UPDATE - Efficacy of Lincoln Log No-Dig Trail Delineators

May 2019 Review of Lincoln Log Barriers Installed

in October 2018 - Post Carr Fire Recovery Update

BLM Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

Efficacy is the ability of achieving a goal or objective to produce the intended result.  In the case of post-wildfire recovery of recreation facilities those efforts often include travel management-related projects to reestablish delineation of designated routes, highlight a trail entrance, or protect natural or cultural resources.

Over the last 18 years, QWR has witnessed the increased frequency of reoccurring intense wildfires impacting popular federal recreation areas in the California and the West.

Lincoln Log Barriers Installed in Oct. 2018

Many land management agencies have historically relied on a post wildfire model to “buy and replace” milled timber barriers to meet desired travel management objectives. Often purchasing, constructing, and transporting a milled timber barrier with footings and rebar stakes to its destination at a remote trailhead or cultural site can exceed $100 to $150 dollars each.

While milled timber barriers or trail delineators may still be valid and necessary depending on desired management objectives, QWR believes our new and more frequent wildfire reality requires us to reevaluate the automatic response to purchase miles of costly milled timber barriers vs. increased use of “free” on-site dead or dying trees to construct “lincoln log” trail delineators.

Milled Timber Barriers Installed in Oct. 2018

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

To review the effectiveness of lincoln log delineators to restrict OHV travel on routes impacted by dozer lines, QWR reviewed post-Carr Fire recovery efforts at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area near Redding, California.

In October of 2018, OHV volunteers and BLM recreation staff installed both milled timber and non-dig lincoln log barriers/trail delineators on several dozer lines created during fire suppression efforts.

The “No Dig” Strike Team was directed to a dozer line that needed barriers installed. The team cut various lengths of dead trees on-site which were then laid into the v-notches of natural footings also cut on-site from fire damaged trees. 

This created a stable natural-looking no-dig barrier/delineator that highlighted the designated path of vehicle travel and/or the area that was protected. 

A recent field review in May 2019 showed those no-dig lincoln log barriers were meeting their management objective and were just as effective to date as the milled timber barriers.

May 2019 Review of Milled Timber Barriers that were

Installed in Oct. 2018 - BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

QWR believes that some credit to the effectiveness of both the no-dig and milled timber barriers can be attributed to ongoing travel management efforts by the Forest Service, BLM, and the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to encourage OHV travel on designated roads, trails, and areas.

Freshly Installed Lincoln Log Trail Delineators Installed

May 2019 at Post River Fire Recovery Project

BLM Cow Mountain OHV Area

While the 2005 Forest Service Travel Management Rule that directed all National Forests to designate roads, trails and areas for motorized use was at the time controversial, it appears that post-2005 travel management planning efforts and subsequent implementation strategies may be contributing to the user community’s willingness to stay on designated routes at popular OHV areas in the West that are at risk from intense wildfires.

  

Lincoln log barriers/delineators are just one of many post wildfire recovery travel management tools that may not be as effective in high use areas such as campgrounds and staging areas where milled timber or rock barriers are more appropriate.

However in more remote areas where OHV recreationists are simply passing through on a designated road or trail, the no dig delineator might prove to be a more cost-effective option.

  

Agency Leads get Dirt Bike Training at Nor Cal OHV Area

Chris Lloyd (L), Archeologist, BLM Ukiah Field Office - Rebecca Wong (C), Manager,

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument - Paul Hart (R), MSF Dirt Bike Coach 

QWR wants to congratulate the federal land agency leads that completed official dirt bike motorcycle training at a recent trail workshop held at the BLM’s Chappie Shasta OHV Area near Redding, California on April 26, 2019.

Those graduates include Rebecca Wong, Manager of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, and Chris Lloyd, BLM Archeologist at the Ukiah Field Office.  The class was taught by Paul Hart, a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Dirt Bike Coach.  Hart is also the Trails Manager on the Yuba River Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest.

Paul Hart (L), MSF Dirt Bike Coach - Chris Lloyd (L), BLM 

Ukiah Field Office 

QWR believes it is important for agency line-officers, specialists, and recreation staff to learn how to ride OHVs so they can have 1st hand knowledge of how travel management is being implemented on their unit.

Due to decreasing federal funding for recreation and related training, QWR believes that non-government partners have an important role to play in helping provide access for agency staff to certified safety instruction for OHVs.

Don Amador, President of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting, states, “A lot of our OHV trail opportunities are either designated as single-track motorcycle trails or ‘50-inch’ routes that are used by dirt-bikes, ATVs, and in some cases very narrow UTVs.”

