- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
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- Menlo Park, Ca.
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- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
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- AMA Life Member #203453
Still a win... glad they are on this!.. Go Friends!
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CORVA Thread, what they are doing for you!
- Thread starter Butch
- Start date
CDONA
Home of Vortex tuning
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
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- TW200, Monkey
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- # 44659
Here is money paid for court fees
https://calcoastnews.com/2021/11/friends-of-oceano-dunes-wins-another-victory-against-the-apcd/
https://calcoastnews.com/2021/11/friends-of-oceano-dunes-wins-another-victory-against-the-apcd/
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
The latest thing from CORVA. Awesome stuff that you guys need to be aware of.
Dear Membership,
The CORVA Board of Directors met in Executive Session on June 27 to consider the Managing Director contract. The Board voted to approve the Managing Director proposal from "Access for All" LLC, owned by Amy Granat. The proposal was approved as submitted.
Managing Director June Report:
After the last OHMVR Commission meeting in May, state meetings have continued to be held in person during June. It's a great opportunity to influence policy while meeting and conversing with policy makers face-to-face.
State Parks
I attended both the State Parks and Recreation Commission tour and meeting held last week. I was able to meet with a number of the commissioners and introduce CORVA and talk about the importance of motorized access in State Parks. During the tour, I also spoke with Michael Anzalone, the Executive Director of California Mountain Biking Coalition. Mountain bikes ride alongside dirt bikes at Mammoth Bar OHV Area, and are allowed at Prairie City SVRA, which also hosts mountain bikes races. Other parks are considering the role of mountain bike and ebike access, which is interesting considering our efforts to expand motorized access to regular state parks. I've already reported on the other state officials I spoke with during the tour and the meeting.
I commented during the open comment period on the importance of motorized access for families, the disabled and the elderly. During the planning comment period, I commented on the history of dirt bike access at Red Rock State Park, and how important continuing that history of access is to Californians. The Red Rock General Plan should be released within the next few weeks - anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, according to my contacts. I also recommended convening an OHV Stakeholder group for Red Rock State Park, considering the failure of the district to engage substantively with off-roaders in the area.
I also met with Deputy Director Stehl and Deputy Director Barajas to follow up on SB 155. They've suggested having a conference call, and I have emailed them to set up a meeting in July. There are already conversations to open Kaiser/Aetna Road at Henry Coe State Park to 4WD and dual sport bikes to allow access. That change can be done immediately without any amendments to the existing general plan. No other OHV advocates attended or commented during this meeting.
I also attended the opening of the California Natural Resources Administration Building in June, and received a personally guided tour by Vicki Perez. During that tour I had the opportunity to speak with Gloria Sandoval, Deputy Director of Communications, who remains a shadow influence at OHMVR. The opening of the building included a ceremony by members of the Wilton Rancheria.
Issues that OHMVR is working on now include safety for SideXSide vehicles, after there were 2 accidents with 3 fatalities within a 2 week period at Hungry Valley SVRA, both UTV vs dirt bikes. Both accidents occurred on Pipeline Road. One accident occured when a UTV caught air off a hill and struck 2 dirt bike riders mid-air. Both dirt bike riders were under 16 and died at the scene. The other accident involved a UTV driven by a 15 year-old with other kids as passengers, that struck a recently retired gentleman on a dirt bike, who died at the scene. At some point, the state may convene a UTV Safety Summit including manufacturers and dealers. As an immediate requirement, the state is considering a requirement for UTV's to have flags. Other safety measures for Pipeline Road are also being considered. I will inform the board if and when a summit is planned.
Peter Ostroskie, in charge of Interpretation for the OHMVR Division gave a recent interview with a Sacramento TV station, when 2 more fatal accidents involving OHV's were reported locally. One fatality occurred in Downieville, at 3:00am with a UTV and is thought to have involved alcohol. The other occurred on private land in WInters, with children riding on an ATV. Peter did a great job addressing the issues: https://gcc02.safelinks.protection....E2VQQ5NaK5bwnjCTBrDqcgaHViLixa28Q=&reserved=0
As I've previously reported, the state has opted to not request any alteration to the Stipulated Order of Abatement for Oceano Dunes SVRA. The SOA is a legal contract between State Parks and the Air Pollution Control District Hearing Board. Both sides need to agree to any changes. Previously, the Science Advisory Group had recommended reducing the target of the SOA from 50% to just over 40%, notwithstanding the Scripps Institute Report that proved OHV recreation at Oceano accounts for approximately only 14% of the PM10 exceedances in the area. The court cases that are being pursued are critical to the future of the SVRA.
Legislation
SB 894 (Jones) Competition Sticker bill: has passed through Transportation and is referred to Appropriations. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB894
AB 2152 (Smith) Needles mixed use: will be heard on Tuesday, June 28th, at the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2152
During the legislation report at the State Parks and Recreation Committee I noticed that the legislation report for the State Parks and Rec Commission contained more information than the report given at the OHMVR Commission meeting. https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/29247/files/1-SPRC Legislative Report June 2022.pdf. Upon questioning this, I was told that legal counsel has prohibited staff from presenting bills related to OHV recreation to the State Parks and Rec Commission, and the reverse, so the commissioners of the respective bodies do not presume they can comment on issues or legislation that do not fall under their jurisdictions. https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/29247/files/1-SPRC Legislative Report June 2022.pdf A number of the bills on this report might have effect on OHV recreation and the management of SVRA's. There is a bill to expand the responsibilities of the State Parks and Rec Commission, and a couple of bills related to mountain bike and ebike access.
BLM
Both Bruce W and I attended the Central California District Recreation Advisory Council meeting, the first meeting the district has held in a long time. We were able to remotely meet Chris Heppe, the District Manager and hear reports from every one of the districts https://www.blm.gov/office/central-california-district-office. Please check out the individual Field Office pages and all the off-road opportunities. At least 2 off-road enthusiasts have applied for open positions on this RAC. A good friend, Jim Phelan, is currently on the RAC.Between all the districts in Central California, a lot of OHV opportunities are offered. In Northern California there are ongoing analyses for the Berryessa Snow National Monument, which contrary to other national monument proclamations does allow continued off-road recreational access, and South Cow Mountain OHV Management Area, which was the first congressionally designated OHV area in California. CORVA has submitted substantive comments to the ongoing South Cow Mountain NEPA analysis.
Clear Creek has been referenced many times recently in response to the letter (attached) sent by Jimmy Panetta and David Valadao to Karen Mouritsen, State Director of the BLM. The BLM has reached out to OHMVR to inquire if the division would like to manage the area under agreement, but the division has decided not to take on that responsibility.
CORVA has also commented on the proposed expansion of the Williams Hill Recreation Area https://www.blm.gov/press-release/b...on-improvements-williams-hill-recreation-area . Thanks to Ken Oyer for taking a field trip to the area to review the proposed changes, reporting his observations and filing substantive comments. This area will only support ATV and dirt bike access.
The Temblor Recreation Area https://www.blm.gov/visit/temblor-recreation-area provides over 200 miles of trail riding for OHV recreation, but isn't well known outside the immediate area.
We have identified 2 areas in the Mother Lode Field Office to review for reopening, Dog town, in the Greeley Hill/Coulterville area in Mariposa COunty, and parts of Red Hill. Since 2008, the Mother Lode Field Office has closed almost all off-road opportunities, demeaning off-roaders and OHV recreation in the process. I have a long history with that Field Office, and their actions have been wrongly influenced by anti-access enthusiasts.
The Desert Advisory Council is also taking applications for open positions. Ed Stovin has served as a member of the council for a number of years. Shelly Lynch has been named the new Desert District Manager.
Many of the Field Offices in California have fire restrictions: Eastern Sierra, Arcata, Redding, Mother Lode, Bakersfield, Mother Lode and California Desert District. Anyone visiting BLM areas in California are advised to check the website for the area and check on the applicable fire restrictions.
Forest Service
The Lassen National Forest has released its long-awaited Subpart C OSV plan. From our friends at Sierra Access Coalition: https://sierraaccess.com/index.html . Like the previously released decision for the Stanislaus National Forest, the Lassen decision is also highly detrimental to over-snow recreation in the forest. The Sustainable Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (SORC) is resuming in July, and focusing on partnerships . I;ve been asked to help the Holcomb Valley Ranch, and inholder in the San Bernardino National Forest obtain a partnership agreement with the forest for maintenance to their access road, and it will be an interest test of the dedication to partnerships by Region 5, since they've been unable to get satisfactory responses from the forest.
To find fire restrictions in the individual forests, visit the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ and click on California, and pick the individual forest you will be visiting. Almost every forest in California has some sort of fire restriction, but each order is a little different. I would not be surprised if a state-wide forest closure is announced sometime during the fire season, especially starting at the end of August and continuing into September. Having a shortage of over 1000 wildland firefighters can't help to negatively affect forest health and the ability to fight wildfires. Kevin Bazar reported that the Slick Rock Trail in the Stanislaus National Forest has closed the Slick Rock trail, a well known 4WD trail, to non-street legal traffic. Previous to the closure, only the San Bernardino had 4WD trails closed to OHV travel. This is a disturbing development.
Upcoming Highlights
June 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership, 30x30 Advisory Committee Public Meeting.
July 2nd: Cantina for the 'Con: Mitch lead
July 4th: (subject to change) Eastern Sierra Recreation Partnership
July 20th: DRECP meeting, Appendix G Consulting parties.
I have also been invited to attend the Pure 4X4 Basecamp in Big Bear, August 5 - 7. They get an impressive 400 overland vehicles attending the event every year! https://www.pureaddict.com/basecamp
Thank you Amy for your thorough report.
- CORVA Board of Directors.
Dear Membership,
The CORVA Board of Directors met in Executive Session on June 27 to consider the Managing Director contract. The Board voted to approve the Managing Director proposal from "Access for All" LLC, owned by Amy Granat. The proposal was approved as submitted.
Managing Director June Report:
After the last OHMVR Commission meeting in May, state meetings have continued to be held in person during June. It's a great opportunity to influence policy while meeting and conversing with policy makers face-to-face.
State Parks
I attended both the State Parks and Recreation Commission tour and meeting held last week. I was able to meet with a number of the commissioners and introduce CORVA and talk about the importance of motorized access in State Parks. During the tour, I also spoke with Michael Anzalone, the Executive Director of California Mountain Biking Coalition. Mountain bikes ride alongside dirt bikes at Mammoth Bar OHV Area, and are allowed at Prairie City SVRA, which also hosts mountain bikes races. Other parks are considering the role of mountain bike and ebike access, which is interesting considering our efforts to expand motorized access to regular state parks. I've already reported on the other state officials I spoke with during the tour and the meeting.
I commented during the open comment period on the importance of motorized access for families, the disabled and the elderly. During the planning comment period, I commented on the history of dirt bike access at Red Rock State Park, and how important continuing that history of access is to Californians. The Red Rock General Plan should be released within the next few weeks - anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, according to my contacts. I also recommended convening an OHV Stakeholder group for Red Rock State Park, considering the failure of the district to engage substantively with off-roaders in the area.
I also met with Deputy Director Stehl and Deputy Director Barajas to follow up on SB 155. They've suggested having a conference call, and I have emailed them to set up a meeting in July. There are already conversations to open Kaiser/Aetna Road at Henry Coe State Park to 4WD and dual sport bikes to allow access. That change can be done immediately without any amendments to the existing general plan. No other OHV advocates attended or commented during this meeting.
I also attended the opening of the California Natural Resources Administration Building in June, and received a personally guided tour by Vicki Perez. During that tour I had the opportunity to speak with Gloria Sandoval, Deputy Director of Communications, who remains a shadow influence at OHMVR. The opening of the building included a ceremony by members of the Wilton Rancheria.
Issues that OHMVR is working on now include safety for SideXSide vehicles, after there were 2 accidents with 3 fatalities within a 2 week period at Hungry Valley SVRA, both UTV vs dirt bikes. Both accidents occurred on Pipeline Road. One accident occured when a UTV caught air off a hill and struck 2 dirt bike riders mid-air. Both dirt bike riders were under 16 and died at the scene. The other accident involved a UTV driven by a 15 year-old with other kids as passengers, that struck a recently retired gentleman on a dirt bike, who died at the scene. At some point, the state may convene a UTV Safety Summit including manufacturers and dealers. As an immediate requirement, the state is considering a requirement for UTV's to have flags. Other safety measures for Pipeline Road are also being considered. I will inform the board if and when a summit is planned.
Peter Ostroskie, in charge of Interpretation for the OHMVR Division gave a recent interview with a Sacramento TV station, when 2 more fatal accidents involving OHV's were reported locally. One fatality occurred in Downieville, at 3:00am with a UTV and is thought to have involved alcohol. The other occurred on private land in WInters, with children riding on an ATV. Peter did a great job addressing the issues: https://gcc02.safelinks.protection....E2VQQ5NaK5bwnjCTBrDqcgaHViLixa28Q=&reserved=0
As I've previously reported, the state has opted to not request any alteration to the Stipulated Order of Abatement for Oceano Dunes SVRA. The SOA is a legal contract between State Parks and the Air Pollution Control District Hearing Board. Both sides need to agree to any changes. Previously, the Science Advisory Group had recommended reducing the target of the SOA from 50% to just over 40%, notwithstanding the Scripps Institute Report that proved OHV recreation at Oceano accounts for approximately only 14% of the PM10 exceedances in the area. The court cases that are being pursued are critical to the future of the SVRA.
Legislation
SB 894 (Jones) Competition Sticker bill: has passed through Transportation and is referred to Appropriations. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB894
AB 2152 (Smith) Needles mixed use: will be heard on Tuesday, June 28th, at the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2152
During the legislation report at the State Parks and Recreation Committee I noticed that the legislation report for the State Parks and Rec Commission contained more information than the report given at the OHMVR Commission meeting. https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/29247/files/1-SPRC Legislative Report June 2022.pdf. Upon questioning this, I was told that legal counsel has prohibited staff from presenting bills related to OHV recreation to the State Parks and Rec Commission, and the reverse, so the commissioners of the respective bodies do not presume they can comment on issues or legislation that do not fall under their jurisdictions. https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/29247/files/1-SPRC Legislative Report June 2022.pdf A number of the bills on this report might have effect on OHV recreation and the management of SVRA's. There is a bill to expand the responsibilities of the State Parks and Rec Commission, and a couple of bills related to mountain bike and ebike access.
BLM
Both Bruce W and I attended the Central California District Recreation Advisory Council meeting, the first meeting the district has held in a long time. We were able to remotely meet Chris Heppe, the District Manager and hear reports from every one of the districts https://www.blm.gov/office/central-california-district-office. Please check out the individual Field Office pages and all the off-road opportunities. At least 2 off-road enthusiasts have applied for open positions on this RAC. A good friend, Jim Phelan, is currently on the RAC.Between all the districts in Central California, a lot of OHV opportunities are offered. In Northern California there are ongoing analyses for the Berryessa Snow National Monument, which contrary to other national monument proclamations does allow continued off-road recreational access, and South Cow Mountain OHV Management Area, which was the first congressionally designated OHV area in California. CORVA has submitted substantive comments to the ongoing South Cow Mountain NEPA analysis.
Clear Creek has been referenced many times recently in response to the letter (attached) sent by Jimmy Panetta and David Valadao to Karen Mouritsen, State Director of the BLM. The BLM has reached out to OHMVR to inquire if the division would like to manage the area under agreement, but the division has decided not to take on that responsibility.
CORVA has also commented on the proposed expansion of the Williams Hill Recreation Area https://www.blm.gov/press-release/b...on-improvements-williams-hill-recreation-area . Thanks to Ken Oyer for taking a field trip to the area to review the proposed changes, reporting his observations and filing substantive comments. This area will only support ATV and dirt bike access.
The Temblor Recreation Area https://www.blm.gov/visit/temblor-recreation-area provides over 200 miles of trail riding for OHV recreation, but isn't well known outside the immediate area.
We have identified 2 areas in the Mother Lode Field Office to review for reopening, Dog town, in the Greeley Hill/Coulterville area in Mariposa COunty, and parts of Red Hill. Since 2008, the Mother Lode Field Office has closed almost all off-road opportunities, demeaning off-roaders and OHV recreation in the process. I have a long history with that Field Office, and their actions have been wrongly influenced by anti-access enthusiasts.
The Desert Advisory Council is also taking applications for open positions. Ed Stovin has served as a member of the council for a number of years. Shelly Lynch has been named the new Desert District Manager.
Many of the Field Offices in California have fire restrictions: Eastern Sierra, Arcata, Redding, Mother Lode, Bakersfield, Mother Lode and California Desert District. Anyone visiting BLM areas in California are advised to check the website for the area and check on the applicable fire restrictions.
Forest Service
The Lassen National Forest has released its long-awaited Subpart C OSV plan. From our friends at Sierra Access Coalition: https://sierraaccess.com/index.html . Like the previously released decision for the Stanislaus National Forest, the Lassen decision is also highly detrimental to over-snow recreation in the forest. The Sustainable Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (SORC) is resuming in July, and focusing on partnerships . I;ve been asked to help the Holcomb Valley Ranch, and inholder in the San Bernardino National Forest obtain a partnership agreement with the forest for maintenance to their access road, and it will be an interest test of the dedication to partnerships by Region 5, since they've been unable to get satisfactory responses from the forest.
To find fire restrictions in the individual forests, visit the following website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ and click on California, and pick the individual forest you will be visiting. Almost every forest in California has some sort of fire restriction, but each order is a little different. I would not be surprised if a state-wide forest closure is announced sometime during the fire season, especially starting at the end of August and continuing into September. Having a shortage of over 1000 wildland firefighters can't help to negatively affect forest health and the ability to fight wildfires. Kevin Bazar reported that the Slick Rock Trail in the Stanislaus National Forest has closed the Slick Rock trail, a well known 4WD trail, to non-street legal traffic. Previous to the closure, only the San Bernardino had 4WD trails closed to OHV travel. This is a disturbing development.
Upcoming Highlights
June 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership, 30x30 Advisory Committee Public Meeting.
July 2nd: Cantina for the 'Con: Mitch lead
July 4th: (subject to change) Eastern Sierra Recreation Partnership
July 20th: DRECP meeting, Appendix G Consulting parties.
I have also been invited to attend the Pure 4X4 Basecamp in Big Bear, August 5 - 7. They get an impressive 400 overland vehicles attending the event every year! https://www.pureaddict.com/basecamp
Thank you Amy for your thorough report.
- CORVA Board of Directors.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Board meeting tonight at seven, so yeah, in a half hour...
