COMMENT ON FS POST-FIRE HAZARD TREE REMOVAL PROPOSAL

 

COMMENT ON REGION 5 HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVEL PROPOSAL

Comments Due on Nov. 15, 2021

 

QWR believes it is important for OHV recreationists to be engaged in important planning efforts that affect our post-fire access to designated roads, trails, and areas that can be used for both casual use and permitted competition events.

 

The Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region (R 5) is accepting comments on the proposed Post Disturbance Hazardous Tree Management Project.   As you know, wildfires over the last several years in California have resulted in fire-killed or damaged trees that pose threats to public health, safety, and property.   The R5 Post Disturbance Hazardous Tree Management project includes hazard tree felling and removal, as well as removal of downed woody fuels resulting from hazard trees (slash), to reduce public safety hazards along portions of roads, trails, and near facilities (campgrounds, trail heads, Forest Service offices).

 

QWR is preparing comments and urges you to file your own comments since most all of us who ride are affected by post-fire impacts to trail use.

 

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTION

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDAFS/2021/10/26/file_attachments/1976934/Interested_Parties.pdf

  

LINK TO PROPOSED ACTION AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60950

 

Thanks for your review of this public service announcement and for your ongoing support of post-fire management projects.

 

NEWS RELEASE - QWR Relocates to Redding Area to Enhance Recreation Management Opportunities

 

Don Amador (L) with BLM Recreation Manager, Sky Zaffarano (R)

BLM Redding Field Office, Chappie-Shasta OHV Area

NEWS RELEASE

Don Amador

October 12, 2021

QWR Relocates to Redding Area to Enhance Recreation Management Opportunities

Quiet Warrior Racing (QWR) is proud to announce that we have relocated our recreation and wildfire recovery operations to Cottonwood, CA near Redding which is the recreation and wildfire management center of Northern California.  QWR believes this move will enhance our ability to increase access for sustainable OHV recreation on public and private lands for casual trail use, permitted competition events, SxS driver training, and adventure touring.

 

QWR will also continue to work with land agency partners, state agencies, county resource conservation districts, fire services, powersports industry, and forest health collaboratives to restore and recover recreation facilities and other critical resources damaged by wildfire.  

 

Don Amador, President and Founder of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting, states, “QWR is excited about its move up to Cottonwood so our operations will be located much closer to key recreation and forest management activities.  Our post-COVID reality has shown an increased demand for all types of recreation including OHV.   This move will allow QWR to have a greater impact on addressing those related management challenges in a positive manner.”

 

NEW ADDRESS

 

*Until we secure high-speed internet services in this very rural part of the state, the best way to reach us is via email or text.

 

Don Amador, President

Quiet Warrior Racing

3306 West Ho Trail

Cottonwood, CA 96022

Cell: 925.783.1834

Email: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

 

 

 

OHV JOB OPEN TO PUBLIC - GS- 8/9 OHV RECREATION POSITION ON MENDOCINO NF

 

Popular OHV Trail on Upper Lake Ranger District

PSA - JOB OPPORTUNITY 

GS- 8/9 OHV RECREATION POSITION OPEN ON MENDOCINO NF

 

The Recreation HQ is proud to share info with you about an OHV Recreation position (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) that is currently open on the Upper Lake Ranger District on the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California.  Posting expires on September 15.

Please forward this job opportunity to anyone in your trail network who wants to work in one of the most popular OHV programs in the country.   Over the last 30 years, I have had the privilege to work with some of the best Forest Service line-officers, foresters,  and recreation staff that I know of on various OHV recreation and resource management projects.  The Upper Lake Ranger District is home to a high quality network of designated roads, trails, and areas that also connects up to the Grindstone Ranger District and their trail network.

 

This is a permanent full-time position at the GS-8/9 level that is OPEN to the public.  If you or you know of somebody who is interested in this recreation position, please click on the link below.

 

LINK TO OHV RECREATION POSITION ON THE UPPER LAKE RD

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/609119700

 

Thanks for your interest in managed OHV recreation!

JENNIFER EBERLIEN APPOINTED TO LEAD ROLE IN USFS REGION 5

 

NEWS RELEASE

July 23, 2021

By Don Amador

          JENNIFER EBERLIEN TAKES OVER LEAD ROLE IN USFS REGION 5

QWR would like to extend a warm welcome to Jennifer Eberlien as the new Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region (R5).   She is replacing Randy Moore who was recently selected to be the new Chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

 

Don Amador, President of QWR and Government Affairs lead for AMA District 36, states, “I am glad to see Jennifer get the nod to replace Randy Moore as the new R5 Regional Forester.   Over the years, I have had the privilege to work with Jennifer on numerous recreation, access, and resource management issues.  We wish her all the best and look forward to working with her on future projects and collaborative efforts.”