“Due to decreased federal funding for recreation programs, it is important for OHV stakeholder groups to create educational opportunities for agency staff to get dirt-bike and other OHV-related training.  There are a lot of important travel management, resource protection, and post wildfire recovery planning efforts that deserve on-trail review by decision-makers and riding the appropriately sized OHV on those surveys is the best way to understand the issue,” Amador continues.

“QWR wants to thank Beta USA for their support of rider education with use of an Xtrainer and Paul Hart for his ongoing commitment to helping educate agency staff on how to ride a dirt-bike in a safe and responsible manner. QWR looks forward to our continued partnership with Hart and land agencies to provide dirt-bike classes at future events,” Amador concludes.

# # #

Core Tenets of Successful Competition Off-Road Motorcycle Events

Race 2 - Round 4 - AMA West Hare Scramble Championship

BLM Chappie Shasta OHV Area

Amateur off-road motorcycle competition organizations rely on collaboration with diverse partnerships and key stakeholders for a successful event.  One good example of that axiom was highlighted this past weekend at the Shasta Dam Grand Prix hosted by the Redding Dirt Riders (RDR).

Stewart Helmer (L), RDR Flag Pole Project Lead at Chappie Staging Area receives

 Proclamation from City of Shasta Lake Mayor, Greg Watkins (R)

QWR has created a list of five core tenets that form a solid foundation upon which a competition event is constructed.

BLM Law Enforcement at Event

First, it takes an active OHV club that is substantively engaged with the local land management agency.  Throughout the year RDR often donates time and materials to enhance OHV staging areas or maintain the trail network.  They also attend BLM meetings and have an open line of communication with the agency.

Sky Zaffarano, BLM OHV Lead, on Pre-Event Monitoring Recon

Second, engaging with local government leaders on important public land access and recreation planning efforts is critical.  Often, elected county and city officials rely on active OHV clubs for information and feedback on recreation opportunities within their jurisdiction or sphere of influence.  Those elected officials can then review or amend policies that enhance OHV recreation for their residents and visitors.

Shasta Lake Fire Department at Event

Local 1^st responders are also an important part of that local government outreach since they can provide important first aid and rescue for a competition event.

Third, competition events can bring an economic benefit to rural businesses so it is important to communicate with them on event support opportunities for vendors, hotels, dealerships, stores, and other economic interests.

Local Food Vendors at Event

Fourth, robust communication between the local OHV club and larger sanctioning bodies makes for a smooth event that is both noticed and appreciated by the riders and spectators.

Racers Enjoying Event

Last but not least, creating an event that meets rider expectation and spectator need is what all of the aforementioned tenets are focused on and those elements include a quality trail network and camping/staging facility, support from local elected officials/1^st responders, working with local economic interests, and substantive communication with the sanctioning body.  When those factors are combined they add up to seamless delivery of a stellar event.

# # # 

BREAKING NEWS - Interior Orders BLM to Review Disposal Lands for Recreation Access

"Disposal Site" near BLM Moonrocks OHV Area

Carson City BLM Field Office

QWR strongly supports the decision made today by Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to issue a  secretarial order requiring BLM to consider public access for outdoor recreational activities before deciding whether a federal parcel should be sold or exchanged.

INTERIOR ORDER 3373

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/s0_3373.pdf

This order should help the agency strengthen its ongoing commitment to preserving OHV recreation opportunities when disposal areas – previously identified by the BLM or Congress – overlap, or are adjacent to, existing Special Recreation Management Areas or other recreation or general use designations.

In California and other Western States, checkerboard or matrix lands can impede the BLM’s effort to provide connectivity for federally maintained roads and trails.  Consolidation can improve both motorized and non-motorized recreational opportunities particularly where the public was prohibited from legal egress and ingress by non-federal land owners.

Don Amador, President of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting, states, “I have long supported the concept of consolidation of BLM administered lands for public benefit and careful review of proposed disposal lands to ensure they are not currently being used for recreational activities or have the potential to provide access to new trails or other forms of recreation.”

“As a newly appointed ‘OHV Recreation’ representative to the Central CA BLM RAC, I look forward to discussions with other RAC members and the agency about looking for opportunities to purchase or exchange non-federal lands to enhance public access and recreational opportunity at existing BLM units or create new recreation sites in underserved areas,” Amador concludes.

# # #   

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. 