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
Board of Directors Meeting, AUG. 22, 2022, 7:00 PM
Join August Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82724714894?pwd=UjkzWHJOMDd1elFxTU4wZW8vb1Z1QT09
Meeting ID: 827 2471 4894
Passcode: 778461
One tap mobile
+16694449171,,82724714894#,,,,*778461# US
+16699006833,,82724714894#,,,,*778461# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 669 444 9171 US
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
AGENDA
1. Call to Order - 7:00 PM
2. Roll Call & Welcome Guests
3. Review Agenda: modify as necessary
Part 1: Advocacy
4. Critical & Legislative Issues; Events, Reports from the Field
a. Presidents report (McGarity)
b. Managing Directors report (Amy)
c. Legislation (Bob or Amy)
d. (3) Committee Reports ..(McGarity)
e. ORIA Update...McGarity
f. Upcoming Events...(McGarity)
g. Additional field reports, North and South
h. Guest comments and questions
Part 2: CORVA Business Items
5. CORVA Treasurer’s report: Mike Moore (financial reports to be sent by e-mail)
6. Adjourn, no later than 9:00 pm…
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
Board of Directors Meeting, AUG. 22, 2022, 7:00 PM
Join August Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82724714894?pwd=UjkzWHJOMDd1elFxTU4wZW8vb1Z1QT09
Meeting ID: 827 2471 4894
Passcode: 778461
One tap mobile
+16694449171,,82724714894#,,,,*778461# US
+16699006833,,82724714894#,,,,*778461# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 669 444 9171 US
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
AGENDA
1. Call to Order - 7:00 PM
2. Roll Call & Welcome Guests
3. Review Agenda: modify as necessary
Part 1: Advocacy
4. Critical & Legislative Issues; Events, Reports from the Field
a. Presidents report (McGarity)
b. Managing Directors report (Amy)
c. Legislation (Bob or Amy)
d. (3) Committee Reports ..(McGarity)
e. ORIA Update...McGarity
f. Upcoming Events...(McGarity)
g. Additional field reports, North and South
h. Guest comments and questions
Part 2: CORVA Business Items
5. CORVA Treasurer’s report: Mike Moore (financial reports to be sent by e-mail)
6. Adjourn, no later than 9:00 pm…
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy's current report:
California Natural Resources
This month has finally seen the release of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force proposed Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation. To review the document, click here:https://www.calrecvision.org/_files/ugd/51d842_70b5c495fa064d1185cd72f9fad1167d.pdf
As I previously reported to the BOD, I was finally granted an opportunity to talk with the drafters of the document before its release to the public and share my concerns. The draft was primarily composed by the Forest Service along with John Wentworth from Mammoth Lake Trails and Public Access Partnership:https://www.mltpa.org/. After extensively reviewing the document I have concerns about terminology along with many comments about each of the proposed actions. I have attached my comments to this email which are still a work-in-progress. The comments are still evolving and I will work with the VP of Land Use and Public Policy to submit comments for CORVA. I attended the public meeting on August 18th, and was very pleased to also see Michael Leuders, CORVA member, participating and providing excellent comments.
John Wentworth holds monthly meetings for the Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership that I have now been invited to, and participate in, as well. The meetings are reminiscent of the quarterly meetings Ed Waldheim would hold in various areas around the state. John's meetings involves all government agencies including BLM and Forest Service, and Parks departments from Inyo and Mono counties.
I participated in the meeting on August 18th to review the document, there is still more meetings on August 22nd and 24th should anyone want to participate. This is the link to register for the meetings:https://info.mltpa.org/rescheduled-...able-outdoor-recreation-in-california-1?ecid=
One of the key problems with the document is the lack of a glossary with terms such a 'sustainable' are defined. For those that have been involved with land use planning, we all know how verbiage can be used as weapons. The term 'sustainable' has been one of the terms previously used to condemn motorized recreation. We cannot allow terms like this to be weaponized against motorized access and opportunities. And the document is replete with such words or terms including 'climate smart practices', that seem to be more political rather than practical proposals. There are some good proposals as well in the document, such as calling for roads and areas to be reopened more quickly after fire, which would be a welcome change. Also, another proposal endorses working more closely with rural communities and fire-safe practices and working on community support for recreation. For those that have been on the board for some time, you may recall the lawsuit CORVA filed with Butte and Plumas Counties, and Sierra Access Coalition, where I served as lead plaintiff. One of the key issues in the lawsuit concerned working more closely with rural communities on recreation issues and access. The proposals in this document do validate key issues in our lawsuit.
I will be attending the 2-day meeting in Grass Valley September 26 & 27th when the recreation proposal will be reviewed by the entire task force and potentially be adopted.
There have been no updates to the California 30x30 plan, but there also have not been updates to the percentage of land already considered conserved under the 30x30 criteria. If anyone has an area that they believe should be included in 30x30 as already conserved land, it can be submitted for review here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8397283d95a34a4fad138b752ca0f7ba
State Parks
The upcoming month will be very busy for State Parks, but the past month has been very interesting as well. The state is still working on supporting the chapters of the former "NYPUM" program that are still active in California and include El Centro based at Heber Dunes and Ocotillo Wells SVRAs, and LAPD based at Hungry Valley SVRA. Both of these programs have adopted a new name "OHV4ME" which stands for OHV for Mentoring and Education. The goal of these programs remains teaching and mentoring children from underserved areas of the communities using dirt bikes. I participated in a meeting on August
The OHV Safety Summit will be held on Tuesday, August 23rd in Sacramento and virtually on Microsoft Teams. A number of members of the CORVA BOD are participating. It is very exciting to be at the forefront of determining future actions for UTV recreation. One of the criteria that must be considered is additional areas and trails available solely to UTV recreation. Lack of planning by all agencies have contributed to the lack of trails specific to the needs of UTV enthusiasts. SB 155 (2021) was passed specifically with this concern in mind, it is up to us to insist that more opportunities be available for UTV travel. Another fatal accident involving a UTV was reported at Hungry Valley yesterday (Saturday) and while the details have not yet been released to the public, it is believed to be a sole vehicle accident, possibly a rollover.
There will be an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting on September 16th, with the tour the previous day, September 15th. This will again be a hybrid meeting. I have heard the meeting may be held in North Lake Tahoe, at Kings Beach at the facility right on the lake that had previously held a commission meeting pre-pandemic.
After the Safety Summit on August 23rd, I was invited to join an ad hoc meeting of the OHMVR Commission meeting on August 24th dedicated to exploring ongoing issues at Oceano Dunes SVRA. I asked that Mike McGarity and Bruce Whitcher also be included in that meeting.
Legislation
Both bills that our legislative coalition, the Off Road Vehicle Legislative Coalition, has supported this session have a high likelihood of passing. SB 894 passed through the Appropriations Committee and was directed to a 3rd reading on the floor of the Senate. The Senate analysis for the 3rd reading contains the following paragraph:In any case, the bill directs DMV's reasonable costs to implement this bill to be reimbursed from the OHVTF, upon appropriation by the Legislature. This means DMV's costs to modifyits vehicle registration programming – whatever those costs turn out to be – will eventually be covered from funds dedicated to the benefit of OHVs. According to budget documents on the Department of Finance website, the OHVTF has a rapidly diminishing balance, starting atover $61 million in fiscal year 2020-21 and projected to drop to just under $15 million infiscal year 2022-23. Parks, which administers the OHVTF, indicates those numbers are outdated. While Parks could not provide more up-to-date numbers at the time this analysis.
The issue with the health of the OHV Trust Fund has to be brought up in a substantive manner at the next OHMVR Commission meeting. The last analysis the public had been given about the health of the fund was in 2020, and it is time for another review. The public deserves to know the state of the OHV Trust Fund.
AB 2152 has been enrolled and presented for the Governor's signature on August 16th. The Governor has 12 days to either sign the bill or allow it to become law without signing, or veto the bill. The bill passed without issue, there is no indication the Governor will veto the bill. This is the bill that allows for a pilot trails program to begin in and around Needles, California allowing for mixed OHV road use following CHP guidelines.
Forest Service
As I've previously reported to the BOD, I have been working with a new group based around the Riverside County/Temescal Valley area called the Cleveland Caretakers. One of the primary goals of this group is to reopen Indian Truck Trail, the only OHV road access from Riverside County into the northeast portion of the Cleveland National Forest. The forest is refusing to consider reopening the trail after a fire roughly 4 years ago. Perhaps the recommendations in the Task Force document can help!
The Forest Service is convening a group to be involved with the Subpart C over-snow analysis meetings for the Inyo National Forest. Both Kevin Bazar and I have been contacted to participate, but more importantly, Kevin has recommended many local snowmobile enthusiasts who can participate.
The objection period has started for the SIerra National Forest Motorized Recreation Project. Both Mike McGarity and Ed Stovin wrote excellent comments, and are eligible to participate in the objection process.
The Lassen National Forest has released a Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact to update the Motor Vehicle Use Map and add roads to the system:https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55457&exp=overview
BLM
The BLM has announced the upcoming Desert Advisory Council Meeting on Saturday, August 27th:https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2022-08/August_2022_DAC_AGENDA_508.pdf
At 9:45am, there will be a presentation on the Mojave Trails National Monument Planning efforts A number of BOD had expressed interest in this planning effort. There will also be an update on participation in the individual subgroups for the DAC:https://www.blm.gov/site-page/get-i...fornia-california-desert-district-rac-members. There is also the nomination link on this page for all those interested in serving on a subcommittee, with Dumont Dunes, Imperial Sand Dunes or Mojave Trails National Monument.
I was interviewed by the Desert Sun newspaper about the appointment of Shelley Lynch as the new Desrt District Manager where I was able to note the increases in popularity in off-road recreation since the pandemic and the need for more opportunities for OHV recreation:https://www.desertsun.com/story/new...tor-shelly-lynch-ready-face-heat/10166420002/
National Park Service
Death Valley National Park has reopened after flash flooding washed out many of the roads through the park. Although most off-roaders do not travel through Death Valley during the heat of the summer, it is a popular destination other times of the year for street legal off-road travel. Many of the roads may be washed out throughout the winter months, and backcountry travel is not advised:https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Upcoming events:
August 23rd: OHV Safety Summit
August 24th: Ad Hoc Committee Meeting for Oceano Dunes.
August 31st: Sierra Nevada SustainableRecreation Partnership
September 12th: Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
September 13/14: California State Parks Rangers Association meeting, Truckee
September 15/16: OHMVR Commission Meeting
September 26/27: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, Grass Valley
October 12-14: Nevada Offroad Summit, MInden Nevada. I have been asked to do a presentation! All are welcome.
Amy Granat
Managing Director
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
California Natural Resources
This month has finally seen the release of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force proposed Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation. To review the document, click here:https://www.calrecvision.org/_files/ugd/51d842_70b5c495fa064d1185cd72f9fad1167d.pdf
As I previously reported to the BOD, I was finally granted an opportunity to talk with the drafters of the document before its release to the public and share my concerns. The draft was primarily composed by the Forest Service along with John Wentworth from Mammoth Lake Trails and Public Access Partnership:https://www.mltpa.org/. After extensively reviewing the document I have concerns about terminology along with many comments about each of the proposed actions. I have attached my comments to this email which are still a work-in-progress. The comments are still evolving and I will work with the VP of Land Use and Public Policy to submit comments for CORVA. I attended the public meeting on August 18th, and was very pleased to also see Michael Leuders, CORVA member, participating and providing excellent comments.
John Wentworth holds monthly meetings for the Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership that I have now been invited to, and participate in, as well. The meetings are reminiscent of the quarterly meetings Ed Waldheim would hold in various areas around the state. John's meetings involves all government agencies including BLM and Forest Service, and Parks departments from Inyo and Mono counties.
I participated in the meeting on August 18th to review the document, there is still more meetings on August 22nd and 24th should anyone want to participate. This is the link to register for the meetings:https://info.mltpa.org/rescheduled-...able-outdoor-recreation-in-california-1?ecid=
One of the key problems with the document is the lack of a glossary with terms such a 'sustainable' are defined. For those that have been involved with land use planning, we all know how verbiage can be used as weapons. The term 'sustainable' has been one of the terms previously used to condemn motorized recreation. We cannot allow terms like this to be weaponized against motorized access and opportunities. And the document is replete with such words or terms including 'climate smart practices', that seem to be more political rather than practical proposals. There are some good proposals as well in the document, such as calling for roads and areas to be reopened more quickly after fire, which would be a welcome change. Also, another proposal endorses working more closely with rural communities and fire-safe practices and working on community support for recreation. For those that have been on the board for some time, you may recall the lawsuit CORVA filed with Butte and Plumas Counties, and Sierra Access Coalition, where I served as lead plaintiff. One of the key issues in the lawsuit concerned working more closely with rural communities on recreation issues and access. The proposals in this document do validate key issues in our lawsuit.
I will be attending the 2-day meeting in Grass Valley September 26 & 27th when the recreation proposal will be reviewed by the entire task force and potentially be adopted.
There have been no updates to the California 30x30 plan, but there also have not been updates to the percentage of land already considered conserved under the 30x30 criteria. If anyone has an area that they believe should be included in 30x30 as already conserved land, it can be submitted for review here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8397283d95a34a4fad138b752ca0f7ba
State Parks
The upcoming month will be very busy for State Parks, but the past month has been very interesting as well. The state is still working on supporting the chapters of the former "NYPUM" program that are still active in California and include El Centro based at Heber Dunes and Ocotillo Wells SVRAs, and LAPD based at Hungry Valley SVRA. Both of these programs have adopted a new name "OHV4ME" which stands for OHV for Mentoring and Education. The goal of these programs remains teaching and mentoring children from underserved areas of the communities using dirt bikes. I participated in a meeting on August
The OHV Safety Summit will be held on Tuesday, August 23rd in Sacramento and virtually on Microsoft Teams. A number of members of the CORVA BOD are participating. It is very exciting to be at the forefront of determining future actions for UTV recreation. One of the criteria that must be considered is additional areas and trails available solely to UTV recreation. Lack of planning by all agencies have contributed to the lack of trails specific to the needs of UTV enthusiasts. SB 155 (2021) was passed specifically with this concern in mind, it is up to us to insist that more opportunities be available for UTV travel. Another fatal accident involving a UTV was reported at Hungry Valley yesterday (Saturday) and while the details have not yet been released to the public, it is believed to be a sole vehicle accident, possibly a rollover.
There will be an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting on September 16th, with the tour the previous day, September 15th. This will again be a hybrid meeting. I have heard the meeting may be held in North Lake Tahoe, at Kings Beach at the facility right on the lake that had previously held a commission meeting pre-pandemic.
After the Safety Summit on August 23rd, I was invited to join an ad hoc meeting of the OHMVR Commission meeting on August 24th dedicated to exploring ongoing issues at Oceano Dunes SVRA. I asked that Mike McGarity and Bruce Whitcher also be included in that meeting.
Legislation
Both bills that our legislative coalition, the Off Road Vehicle Legislative Coalition, has supported this session have a high likelihood of passing. SB 894 passed through the Appropriations Committee and was directed to a 3rd reading on the floor of the Senate. The Senate analysis for the 3rd reading contains the following paragraph:In any case, the bill directs DMV's reasonable costs to implement this bill to be reimbursed from the OHVTF, upon appropriation by the Legislature. This means DMV's costs to modifyits vehicle registration programming – whatever those costs turn out to be – will eventually be covered from funds dedicated to the benefit of OHVs. According to budget documents on the Department of Finance website, the OHVTF has a rapidly diminishing balance, starting atover $61 million in fiscal year 2020-21 and projected to drop to just under $15 million infiscal year 2022-23. Parks, which administers the OHVTF, indicates those numbers are outdated. While Parks could not provide more up-to-date numbers at the time this analysis.
The issue with the health of the OHV Trust Fund has to be brought up in a substantive manner at the next OHMVR Commission meeting. The last analysis the public had been given about the health of the fund was in 2020, and it is time for another review. The public deserves to know the state of the OHV Trust Fund.
AB 2152 has been enrolled and presented for the Governor's signature on August 16th. The Governor has 12 days to either sign the bill or allow it to become law without signing, or veto the bill. The bill passed without issue, there is no indication the Governor will veto the bill. This is the bill that allows for a pilot trails program to begin in and around Needles, California allowing for mixed OHV road use following CHP guidelines.
Forest Service
As I've previously reported to the BOD, I have been working with a new group based around the Riverside County/Temescal Valley area called the Cleveland Caretakers. One of the primary goals of this group is to reopen Indian Truck Trail, the only OHV road access from Riverside County into the northeast portion of the Cleveland National Forest. The forest is refusing to consider reopening the trail after a fire roughly 4 years ago. Perhaps the recommendations in the Task Force document can help!
The Forest Service is convening a group to be involved with the Subpart C over-snow analysis meetings for the Inyo National Forest. Both Kevin Bazar and I have been contacted to participate, but more importantly, Kevin has recommended many local snowmobile enthusiasts who can participate.
The objection period has started for the SIerra National Forest Motorized Recreation Project. Both Mike McGarity and Ed Stovin wrote excellent comments, and are eligible to participate in the objection process.
The Lassen National Forest has released a Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact to update the Motor Vehicle Use Map and add roads to the system:https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55457&exp=overview
BLM
The BLM has announced the upcoming Desert Advisory Council Meeting on Saturday, August 27th:https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2022-08/August_2022_DAC_AGENDA_508.pdf
At 9:45am, there will be a presentation on the Mojave Trails National Monument Planning efforts A number of BOD had expressed interest in this planning effort. There will also be an update on participation in the individual subgroups for the DAC:https://www.blm.gov/site-page/get-i...fornia-california-desert-district-rac-members. There is also the nomination link on this page for all those interested in serving on a subcommittee, with Dumont Dunes, Imperial Sand Dunes or Mojave Trails National Monument.
I was interviewed by the Desert Sun newspaper about the appointment of Shelley Lynch as the new Desrt District Manager where I was able to note the increases in popularity in off-road recreation since the pandemic and the need for more opportunities for OHV recreation:https://www.desertsun.com/story/new...tor-shelly-lynch-ready-face-heat/10166420002/
National Park Service
Death Valley National Park has reopened after flash flooding washed out many of the roads through the park. Although most off-roaders do not travel through Death Valley during the heat of the summer, it is a popular destination other times of the year for street legal off-road travel. Many of the roads may be washed out throughout the winter months, and backcountry travel is not advised:https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Upcoming events:
August 23rd: OHV Safety Summit
August 24th: Ad Hoc Committee Meeting for Oceano Dunes.
August 31st: Sierra Nevada SustainableRecreation Partnership
September 12th: Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
September 13/14: California State Parks Rangers Association meeting, Truckee
September 15/16: OHMVR Commission Meeting
September 26/27: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, Grass Valley
October 12-14: Nevada Offroad Summit, MInden Nevada. I have been asked to do a presentation! All are welcome.
Amy Granat
Managing Director
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
ORIA, offroaders in action, is the CORVA quarterly newsletter.
https://corva.org/resources/Documents/ORIA Summer 2022-2.pdf
Pismo, Oceano Dunes is on page 8
Clear Creek is page 19
https://corva.org/resources/Documents/ORIA Summer 2022-2.pdf
Pismo, Oceano Dunes is on page 8
Clear Creek is page 19
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy's Latest report. It is always enlightening.
El Dorado County, Rubicon Trail
Some may remember the extensive involvement CORVA had during the easement designation process for the Rubicon Trail many years ago. As opposed to most motorized trails in the state, the Rubicon Trail is designated as an unimproved El Dorado county road, as the county asserted their RS2477 rights to the road and can document travel on the Rubicon Trail to the 1840's https://www.edcgov.us/Government/Rubicon/Pages/rubicon_trail_history.aspx. The county has the sole authority to open and close the trail, which they do in response to weather conditions and public emergencies. However, a portion of the Rubicon does travel through Placer County, which has not asserted the same rights as El Dorado County. This is a problem I am working on as well.