 

LINK TO FS NEWS RELEASE

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD933882

 

Washington, D.C., July 22, 2021— Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen today announced Jennifer Eberlien as regional forester for the Pacific Southwest Region. Eberlien replaces incoming Chief Randy Moore who has served as regional forester in the Pacific Southwest Region since 2007.

 

Eberlien will oversee 18 national forests in California, which include 20 million acres covering the North Coast, Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges and from Big Sur to the Mexican border in the South Coast range. Additionally, she will oversee state and private forestry programs in Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands.

 

An agency veteran with nearly 30 years of land management experience, Eberlien is currently stationed in Washington, D.C., where she has served as associate deputy chief for the national forest system since October 2020.

 

“Jennifer’s experience and proven leadership throughout the agency, particularly in the Pacific Southwest Region, makes her the perfect choice to become the next Regional Forester”, said Chief Christiansen, “She will bring care and strength to this critical position on the frontlines of the nation’s wildfire crisis.”

 

Incoming Chief of the Forest Service Randy Moore, who assumes the title of Chief on 26 July, is leaving the Pacific Southwest Region Regional Forester position that Eberlien will start immediately. “Jennifer Eberlien knows this region and is ideally suited for it, having served as Deputy Regional Forester here during her sterling career. She will be the first female Regional Forester in the Pacific Southwest Region and I look forward to continuing to serve with her.”

 

Eberlien started her career with the Forest Service in 1992 on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Park Falls, Wisconsin. She has since served as Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon, Forest Supervisor of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Everett, Washington, and Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region in Vallejo, California. Prior to her current post in Washington, D.C., Eberlien served a year as acting regional forester for the Rocky Mountain Region headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

 

Eberlien is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. She also holds a master’s degree in anthropology from Northern Arizona University.

Eberlien assumes her new duties immediately.

# # #  

BLM LAUNCHES OFFICIAL 30-DAY COMMENT PERIOD FOR BERRYESSA MONUMENT TRAVEL PLAN

BLM Knoxville OHV Area

Included in this Monument Travel Planning Process

                      BLM LAUNCHES OFFICIAL COMMENT PERIOD FOR BERRYESSA MONUMENT TRAVEL PLAN

OVERVIEW – Earlier this year, many of you participated in several  pre-scoping “listening” meetings with the Monument planning team where you offered ideas on how to improve legal riding opportunities for OHVs in popular areas such as Knoxville and Indian Valley where historic motorized use has occurred for decades. 

 LINK TO MAP OF OPEN AND CLOSED OHV ROUTES

https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/2014711/200490393/20042361/250048554/BSMNM%20Route%20Inventory.pdf

 

As you can see, the current route inventory map does not show many routes open for OHV use even in historic riding areas.  Now it is time for you to resubmit your previous or updated comments about what routes should be open and other ways to enhance sustainable OHV recreation in the planning area.  It is also important to register to attend the BLM’s virtual meeting on July 21 (see news release below) and submit comments before this scoping period ends on August 16.

 

It is critically important for you to weigh in on this project with both general and specific comments.  I hope to see many of you at the meeting on July 21.  Thanks for your time and efforts on this planning process!  The BLM News Release below has more details.

 

 

          SUBMIT YOUR PUBLIC SCOPING COMMENTS ON TRAILS AND TRAVEL

       MANAGEMENT FOR BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT

 

UKIAH, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ukiah Field Office invites public comment on travel management planning for trails and roads within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument on BLM-managed public lands. BLM will host a virtual public meeting, via Zoom, on Wednesday, July 21, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., part of a 30-day public scoping period, which ends Aug. 16.

 

This scoping period provides an open process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and builds upon public input received during two previous workshops held to identify existing trails and roads, determine appropriate uses and ways to improve the trail network. Public input helps the BLM develop a range of alternatives to improve the recreational experience, while protecting natural and cultural resources.

 

Participants must register for the Zoom meeting at https://blm.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscOGqpzwsHkfbosVpMGLSMSGVV5nigc0

 

 After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions, a link to join the meeting and phone numbers for those unable to join online. Zoom virtual meeting tutorials can be viewed at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials

 

 Please contact us as soon as possible for reasonable accommodations to participate.

 

designated off-road vehicle trails, sight-seeing, remote backcountry travel and white-water rafting. The area also contains one of the greatest concentrations of biodiversity in California, and is home to threatened and endangered plant and wildlife species. To learn more about the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, visit www.blm.gov/berryessa-snow-mountain

.

 More information about this planning effort can be found on the project website at https://go.usa.gov/xFq8W

 

Written comments may be submitted electronically to the project ePlanning website; via email to BLM_CA_BSM_NM@blm.gov

 or by mail:  BLM Ukiah Field Office, Attn: BSMNM Travel Management Planning EA, 2550 North State Street, Suite 2, Ukiah, CA  95482. For specific questions, contact Monument Manager Rebecca Carr Wong at 707-468-4023 or BLM_CA_BSM_NM@blm.gov

.