YOLO OHV UPDATE - Packed House at Yolo County OHV Park Public Meeting

County Park Staff Present OHV Park Info 

***ACTION REQUIRED – Take Surveys***

Because of the many alerts and flyers posted by OHV organizations and local government, over 40 people from the OHV and conservation communities attended the Yolo County OHV Park Informational Session on February 21, 2019 in Woodland, CA.

Besides the large number of attendees from local and state OHV organizations, it was impressive to see the high level of commitment by Yolo County Parks and Recreation staff to locate a new OHV recreation facility (or facilities) in their jurisdiction.

Several important factors were cited by local government staff or noted by the audience as the reason for this renewed effort to site a new OHV recreation area in Yolo County and those tenets include:

• Direction from Yolo County Board of Supervisors to find new OHV recreation opportunities
•  
• Permanent reauthorization of the CA OHV Program in 2017 via SB249
•  
• Support from the Yolo County Sheriff
•  
• Stable CA OHV Grant Program
•  
• 2018 County OHV Survey has most participation of any public survey in county history
•  
• Support from local/regional conservation organizations
•  
• Support from diverse OHV recreation interests
•  
• OHV Recreation is important to rural economies

Again, Yolo County is applying to the CA OHV grant program to fund a market analysis to ascertain if there is enough community and stakeholder support for new OHV opportunities. 

Yolo County OHV Park as Gateway to Federal OHV Recreation

Pic: BLM's Knoxville OHV Area

Two options for new county OHV facilities surfaced at the meeting and those are:

One - Locate a large “destination-type” OHV area in the western rural part of the county that could serve as a gateway park to federal riding opportunities such as the BLM's Knoxville OHV Area.   The county park amenities could include camping for small and large RVs, water, restrooms, youth track, MX track, 4x4 obstacle course, and trail opportunities for both small and large OHVs.  The site could also host a sheriff or 1^st responder substation.

Two - Locate a small (less than 150 acres) OHV park nearer to town for day-use riding.  The site could also be used by the county sheriff to hold OHV training classes for the public.

There are two surveys that OHVers should take (if you have not done so already) to provide more input into the decision-making process and those are the Yolo County OHV Planning Survey and the Yolo County Strategic Plan Survey.

YOLO COUNTY OHV SURVEY – This is where you can provide OHV specific comments about the new park - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ohvyolo

YOLO COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN SURVEY – This will guide county planning for the next 3-5 years - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/yolostrategicplan

Both of these surveys are important and they only take a few minutes each to fill out online.  I took them and they are easy to navigate. 

Take these surveys now as they will help the county in the decision-making process. 

Also, watch for additional opportunities to comment after the Yolo County OHV grant application is submitted on March 4, 2019.

OPINION - CA STREET SOUND LAW IS HOT TOPIC

QWR believes that “Quiet is Cool” when it comes to the use of sound compliant exhaust systems for both street and off-road vehicles. 

Passage of AB 1824 in 2018 basically amended California’s existing 2003 sound law by replacing the “fix-it” ticket aspect of the old law with the option of getting a certificate of compliance from the CA Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR).

AB 1824 retained the existing sound level of 95dBA using the SAE J1492 sound test format.  SAE J1492 is similar to the SAE J1287 sound test for OHVs which has a 96dBA limit.

LINK TO BAR SOUND CERTIFICATION

https://bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Referee_Program/Vehicle_Exhaust_Noise_Level_Certification.html

QWR will be reviewing this issue with SEMA and other stakeholders over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, if you wonder if your automobile or light truck (under 6K lb. GVW) is too loud then ask yourself these simple questions?

One- Does my motor vehicle sound too loud?

Two- Has a neighbor or friend told me that my motor vehicle is too loud?

Three – When I start my motor vehicle early in the morning do the neighbor’s dogs start barking or do I set off the car alarms of nearby motor vehicles?

If the answer to any of those questions is YES – then your motor vehicle IS too loud and will most likely test above the 95dBA limit.

For more information on this subject, please visit the SEMA fact sheet in the link below.  SEMA has done an excellent job in getting good, useful, and correct information out to the public.

SEMA INFO ON AB 1834

https://www.semasan.com/legislative-alerts/california/fact-vs-fiction-californias-new-exhaust-noise-law

This is a HOT topic based on the phone calls I have received and the number of forums where this issue is discussed.  

QWR would like to get feedback from readers on this subject.  Feel free to post a comment if you are an automotive enthusiast, mechanic, or member of law enforcement.     

Quiet Warrior Racing promotes a responsible trail and road ethic for both non-street legal and street legal motorized vehicles by offering quality recreation-oriented consulting services to its clients for the benefit of their customers, stakeholders, and the public good.