Rubicon Trail was closed by order of the Fire Marshal to El Dorado County in response to the Mosquito Fire that started September 6th. At one point, Georgetown was evacuated as well as neighboring communities https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/9/6/mosquito-fire/. As a result of rain and cooler weather this week, firefighters have been able to get a handle on the fire and containment stands at about 60% https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8398/. The Rubicon Trail was closed immediately, however hiking trails and other roads particularly in the east side of the trail were not closed! But guards were posted by the Tahoma Staging Area precluding travel into that area of the trail, as reported by Doug Barr, life member of CORVA. This entrance ,which is the eastern entrance to the Rubicon Trail, is located in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, relatively far away from the fire zone. I was able to speak extensively to the Forest Service about this example of how differently motorized recreation trails are treated than other non-motorized recreation trails. The reason I was given by Region 5, US Forest Service, was that people take many days to travel the Rubicon, and authorities didn't want people in danger. However no one in authority at Region 5 considered that people hiking Wilderness trails also may travel many days, but do not have the mobility that riders and drivers have to quickly vacate an area. We are hoping that the Fire Marshal will lift the closure order on Monday, but the problem of recreational bias has been laid bare.
California Natural Resources Agency
The California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting is on Tuesday, September 27th in Grass Valley to discuss the draft 'Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor REcreation in California' https://www.calrecvision.org/. I am looking forward to using the example above of 'Recreational Bias' to point out the hypocritical ways that the Forest Service is treating different forms of recreation. I have informal meetings set up for the evening before with agency-affiliated personnel, and I'm looking forward to networking. Registration is still open should others want to attend.
On Wednesday, September 28th is the 30x30 Partnership Kick Off meeting in Sacramento at the California Natural Resources Agency https://www.californianature.ca.gov/. I am attending that meeting in person, but the in-person attendance registration has now been closed. It is possible to register for the online Zoom meeting virtual event at the link above. I do know a couple of the individuals on the current Partnership Committee, but there is no one representing active forms of recreation. We must as a community pay more attention to these issues and rise to the point where we can represent enthusiasts on partnership committees such as these. The amount of land considered 'conserved' has not changed since the start of this initiative, even with numerous entities, including CORVA, have submitted comments advocating for additional areas to be considered conserved. It still stands at roughly 24%, but I truly believe that if federal wilderness study areas were included California would easily top 30%. Anyone who has additional lands to report as conserved can do so at the following link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8397283d95a34a4fad138b752ca0f7ba
State Parks
This past month saw the OHMVR Commission meeting change from an in-person hybrid meeting to a strictly hybrid meeting. A number of CORVA board members also participated in the meeting which started at 9:00am and did not finish until after 6:00pm. But there were a number of important issues that were under discussion. Please look at the September 16th meeting on the following page: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27160 to review the reports that were sent out, admittedly late, for the meeting. To address the concerns about the health of the OHV Trust Fund, there is a report entitled; "FIscal Year 2022/2023 Budget". This report highlights the instability of the OHV Trust Fund which is not currently bringing in enough money to sustain the OHV Trust Fund grants, maintenance of the SVRA's plus capital outlay projects for major upgrades and repairs for SVRA's. In a previous report for the OHMVR Commission, it is reported that compliance with the Stipulated Order of Abatement for the SLO County Air Pollution Control District at Oceano Dunes is costing around $2,000,000 a year. That cost doesn't help the OHV Trust Fund bottom line!
In response to the problems with the OHV Trust Fund, the division will reduce the amount available for the OHV Trust Fund Grants next year by $5 million. This year, the OHV Trust Funds grants only funded just north of $29 million in projects out of $35 million available, so perhaps the reduced amount of grant money available won't be too harmful. But as the state moves towards increased electric vehicle integration, the money coming from the gas tax, which is the greatest contributor to the OHV Trust Fund, will see significant reductions. It is time to start thinking seriously about ways to increase monies coming into the funds. One of the ideas that has been considered in the past is a sort of 'OHV sticker' for 4WD vehicles. There is definitely room to review the Tacking, Accountability and Compliance procedures that have been put in place for mixed districts where equipment purchased with OHV Trust Fund money and manpower billed as part of the OHMVR Division are now part of mixed districts. CORVA had reported on the misuse of these procedures in February of 2020, right before the pandemic began. Unfortunately, there has been no resolution or response from CORVA's report.
One of the important issues discussed at the OHMVR Commission meeting concerned a draft letter written by 2 commissioners and proposed to be sent to the APCD Hearing Board meeting to be held October 14th https://www.slocleanair.org/who/board/hearing-board.php. This will be a virtual meeting. At this meeting State Parks will request a change in the Stipulated Order of Abatement to reduce the dust reduction target for the SOA from 5-% to 40.7%, the amount that had been previously determined by the Science Advisory Group as being derived from ff-road recreation occurring in ODSVRA. It is unknown how the APCD Hearing Board will respond to this request. At a previous meeting the board reviewed the possibility of reducing the air pollution target unfavorably, and the State of California officially requested the APCD Hearing Board not consider any reduction to the target amount of the SOA.
Right after the August CORVA Board of Directors Zoom meeting the state held the OHV Safety Summit outside of Sacramento. A number of CORVA Board of Directors participated in the summit and I served as one of the co-hosts with the state. The Priority List and Summit meeting notes are attached, and represent an excellent example of 'groupthink' , with the state actively soliciting solutions to issues with OHV recreation, largely with SxS vehicles. Please review both the notes from the summit, which are transferable to issues facing OHV recreation around the state. Personally, I was impressed with the depth of dedication shown from the participants, and the contributions from law enforcement personnel who attended. Almost every SVRA sent law enforcement personnel to report on the issues in their specific parks. Not all the parks have the same issues, so it was very helpful.
Hollister Hills SVRA has been included as part of the 4th Grade Adventure Program: https://www.parks.ca.gov/adventurepass , the first time an SVRA has been chosen as one of the target parks. This year, there are a total of 19 parks participating. Part of the problem, is that no one told the OHMVR Division or Hollister Hills that they've been chosen! It is up to the community to make this program a success, so I will be meeting soon with State Parks Interpretation staff for more direction.
I've attached 2 documents that have been distributed to law enforcement throughout California regarding red sticker use in California. This information was released to law enforcement a number of months ago, but it has not been widely distributed to the public. Since the provisions of SB 894 will not go into effect until January 2027, these regulations will be in force until that point, for a number of years to come. -please note attachements!
Equally interesting was the California State Parks Rangers Association Rendezvous in Truckee. I was privileged to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the OHMVR DIvision with a number of retired ranges who served at SVRA's, and to see Paul Slavik be the first OHV Enthusiast to receive the Honorary Ranger Award and his own California State Parks Ranger hat! There was a great retrospective of Pauls's career, which included snippets of videos that he had done with Ed Waldheim and Bob Ham talking about the beginning of the OHMVR program in California. I also met Lisa Beutler at the event, who had worked alongside many of us as a facilitator for the old Stakeholders Group. Many of us remember Lisa's work fondly.
Legislation
AB 2152 became law after it was signed by the Governor, and SB 894 was presented to the Governor on September 9th for his signature. The Governor VETOED SB 894 on September 25th. This is a link to his veto letter: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SB-894-VETO.pdf?emrc=ff7580
Forest Service
The Lassen National Forest has taken a stab at recognizing how Maintenance Level 3 roads are hindering greensticker travel in the forest and proposed a minor change in designation, including downgrading some roads to ML2 to allow legal greensticker travel, and are proposing to study other roads for official mixed use designation. This involves CHP analysis, and is limited to 3 miles.
I have been asked by the Regional Forester to provide feedback on what the Region is doing well, and perhaps less well, in California. I asked groups and individuals involved in different forests throughout California for feedback that I can include to the Regional Forester, so I will be presenting a broad range of experiences and opinions. I am honored to be included in this personal request by the Regional Forester, as far as I can ascertain, I do not know of other OHV advocates who received the same request.
The Inyo National Forest started the scoping for the Travel Management, Subpart C plan with in-person meetings in Mammoth. Thanks to board member Kevin Bazar for attending the meeting along with CORVA member Michael Lueders. Michael is the head of the volunteer based Search and Rescue organization for Inyo County, and has a lot of on-the-ground knowledge of the area.
BLM
Please review the attached report and request from Scott Stacy, CORVA member. Scott would like CORVA's help with maintenance for both the Husky Memorial and the Wagon Wheel Memorial in Ridgecrest. I've organized the photos into a brochure along with some of the ideas submitted by Scott. He is eagerly anticipating the board's response.
El Dorado County, Rubicon Trail
Some may remember the extensive involvement CORVA had during the easement designation process for the Rubicon Trail many years ago. As opposed to most motorized trails in the state, the Rubicon Trail is designated as an unimproved El Dorado county road, as the county asserted their RS2477 rights to the road and can document travel on the Rubicon Trail to the 1840's https://www.edcgov.us/Government/Rubicon/Pages/rubicon_trail_history.aspx. The county has the sole authority to open and close the trail, which they do in response to weather conditions and public emergencies. However, a portion of the Rubicon does travel through Placer County, which has not asserted the same rights as El Dorado County. This is a problem I am working on as well.
Rubicon Trail was closed by order of the Fire Marshal to El Dorado County in response to the Mosquito Fire that started September 6th. At one point, Georgetown was evacuated as well as neighboring communities https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/9/6/mosquito-fire/. As a result of rain and cooler weather this week, firefighters have been able to get a handle on the fire and containment stands at about 60% https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8398/. The Rubicon Trail was closed immediately, however hiking trails and other roads particularly in the east side of the trail were not closed! But guards were posted by the Tahoma Staging Area precluding travel into that area of the trail, as reported by Doug Barr, life member of CORVA. This entrance ,which is the eastern entrance to the Rubicon Trail, is located in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, relatively far away from the fire zone. I was able to speak extensively to the Forest Service about this example of how differently motorized recreation trails are treated than other non-motorized recreation trails. The reason I was given by Region 5, US Forest Service, was that people take many days to travel the Rubicon, and authorities didn't want people in danger. However no one in authority at Region 5 considered that people hiking Wilderness trails also may travel many days, but do not have the mobility that riders and drivers have to quickly vacate an area. We are hoping that the Fire Marshal will lift the closure order on Monday, but the problem of recreational bias has been laid bare.
California Natural Resources Agency
The California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting is on Tuesday, September 27th in Grass Valley to discuss the draft 'Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor REcreation in California' https://www.calrecvision.org/. I am looking forward to using the example above of 'Recreational Bias' to point out the hypocritical ways that the Forest Service is treating different forms of recreation. I have informal meetings set up for the evening before with agency-affiliated personnel, and I'm looking forward to networking. Registration is still open should others want to attend.
On Wednesday, September 28th is the 30x30 Partnership Kick Off meeting in Sacramento at the California Natural Resources Agency https://www.californianature.ca.gov/. I am attending that meeting in person, but the in-person attendance registration has now been closed. It is possible to register for the online Zoom meeting virtual event at the link above. I do know a couple of the individuals on the current Partnership Committee, but there is no one representing active forms of recreation. We must as a community pay more attention to these issues and rise to the point where we can represent enthusiasts on partnership committees such as these. The amount of land considered 'conserved' has not changed since the start of this initiative, even with numerous entities, including CORVA, have submitted comments advocating for additional areas to be considered conserved. It still stands at roughly 24%, but I truly believe that if federal wilderness study areas were included California would easily top 30%. Anyone who has additional lands to report as conserved can do so at the following link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/8397283d95a34a4fad138b752ca0f7ba
State Parks
This past month saw the OHMVR Commission meeting change from an in-person hybrid meeting to a strictly hybrid meeting. A number of CORVA board members also participated in the meeting which started at 9:00am and did not finish until after 6:00pm. But there were a number of important issues that were under discussion. Please look at the September 16th meeting on the following page: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27160 to review the reports that were sent out, admittedly late, for the meeting. To address the concerns about the health of the OHV Trust Fund, there is a report entitled; "FIscal Year 2022/2023 Budget". This report highlights the instability of the OHV Trust Fund which is not currently bringing in enough money to sustain the OHV Trust Fund grants, maintenance of the SVRA's plus capital outlay projects for major upgrades and repairs for SVRA's. In a previous report for the OHMVR Commission, it is reported that compliance with the Stipulated Order of Abatement for the SLO County Air Pollution Control District at Oceano Dunes is costing around $2,000,000 a year. That cost doesn't help the OHV Trust Fund bottom line!
In response to the problems with the OHV Trust Fund, the division will reduce the amount available for the OHV Trust Fund Grants next year by $5 million. This year, the OHV Trust Funds grants only funded just north of $29 million in projects out of $35 million available, so perhaps the reduced amount of grant money available won't be too harmful. But as the state moves towards increased electric vehicle integration, the money coming from the gas tax, which is the greatest contributor to the OHV Trust Fund, will see significant reductions. It is time to start thinking seriously about ways to increase monies coming into the funds. One of the ideas that has been considered in the past is a sort of 'OHV sticker' for 4WD vehicles. There is definitely room to review the Tacking, Accountability and Compliance procedures that have been put in place for mixed districts where equipment purchased with OHV Trust Fund money and manpower billed as part of the OHMVR Division are now part of mixed districts. CORVA had reported on the misuse of these procedures in February of 2020, right before the pandemic began. Unfortunately, there has been no resolution or response from CORVA's report.
One of the important issues discussed at the OHMVR Commission meeting concerned a draft letter written by 2 commissioners and proposed to be sent to the APCD Hearing Board meeting to be held October 14th https://www.slocleanair.org/who/board/hearing-board.php. This will be a virtual meeting. At this meeting State Parks will request a change in the Stipulated Order of Abatement to reduce the dust reduction target for the SOA from 5-% to 40.7%, the amount that had been previously determined by the Science Advisory Group as being derived from ff-road recreation occurring in ODSVRA. It is unknown how the APCD Hearing Board will respond to this request. At a previous meeting the board reviewed the possibility of reducing the air pollution target unfavorably, and the State of California officially requested the APCD Hearing Board not consider any reduction to the target amount of the SOA.
Right after the August CORVA Board of Directors Zoom meeting the state held the OHV Safety Summit outside of Sacramento. A number of CORVA Board of Directors participated in the summit and I served as one of the co-hosts with the state. The Priority List and Summit meeting notes are attached, and represent an excellent example of 'groupthink' , with the state actively soliciting solutions to issues with OHV recreation, largely with SxS vehicles. Please review both the notes from the summit, which are transferable to issues facing OHV recreation around the state. Personally, I was impressed with the depth of dedication shown from the participants, and the contributions from law enforcement personnel who attended. Almost every SVRA sent law enforcement personnel to report on the issues in their specific parks. Not all the parks have the same issues, so it was very helpful.
Hollister Hills SVRA has been included as part of the 4th Grade Adventure Program: https://www.parks.ca.gov/adventurepass , the first time an SVRA has been chosen as one of the target parks. This year, there are a total of 19 parks participating. Part of the problem, is that no one told the OHMVR Division or Hollister Hills that they've been chosen! It is up to the community to make this program a success, so I will be meeting soon with State Parks Interpretation staff for more direction.
I've attached 2 documents that have been distributed to law enforcement throughout California regarding red sticker use in California. This information was released to law enforcement a number of months ago, but it has not been widely distributed to the public. Since the provisions of SB 894 will not go into effect until January 2027, these regulations will be in force until that point, for a number of years to come. -please note attachements!
Equally interesting was the California State Parks Rangers Association Rendezvous in Truckee. I was privileged to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the OHMVR DIvision with a number of retired ranges who served at SVRA's, and to see Paul Slavik be the first OHV Enthusiast to receive the Honorary Ranger Award and his own California State Parks Ranger hat! There was a great retrospective of Pauls's career, which included snippets of videos that he had done with Ed Waldheim and Bob Ham talking about the beginning of the OHMVR program in California. I also met Lisa Beutler at the event, who had worked alongside many of us as a facilitator for the old Stakeholders Group. Many of us remember Lisa's work fondly.
Legislation
AB 2152 became law after it was signed by the Governor, and SB 894 was presented to the Governor on September 9th for his signature. The Governor VETOED SB 894 on September 25th. This is a link to his veto letter: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SB-894-VETO.pdf?emrc=ff7580
Forest Service
The Lassen National Forest has taken a stab at recognizing how Maintenance Level 3 roads are hindering greensticker travel in the forest and proposed a minor change in designation, including downgrading some roads to ML2 to allow legal greensticker travel, and are proposing to study other roads for official mixed use designation. This involves CHP analysis, and is limited to 3 miles.
I have been asked by the Regional Forester to provide feedback on what the Region is doing well, and perhaps less well, in California. I asked groups and individuals involved in different forests throughout California for feedback that I can include to the Regional Forester, so I will be presenting a broad range of experiences and opinions. I am honored to be included in this personal request by the Regional Forester, as far as I can ascertain, I do not know of other OHV advocates who received the same request.
The Inyo National Forest started the scoping for the Travel Management, Subpart C plan with in-person meetings in Mammoth. Thanks to board member Kevin Bazar for attending the meeting along with CORVA member Michael Lueders. Michael is the head of the volunteer based Search and Rescue organization for Inyo County, and has a lot of on-the-ground knowledge of the area.
BLM
Please review the attached report and request from Scott Stacy, CORVA member. Scott would like CORVA's help with maintenance for both the Husky Memorial and the Wagon Wheel Memorial in Ridgecrest. I've organized the photos into a brochure along with some of the ideas submitted by Scott. He is eagerly anticipating the board's response.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy Report
I dunno why I am having trouble…
There is this on Coe
The OHMVR Commission met for a workshop on Thursday, November 3rd in Ontario followed by the meeting on Friday, November 4th. I flew to attend the workshop, which was the first time the state has actually addressed the changes that SB 155 brought to the table. "When considering acquisition and development of properties to expand off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, the department may prioritize properties that have potential to serve large urban areas such as the Bay Area and Central Valley, offer potential recreational opportunities for off highway vehicle recreation, and potential opportunities for motorized access to non-motorized recreation. Properties for consideration may include areas within existing State Parks and State Recreation Areas, including, but not limited to, Henry Coe State Park. The department shall not consider the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area in this process."
More later
I dunno why I am having trouble…
There is this on Coe
The OHMVR Commission met for a workshop on Thursday, November 3rd in Ontario followed by the meeting on Friday, November 4th. I flew to attend the workshop, which was the first time the state has actually addressed the changes that SB 155 brought to the table. "When considering acquisition and development of properties to expand off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, the department may prioritize properties that have potential to serve large urban areas such as the Bay Area and Central Valley, offer potential recreational opportunities for off highway vehicle recreation, and potential opportunities for motorized access to non-motorized recreation. Properties for consideration may include areas within existing State Parks and State Recreation Areas, including, but not limited to, Henry Coe State Park. The department shall not consider the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area in this process."
More later
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy report, attempt two
Edit…
California Natural Resources Agency
This past month I attended one of the 30x30 Virtual Expo Series meetings held to promote engagement and participation with the State 30x30 Initiative. The direction that the state is heading indicates that promoting voluntary conservation easements and enhanced conservation designations are the primary goals. They…
This past month I attended one of the 30x30 Virtual Expo Series meetings held to promote engagement and participation with the State 30x30 Initiative. The direction that the state is heading indicates that promoting voluntary conservation easements and enhanced conservation designations are the primary goals. They are also mentioning elevating existing management directions for both federal and state public land. This could be problematic for off-road opportunities, and we need to stay in close contact with our federal partners to see how this might manifest. It will certainly lead to more pressure from anti-access (quasi-environmental) groups to pressure federal agencies and state parks for more designated wilderness or natural preserves, in the case of the state.
