Amador Message on Leaving BRC and Post BRC Land Use Efforts

Goat Mountain Road Closed to the Public by Ranch Fire

Stonyford OHV Area - Mendocino National Forest

Dear OHV Family and Friends,

On August 3, I officially withdrew my name for consideration for a post in a restructured Sharetrails/BlueRibbon Coalition.

It has been an honor and privilege for me to have been a part of BRC for the past 28 years.  I want to thank BRC founder, Clark Collins, other key BRC leads, public/private partners, congressional staff, various OHV organizations, land agencies, OHV Industry, elected officials, and sponsors for their support and mentoring of this outdoor guy from the Redwood Region of Northern California. 

I deeply treasure the diverse experiences gained from working for BRC in helping craft key legislative plans, empowering the grassroots, addressing tough political challenges, and fighting numerous legal battles in support of responsible motorized recreation on designated roads, trails, and areas. I wish BRC leadership all the best in the coming years.

My departure from BRC will allow more time for me at Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting to focus on SxS training, post-wildfire mitigation efforts, sustainable OHV/OSV and electric OHV/eMTB trail and area management prescriptions, workshops, sound education, travel planning, and collaborative recreation/forest health work.

I also look forward to reviewing new opportunities in land and recreation management-related policy, legislation, land management, and legal.

Be assured that I will continue being engaged in ongoing efforts to promote and protect responsible OHV/OSV recreation on public and private lands.

Best regards,

Don

Don Amador

Oakley, CA

Email: damador@cwo.com

President – Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting – www.quietwarriorracing.com

Core-Team Lead – FireScape Mendocino - https://mendocinofirescape.blogspot.com

2018 – Friend of the AMA Award - http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com

2016 Inductee - Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame - www.ormhof.org

2013 – Hutzler Award – AMA District 36 - http://ama-d36.org/

Member, Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals - http://www.recpro.org

MTB Legal Victory in MT

Don Amador on OHV Trail

The Recreation HQ believes that MTB, eMTB, and OHV trail access interests have a lot in common and commends the joint effort between MTB , OHV, and OSV interests to mount a legal challenge against recent trail and area closures on the Bitterroot National Forest.

The BRC has posted a statement from the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists about MTB success in the legal effort where the court directs the agency to review their MTB restrictions.

LINK TO BBC STATEMENT and COURT ORDER

https://sharetrails.org/alert/montana-court-remands-flawed-bitterroot-travel-plan/

Here is a News Article about the Decision

https://missoulian.com/news/local/still-no-snowmobiles-allowed-in-bitterroot-forest-but-bike-ban/article_583b4db3-5296-5200-beaa-9d2c9f85bb2f.html

It's true that OHV and OSV got the short end of the stick on this travel plan, but at least the court is directing the agency to do it over regarding the MTB trail closures.  A win for one of the trail groups could be considered a win for all of the plantiffs in this case. "A rising tide lifts all trails..."

The Recreation HQ believes joint efforts like this between MTB, OHV, and OSV recreation groups could be a growing trend in trail-based litigation.  It is not just the cross-over use between vehicles, but there is a common bond/interest in preserving historic access to public lands.   Working together is more effective and productive.

COMMENT ON CA OHV GRANTS MADE EASY - DO IT TODAY

IMPORTANT TO COMMENT ON CA OHV GRANTS!!! -  Since there are many new OHVers who have joined various off-road forums, clubs, etc. , The Recreation HQ wanted to try and help you navigate the OHV grant review and comment process.  This is an important opportunity for you to comment on what you like at your favorite riding area (i.e. trails, agency staff, maps, volunteer programs, etc.) or to comment on a NEW project such as the Mendocino Coastal Parks Recreation Planning Grant request to potentially site a new OHV park near Fort Bragg.

The CA OHV Grant Program staff has done a great job of explaining how to participate at the main grant website:

CA OHV Grant Webpage

http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1164

However, there are several steps to review projects and make comments.   For starters, the HQ recommends that you click on the “2017/2018 Public Comments to Preliminary Grants” link in the upper right hand corner of the main webpage under “Related Pages.”  You can then go down the list of grant applications from FS, BLM, non-profits, law enforcement, local Districts, etc.  Only the grants that are in BOLD letters have received comments – so if a grant has light lettering … there are no comments yet.

Once you have looked at what grants have received comments, then click on the link below to go to where you can review specific grants and make comments.

Review and Comment Here

http://olga.ohv.parks.ca.gov/egrams_ohmvr/user/ReviewProjects.aspx

To find the list of grant applications you have to click on the BOLD “3 dot button just to the right of *agency.”  For example if you want to comment on the Fort Bragg OHV Park scroll down until you get to the Mendocino Coastal Parks Recreation Grant on page 2. 

Some sample talking points for the Mendocino Coastal Parks Grant could be

·         A new OHV park in the Fort Bragg area will provide legal and sustainable OHV recreation for local residents and visitors. 

