OHV Designated Routes Working Group Meeting and Field Visit – Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Contacts:
Joni Quarnstrom 541-750-7075
Sharon Stewart 541-271-6071
January 14, 2010
Reedsport, OR – A field tour and meeting for the Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Designated Routes Working Group for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Oregon Dunes) will be held on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23.
The January 22 field tour will focus on the “North Riding Area” of the NRA, located south of Florence. The field tour will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the South Jetty Staging Area, located on South Jetty Road, approximately one mile south of Florence on Highway 101, and conclude at 4:30 p.m. at the same location.
The following day, January 23, the Working Group will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Group Meeting Hall at Honeyman State Park, located on Canary Road, approximately three miles south of Florence on Highway 101.
The meeting agenda will be focused on a review of evaluation criteria developed by the Group at their November meeting, a review of alternative designated route proposals for the middle riding area developed at the November meeting, and identification of potential designated route recommendations for the north riding area.
The public is invited to attend both the field tour and meeting. Members of the public attending the field trip will have to provide their own transportation, which will need to be capable of traveling off road in the sand, and must have a current ATV permit. A public comment period will be provided at 11:45 a.m. on January 23.
According to Central Coast Ranger District and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area District Ranger, Pam Gardner, this will be the third in a series of six meetings of the Working Group scheduled to take place over a one-year period.
“During previous meetings the group reviewed and discussed background information about the NRA and the designation of routes in Management Area 10(C), discussed criteria for evaluating alternative OHV routes that could be recommended for designation, and developed initial proposals for alternative route recommendations in the middle riding area (Umpqua Beach area)”, said Gardner.
Ross Holloway, the Working Group facilitator has been pleased with the progress the Group has made to date.
“Considering the wide diversity of interests represented, the group has done a great job of getting up to speed quickly on the issues involved,” Holloway said. “Moving from a situation with a lot of user-created trails, to recommendations for designated OHV trails on this portion of the NRA is a challenge, but they are off to a good start.”
The Working Group was recently formed to develop recommendations for the designation of OHV routes in a portion of the Oregon Dunes (upland vegetation areas included in Management Area 10(C)). The process to designate OHV routes was identified as an action item in the 1994 Management Plan for the Oregon Dunes. Working Group members were selected from a pool of applicants, and represent a broad range of interests. This will be the second in a series of six meetings of the Working Group scheduled to take place over a one-year period. The first meeting was held on October 3 in Florence.
Working Group members represent the following specific interests or organizations: Organized OHV groups, unaffiliated OHV users, outfitters and/or guide businesses, mushroom pickers, fish and wildlife advocates, conservation groups, local Tribes, local community leaders, State ATV Program, local emergency response agencies, local Parks Departments, local landowners, and the general public.
Individuals requiring alternate format material or accommodation, or who have questions regarding the January 23 meeting can contact Ross Holloway, OHV Designated Routes Working Group Facilitator, by phone at 503-812-4056 or by e-mail at rholloway@inciplan.net.
Questions about the January 22 field tour can be directed to Sharon Stewart, Dispersed Recreation Supervisor, by phone at 541-271-6071, or by e-mail at slstewart@fs.fed.us.
More information about the OHV working group, meeting times and agendas can be found online at www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/projects/rec-plans-projects.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/news/2010/01-14-10dunes-routes-meeting.shtml