While I had been previously informed that all state parks were included in the 30x30 Initiative as protected areas, besides natural preserves, the rest of the parks in California are not included in the calculation of 'conserved' land. Even though our SVRA's have soil conservation plans and habitat management plans, they are considered Tier 4, or the lowest tier for conservation calculations. That said, all state parks are not included as targets or lands open to additional conservation measures. But the percentage of protected land has not changed since the initial calculation, the state still measures conserved lands as 23.78%. In the FAQ section: https://www.californianature.ca.gov/pages/resources#publicengagement , it does state that the state has received a lot of areas that seem to comply with conservation criteria but may be included in the future percentage. With the amount of attention and the work the state has dedicated to 30x30, they may not update the percentage of protected land as they continue to engage with local land trusts.
The next meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force has been rescheduled to February 2 & 3, 2023, in Calabasas, CA. I plan to attend in person and encourage CORVA members of BOD and all members of the enthusiast community to attend: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/meetings/
State Parks
The OHMVR Commission met for a workshop on Thursday, November 3rd in Ontario followed by the meeting on Friday, November 4th. I flew to attend the workshop, which was the first time the state has actually addressed the changes that SB 155 brought to the table. "When considering acquisition and development of properties to expand off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, the department may prioritize properties that have potential to serve large urban areas such as the Bay Area and Central Valley, offer potential recreational opportunities for off highway vehicle recreation, and potential opportunities for motorized access to non-motorized recreation. Properties for consideration may include areas within existing State Parks and State Recreation Areas, including, but not limited to, Henry Coe State Park. The department shall not consider the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area in this process."
Something something something…
The workshop was led by Alex Stehl in her role as Deputy Director of Strategic Planning for State Parks, and Katie Metraux, State Parks planner. While there were some positive ideas that were proposed in the workshop, the loss of the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area of Carnegie SVRA which directly led to the development of SB 155, was largely ignored. My comments were geared towards reminding both State Parks planners and the OHMVR Commission, and the loss of opportunity the expansion area represented, have been largely ignored. In a subsequent meeting with Chief Deputy Director of State Parks, Liz McGuirk, Past President of CORVA Diana Mead and me, Liz acknowledged the loss to the local Carnegie community and promised that Parks would hold a meeting in the greater Bay Area so local enthusiasts could meet and discuss opportunities. This doesn't lessen the need that exists in the entire state for more OHV and 4WD recreation opportunities, but the need for the Central Valley and greater Bay Area for more SxS roads and trails must be considered seriously. All OHV and 4WD enthusiasts are encouraged to look at State Parks and State Recreation Areas in their local neighborhoods and propose new opportunities for the community. Discussions will be continuing with State Parks and planning will start for the Bay Area meeting after the first of the year.
Thanks to all who attended the Comments Project Workshop on December 1 held in conjunction with the California 4 Wheel Drive Association. A recording of the meeting along with the slides and the Q & A information were sent to the participants. If anyone else wants the information from the workshop, please email: info@corva.org. The comment period for the Red Rock Canyon State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report closes on December 16th: https://www.redrockcanyongp.com/resources. We had 25 participants attending the workshop, which is an excellent turnout considering the difficulty. I was very pleased to have participants also from the Nevada Offroad Association. The Comments Project Workshop is a unique opportunity to educate off-roaders. Thanks to all the presenters and the participants!
Side by Side education policy continues to be debated through State Parks. The state will hold another OHV Safety Summit in July of 2023 in a location TBA. In the meantime, Utah has created a comprehensive OHV and 4WD Safety course: Utah OHV Safety Requirements as has Arizona: https://www.azgfd.com/education/ohv/. California is looking to both these programs as inspiration. Additionally, SxS safety issues have become elevated throughout the country, which may prompt attention from the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Prairie City SVRA, Carnegie SVRA and Hollister Hills SVRA all have some type of weather closure policy during the winter months. Please go to the website for each SVRA before traveling. The intent of the closure is to protect the trails, but the state promises to close only those trails necessary and leave the rest of the parks areas open.
The California State Parks Grants and Cooperative Agreements program will be holding a workshop on January 9th and 10th, 2023. The flyer for the workshop is attached.
Forest Service
During the past couple of months, the facilitation efforts for the Inyo National Forest, Subpart C Over Snow Management analysis have ended. The meetings are always contentious, but there was great participation from local over-snow enthusiasts. But after the culmination of the 4 meetings, Advocates of the West held a Zoom workshop co-sponsored by Winter Wildlands Alliance, that clearly stated the intent of both organizations to eliminate motorized and mechanized recreation from public land. These organizations and others of the same ilk have no interest in compromise, making it impossible to work with them in collaborative efforts. The OHV and 4WD communities must be aware that these organizations hold uncompromising beliefs that motorized and mechanized efforts are not a legitimate use of public land.
I also attended the Sequoia and Sierra Forest Plan Revision Objection Meetings by Zoom, representing CORVA. CORVA had submitted substantive objections noting that since the vast majority of the information the proposed forest revisions are based on were gathered before the pandemic, in a post-pandemic world that has seen a phenomenal increase in motorized recreation, these conclusions are no longer valid.
Seasonal winter closures have begun for many of the Northern and Central California forests. Lake Tahoe Basin and Eldorado National Forests have started their winter native surface road closure early due to weather conditions. The Rock Creek system in the Eldorado has a different closure mechanism. The Tahoe National Forest has also instituted their winter weather closure. Go to the Forest Service website and click on your favorite forest to find out what rules are in force: https://www.fs.usda.gov/, go to the drop-down menu to choose your forest.
BLM
The US Marines are asking for comments on the Shared Use Area of Johnson Valley OHV Area: https://www.29palms.marines.mil/Staff-Offices/Government-and-External-Affairs/Johnson-Valley/. The Marines are requesting comments from OHV and 4WD Enthusiasts pertaining to the management of the Shared Use Area due on Friday, December 9th. Please go to the above website or email: SMBPLMSJOHNSONVALLEY@usmc.mil, Subject line: RMG Annual Comments and submit your assessment on how the Marines have done managing the shared use area. Also sign up for text alerts from the Marines for closure schedules and public meetings.
I attended the Central California Resource Advisory Council workshop. The RAC does not yet have a quorum, but presentations were given including updates on OHV areas. The BLM is looking to increase signage for OHV areas, to prevent trespass and give more information on local conditions. VP of Land Use Bruce Whithcer and I have plans to meet with the Central California District Manager Chris Heppe to look at maps to discover possible additions for OHV opportunities in the new year.
I also attended the BLM/NOHVCC listening session in Sacramento. Together the BLM and NOHVCC really want to hear back from enthusiasts around the state. The major topic of conversation for Northern California was the reopening of the Clear Creek Management Area. Enthusiasts all over the state are calling for the reopening of that world class riding area. The Southern California meetings will be held in Spring 2023 in locatations TBD. The BLM and NOHVCC really want OHV and 4WD enthusiasts to report back on areas that are important to them. The form is attached, please send it in to: Marc Hildesheim marc@nohvcc.org
Edit…
California Natural Resources Agency
This past month I attended one of the 30x30 Virtual Expo Series meetings held to promote engagement and participation with the State 30x30 Initiative. The direction that the state is heading indicates that promoting voluntary conservation easements and enhanced conservation designations are the primary goals. They…
This past month I attended one of the 30x30 Virtual Expo Series meetings held to promote engagement and participation with the State 30x30 Initiative. The direction that the state is heading indicates that promoting voluntary conservation easements and enhanced conservation designations are the primary goals. They are also mentioning elevating existing management directions for both federal and state public land. This could be problematic for off-road opportunities, and we need to stay in close contact with our federal partners to see how this might manifest. It will certainly lead to more pressure from anti-access (quasi-environmental) groups to pressure federal agencies and state parks for more designated wilderness or natural preserves, in the case of the state.
While I had been previously informed that all state parks were included in the 30x30 Initiative as protected areas, besides natural preserves, the rest of the parks in California are not included in the calculation of 'conserved' land. Even though our SVRA's have soil conservation plans and habitat management plans, they are considered Tier 4, or the lowest tier for conservation calculations. That said, all state parks are not included as targets or lands open to additional conservation measures. But the percentage of protected land has not changed since the initial calculation, the state still measures conserved lands as 23.78%. In the FAQ section: https://www.californianature.ca.gov/pages/resources#publicengagement , it does state that the state has received a lot of areas that seem to comply with conservation criteria but may be included in the future percentage. With the amount of attention and the work the state has dedicated to 30x30, they may not update the percentage of protected land as they continue to engage with local land trusts.
The next meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force has been rescheduled to February 2 & 3, 2023, in Calabasas, CA. I plan to attend in person and encourage CORVA members of BOD and all members of the enthusiast community to attend: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/meetings/
State Parks
The OHMVR Commission met for a workshop on Thursday, November 3rd in Ontario followed by the meeting on Friday, November 4th. I flew to attend the workshop, which was the first time the state has actually addressed the changes that SB 155 brought to the table. "When considering acquisition and development of properties to expand off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, the department may prioritize properties that have potential to serve large urban areas such as the Bay Area and Central Valley, offer potential recreational opportunities for off highway vehicle recreation, and potential opportunities for motorized access to non-motorized recreation. Properties for consideration may include areas within existing State Parks and State Recreation Areas, including, but not limited to, Henry Coe State Park. The department shall not consider the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area in this process."
Something something something…
The workshop was led by Alex Stehl in her role as Deputy Director of Strategic Planning for State Parks, and Katie Metraux, State Parks planner. While there were some positive ideas that were proposed in the workshop, the loss of the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area of Carnegie SVRA which directly led to the development of SB 155, was largely ignored. My comments were geared towards reminding both State Parks planners and the OHMVR Commission, and the loss of opportunity the expansion area represented, have been largely ignored. In a subsequent meeting with Chief Deputy Director of State Parks, Liz McGuirk, Past President of CORVA Diana Mead and me, Liz acknowledged the loss to the local Carnegie community and promised that Parks would hold a meeting in the greater Bay Area so local enthusiasts could meet and discuss opportunities. This doesn't lessen the need that exists in the entire state for more OHV and 4WD recreation opportunities, but the need for the Central Valley and greater Bay Area for more SxS roads and trails must be considered seriously. All OHV and 4WD enthusiasts are encouraged to look at State Parks and State Recreation Areas in their local neighborhoods and propose new opportunities for the community. Discussions will be continuing with State Parks and planning will start for the Bay Area meeting after the first of the year.
Thanks to all who attended the Comments Project Workshop on December 1 held in conjunction with the California 4 Wheel Drive Association. A recording of the meeting along with the slides and the Q & A information were sent to the participants. If anyone else wants the information from the workshop, please email: info@corva.org. The comment period for the Red Rock Canyon State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report closes on December 16th: https://www.redrockcanyongp.com/resources. We had 25 participants attending the workshop, which is an excellent turnout considering the difficulty. I was very pleased to have participants also from the Nevada Offroad Association. The Comments Project Workshop is a unique opportunity to educate off-roaders. Thanks to all the presenters and the participants!
Side by Side education policy continues to be debated through State Parks. The state will hold another OHV Safety Summit in July of 2023 in a location TBA. In the meantime, Utah has created a comprehensive OHV and 4WD Safety course: Utah OHV Safety Requirements as has Arizona: https://www.azgfd.com/education/ohv/. California is looking to both these programs as inspiration. Additionally, SxS safety issues have become elevated throughout the country, which may prompt attention from the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Prairie City SVRA, Carnegie SVRA and Hollister Hills SVRA all have some type of weather closure policy during the winter months. Please go to the website for each SVRA before traveling. The intent of the closure is to protect the trails, but the state promises to close only those trails necessary and leave the rest of the parks areas open.
The California State Parks Grants and Cooperative Agreements program will be holding a workshop on January 9th and 10th, 2023. The flyer for the workshop is attached.
Forest Service
During the past couple of months, the facilitation efforts for the Inyo National Forest, Subpart C Over Snow Management analysis have ended. The meetings are always contentious, but there was great participation from local over-snow enthusiasts. But after the culmination of the 4 meetings, Advocates of the West held a Zoom workshop co-sponsored by Winter Wildlands Alliance, that clearly stated the intent of both organizations to eliminate motorized and mechanized recreation from public land. These organizations and others of the same ilk have no interest in compromise, making it impossible to work with them in collaborative efforts. The OHV and 4WD communities must be aware that these organizations hold uncompromising beliefs that motorized and mechanized efforts are not a legitimate use of public land.
I also attended the Sequoia and Sierra Forest Plan Revision Objection Meetings by Zoom, representing CORVA. CORVA had submitted substantive objections noting that since the vast majority of the information the proposed forest revisions are based on were gathered before the pandemic, in a post-pandemic world that has seen a phenomenal increase in motorized recreation, these conclusions are no longer valid.
Seasonal winter closures have begun for many of the Northern and Central California forests. Lake Tahoe Basin and Eldorado National Forests have started their winter native surface road closure early due to weather conditions. The Rock Creek system in the Eldorado has a different closure mechanism. The Tahoe National Forest has also instituted their winter weather closure. Go to the Forest Service website and click on your favorite forest to find out what rules are in force: https://www.fs.usda.gov/, go to the drop-down menu to choose your forest.
BLM
The US Marines are asking for comments on the Shared Use Area of Johnson Valley OHV Area: https://www.29palms.marines.mil/Staff-Offices/Government-and-External-Affairs/Johnson-Valley/. The Marines are requesting comments from OHV and 4WD Enthusiasts pertaining to the management of the Shared Use Area due on Friday, December 9th. Please go to the above website or email: SMBPLMSJOHNSONVALLEY@usmc.mil, Subject line: RMG Annual Comments and submit your assessment on how the Marines have done managing the shared use area. Also sign up for text alerts from the Marines for closure schedules and public meetings.
I attended the Central California Resource Advisory Council workshop. The RAC does not yet have a quorum, but presentations were given including updates on OHV areas. The BLM is looking to increase signage for OHV areas, to prevent trespass and give more information on local conditions. VP of Land Use Bruce Whithcer and I have plans to meet with the Central California District Manager Chris Heppe to look at maps to discover possible additions for OHV opportunities in the new year.
I also attended the BLM/NOHVCC listening session in Sacramento. Together the BLM and NOHVCC really want to hear back from enthusiasts around the state. The major topic of conversation for Northern California was the reopening of the Clear Creek Management Area. Enthusiasts all over the state are calling for the reopening of that world class riding area. The Southern California meetings will be held in Spring 2023 in locatations TBD. The BLM and NOHVCC really want OHV and 4WD enthusiasts to report back on areas that are important to them. The form is attached, please send it in to: Marc Hildesheim marc@nohvcc.org
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
TLDR… yet
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Board meeting tomorrow. You can participate! Or listen. They are pretty awesome.
PROPOSED AGENDA
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
Board of Directors Meeting, Jan. 23, 2023, 7:00 PM
This will be a ZOOM Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81183975061?pwd=VHZIN1V4WVU1VE9hYVpxQWEzRk5JUT09
Meeting ID: 811 8397 5061
Passcode: 821203
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,81183975061#,,,,*821203# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,81183975061#,,,,*821203# US
1. Call to Order - 7:00 PM
2. Roll Call & Welcome Guests
3. Review Agenda: modify as necessary
Part 1: Advocacy
4. Critical & Legislative Issues; Events, Reports from the Field
a. Presidents report..(McGarity)
b. Managing Directors report..(Amy)
c. Legislation..(Bob or Amy)
d. Truckhaven Money (Vinnie)
e. CORVA Bylaws (Bruce B.)
f. Additional field reports, North and South
g. Guest comments and questions
Part 2: CORVA Business Items
5. CORVA Treasurer’s report: Mike Moore (financial reports to be sent by e-mail)
6. Adjourn, no later than 9:00 pm…
PROPOSED AGENDA
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
Board of Directors Meeting, Jan. 23, 2023, 7:00 PM
This will be a ZOOM Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81183975061?pwd=VHZIN1V4WVU1VE9hYVpxQWEzRk5JUT09
Meeting ID: 811 8397 5061
Passcode: 821203
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,81183975061#,,,,*821203# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,81183975061#,,,,*821203# US
1. Call to Order - 7:00 PM
2. Roll Call & Welcome Guests
3. Review Agenda: modify as necessary
Part 1: Advocacy
4. Critical & Legislative Issues; Events, Reports from the Field
a. Presidents report..(McGarity)
b. Managing Directors report..(Amy)
c. Legislation..(Bob or Amy)
d. Truckhaven Money (Vinnie)
e. CORVA Bylaws (Bruce B.)
f. Additional field reports, North and South
g. Guest comments and questions
Part 2: CORVA Business Items
5. CORVA Treasurer’s report: Mike Moore (financial reports to be sent by e-mail)
6. Adjourn, no later than 9:00 pm…
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Managing Director's Report, January 2023
California Natural Resources Agency
30x30 California keeps moving forward with an upcoming webinar on January 31st: 30x30 Jan 31 webinar. There are a number of issues to be concerned about with 30x30 and we are keeping a close watch on how this initiative is evolving. I have attached below the comments filed at the beginning of this initiative by our Legislative Coalition, in conjunction with the hunting and sporting community, because the concerns and issues noted in these comments are the same that are still important to us today. Of significant note is that the reported percentage of the land and water considered conserved has not changed since the start of the initiative. Through contacts with colleagues in the hunting community, I was able to ascertain that despite all the citizen reports of already conserved land, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who is responsible for calculating the percentage for 30x30, is not updating any of the data at this time. There is a considerable amount of time, money and energy being spent by various state agencies which shows no sign of abating. It is not within the administration's best interests to update the numbers when there is considerable momentum to keep moving forward. That said, so far obtaining conservation easements for large landowners and agricultural interests and purchasing inholdings in and around federal land. California State Parks are protected only in the capacity that they are State Parks, but are not included in the amount of land already conserved, except largely for State Preserves. SVRA's are considered Tier 4 in conservation measures, the lowest possible rating. While there are the usual interests calling for eliminating the SVRA's, the state is not supporting or considering changing the designations of any of the SVRA's or other state parks. It's disingenuous for the state to publish numbers that are incorrect at best or misleading at worst, but we are keeping on top of the issue. Our hunting colleagues are highly attuned to this issue as well.
The next California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting is in person in Calabasas https://wildfiretaskforce.org/. The meeting is hybrid, but registration is required for both in person and Zoom attendance. There are a number of workshops scheduled for February 3rd that promise to be informative in the Angeles National Forest and in surrounding areas. I will be attending the meeting in person on February 2nd, and will visit the Angeles National Forest on February 3rd. This is an opportunity to see upper management from the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Agency.
State Budget
The preliminary budget proposal https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/bill has been released, although much can change. I attended the introductory Zoom meeting with Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of Natural Resources. Budget cuts were proposed for all the agencies, but this was before the fiscal impact from the January storms was known. The news from the Capitol is increasingly gloomy when it comes to all things budget, so as a community we need to make sure the OHV Trust Fund is not raided in an attempt to benefit another program.
