement instructions also shows law enforcement officials that you have paid your “E-Ticket” to enjoy managed OHV recreation on public lands. 

Please take time to read the placement instructions that should accompany your new registration decal.  We know that often you are in a hurry to get out and ride, but taking a few extra minutes to place your decal in the appropriate location will help ensure that OHV recreation has a bright future.

*ROVs/SxSs are not specifically mentioned in CA law but sticker placement should mimic other four wheeled vehicles.