·         Many OHV recreationists would visit the “coastal” park during the summer when it is hot inland. 

·         It would provide an economic boost to local businesses.

·         Local law enforcement would have a place to direct riders who want to recreate in a legal area.

There are 3 pages of grants so be sure and click through those 3 pages to see all the grants.

The public review and comment period for the 2017/18 Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program begins Tuesday, March 6, 2018, and ends Monday, April 2, 2018 5:00PM

Trust me when I tell you that grant applicants look forward to your comments AND they greatly appreciate it.  It is your chance to offer advice and/or support.  Take a few minutes and comment on some grants! 

Don't Use Recreation Access as a Political Pawn in Shutdown Battle

2013 Shutdown Closure Sign

BLM Samoa Dunes Recreation Area

OP-ED

By Don Amador

1.19.2018

DON’T USE RECREATION AS A PAWN IN SHUTDOWN BATTLE

If a shutdown occurs, outdoor recreationists could face a loss of access to federal lands. We all remember the shutdown in 2013 where OHVers and others were met with a confusing array of closure signs and inconsistent messages/enforcement. 

2013 Shutdown Gate Closure at OR Dunes NRA

Photo Credit: Save the Riders Dunes

The 2013 shutdown forced the BLM to cancel an AMA sanctioned motorcycle event.  On another unit, a scheduled cleanup day sponsored by OHV enthusiasts was cancelled.

Should we expect that, once again, “closed to the public” signs will be put up at the entrances to many, if not most, developed campgrounds on FS and BLM lands?  Some units could also post closed signs on the trails.

Although federal recreation programs get a tiny portion of the budget, they are what the public sees and uses.  Regardless of who is in political power, elected officials should not use agency recreation staff and the users as political pawns.

Let’s hope that they find common ground and avoid a shutdown.

# # # 

Don Amador writes from his office in Oakley, California on OHV recreation and land-use issues.  Don has 28 years of experience in OHV-related recreation management and advocacy.  Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing, his recreation consulting business.  Don is a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org where he serves as their Western Representative.  Don was a 2016 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  

Don may be reached by email at:  damador@cwo.com

OP-ED - I Have a Trail Dream

OP ED

By Don Amador

Jan. 14, 2018

I HAVE A TRAIL DREAM

In 2001, I wrote an op-ed entitled; I Have a [Trail] Dream.   My dream back then was that someday all trail users will get along and respect each other's personal choice of recreational activity.

I had a belief there are many places where diverse recreational interests have and do manage to use public lands in a cooperative fashion.  That opinion was based on my personal experiences riding multi-use trails in places such as Moab, UT, and the Tahoe National Forest in CA.

That post 1990s-era “Timber War” missive was based on what I saw as an initial thawing of the

 “political ice” that was the foundation of the 30 year-old battle between hardcore environmental groups and conservative land-use interests.

It was also the early dawning of stakeholder meetings and/or collaborative efforts between diverse user groups and land agencies.  I believe those primal collaborations established a framework for the current and widely embraced stakeholder process where traditional multiple-use/environmental interests  seek to find common ground on public land recreation and resource management issues.

Since 2001, there has been a rapid growth in several recreation activities such as mountain-biking or eBike/eMTB use that may have been or need to be more substantively engaged in the collaborative process.  Other eTrail vehicle manufacturers and users also need to participate.

Side x Side enthusiasts are another group that is often not engaged and hence under-represented in the “early scoping” stakeholder process for land-use planning efforts.

User engagement is critical since there are a number of local, state, and federal land agencies or other stakeholders that have biased/misguided/outdated views, regulations, or policies related to these new sport modalities.

The Outdoor Industry Association’s 2017 Outdoor Recreation Economy Report states that outdoor recreation generates $887 billion dollars in consumer spending and employs 7.6 million Americans.

That information highlights the fact that recreation in most of the country is the number one use of public lands.  It also illustrates the need for trail users of all types to work in a collaborative manner to find common ground on today’s pressing issues such as eBike use on mechanized trails, enhanced MTB trail opportunities, creating legal riding and/or touring routes for SxSs, and securing the commensurate level of funding from legislators for managing all forms of motorized and non-motorized recreation.

The English Oxford Dictionary defines segregation as the action or state of setting someone or something apart from others.

I believe that as the country celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, diverse trail interests and other recreation stakeholders should commit to participate in solution-oriented collaborative efforts where finding common ground is the goal.

Maybe that dream I had in 2001 will become reality.  It’s up to us.

# # #

Don Amador writes from his office in Oakley, California on OHV recreation and land-use issues.  Don has 28 years of experience in OHV-related recreation management and advocacy.  Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing, his recreation consulting business.  Don is a contractor to the BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.org where he serves as their Western Representative.  Don was a 2016 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  

Don may be reached by email at: damador@cwo.com