State Parks
As a result of the storms that hit northern California after the new year, Carnegie and Hollister Hills SVRA are currently closed. Both the county roads to Hollister and Carnegie were flooded, although Corral Hollow and Tesla Roads are seeing local traffic. There was a lot of damage on the trails in Carnegie, and according to a stakeholder meeting the state held on Friday, significant runoff has entered the park from across the street and may be contaminated, adding another problem for park staff. There is talk from State Parks that parts of Carnegie could be open within 2-3 weeks, while some of the harder hit trails will be closed. Since Cienega Rd, the county road leading to HOllister HIlls is closed and largely deteriorated, there is no timeline when that county road will be fixed and open to allow traffic into Hollister Hills. I have not received a full report on the trail conditions in Hollister Hills, but just like all the other parks in the area, it was hit very hard.
As of Thursday, January 19th, Oceano Dunes SVRA is open to day use and camping. Hungry Valley is currently closed, and the southern entrance to the park has completely washed away. Prairie City is partially closed, including the entire 4x4 area. Some of the other trails in the park are open. Heber Dunes, Clay Pit, Onyx Ranch and Ocotillo Wells are all open to visitors. On Tuesday, January 24th, the ad hoc committee of the OHMVR Commission will be holding a 'noticed' hybrid meeting on Oceano Dunes. The agenda is attached, for all who want to participate either remotely or in person.
In follow-up meetings regarding the implementation of SB 155 with the State Parks planning department along with Diana Mead, we have been informed that there will be a public meeting in February to speak with enthusiasts who were affected by the loss of the Alameda-Tesla expansion area of Carnegie SVRA. The meeting will be held in Pleasant Hill, in the East Bay, to allow local participants the opportunity to attend in person. There have been questions about what has been done with the $29.8 million dollars given to the OHV Trust Fund in SB 155, with some reports that the money is not being held for acquisition and development of OHV opportunities. We have been assured that only $1 million has actually been allocated to the OHV Trust Fund, but Carnegie stakeholders deserve the opportunity to make sure this money is being held in reserve to create opportunities to make up for what they lost.
The extraordinary weather has created dire situations in many state parks. In the Santa Cruz district alone, repairs to state parks are estimated at more than $10 million, at a time when budgets have been cut to all state agencies.
The next OHV Safety Summit will be held on July 27th, as part of an OHMVR Commission workshop, with July 28th scheduled as the OHMVR Commission meeting. The date has not yet been determined, and the Summit will be a hybrid meeting. The dates of the OHMVR Commission meetings this year are: March 23/24, July 27/28, September 28/29, November 2/3.
Forest Service
The Sierra, Stanislaus, Eldorado, and Tahoe National Forests, and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit all have a winter native surface road closure in effect. There has been a new Forest Supervisor appointed for the Eldorado National Forest, Joe Stout, former Asst State Director for the BLM in Sacramento. Those that attended the last CORVA Annual Meeting may remember speaking with Joe, and we look forward to working with him in his new role in Placerville.
Thanks to California Trail Users Coalition, and their president, Bruce Whitcher for helping the Cleveland Caretakers get a grant for Riverside County to do necessary maintenance to Indian Truck Trail in order to reopen that road to OHV Travel from Riverside County into the Cleveland National Forest. CORVA has facilitated the founding of that group, working together to restore access.
The Mendocino National Forest is not under a winter native surface road closure, but has experienced erosion and sedimentation, along with many downed trees and closed its OHV trail system. This also applies for other forests, such as the Los Padres. Before heading out please check the website for the latest conditions of your favorite riding and driving areas.
The Subpart C, Over Snow collaborative process has come to a close for the Inyo National Forest, with unsatisfactory results. This isn't a reflection on the facilitator, but rather the imperfect process that the Forest Service forced the participants to follow. Thanks to CORVA board member Kevin Bazar for his close attention to this issue, and to all OSV issues throughout California.
BLM
I attended a meeting this past week in Sacramento to find out more information about the proposed Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic EIS https://www.blm.gov/press-release/ . This is a very problematic proposal that brought out scores of environmental advocates, but only CORVA was represented at the meeting. This proposal could hurt OHV and 4WD recreation by proposing to take already disturbed land, i.e. roads and trails, and designate them as suitable for large scale solar installations. One of the ideas in this proposal is to upend all the decisions made as part of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan and basically give more land to alternative energy companies. CORVA represented all OHV and 4WD enthusiasts throughout the 8 year DRECP process, represented by Randy Banis. The goals we achieved through the DRECP were hard won, and for once every environmental organization also walked away from the table feeling they had won as well. The decision was not litigated. CORVA will file scoping comments, but this is a very worrisome proposal that has the potential to hurt access more than the 30x30 initiative. We have to watch this carefully. Again, the meeting for this plan was held in Sacramento, rather than any of the desert areas, which is absurd considering how much local residents and recreation enthusiasts stand to lose. I made substantive, on-the record comments at the meeting, but more detailed comments are needed on this plan.
Rubicon Trail
By resolution of the Board of Supervisors, the Rubicon Trail is closed for up to 60 days to assess the damage from the January storms. No one is happy about the closure, and thanks to CORVA for writing a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to involve Rubicon enthusiasts in the decision-making process. Instead, the Board of Supervisors sided with their Director of Transportation.
Additionally...
Thanks to Mitch Creegan for attending the International Sportsmen's Expo in Sacramento with me this past Friday. We scouted locations for a CORVA booth, and found some real possibilities for CORVA. Mitch will be following up and presenting those to the board. However I was also able to connect with some hunting advocates that I've worked with in the past.
I attended the Rural County Representatives of California Installation Party in downtown Sacramento, where a longtime friend of CORVA, Doug Teeter, was installed as President of the RRC Board of Directors. Doug attended the Comments Project held in Auburn, CA, dedicated to the Tahoe National Forest Travel Management Plan. He is also on the Board of Supervisors of Butte County, which was one of our co-plaintiffs when we filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service. He introduced me to Assemblymember Jim Patterson, who assured me that off-roaders have his complete support. Considering the district includes Fresno and Tulare County that Asesmblymember Patterson represents is close to the area for the proposed Range of Light National Monument, it's good to have his support. There is a great deal of opposition to the Range of Light proposal, including Congressman LaMalfa, Kiley and McClintock. I have been asked to be part of the San Diego County OHV Stakeholders group to explore possibilities for a new OHV park in the county.
Frank Raines OHV Park has just reopened, as the approach road in Stanislaus County has been repaired. There are camping areas that are still closed, however, and considerable damage has been done to the infrastructure.
Upcoming dates:
January 24th: Ad Hoc Committee, OHMVR Commission, Oceano Dunes SVRA
January 24th: possible tour of San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
January 25th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
January 31st: 30x30, Onward Together in 2023
January 31st: OHV Stakeholders group, San Diego County
February 1 - 3: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
February 13th: Rubicon enthusiasts meeting
February 22nd: : Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
California Natural Resources Agency
30x30 California keeps moving forward with an upcoming webinar on January 31st: 30x30 Jan 31 webinar. There are a number of issues to be concerned about with 30x30 and we are keeping a close watch on how this initiative is evolving. I have attached below the comments filed at the beginning of this initiative by our Legislative Coalition, in conjunction with the hunting and sporting community, because the concerns and issues noted in these comments are the same that are still important to us today. Of significant note is that the reported percentage of the land and water considered conserved has not changed since the start of the initiative. Through contacts with colleagues in the hunting community, I was able to ascertain that despite all the citizen reports of already conserved land, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who is responsible for calculating the percentage for 30x30, is not updating any of the data at this time. There is a considerable amount of time, money and energy being spent by various state agencies which shows no sign of abating. It is not within the administration's best interests to update the numbers when there is considerable momentum to keep moving forward. That said, so far obtaining conservation easements for large landowners and agricultural interests and purchasing inholdings in and around federal land. California State Parks are protected only in the capacity that they are State Parks, but are not included in the amount of land already conserved, except largely for State Preserves. SVRA's are considered Tier 4 in conservation measures, the lowest possible rating. While there are the usual interests calling for eliminating the SVRA's, the state is not supporting or considering changing the designations of any of the SVRA's or other state parks. It's disingenuous for the state to publish numbers that are incorrect at best or misleading at worst, but we are keeping on top of the issue. Our hunting colleagues are highly attuned to this issue as well.
The next California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting is in person in Calabasas https://wildfiretaskforce.org/. The meeting is hybrid, but registration is required for both in person and Zoom attendance. There are a number of workshops scheduled for February 3rd that promise to be informative in the Angeles National Forest and in surrounding areas. I will be attending the meeting in person on February 2nd, and will visit the Angeles National Forest on February 3rd. This is an opportunity to see upper management from the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Agency.
State Budget
The preliminary budget proposal https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/bill has been released, although much can change. I attended the introductory Zoom meeting with Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of Natural Resources. Budget cuts were proposed for all the agencies, but this was before the fiscal impact from the January storms was known. The news from the Capitol is increasingly gloomy when it comes to all things budget, so as a community we need to make sure the OHV Trust Fund is not raided in an attempt to benefit another program.
State Parks
As a result of the storms that hit northern California after the new year, Carnegie and Hollister Hills SVRA are currently closed. Both the county roads to Hollister and Carnegie were flooded, although Corral Hollow and Tesla Roads are seeing local traffic. There was a lot of damage on the trails in Carnegie, and according to a stakeholder meeting the state held on Friday, significant runoff has entered the park from across the street and may be contaminated, adding another problem for park staff. There is talk from State Parks that parts of Carnegie could be open within 2-3 weeks, while some of the harder hit trails will be closed. Since Cienega Rd, the county road leading to HOllister HIlls is closed and largely deteriorated, there is no timeline when that county road will be fixed and open to allow traffic into Hollister Hills. I have not received a full report on the trail conditions in Hollister Hills, but just like all the other parks in the area, it was hit very hard.
As of Thursday, January 19th, Oceano Dunes SVRA is open to day use and camping. Hungry Valley is currently closed, and the southern entrance to the park has completely washed away. Prairie City is partially closed, including the entire 4x4 area. Some of the other trails in the park are open. Heber Dunes, Clay Pit, Onyx Ranch and Ocotillo Wells are all open to visitors. On Tuesday, January 24th, the ad hoc committee of the OHMVR Commission will be holding a 'noticed' hybrid meeting on Oceano Dunes. The agenda is attached, for all who want to participate either remotely or in person.
In follow-up meetings regarding the implementation of SB 155 with the State Parks planning department along with Diana Mead, we have been informed that there will be a public meeting in February to speak with enthusiasts who were affected by the loss of the Alameda-Tesla expansion area of Carnegie SVRA. The meeting will be held in Pleasant Hill, in the East Bay, to allow local participants the opportunity to attend in person. There have been questions about what has been done with the $29.8 million dollars given to the OHV Trust Fund in SB 155, with some reports that the money is not being held for acquisition and development of OHV opportunities. We have been assured that only $1 million has actually been allocated to the OHV Trust Fund, but Carnegie stakeholders deserve the opportunity to make sure this money is being held in reserve to create opportunities to make up for what they lost.
The extraordinary weather has created dire situations in many state parks. In the Santa Cruz district alone, repairs to state parks are estimated at more than $10 million, at a time when budgets have been cut to all state agencies.
The next OHV Safety Summit will be held on July 27th, as part of an OHMVR Commission workshop, with July 28th scheduled as the OHMVR Commission meeting. The date has not yet been determined, and the Summit will be a hybrid meeting. The dates of the OHMVR Commission meetings this year are: March 23/24, July 27/28, September 28/29, November 2/3.
Forest Service
The Sierra, Stanislaus, Eldorado, and Tahoe National Forests, and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit all have a winter native surface road closure in effect. There has been a new Forest Supervisor appointed for the Eldorado National Forest, Joe Stout, former Asst State Director for the BLM in Sacramento. Those that attended the last CORVA Annual Meeting may remember speaking with Joe, and we look forward to working with him in his new role in Placerville.
Thanks to California Trail Users Coalition, and their president, Bruce Whitcher for helping the Cleveland Caretakers get a grant for Riverside County to do necessary maintenance to Indian Truck Trail in order to reopen that road to OHV Travel from Riverside County into the Cleveland National Forest. CORVA has facilitated the founding of that group, working together to restore access.
The Mendocino National Forest is not under a winter native surface road closure, but has experienced erosion and sedimentation, along with many downed trees and closed its OHV trail system. This also applies for other forests, such as the Los Padres. Before heading out please check the website for the latest conditions of your favorite riding and driving areas.
The Subpart C, Over Snow collaborative process has come to a close for the Inyo National Forest, with unsatisfactory results. This isn't a reflection on the facilitator, but rather the imperfect process that the Forest Service forced the participants to follow. Thanks to CORVA board member Kevin Bazar for his close attention to this issue, and to all OSV issues throughout California.
BLM
I attended a meeting this past week in Sacramento to find out more information about the proposed Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic EIS https://www.blm.gov/press-release/ . This is a very problematic proposal that brought out scores of environmental advocates, but only CORVA was represented at the meeting. This proposal could hurt OHV and 4WD recreation by proposing to take already disturbed land, i.e. roads and trails, and designate them as suitable for large scale solar installations. One of the ideas in this proposal is to upend all the decisions made as part of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan and basically give more land to alternative energy companies. CORVA represented all OHV and 4WD enthusiasts throughout the 8 year DRECP process, represented by Randy Banis. The goals we achieved through the DRECP were hard won, and for once every environmental organization also walked away from the table feeling they had won as well. The decision was not litigated. CORVA will file scoping comments, but this is a very worrisome proposal that has the potential to hurt access more than the 30x30 initiative. We have to watch this carefully. Again, the meeting for this plan was held in Sacramento, rather than any of the desert areas, which is absurd considering how much local residents and recreation enthusiasts stand to lose. I made substantive, on-the record comments at the meeting, but more detailed comments are needed on this plan.
Rubicon Trail
By resolution of the Board of Supervisors, the Rubicon Trail is closed for up to 60 days to assess the damage from the January storms. No one is happy about the closure, and thanks to CORVA for writing a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to involve Rubicon enthusiasts in the decision-making process. Instead, the Board of Supervisors sided with their Director of Transportation.
Additionally...
Thanks to Mitch Creegan for attending the International Sportsmen's Expo in Sacramento with me this past Friday. We scouted locations for a CORVA booth, and found some real possibilities for CORVA. Mitch will be following up and presenting those to the board. However I was also able to connect with some hunting advocates that I've worked with in the past.
I attended the Rural County Representatives of California Installation Party in downtown Sacramento, where a longtime friend of CORVA, Doug Teeter, was installed as President of the RRC Board of Directors. Doug attended the Comments Project held in Auburn, CA, dedicated to the Tahoe National Forest Travel Management Plan. He is also on the Board of Supervisors of Butte County, which was one of our co-plaintiffs when we filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service. He introduced me to Assemblymember Jim Patterson, who assured me that off-roaders have his complete support. Considering the district includes Fresno and Tulare County that Asesmblymember Patterson represents is close to the area for the proposed Range of Light National Monument, it's good to have his support. There is a great deal of opposition to the Range of Light proposal, including Congressman LaMalfa, Kiley and McClintock. I have been asked to be part of the San Diego County OHV Stakeholders group to explore possibilities for a new OHV park in the county.
Frank Raines OHV Park has just reopened, as the approach road in Stanislaus County has been repaired. There are camping areas that are still closed, however, and considerable damage has been done to the infrastructure.
Upcoming dates:
January 24th: Ad Hoc Committee, OHMVR Commission, Oceano Dunes SVRA
January 24th: possible tour of San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
January 25th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
January 31st: 30x30, Onward Together in 2023
January 31st: OHV Stakeholders group, San Diego County
February 1 - 3: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
February 13th: Rubicon enthusiasts meeting
February 22nd: : Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Condensed
State Parks
Hollister. Carnegie… As a result of the storms that hit northern California after the new year, Carnegie and Hollister Hills SVRA are currently closed. Both the county roads to Hollister and Carnegie were flooded, although Corral Hollow and Tesla Roads are seeing local traffic. There was a lot of damage on the trails in Carnegie, and according to a stakeholder meeting the state held on Friday, significant runoff has entered the park from across the street and may be contaminated, adding another problem for park staff. There is talk from State Parks that parts of Carnegie could be open within 2-3 weeks, while some of the harder hit trails will be closed. Since Cienega Rd, the county road leading to HOllister HIlls is closed and largely deteriorated, there is no timeline when that county road will be fixed and open to allow traffic into Hollister Hills. I have not received a full report on the trail conditions in Hollister Hills, but just like all the other parks in the area, it was hit very hard.
Pismo, As of Thursday, January 19th, Oceano Dunes SVRA is open to day use and camping.
Hungry Valley is currently closed, and the southern entrance to the park has completely washed away.
Prairie City is partially closed, including the entire 4x4 area. Some of the other trails in the park are open.
Heber Dunes, Clay Pit, Onyx Ranch and Ocotillo Wells are all open to visitors.
Tuesday, January 24th, the ad hoc committee of the OHMVR Commission will be holding a 'noticed' hybrid meeting on Oceano Dunes. The agenda is attached, for all who want to participate either remotely or in person.
SB 155; with the State Parks planning department along with Diana Mead, we have been informed that there will be a public meeting in February to speak with enthusiasts who were affected by the loss of the Alameda-Tesla expansion area of Carnegie SVRA. The meeting will be held in Pleasant Hill, in the East Bay, to allow local participants the opportunity to attend in person. There have been questions about what has been done with the $29.8 million dollars given to the OHV Trust Fund in SB 155, with some reports that the money is not being held for acquisition and development of OHV opportunities. We have been assured that only $1 million has actually been allocated to the OHV Trust Fund, but Carnegie stakeholders deserve the opportunity to make sure this money is being held in reserve to create opportunities to make up for what they lost.
Forest Service
The Sierra, Stanislaus, Eldorado, and Tahoe National Forests, and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit all have a winter native surface road closure in effect. There has been a new Forest Supervisor appointed for the Eldorado National Forest, Joe Stout, former Asst State Director for the BLM in Sacramento.
The Mendocino National Forest is not under a winter native surface road closure, but has experienced erosion and sedimentation, along with many downed trees and closed its OHV trail system. This also applies for other forests, such as the Los Padres. Before heading out please check the website for the latest conditions of your favorite riding and driving areas.
BLM ?
Rubicon Trail
By resolution of the Board of Supervisors, the Rubicon Trail is closed for up to 60 days to assess the damage from the January storms. No one is happy about the closure, and thanks to CORVA for writing a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to involve Rubicon enthusiasts in the decision-making process. Instead, the Board of Supervisors sided with their Director of Transportation.
Frank Raines OHV Park has just reopened, as the approach road in Stanislaus County has been repaired. There are camping areas that are still closed, however, and considerable damage has been done to the infrastructure.
State Parks
Hollister. Carnegie… As a result of the storms that hit northern California after the new year, Carnegie and Hollister Hills SVRA are currently closed. Both the county roads to Hollister and Carnegie were flooded, although Corral Hollow and Tesla Roads are seeing local traffic. There was a lot of damage on the trails in Carnegie, and according to a stakeholder meeting the state held on Friday, significant runoff has entered the park from across the street and may be contaminated, adding another problem for park staff. There is talk from State Parks that parts of Carnegie could be open within 2-3 weeks, while some of the harder hit trails will be closed. Since Cienega Rd, the county road leading to HOllister HIlls is closed and largely deteriorated, there is no timeline when that county road will be fixed and open to allow traffic into Hollister Hills. I have not received a full report on the trail conditions in Hollister Hills, but just like all the other parks in the area, it was hit very hard.
