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NOHVCC TO CONDUCT NEW POST-ROUTE DESIGNATION
WORKSHOP SERIES
The goal is to
assist OHV riders, the Forest Service and other
stakeholders develop the skills and partnerships
that will result in long term sustainability and
improvement of OHV trail systems in their state
The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation
Council (NOHVCC) recently completed the first in
a series of workshops regarding implementation
of the US Forest Service Travel Management Rule
after the initial motorized route designation
process has been completed (or is close to
completion).
“We had 35 registered attendees at our first
Trail Sustainability Workshop, which was held on
the Ouachita National Forest in Mena, Arkansas
recently,” reports NOHVCC Executive Director
Russ Ehnes. “Rather than ending our educational
goals once a USFS OHV Route Designation is
completed, we believe there is a great need to
work with both the Forest Service and OHV riders
to better enable them to work together for the
long-term sustainability of the trails that have
been designated. In addition, we show them the
best ways to make improvements to the trails,
and perhaps add more high quality trails to the
system in the future.” In the previous two years
the NOHVCC held 19 USFS Route Designation
workshops for Forest Service personnel and OHV
enthusiasts as various forests across the
country began or were progressing through the
route designation process.
The first day of the Arkansas workshop
featured sessions designed to address volunteer
programs, trail maintenance techniques, trail
monitoring, trail signing, and funding.
Presenters included veteran OHV land managers
Tom Crimmins and Dick Dufourd. On the second day
of the two-day Arkansas workshop, all the
attendees took to the field for a hands-on
gathering, learning how to employ the skills
they had learned the previous day.
The sessions are open to all who want to
attend. Other state and federal agency personnel
are welcome and encouraged to participate and
there is no charge. Funding for this workshop
series has been provided by the Motorcycle
Industry Council and the Specialty Vehicle
Institute of America. These workshops are not
Forest Service meetings and are not intended to
gather comments on any particular travel plan.
Rather, these sessions will help interested
parties learn and understand the skills and
tools required to sustain and improve a viable
OHV trail system on public land.
“We are currently considering where and when
the next workshops will take place,” adds Ehnes.
“We encourage OHV enthusiasts and leaders, as
well as USFS personnel, to inquire about holding
a workshop in their states by contacting Russ
Ehnes at 800-348-6487 or by e-mail at
trailhead@nohvcc.org"
The Workshop objectives are:
- To identify public land management
agency and public stakeholder issues;
- To facilitate efforts to improve
volunteer effectiveness, organization and
management;
- To explore a variety of techniques to
achieve required OHV monitoring;
- To develop a common understanding of a
variety of trail maintenance techniques;
- To examine a range of OHV trail signing
protocols and principles;
- To improve working relationships between
local, state, and federal land management
agencies and the OHV community;
- To increase partnerships between the
USFS, the OHV industry, OHV enthusiasts and
other stakeholders;
- To develop the strategies and skills
necessary to implement decisions made under
the US Forest Service Travel Management
Rule; To develop the partnerships and
resources to maintain and improve the
designated route system on Forest Service
lands.
This national workshop series is sponsored by
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access
(ARRA), the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC),
and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America
(SVIA). Coordination of the workshops is
provided by the NOHVCC. Design of the workshop
sessions was a collaborative effort by
professional trail consultants, ARRA, MIC, SVIA,
American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Blue
Ribbon Coalition (BRC), United Four Wheel Drive
Associations (UFWDA), and the NOHVCC, with input
from USFS trail managers.
About NOHVCC
The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation
Council, as a national body of OHV recreation
enthusiasts, develops and provides a wide
spectrum of programs, materials and information,
or "tools", to individuals, clubs, associations
and agencies in order to further a positive
future for responsible OHV recreation.
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