 Before including mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other personal identifying information in a comment, commenters should be aware that the entire comment, including personal identifying information, could be made publicly available at any time. While the public may ask the BLM to withhold personal identifying information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.

 

This year, we invite everyone to reimagine your public lands as we celebrate 75 years of the BLM’s stewardship and service to the American people. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 

R5 REGIONAL FORESTER APPOINTED AS NEW CHIEF OF THE FOREST SERVICE

 

Randy Moore (L) with Don Amador and other FS Leads

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

R5 REGIONAL FORESTER APPOINTED AS NEW FOREST SERVICE CHIEF

QWR wants to send our most sincere congratulations to Randy Moore on his appointment by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve as the 20th Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service.

 

LINK TO FULL AGENCY NEWS RELEASE

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/06/28/agriculture-secretary-tom-vilsack-announces-randy-moore-new-forest

 

 

According to a statement from Secretary Vilsack, “Randy Moore has been a catalyst for change and creativity in carrying out the Forest Service’s mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations,” said Secretary Vilsack. “In his role as Regional Forester, Randy has been a conservation leader on the forefront of climate change, most notably leading the Region’s response to the dramatic increase in catastrophic wildfires in California over the last decade. His proven track record of supporting and developing employees and putting communities at the center of the Forest Service’s work positions him well to lead the agency into the future at this critical time in our country.”

Kathy Mick (L), Mike Burmann (CL), Randy Moore (CR), Don Amador (R)

Upper Lake Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

 

Upon swearing in, Moore will serve as the first African American to hold the role of Chief of the Forest Service.

 

Don Amador, President of QWR and Government Affairs lead for AMA District 36,  states, “I have ridden OHVs with Randy on several field trips to the Grindstone and Upper Lake Ranger Districts to review their sustainable trail management programs that provide world-class OHV opportunity on the Mendocino National Forest and on other National Forests in Region 5.”

Randy Moore (L) - On ATV Field Trip

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

“As  core-team lead for FireScape Mendocino, a forest health collaborative, it has also been a privilege to work with Randy  in his role as Regional Forester where he helped guide the agency  through a number of severe and precedent setting wildfire seasons.   I believe he is the right person at the right time to fill this critically important position,” Amador concludes.

 

# # #

 

NIMBY WARS - Become a More Effective Land-Use Warrior

 

OPINION

By Don Amador

June 17, 2021

EFFECTIVE OHV ADVOCACY

Back in 2009, I read what maybe one of the best books ever written on the subject of effective grassroots political activism and how groups use the fine art of “political-craft” to achieve their land-use goals.  Given the current number of fierce political campaigns to shut down OHV-related legislation and recreation at Oceano Dunes SVRA and other state and federal riding areas, I want to encourage the new crop of OHV advocates to spend a few bucks to purchase online their own personal copy of NIMBY Wars.

 NIMBY Wars is a must read for all who are involved in land use advocacy. Regardless of your station in the battle for recreational access to public lands, you will benefit from the insights of this book as it succinctly explains the complex world of land use politics and articulates strategies for success.

 

It was early in my career of OHV land use advocacy (circa 1991) that I had this epiphany, “All land use decisions are political decisions.” Many club leaders, riders, new activists, and seasoned veterans have heard me talk about how important it is for all of us involved in land use advocacy to understand that at the end of the day - ALL land use decisions are political decisions.

 

Sure, scientific studies, reports, biological opinions, and other criteria are certainly factors in the land use decision-making process. However, the politics of the issue will be the last filter through which any decision must pass.

 

I have tried to explain (often times unsuccessfully) to those new to the field of land use politics the aforementioned thesis. To the normal person just sitting down with the decision-maker and explaining the facts, pointing out good science, offering a common sense solution, or supporting best management practices should be enough to encourage the decision-maker to make the right call. Unfortunately, those factors have little, if anything, to do with the final decision because the final decision is a political decision.

 

NIMBY Wars is a literary masterpiece that diagrams the bottom-up approach to grassroots activism and the importance of that local citizen (e.g. voter) or citizen’s group in achieving your objective.

 

Again, you must order this book if you are involved OHV advocacy, the OHV industry, or want to be involved in or lead, successful political campaigns to champion OHV recreational activities on public and private lands. If you are an experienced land use political professional, it will confirm various concepts and strategies you have employed and teach you new tactics.

 

If you are a new advocate, it will explain the politics of land use decision-making. If you are in the OHV business, it will explain and highlight the important roles of the professional land use consultant and the local user/leader. If you are a politician, lobbyist, or bureaucrat it will explain the history of land use politics and illustrate why and how you make your decisions.

 

Read this book! It will make you a more effective OHV champion.