Pismo, As of Thursday, January 19th, Oceano Dunes SVRA is open to day use and camping.
Hungry Valley is currently closed, and the southern entrance to the park has completely washed away.
Prairie City is partially closed, including the entire 4x4 area. Some of the other trails in the park are open.
Heber Dunes, Clay Pit, Onyx Ranch and Ocotillo Wells are all open to visitors.
Tuesday, January 24th, the ad hoc committee of the OHMVR Commission will be holding a 'noticed' hybrid meeting on Oceano Dunes. The agenda is attached, for all who want to participate either remotely or in person.
SB 155; with the State Parks planning department along with Diana Mead, we have been informed that there will be a public meeting in February to speak with enthusiasts who were affected by the loss of the Alameda-Tesla expansion area of Carnegie SVRA. The meeting will be held in Pleasant Hill, in the East Bay, to allow local participants the opportunity to attend in person. There have been questions about what has been done with the $29.8 million dollars given to the OHV Trust Fund in SB 155, with some reports that the money is not being held for acquisition and development of OHV opportunities. We have been assured that only $1 million has actually been allocated to the OHV Trust Fund, but Carnegie stakeholders deserve the opportunity to make sure this money is being held in reserve to create opportunities to make up for what they lost.
Forest Service
The Sierra, Stanislaus, Eldorado, and Tahoe National Forests, and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit all have a winter native surface road closure in effect. There has been a new Forest Supervisor appointed for the Eldorado National Forest, Joe Stout, former Asst State Director for the BLM in Sacramento.
The Mendocino National Forest is not under a winter native surface road closure, but has experienced erosion and sedimentation, along with many downed trees and closed its OHV trail system. This also applies for other forests, such as the Los Padres. Before heading out please check the website for the latest conditions of your favorite riding and driving areas.
BLM ?
Rubicon Trail
By resolution of the Board of Supervisors, the Rubicon Trail is closed for up to 60 days to assess the damage from the January storms. No one is happy about the closure, and thanks to CORVA for writing a letter to the Board of Supervisors asking them to involve Rubicon enthusiasts in the decision-making process. Instead, the Board of Supervisors sided with their Director of Transportation.
Frank Raines OHV Park has just reopened, as the approach road in Stanislaus County has been repaired. There are camping areas that are still closed, however, and considerable damage has been done to the infrastructure.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy's February Report; Lots of stuff!
California Natural Resources Agency
I attended the January 31st webinar for the 30x30 Initiative, which didn't offer any new information. The percentages of land and water conserved have not changed since the initiative was announced, but now there is a monthly newsletter that started in January showing the projects affiliated with the 30x30 Initiative: Newsletter_January_2023.pdf. This newsletter shows the type of projects the initiative is targeting, primarily conservation easements. It's helpful to look at the newsletter to help understand which direction Natural Resources is going.
But little is known about California State Parks participation with 30x30. Per the website, this is the goal for State Parks to comply with the initiative: State Parks acquire strategic properties throughout the state to support its mission: To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Development projects include restoration and mitigation projects that address such things as climate resiliency and green building technology.
Since recreation is included in this definition, opening up Henry W Coe State Park to high-quality recreation as called for in the description fits perfectly with the 30x30 intent.
I also attended the Zoom meeting for the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Taskforce, after being unable to travel to the meeting . Thanks to Lyndol for attending the meeting in person. Please see a recap of the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/socal-regional-meeting-recap/. The 18 National Forests in California supply much of the off-road recreational opportunity and we need to keep track of the efforts called for by the task force in case they interfere with OHV opportunity. The major announcement that came from the meeting was the announcement of new investments between the state and the Forest Service: Wildfire-and-Forest-Resilience-Task-Force. The southern California forests will be seeing an influx of money to combat catastrophic wildfire, especially in wildland/urban interface areas. THe next meeting of the task force will be held in Sacramento on March 30th, and I will attend this meeting in person.
Legislative
There are a number of bills that CORVA will need to watch that reference OHV recreation:
AB 411 - Bennett: This bill proposes to allocate more money to be given in grants from the Active Transportation Program by the Department of Transportation. AB411
SB 503 - Alvarado-Gill: This is most likely a 'Spot' bill with language that will later be inserted. But since the bill references OHV vehicle code, it will eventually include different language that relates to some aspect of OHV recreation: SB503
SB 708 - Jones: This is the latest bill to try to fix the problem with the inability to register model year 2022 and newer 2-stroke bikes. SB708
AB 1617 - Wallis: This bill proposes to redefine SideXSide vehicles and remove the engine displacement limit of 1000cc. Drivers and passengers in newer ROV's (SxS) are not currently required to wear helmets because their engine size is larger than the current definition of an ROV. This has hampered law enforcement from ticketing those not wearing helmets or using other safety gear as currently required in California Vehicle Code. AB1617.
State Parks
The harsh winter weather has called a number of closures in state parks throughout the state. Currently Carnegie SVRA is closed, parts of Hungry Valley due to previous storm damage (including the southern entrance which needs to be rebuilt) and temporarily through the current snow event, and parts of Ocotillo Wells SVRA are closed from the most recent storm. Carnegie has seen some very successful volunteer days and significant repair work was undertaken on the trails. Park officials hope to be reopening the park soon, Prairie City will host an upcoming Prairie City Improvement Group meeting on March 14th at 5:00pm. For more information or to attend, either in person or by Zoom contact: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov.
State Parks held a meeting in Pleasanton for the OHV Access Project: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov. CORVA was well represented, and state parks planners held an excellent meeting that engaged all those attending. Everyone throughout the state should participate by going to the webpage at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220 or by contacting planning staff at: Planning@parks.ca.gov. Please take the survey on the site!
There is a great deal of support for opening up Henry Coe State Park to OHV travel to make up for the loss of the Carnegie Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area. Bay Area and Central Valley OHV recreation enthusiasts lost a lot of opportunity when those 3100 were converted to State Parks property. The state owes their constituents off-road opportunities to make up for what was lost.
The OHMVR Commission held an ad-hoc meeting on January 24th dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA. Little new information was shared, and there seems to be inconsistency in how the Scripps Report will be used by State Parks That report concluded that OHV recreation at the park only contributes approx. 14% to the PM10 exceedances, but that conclusion is not accepted by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District or by the Science Advisory Group that was created through the Stipulated Order of Abatement. That means that the state is still complying with the criteria laid out in the amended SOA, and spending a lot of money from the OHV Trust Fund to cover the cost of the dust abatement measures. In a Cal Coast News article released today: https://calcoastnews.com/2023/02/st...o-county-air-district-of-quid-pro-quo-threat/ Ronnie Glick, the acting Oceano Dunes SVRA Superintendent reports a conversation with the Executive Director of the APCD, Gary Willey that contained an implied threat against California State Parks. It is unclear how this will affect the state's relationship with the APCD.
There is an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting, March 23 & 24th. The location has yet to be released, but I will inform the board as soon as I know.
This year the 4th Grade Adventure Pass program has chosen Hollister Hills SVRA as one of the 19 state parks in the program. The California Outdoor Recreation Foundation has received a grant to support bringing 4th graders and their families, and teach motorcycle safety classes.
Forest Service
The northern California forests still have a winter closure on native surface roads. Which is a good thing considering the extreme weather that we've seen in central and northern California. But it's great for snowmobilers! The San Bernardino National Forest has also seen significant snowfall. All those traveling to San Bernardino NF, make sure to prepare for snow on the trails. The Cleveland Caretakers are still negotiating with the Cleveland National Forest to accept the money they have raised through grants to repair Indian Truck Trail, and restore access to OHV's from Riverside County.
The Mendocino National Forest is still looking for volunteers to help restore access to their OHV trails after the January storms. Please sign up with the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance through the volunteer portal at: https://pwora.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/15
BLM
The BLM held a Central California RAC meeting with a full quorum of members this past week. One of the members representing OHV recreation is Micheal Lueders, CORVA member from Bishop. The RAC members had to contend with a proposal to triple the camping rates in the campground along the South Yuba River. It was a contentious meeting, as the cost of camping along the South Yuba River, which is very popular during the summertime, has tripled. That will make it difficult
Rubicon/El Dorado County
The Rubicon Trail reopened approximately 2 weeks after the closure on December 30th. The county held a meeting for stakeholders with the Director of Transportation to talk about how to close the Rubicon in the future for weather or other emergencies. It's a very complicated subject, and the Director of Transportation will submit a proposal to the stakeholders once the language has been approved by counsel. Afterwards it will go up for approval to the Board of Supervisors.
I also co-hosted a meeting for the proposed Rubicon Trail Collaborative Council. Thanks to Cal4 for hosting the meeting at their building, and for all those that attended.
March 2/3: State Parks and Rec Commission meeting, Lancaster
March 5th: Carnegie Visitor Appreciation Day
March 14: Prairie City Improvement Group Meeting
March 17th: Carnegie Advisory Group Meeting
March 23/24: OHMVR Commission Meeting, location TBD
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Meeting
California Natural Resources Agency
I attended the January 31st webinar for the 30x30 Initiative, which didn't offer any new information. The percentages of land and water conserved have not changed since the initiative was announced, but now there is a monthly newsletter that started in January showing the projects affiliated with the 30x30 Initiative: Newsletter_January_2023.pdf. This newsletter shows the type of projects the initiative is targeting, primarily conservation easements. It's helpful to look at the newsletter to help understand which direction Natural Resources is going.
But little is known about California State Parks participation with 30x30. Per the website, this is the goal for State Parks to comply with the initiative: State Parks acquire strategic properties throughout the state to support its mission: To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Development projects include restoration and mitigation projects that address such things as climate resiliency and green building technology.
Since recreation is included in this definition, opening up Henry W Coe State Park to high-quality recreation as called for in the description fits perfectly with the 30x30 intent.
I also attended the Zoom meeting for the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Taskforce, after being unable to travel to the meeting . Thanks to Lyndol for attending the meeting in person. Please see a recap of the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/socal-regional-meeting-recap/. The 18 National Forests in California supply much of the off-road recreational opportunity and we need to keep track of the efforts called for by the task force in case they interfere with OHV opportunity. The major announcement that came from the meeting was the announcement of new investments between the state and the Forest Service: Wildfire-and-Forest-Resilience-Task-Force. The southern California forests will be seeing an influx of money to combat catastrophic wildfire, especially in wildland/urban interface areas. THe next meeting of the task force will be held in Sacramento on March 30th, and I will attend this meeting in person.
Legislative
There are a number of bills that CORVA will need to watch that reference OHV recreation:
AB 411 - Bennett: This bill proposes to allocate more money to be given in grants from the Active Transportation Program by the Department of Transportation. AB411
SB 503 - Alvarado-Gill: This is most likely a 'Spot' bill with language that will later be inserted. But since the bill references OHV vehicle code, it will eventually include different language that relates to some aspect of OHV recreation: SB503
SB 708 - Jones: This is the latest bill to try to fix the problem with the inability to register model year 2022 and newer 2-stroke bikes. SB708
AB 1617 - Wallis: This bill proposes to redefine SideXSide vehicles and remove the engine displacement limit of 1000cc. Drivers and passengers in newer ROV's (SxS) are not currently required to wear helmets because their engine size is larger than the current definition of an ROV. This has hampered law enforcement from ticketing those not wearing helmets or using other safety gear as currently required in California Vehicle Code. AB1617.
State Parks
The harsh winter weather has called a number of closures in state parks throughout the state. Currently Carnegie SVRA is closed, parts of Hungry Valley due to previous storm damage (including the southern entrance which needs to be rebuilt) and temporarily through the current snow event, and parts of Ocotillo Wells SVRA are closed from the most recent storm. Carnegie has seen some very successful volunteer days and significant repair work was undertaken on the trails. Park officials hope to be reopening the park soon, Prairie City will host an upcoming Prairie City Improvement Group meeting on March 14th at 5:00pm. For more information or to attend, either in person or by Zoom contact: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov.
State Parks held a meeting in Pleasanton for the OHV Access Project: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov. CORVA was well represented, and state parks planners held an excellent meeting that engaged all those attending. Everyone throughout the state should participate by going to the webpage at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220 or by contacting planning staff at: Planning@parks.ca.gov. Please take the survey on the site!
There is a great deal of support for opening up Henry Coe State Park to OHV travel to make up for the loss of the Carnegie Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area. Bay Area and Central Valley OHV recreation enthusiasts lost a lot of opportunity when those 3100 were converted to State Parks property. The state owes their constituents off-road opportunities to make up for what was lost.
The OHMVR Commission held an ad-hoc meeting on January 24th dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA. Little new information was shared, and there seems to be inconsistency in how the Scripps Report will be used by State Parks That report concluded that OHV recreation at the park only contributes approx. 14% to the PM10 exceedances, but that conclusion is not accepted by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District or by the Science Advisory Group that was created through the Stipulated Order of Abatement. That means that the state is still complying with the criteria laid out in the amended SOA, and spending a lot of money from the OHV Trust Fund to cover the cost of the dust abatement measures. In a Cal Coast News article released today: https://calcoastnews.com/2023/02/st...o-county-air-district-of-quid-pro-quo-threat/ Ronnie Glick, the acting Oceano Dunes SVRA Superintendent reports a conversation with the Executive Director of the APCD, Gary Willey that contained an implied threat against California State Parks. It is unclear how this will affect the state's relationship with the APCD.
There is an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting, March 23 & 24th. The location has yet to be released, but I will inform the board as soon as I know.
This year the 4th Grade Adventure Pass program has chosen Hollister Hills SVRA as one of the 19 state parks in the program. The California Outdoor Recreation Foundation has received a grant to support bringing 4th graders and their families, and teach motorcycle safety classes.
Forest Service
The northern California forests still have a winter closure on native surface roads. Which is a good thing considering the extreme weather that we've seen in central and northern California. But it's great for snowmobilers! The San Bernardino National Forest has also seen significant snowfall. All those traveling to San Bernardino NF, make sure to prepare for snow on the trails. The Cleveland Caretakers are still negotiating with the Cleveland National Forest to accept the money they have raised through grants to repair Indian Truck Trail, and restore access to OHV's from Riverside County.
The Mendocino National Forest is still looking for volunteers to help restore access to their OHV trails after the January storms. Please sign up with the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance through the volunteer portal at: https://pwora.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/15
BLM
The BLM held a Central California RAC meeting with a full quorum of members this past week. One of the members representing OHV recreation is Micheal Lueders, CORVA member from Bishop. The RAC members had to contend with a proposal to triple the camping rates in the campground along the South Yuba River. It was a contentious meeting, as the cost of camping along the South Yuba River, which is very popular during the summertime, has tripled. That will make it difficult
Rubicon/El Dorado County
The Rubicon Trail reopened approximately 2 weeks after the closure on December 30th. The county held a meeting for stakeholders with the Director of Transportation to talk about how to close the Rubicon in the future for weather or other emergencies. It's a very complicated subject, and the Director of Transportation will submit a proposal to the stakeholders once the language has been approved by counsel. Afterwards it will go up for approval to the Board of Supervisors.
I also co-hosted a meeting for the proposed Rubicon Trail Collaborative Council. Thanks to Cal4 for hosting the meeting at their building, and for all those that attended.
March 2/3: State Parks and Rec Commission meeting, Lancaster
March 5th: Carnegie Visitor Appreciation Day
March 14: Prairie City Improvement Group Meeting
March 17th: Carnegie Advisory Group Meeting
March 23/24: OHMVR Commission Meeting, location TBD
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Meeting
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy's February Report; Lots of stuff!
California Natural Resources Agency
I attended the January 31st webinar for the 30x30 Initiative, which didn't offer any new information. The percentages of land and water conserved have not changed since the initiative was announced, but now there is a monthly newsletter that started in January showing the projects affiliated with the 30x30 Initiative: Newsletter_January_2023.pdf. This newsletter shows the type of projects the initiative is targeting, primarily conservation easements. It's helpful to look at the newsletter to help understand which direction Natural Resources is going.
But little is known about California State Parks participation with 30x30. Per the website, this is the goal for State Parks to comply with the initiative: State Parks acquire strategic properties throughout the state to support its mission: To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Development projects include restoration and mitigation projects that address such things as climate resiliency and green building technology.
Since recreation is included in this definition, opening up Henry W Coe State Park to high-quality recreation as called for in the description fits perfectly with the 30x30 intent.
I also attended the Zoom meeting for the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Taskforce, after being unable to travel to the meeting . Thanks to Lyndol for attending the meeting in person. Please see a recap of the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/socal-regional-meeting-recap/. The 18 National Forests in California supply much of the off-road recreational opportunity and we need to keep track of the efforts called for by the task force in case they interfere with OHV opportunity. The major announcement that came from the meeting was the announcement of new investments between the state and the Forest Service: Wildfire-and-Forest-Resilience-Task-Force. The southern California forests will be seeing an influx of money to combat catastrophic wildfire, especially in wildland/urban interface areas. THe next meeting of the task force will be held in Sacramento on March 30th, and I will attend this meeting in person.
Legislative
There are a number of bills that CORVA will need to watch that reference OHV recreation:
AB 411 - Bennett: This bill proposes to allocate more money to be given in grants from the Active Transportation Program by the Department of Transportation. AB411
SB 503 - Alvarado-Gill: This is most likely a 'Spot' bill with language that will later be inserted. But since the bill references OHV vehicle code, it will eventually include different language that relates to some aspect of OHV recreation: SB503
SB 708 - Jones: This is the latest bill to try to fix the problem with the inability to register model year 2022 and newer 2-stroke bikes. SB708
AB 1617 - Wallis: This bill proposes to redefine SideXSide vehicles and remove the engine displacement limit of 1000cc. Drivers and passengers in newer ROV's (SxS) are not currently required to wear helmets because their engine size is larger than the current definition of an ROV. This has hampered law enforcement from ticketing those not wearing helmets or using other safety gear as currently required in California Vehicle Code. AB1617.
State Parks
The harsh winter weather has called a number of closures in state parks throughout the state. Currently Carnegie SVRA is closed, parts of Hungry Valley due to previous storm damage (including the southern entrance which needs to be rebuilt) and temporarily through the current snow event, and parts of Ocotillo Wells SVRA are closed from the most recent storm. Carnegie has seen some very successful volunteer days and significant repair work was undertaken on the trails. Park officials hope to be reopening the park soon, Prairie City will host an upcoming Prairie City Improvement Group meeting on March 14th at 5:00pm. For more information or to attend, either in person or by Zoom contact: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov.
State Parks held a meeting in Pleasanton for the OHV Access Project: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov. CORVA was well represented, and state parks planners held an excellent meeting that engaged all those attending. Everyone throughout the state should participate by going to the webpage at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220 or by contacting planning staff at: Planning@parks.ca.gov. Please take the survey on the site!
There is a great deal of support for opening up Henry Coe State Park to OHV travel to make up for the loss of the Carnegie Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area. Bay Area and Central Valley OHV recreation enthusiasts lost a lot of opportunity when those 3100 were converted to State Parks property. The state owes their constituents off-road opportunities to make up for what was lost.
The OHMVR Commission held an ad-hoc meeting on January 24th dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA. Little new information was shared, and there seems to be inconsistency in how the Scripps Report will be used by State Parks That report concluded that OHV recreation at the park only contributes approx. 14% to the PM10 exceedances, but that conclusion is not accepted by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District or by the Science Advisory Group that was created through the Stipulated Order of Abatement. That means that the state is still complying with the criteria laid out in the amended SOA, and spending a lot of money from the OHV Trust Fund to cover the cost of the dust abatement measures. In a Cal Coast News article released today: https://calcoastnews.com/2023/02/st...o-county-air-district-of-quid-pro-quo-threat/ Ronnie Glick, the acting Oceano Dunes SVRA Superintendent reports a conversation with the Executive Director of the APCD, Gary Willey that contained an implied threat against California State Parks. It is unclear how this will affect the state's relationship with the APCD.
There is an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting, March 23 & 24th. The location has yet to be released, but I will inform the board as soon as I know.
This year the 4th Grade Adventure Pass program has chosen Hollister Hills SVRA as one of the 19 state parks in the program. The California Outdoor Recreation Foundation has received a grant to support bringing 4th graders and their families, and teach motorcycle safety classes.
Forest Service
The northern California forests still have a winter closure on native surface roads. Which is a good thing considering the extreme weather that we've seen in central and northern California. But it's great for snowmobilers! The San Bernardino National Forest has also seen significant snowfall. All those traveling to San Bernardino NF, make sure to prepare for snow on the trails. The Cleveland Caretakers are still negotiating with the Cleveland National Forest to accept the money they have raised through grants to repair Indian Truck Trail, and restore access to OHV's from Riverside County.
The Mendocino National Forest is still looking for volunteers to help restore access to their OHV trails after the January storms. Please sign up with the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance through the volunteer portal at: https://pwora.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/15
BLM
The BLM held a Central California RAC meeting with a full quorum of members this past week. One of the members representing OHV recreation is Micheal Lueders, CORVA member from Bishop. The RAC members had to contend with a proposal to triple the camping rates in the campground along the South Yuba River. It was a contentious meeting, as the cost of camping along the South Yuba River, which is very popular during the summertime, has tripled. That will make it difficult
Rubicon/El Dorado County
The Rubicon Trail reopened approximately 2 weeks after the closure on December 30th. The county held a meeting for stakeholders with the Director of Transportation to talk about how to close the Rubicon in the future for weather or other emergencies. It's a very complicated subject, and the Director of Transportation will submit a proposal to the stakeholders once the language has been approved by counsel. Afterwards it will go up for approval to the Board of Supervisors.
I also co-hosted a meeting for the proposed Rubicon Trail Collaborative Council. Thanks to Cal4 for hosting the meeting at their building, and for all those that attended.
March 2/3: State Parks and Rec Commission meeting, Lancaster
March 5th: Carnegie Visitor Appreciation Day
March 14: Prairie City Improvement Group Meeting
March 17th: Carnegie Advisory Group Meeting
March 23/24: OHMVR Commission Meeting, location TBD
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Meeting
California Natural Resources Agency
I attended the January 31st webinar for the 30x30 Initiative, which didn't offer any new information. The percentages of land and water conserved have not changed since the initiative was announced, but now there is a monthly newsletter that started in January showing the projects affiliated with the 30x30 Initiative: Newsletter_January_2023.pdf. This newsletter shows the type of projects the initiative is targeting, primarily conservation easements. It's helpful to look at the newsletter to help understand which direction Natural Resources is going.
But little is known about California State Parks participation with 30x30. Per the website, this is the goal for State Parks to comply with the initiative: State Parks acquire strategic properties throughout the state to support its mission: To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Development projects include restoration and mitigation projects that address such things as climate resiliency and green building technology.
Since recreation is included in this definition, opening up Henry W Coe State Park to high-quality recreation as called for in the description fits perfectly with the 30x30 intent.
I also attended the Zoom meeting for the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Taskforce, after being unable to travel to the meeting . Thanks to Lyndol for attending the meeting in person. Please see a recap of the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/socal-regional-meeting-recap/. The 18 National Forests in California supply much of the off-road recreational opportunity and we need to keep track of the efforts called for by the task force in case they interfere with OHV opportunity. The major announcement that came from the meeting was the announcement of new investments between the state and the Forest Service: Wildfire-and-Forest-Resilience-Task-Force. The southern California forests will be seeing an influx of money to combat catastrophic wildfire, especially in wildland/urban interface areas. THe next meeting of the task force will be held in Sacramento on March 30th, and I will attend this meeting in person.
Legislative
There are a number of bills that CORVA will need to watch that reference OHV recreation:
AB 411 - Bennett: This bill proposes to allocate more money to be given in grants from the Active Transportation Program by the Department of Transportation. AB411
SB 503 - Alvarado-Gill: This is most likely a 'Spot' bill with language that will later be inserted. But since the bill references OHV vehicle code, it will eventually include different language that relates to some aspect of OHV recreation: SB503
SB 708 - Jones: This is the latest bill to try to fix the problem with the inability to register model year 2022 and newer 2-stroke bikes. SB708
AB 1617 - Wallis: This bill proposes to redefine SideXSide vehicles and remove the engine displacement limit of 1000cc. Drivers and passengers in newer ROV's (SxS) are not currently required to wear helmets because their engine size is larger than the current definition of an ROV. This has hampered law enforcement from ticketing those not wearing helmets or using other safety gear as currently required in California Vehicle Code. AB1617.
State Parks
The harsh winter weather has called a number of closures in state parks throughout the state. Currently Carnegie SVRA is closed, parts of Hungry Valley due to previous storm damage (including the southern entrance which needs to be rebuilt) and temporarily through the current snow event, and parts of Ocotillo Wells SVRA are closed from the most recent storm. Carnegie has seen some very successful volunteer days and significant repair work was undertaken on the trails. Park officials hope to be reopening the park soon, Prairie City will host an upcoming Prairie City Improvement Group meeting on March 14th at 5:00pm. For more information or to attend, either in person or by Zoom contact: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov.
State Parks held a meeting in Pleasanton for the OHV Access Project: prairie_city@parks.ca.gov. CORVA was well represented, and state parks planners held an excellent meeting that engaged all those attending. Everyone throughout the state should participate by going to the webpage at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220 or by contacting planning staff at: Planning@parks.ca.gov. Please take the survey on the site!
There is a great deal of support for opening up Henry Coe State Park to OHV travel to make up for the loss of the Carnegie Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area. Bay Area and Central Valley OHV recreation enthusiasts lost a lot of opportunity when those 3100 were converted to State Parks property. The state owes their constituents off-road opportunities to make up for what was lost.
The OHMVR Commission held an ad-hoc meeting on January 24th dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA. Little new information was shared, and there seems to be inconsistency in how the Scripps Report will be used by State Parks That report concluded that OHV recreation at the park only contributes approx. 14% to the PM10 exceedances, but that conclusion is not accepted by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District or by the Science Advisory Group that was created through the Stipulated Order of Abatement. That means that the state is still complying with the criteria laid out in the amended SOA, and spending a lot of money from the OHV Trust Fund to cover the cost of the dust abatement measures. In a Cal Coast News article released today: https://calcoastnews.com/2023/02/st...o-county-air-district-of-quid-pro-quo-threat/ Ronnie Glick, the acting Oceano Dunes SVRA Superintendent reports a conversation with the Executive Director of the APCD, Gary Willey that contained an implied threat against California State Parks. It is unclear how this will affect the state's relationship with the APCD.
There is an upcoming OHMVR Commission meeting, March 23 & 24th. The location has yet to be released, but I will inform the board as soon as I know.
This year the 4th Grade Adventure Pass program has chosen Hollister Hills SVRA as one of the 19 state parks in the program. The California Outdoor Recreation Foundation has received a grant to support bringing 4th graders and their families, and teach motorcycle safety classes.
Forest Service
The northern California forests still have a winter closure on native surface roads. Which is a good thing considering the extreme weather that we've seen in central and northern California. But it's great for snowmobilers! The San Bernardino National Forest has also seen significant snowfall. All those traveling to San Bernardino NF, make sure to prepare for snow on the trails. The Cleveland Caretakers are still negotiating with the Cleveland National Forest to accept the money they have raised through grants to repair Indian Truck Trail, and restore access to OHV's from Riverside County.
The Mendocino National Forest is still looking for volunteers to help restore access to their OHV trails after the January storms. Please sign up with the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance through the volunteer portal at: https://pwora.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/15
BLM
The BLM held a Central California RAC meeting with a full quorum of members this past week. One of the members representing OHV recreation is Micheal Lueders, CORVA member from Bishop. The RAC members had to contend with a proposal to triple the camping rates in the campground along the South Yuba River. It was a contentious meeting, as the cost of camping along the South Yuba River, which is very popular during the summertime, has tripled. That will make it difficult
Rubicon/El Dorado County
The Rubicon Trail reopened approximately 2 weeks after the closure on December 30th. The county held a meeting for stakeholders with the Director of Transportation to talk about how to close the Rubicon in the future for weather or other emergencies. It's a very complicated subject, and the Director of Transportation will submit a proposal to the stakeholders once the language has been approved by counsel. Afterwards it will go up for approval to the Board of Supervisors.
I also co-hosted a meeting for the proposed Rubicon Trail Collaborative Council. Thanks to Cal4 for hosting the meeting at their building, and for all those that attended.
March 2/3: State Parks and Rec Commission meeting, Lancaster
March 5th: Carnegie Visitor Appreciation Day
March 14: Prairie City Improvement Group Meeting
March 17th: Carnegie Advisory Group Meeting
March 23/24: OHMVR Commission Meeting, location TBD
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force Meeting
DookyMonster
New member
Thanks for the continuing updates.
Still plenty of time to take the California State Parks survey. Website is showing its is open through until June 30th 2023
Still plenty of time to take the California State Parks survey. Website is showing its is open through until June 30th 2023
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
their ORIA, Off Roaders in Action is here
https://corva.org/resources/Documents/ORIA-Spring-2023.pdf
It is quite good.
https://corva.org/resources/Documents/ORIA-Spring-2023.pdf
It is quite good.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy’s latest report:
California Natural Resources Agency
This week on March 30th will see an in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force in Sacramento. Please see the agenda: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WFR_agenda03_30-1.pdf, or sign up for the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/meetings/. I look forward to seeing the Regional Forester, Jennifer Eberlien, and confirming her Zoom appearance at the CORVA Annual Meeting in April. This past month we saw the adoption of 'California’s Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Wildfire Resilience' by the task force: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WFR_March2023_GovUpdate_FNL.pdf . In this March Governor's Update the approval and adoption of the recreation strategy. CORVA provided substantive comments on the draft document and participated in a number of meetings. I'm pleased to say our comments did lead to minor changes in the document, which was all that was really required. The strategy is aspirational at best, however it does call for an update to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) in conjunction with State Parks (SCORP 2026-2030). CORVA was involved in the last 2 versions of the SCORP, and I look forward to representing the interests of off-roaders. The Recreation and Wildfire Resilience Strategy document itself has a number of photos of different forms of motorized recreation, including snowmobiles, which is a clear indication that motorized recreation is considered a legitimate form of recreation in our national forests. This is an important representation to our motorized community.
There have been no public meetings scheduled for the 30x30 initiative since the last partnership kick-off meeting. We are still monitoring this initiative.
State Parks
A number of the SVRA's have seen considerable damage from the storms both in January and March. Carnegie SVRA is closed with no reopening date as yet announced. A number of trails have been damaged due to the storms, and the approach road to the SVRA, Corral Hollow Road, has seen off and on flooding when the storms come through the area. Another storm is due to affect the area approx. next Tuesday, which will not help the reopening schedule. Carnegie SVRA staff have started holding Carnegie Advisory Team meetings, and have recently changed the day/time of the meetings to the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 4:30pm. Please contact Fiona at: Fiona.Catalano@parks.ca.gov if you want to be put on the mailing list to receive notifications for these meetings.
Prairie City SVRA is also holding regular Prairie City Improvement Group meetings. Please go to the website at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1221 for more information on how to sign up for notification of the meetings, as well as. Prairie City is just starting the analysis for their Road and Trail Management Plan: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31172. The planning for the RTMP actually started in 2017, but is getting renewed attention now. Prairie City SVRA has a Wet Weather Management Plan that has been enacted this winter. A few of the trails have had to be closed due to deteriorating conditions from weather, but the rest of the park is open.
Hollister Hills SVRA is also closed due to trail deterioration due to the weather systems that have passed through the area. The approach road to Hollister Hills, Cienega Rd, has seen multiple landslides that the county has to repair. Hollister Hills staff are keeping enthusiasts up to date on conditions on the Facebook page.
Oceano Dunes SVRA is also closed depending on the condition of the creek and the height of the water at the crossing. State Parks can allow creek crossing with the water levels up to 12", but when the water levels rise above that all crossing by vehicles must stop. Camping has been stopped until March w9th, when conditions will be reevaluated. Please check the posts on the SVRA's Facebook and Instagram pages for current conditions: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGzwvGvwde/.
Most trails in Hungry Valley SVRA, including the north and rebuilt south entrance are open. Check the webpage for current conditions: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1192.
The rest of the SVRA's are open, but with the unpredictable weather conditions, please check either Facebook, Instagram or State website for up-to-date information. To access a State Pars page with park closures listed by county, go to: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30009
Yesterday the OHMVR Commission met in Redding. Please see all the updated documents posted for the meeting on the OHMVR Commission webpage: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27160. There were quite a few interesting presentations and comments that were presented through the meeting. Please review the video at the meeting on Cal-Span: https://cal-span.org/meeting/ohmvr_20230324/#wrapper
The OHV Access Project is having a meeting on March 31st in Palm Springs from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Renaissance Palms Springs Hotel. For more information, and to take a survey to help identify areas to expand OHV recreation in California: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220. During this past month, the OHV Access Project held a meeting in Pleasanton, with wide CORVA representation. Thanks to Mitch Creegan and Diana Mead for representing the BOD at the meeting.
State Parks are holding the biannual Safety Week at SVRA's around the state in conjunction with the California Outdoor Recreation Foundation April 1st through April 9th. For more information, go to the CORF website at:https://outdoorrecreationfoundation.org/. Safety Week holds free safety training for UTV, M/C and ATV. Reservations must be made, but the training lessons are free!
The State Parks and Recreation Commission held a meeting in early March and certified the Red Rock Canyon State Park Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report. CORVA filed substantive comments on the plan.
Forest Service
A number of the forests in California have issued closure orders because of the storm systems and the resulting extensive damage to roads and trails. Eldorado, Sierra, Stanislaus, Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe BAsin are all on seasonal winter closures, but the forests will most likely extend these closures after April 15th. Most of the high country is still under many feet of snow, but melting in the lower elevations have left messy trails with very sloppy conditions. Angeles, Los Padres, Mendocino San Bernardino and Sequoia have issued closure orders for anywhere from 60 to 90 days or more. All are suffering from the effects of the storm systems. While the closures are very upsetting, and no off-road enthusiasts like to see their favorite road or trail system closed, the amount of precipitation and wind these forests have experienced has been beyond the norm for these areas. But off-roaders must understand that sedimentation and erosion issues are among the key parameters monitored by ant-access groups to prove that OHV are not a sustainable use of forested lands. As off-road enthusiasts, we need to be very aware of the potential for lawsuits by anti-access groups alleging the Forest Service is allowing sedimentation and erosion to enter the watershed by keeping OHV trails open during muddy conditions. It's also up to adopt-a-trail clubs and other agency volunteers to keep monitoring the conditions of their trails and when they believe the conditions are warranted, to petition the forest to reopen. This should be done as soon as possible as weather conditions improve. Please check each forest website, starting with the Region 5 website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/recreation
CORVA is still working with the Cleveland Caretakers in our quest to reopen Indian Truck Trail, the access road from Riverside County to the forest. Tread Lightly! has agreed to help in our efforts to reopen OHV access from Riverside County to the northeastern portion of the Cleveland National Forest. This project has seen no end of delays.
BLM
The BLM is holding another set of OHV Listening Sessions in conjunction with NOHVCC in Southern California. The first meeting that has been announced is on May 4th, and registration is available on the following website: https://nohvcc.org/event/southern-c...s-may-4-2023-southern-california-6pm-9pm-pst/
Legislation
Here are the links for the reports distributed at the recent OHMVR Commission with information regarding legislation that may affect OHV Recreation. Federal: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140...ivel Barajas - Federal Legislative Update.pdf. State: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140/files/OHV Commission State Legislative Report March 2023.pdf
Upcoming Dates:
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting
April 13th: San Diego Parks, public meeting, OHV Task Force: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/AboutUs/Plans/PublicMeetings.html
April 18th: Carnegie Advisory Group meeting
April 26th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
April 28th - 30th: CORVA Annual meeting
Amy Granat
Managing Director
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
916-710-1950
California Natural Resources Agency
This week on March 30th will see an in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force in Sacramento. Please see the agenda: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WFR_agenda03_30-1.pdf, or sign up for the meeting here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/meetings/. I look forward to seeing the Regional Forester, Jennifer Eberlien, and confirming her Zoom appearance at the CORVA Annual Meeting in April. This past month we saw the adoption of 'California’s Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Wildfire Resilience' by the task force: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WFR_March2023_GovUpdate_FNL.pdf . In this March Governor's Update the approval and adoption of the recreation strategy. CORVA provided substantive comments on the draft document and participated in a number of meetings. I'm pleased to say our comments did lead to minor changes in the document, which was all that was really required. The strategy is aspirational at best, however it does call for an update to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) in conjunction with State Parks (SCORP 2026-2030). CORVA was involved in the last 2 versions of the SCORP, and I look forward to representing the interests of off-roaders. The Recreation and Wildfire Resilience Strategy document itself has a number of photos of different forms of motorized recreation, including snowmobiles, which is a clear indication that motorized recreation is considered a legitimate form of recreation in our national forests. This is an important representation to our motorized community.
There have been no public meetings scheduled for the 30x30 initiative since the last partnership kick-off meeting. We are still monitoring this initiative.
State Parks
A number of the SVRA's have seen considerable damage from the storms both in January and March. Carnegie SVRA is closed with no reopening date as yet announced. A number of trails have been damaged due to the storms, and the approach road to the SVRA, Corral Hollow Road, has seen off and on flooding when the storms come through the area. Another storm is due to affect the area approx. next Tuesday, which will not help the reopening schedule. Carnegie SVRA staff have started holding Carnegie Advisory Team meetings, and have recently changed the day/time of the meetings to the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 4:30pm. Please contact Fiona at: Fiona.Catalano@parks.ca.gov if you want to be put on the mailing list to receive notifications for these meetings.
Prairie City SVRA is also holding regular Prairie City Improvement Group meetings. Please go to the website at: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1221 for more information on how to sign up for notification of the meetings, as well as. Prairie City is just starting the analysis for their Road and Trail Management Plan: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31172. The planning for the RTMP actually started in 2017, but is getting renewed attention now. Prairie City SVRA has a Wet Weather Management Plan that has been enacted this winter. A few of the trails have had to be closed due to deteriorating conditions from weather, but the rest of the park is open.
Hollister Hills SVRA is also closed due to trail deterioration due to the weather systems that have passed through the area. The approach road to Hollister Hills, Cienega Rd, has seen multiple landslides that the county has to repair. Hollister Hills staff are keeping enthusiasts up to date on conditions on the Facebook page.
Oceano Dunes SVRA is also closed depending on the condition of the creek and the height of the water at the crossing. State Parks can allow creek crossing with the water levels up to 12", but when the water levels rise above that all crossing by vehicles must stop. Camping has been stopped until March w9th, when conditions will be reevaluated. Please check the posts on the SVRA's Facebook and Instagram pages for current conditions: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGzwvGvwde/.
Most trails in Hungry Valley SVRA, including the north and rebuilt south entrance are open. Check the webpage for current conditions: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1192.
The rest of the SVRA's are open, but with the unpredictable weather conditions, please check either Facebook, Instagram or State website for up-to-date information. To access a State Pars page with park closures listed by county, go to: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30009
Yesterday the OHMVR Commission met in Redding. Please see all the updated documents posted for the meeting on the OHMVR Commission webpage: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27160. There were quite a few interesting presentations and comments that were presented through the meeting. Please review the video at the meeting on Cal-Span: https://cal-span.org/meeting/ohmvr_20230324/#wrapper
The OHV Access Project is having a meeting on March 31st in Palm Springs from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Renaissance Palms Springs Hotel. For more information, and to take a survey to help identify areas to expand OHV recreation in California: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31220. During this past month, the OHV Access Project held a meeting in Pleasanton, with wide CORVA representation. Thanks to Mitch Creegan and Diana Mead for representing the BOD at the meeting.
State Parks are holding the biannual Safety Week at SVRA's around the state in conjunction with the California Outdoor Recreation Foundation April 1st through April 9th. For more information, go to the CORF website at:https://outdoorrecreationfoundation.org/. Safety Week holds free safety training for UTV, M/C and ATV. Reservations must be made, but the training lessons are free!
The State Parks and Recreation Commission held a meeting in early March and certified the Red Rock Canyon State Park Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report. CORVA filed substantive comments on the plan.
Forest Service
A number of the forests in California have issued closure orders because of the storm systems and the resulting extensive damage to roads and trails. Eldorado, Sierra, Stanislaus, Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe BAsin are all on seasonal winter closures, but the forests will most likely extend these closures after April 15th. Most of the high country is still under many feet of snow, but melting in the lower elevations have left messy trails with very sloppy conditions. Angeles, Los Padres, Mendocino San Bernardino and Sequoia have issued closure orders for anywhere from 60 to 90 days or more. All are suffering from the effects of the storm systems. While the closures are very upsetting, and no off-road enthusiasts like to see their favorite road or trail system closed, the amount of precipitation and wind these forests have experienced has been beyond the norm for these areas. But off-roaders must understand that sedimentation and erosion issues are among the key parameters monitored by ant-access groups to prove that OHV are not a sustainable use of forested lands. As off-road enthusiasts, we need to be very aware of the potential for lawsuits by anti-access groups alleging the Forest Service is allowing sedimentation and erosion to enter the watershed by keeping OHV trails open during muddy conditions. It's also up to adopt-a-trail clubs and other agency volunteers to keep monitoring the conditions of their trails and when they believe the conditions are warranted, to petition the forest to reopen. This should be done as soon as possible as weather conditions improve. Please check each forest website, starting with the Region 5 website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/recreation
CORVA is still working with the Cleveland Caretakers in our quest to reopen Indian Truck Trail, the access road from Riverside County to the forest. Tread Lightly! has agreed to help in our efforts to reopen OHV access from Riverside County to the northeastern portion of the Cleveland National Forest. This project has seen no end of delays.
BLM
The BLM is holding another set of OHV Listening Sessions in conjunction with NOHVCC in Southern California. The first meeting that has been announced is on May 4th, and registration is available on the following website: https://nohvcc.org/event/southern-c...s-may-4-2023-southern-california-6pm-9pm-pst/
Legislation
Here are the links for the reports distributed at the recent OHMVR Commission with information regarding legislation that may affect OHV Recreation. Federal: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140...ivel Barajas - Federal Legislative Update.pdf. State: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/1140/files/OHV Commission State Legislative Report March 2023.pdf
Upcoming Dates:
March 29th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
March 30th: California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting
April 13th: San Diego Parks, public meeting, OHV Task Force: https://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/AboutUs/Plans/PublicMeetings.html
April 18th: Carnegie Advisory Group meeting
April 26th: Sierra Nevada Sustainable Recreation Partnership meeting
April 28th - 30th: CORVA Annual meeting
Amy Granat
Managing Director
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
916-710-1950
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2002
- Location
- San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
- Moto(s)
- ‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
- Name
- Butch
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 1093637
Amy's reports are a great summary of what is going on in our access and use issues. The latest:
California Natural Resources Agency
On May 11th I attended the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting in Santa Cruz. Besides gleaning information about changes in forest management and determining how this would affect OHV and 4WD recreation in our California forests, the other reason for attending is to be present, and to meet and greet people to let them know that CORVA is in the room, listening carefully to the proceedings and determining possible negative effects to our access. I was successful in this endeavor, as I was able to speak with the Regional Forester and individuals from the Natural Resources Agency, solidifying CORVA's reputation as being involved in all aspects of forest management.
A few days ago, the California Natural Resources Agency released the draft for the Outdoors For All strategy that was developed as a result ofNewsom administration's Outdoor Access for All Initiative in 2021: https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CN...oors-for-All-Draft-Strategy-51823-English.pdf . Public Comment is due by July 18th, 2023, and CORVA will provice comments. Everyone is welcome to provide comments; please see the link above for complete instructions. Much of the document emphasizes the need for local and regional parks to provide access for all Californians, but for off-road enthusiasts this rings hollow when our most popular SVRA, Oceano Dunes, is under real threat of closure in less than a year. Little in the document is new or different than ideas that have been previously discussed, and the reality of achieving these goals are aspirational at best. The California State Parks Adventure Pass Program is a result of the Outdoor Access for All initiative, and this year Hollister Hills SVRA is one of the 19 state parks chosen to particpate in the program throughout the state. Hollister Hills SVRA has received grants through the California Outdoor Recreation Foundation for programs that are currently starting for 4th graders and their families. So motorized recreation is not being ignored in this process, it is just not being highlighted.
CNRA has also just released it's Pathways to 30x30 Yearly Report: 30x30 May 2023 Report. For the first time since the California 30x30 initiative began, the state has updated the percentage of conserved land. According to CNRA, the area of land conserved now stands at 24.4% (up from 23.7%). The percentage of water remains unchanged from 16.2%. This number includes increases due to additional conservation easements and other measures that have been taken since the initiative began, but does not include land or areas submitted by the public for consideration as already conserved land. For those of us who have been working in land use for some time, we know that already conserved land easily tops 30% in California. Because this is a priority for the current administration and they are highlighting new conservation measures, I am doubtful that the true percentage of already conserved land will ever be released to the public. In California, as of yet, SVRA's and OHV areas have not been targeted, but this is exactly why we follow this initiative so closely, because we can never get too comfortable when it comes to policy.
State Parks
The OHMVR Division has sent out a save-the-date notice for the 2023 OHV Safety Summit. It will be held on July 27th, in Sacramento, at the same facility in McClellan Field as last year. There will also be a Zoom component. The next day, July 28th, will be an OHMVR Commission meeting, unknown at this time if that meeting will be held at the same location as the summit. The goal of the summit is to take some of the ideas that came out of last year's meeting and figure out how to put them into practice. The state wants to see a requirement for online OHV Safety training similar to the requirement for Utah: https://recreation.utah.gov/off-highway-vehicles/ohv-education-course/. The requirements for whips and flags at Ocotillo Wells SVRA and Hungry Valley SVRA have been met with little to no resistance, according to reports from the OHMVR Division. Law Enforcement credits a whip/flag attached to a UTV in HUngry Valley for avoiding a potentially fatal accident between a SxS and a truck using the same road traveling at speed. The driver of the truck was able to swerve out of the way although he didn't see a vehicle coming, he saw the flag in time.
At the same time of the Safety Summit/OHMVR Commission meeting, a special workshop will be held dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA issues. It is as yet undecided whether that meeting will be on Wednesday July 26th in the afternoon, or on July 27th after the Safety Summit. We are counting down to the potential closure of the park in 2024, per the Coastal Commission ruling, notwithstanding ongoing court cases.
Some trails and areas in Hollister Hills SVRA and Carnegie SVRA are still closed as repairs are underway due to winter storm damage. Repairs are being done in a remarkably short amount of time, but damage was extensive in both parks. Prairie City SVRA will have an upcoming meeting on June 13th at the following link: Meeting ID: 466 658 5564 Passcode: RideOn. Red sticker season at Carnegie SVRA and Prairie City SVRA has already ended as of April 30th, and will end at Hollister Hills SVRA on May 31st. For visitors to Hungry Valley, the adjacent trails in the Mt Pinos Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest are closed until June 1st. At times of high tide, visitors to Oceano Dunes SVRA may find access over Arroyo Grande creek closed due to flowing water. With the end of the rainy season this will occur less and less.
County Issues
El Dorado County - On May 2nd I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting in El Dorado County to express support for the new proposition that was voted on that day by the board. This was a compromise solution supported by landowners, event managers and enthusiasts including the Rubicon Trail Foundation. Great appreciation to attorney Jess Barton for working with county council and understanding what enthusiasts need in case of necessary closure of the trail due to declared states of emergency in El Dorado County. I was able to speak with Director of Transportation Rafael Martinez and agree to ongoing talks in regards to Rubicon Trail management. I am honored to be included.
Stanislaus County - Stanislaus County has 2 OHV parks that are very popular with local residents. La Grange OHV Park https://www.stancountyparks.com/la-grange has various events throughout the year including the popular Stuckfest, which is being held this weekend! Very popular with CORVA clubs, Frank Raines OHV Park https://www.stancountyparks.com/frank-raines is still reeling from the storm damage this past winter and has no water currently available at the park.
Forest Service
Every forest has different levels of damage from the winter storms and different schedules for closure. Many of the camping areas in the high country are still covered with snow or have been unable to perform maintenance before the start of the summer visitation season. San Bernardino NF has two ranger districts with significant closures, but the Mountaintop Ranger District, which has the majority of OHV and 4WD trails in the forest, is currently open. Unfortunately, some forests have better information on the websites about current conditions, but in the high country the conditions are changing almost daily. For planned trips please check the website and call the appropriate Ranger District for more information about conditions. High levels of snow are still making some campgrounds inaccessible.
BLM
I've attached a draft letter for comments on the BLM Proposed Rule: Conservation and Landscape Health. Comments have to be submitted by June 20th. I believe this rule is very dangerous in scope, and would like to encourage all CORVA members to submit comments. The proposed rule would change the mission and Congressionally approved mandate of the BLM and include "Conservation" as one of the goals for land managed by the BLM. Of the federal land management agencies, the BLM is known for its multiple use and sustained yield mandate. Conservation issues are already considered as part of the land designation process, but this proposed rule, if passed, would elevate conservation above the considerations of working, multiple use management designed to benefit the American people. More information can be found at: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2023-0001-0001. Hopefully, CORVA can galvanize other groups in California to rally against his proposed rule.
Legislation
Federal: S 873, America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023 still has the 'poison pill' component of Travel Management in the text that makes this a very dangerous bill. Some recreation groups, not understanding the potentially devastating nature of the Travel Management language in the bill, actually think the bill would benefit the greater off-road community. But the language in the bill concerning Travel Management comes from groups like Outdoor Alliance and Winter Wildlands Alliance, who seek to eliminate OHV and OSV recreation completely from public land. WIth the current language, this is a very harmful bill, although the other components in the bill are acceptable.
State:
SB 708 has been referred to the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife and Transportation committees. The text of the language has not changed since March 29th, and still focuses on enabling non-emission compliant vehicles to receive a 'sanctioned event' sticker and compete at sanctioned events on public land.
AB 1617 has been referred to the Transportation committee but has not yet been heard since introduction.
California Natural Resources Agency
On May 11th I attended the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force meeting in Santa Cruz. Besides gleaning information about changes in forest management and determining how this would affect OHV and 4WD recreation in our California forests, the other reason for attending is to be present, and to meet and greet people to let them know that CORVA is in the room, listening carefully to the proceedings and determining possible negative effects to our access. I was successful in this endeavor, as I was able to speak with the Regional Forester and individuals from the Natural Resources Agency, solidifying CORVA's reputation as being involved in all aspects of forest management.
A few days ago, the California Natural Resources Agency released the draft for the Outdoors For All strategy that was developed as a result ofNewsom administration's Outdoor Access for All Initiative in 2021: https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CN...oors-for-All-Draft-Strategy-51823-English.pdf . Public Comment is due by July 18th, 2023, and CORVA will provice comments. Everyone is welcome to provide comments; please see the link above for complete instructions. Much of the document emphasizes the need for local and regional parks to provide access for all Californians, but for off-road enthusiasts this rings hollow when our most popular SVRA, Oceano Dunes, is under real threat of closure in less than a year. Little in the document is new or different than ideas that have been previously discussed, and the reality of achieving these goals are aspirational at best. The California State Parks Adventure Pass Program is a result of the Outdoor Access for All initiative, and this year Hollister Hills SVRA is one of the 19 state parks chosen to particpate in the program throughout the state. Hollister Hills SVRA has received grants through the California Outdoor Recreation Foundation for programs that are currently starting for 4th graders and their families. So motorized recreation is not being ignored in this process, it is just not being highlighted.
CNRA has also just released it's Pathways to 30x30 Yearly Report: 30x30 May 2023 Report. For the first time since the California 30x30 initiative began, the state has updated the percentage of conserved land. According to CNRA, the area of land conserved now stands at 24.4% (up from 23.7%). The percentage of water remains unchanged from 16.2%. This number includes increases due to additional conservation easements and other measures that have been taken since the initiative began, but does not include land or areas submitted by the public for consideration as already conserved land. For those of us who have been working in land use for some time, we know that already conserved land easily tops 30% in California. Because this is a priority for the current administration and they are highlighting new conservation measures, I am doubtful that the true percentage of already conserved land will ever be released to the public. In California, as of yet, SVRA's and OHV areas have not been targeted, but this is exactly why we follow this initiative so closely, because we can never get too comfortable when it comes to policy.
State Parks
The OHMVR Division has sent out a save-the-date notice for the 2023 OHV Safety Summit. It will be held on July 27th, in Sacramento, at the same facility in McClellan Field as last year. There will also be a Zoom component. The next day, July 28th, will be an OHMVR Commission meeting, unknown at this time if that meeting will be held at the same location as the summit. The goal of the summit is to take some of the ideas that came out of last year's meeting and figure out how to put them into practice. The state wants to see a requirement for online OHV Safety training similar to the requirement for Utah: https://recreation.utah.gov/off-highway-vehicles/ohv-education-course/. The requirements for whips and flags at Ocotillo Wells SVRA and Hungry Valley SVRA have been met with little to no resistance, according to reports from the OHMVR Division. Law Enforcement credits a whip/flag attached to a UTV in HUngry Valley for avoiding a potentially fatal accident between a SxS and a truck using the same road traveling at speed. The driver of the truck was able to swerve out of the way although he didn't see a vehicle coming, he saw the flag in time.
At the same time of the Safety Summit/OHMVR Commission meeting, a special workshop will be held dedicated to Oceano Dunes SVRA issues. It is as yet undecided whether that meeting will be on Wednesday July 26th in the afternoon, or on July 27th after the Safety Summit. We are counting down to the potential closure of the park in 2024, per the Coastal Commission ruling, notwithstanding ongoing court cases.
Some trails and areas in Hollister Hills SVRA and Carnegie SVRA are still closed as repairs are underway due to winter storm damage. Repairs are being done in a remarkably short amount of time, but damage was extensive in both parks. Prairie City SVRA will have an upcoming meeting on June 13th at the following link: Meeting ID: 466 658 5564 Passcode: RideOn. Red sticker season at Carnegie SVRA and Prairie City SVRA has already ended as of April 30th, and will end at Hollister Hills SVRA on May 31st. For visitors to Hungry Valley, the adjacent trails in the Mt Pinos Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest are closed until June 1st. At times of high tide, visitors to Oceano Dunes SVRA may find access over Arroyo Grande creek closed due to flowing water. With the end of the rainy season this will occur less and less.
County Issues
El Dorado County - On May 2nd I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting in El Dorado County to express support for the new proposition that was voted on that day by the board. This was a compromise solution supported by landowners, event managers and enthusiasts including the Rubicon Trail Foundation. Great appreciation to attorney Jess Barton for working with county council and understanding what enthusiasts need in case of necessary closure of the trail due to declared states of emergency in El Dorado County. I was able to speak with Director of Transportation Rafael Martinez and agree to ongoing talks in regards to Rubicon Trail management. I am honored to be included.
Stanislaus County - Stanislaus County has 2 OHV parks that are very popular with local residents. La Grange OHV Park https://www.stancountyparks.com/la-grange has various events throughout the year including the popular Stuckfest, which is being held this weekend! Very popular with CORVA clubs, Frank Raines OHV Park https://www.stancountyparks.com/frank-raines is still reeling from the storm damage this past winter and has no water currently available at the park.
Forest Service
Every forest has different levels of damage from the winter storms and different schedules for closure. Many of the camping areas in the high country are still covered with snow or have been unable to perform maintenance before the start of the summer visitation season. San Bernardino NF has two ranger districts with significant closures, but the Mountaintop Ranger District, which has the majority of OHV and 4WD trails in the forest, is currently open. Unfortunately, some forests have better information on the websites about current conditions, but in the high country the conditions are changing almost daily. For planned trips please check the website and call the appropriate Ranger District for more information about conditions. High levels of snow are still making some campgrounds inaccessible.
BLM
I've attached a draft letter for comments on the BLM Proposed Rule: Conservation and Landscape Health. Comments have to be submitted by June 20th. I believe this rule is very dangerous in scope, and would like to encourage all CORVA members to submit comments. The proposed rule would change the mission and Congressionally approved mandate of the BLM and include "Conservation" as one of the goals for land managed by the BLM. Of the federal land management agencies, the BLM is known for its multiple use and sustained yield mandate. Conservation issues are already considered as part of the land designation process, but this proposed rule, if passed, would elevate conservation above the considerations of working, multiple use management designed to benefit the American people. More information can be found at: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2023-0001-0001. Hopefully, CORVA can galvanize other groups in California to rally against his proposed rule.
Legislation
Federal: S 873, America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2023 still has the 'poison pill' component of Travel Management in the text that makes this a very dangerous bill. Some recreation groups, not understanding the potentially devastating nature of the Travel Management language in the bill, actually think the bill would benefit the greater off-road community. But the language in the bill concerning Travel Management comes from groups like Outdoor Alliance and Winter Wildlands Alliance, who seek to eliminate OHV and OSV recreation completely from public land. WIth the current language, this is a very harmful bill, although the other components in the bill are acceptable.
State:
SB 708 has been referred to the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife and Transportation committees. The text of the language has not changed since March 29th, and still focuses on enabling non-emission compliant vehicles to receive a 'sanctioned event' sticker and compete at sanctioned events on public land.
AB 1617 has been referred to the Transportation committee but has not yet been heard since introduction.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
Have you looked into the "poison pill"??