Posts Tagged ‘off-highway vehicle’

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.

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Grassroots and Industry Urge Permanent Fix to Controversial Youth-Model Bike/ATV Ban

Pocatello, ID (January 14) – A report that is due to Congress from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has sparked a renewed effort by off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to completely remove a ban on youth-model off-highway motorcycles and ATVs. The youth-model ban is a result of the CPSC’s interpretation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), a law originally intended to ban the importation of children’s toys containing lead-based paint.

The powersports industry, individual dealerships and off-highway vehicle advocacy groups have been working hard to rescind the ban. OHV advocates believe the January 15 CPSC report provides an opportunity to move a final solution forward.

The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national grassroots OHV advocacy group is encouraging their members to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to take action to end the unfair ban. BRC’s Call to Action can be found here: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=1105

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Olympic National Forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map Has Been Published and is Soon to be Released

Olympic National Forest
1835 Black Lake Blvd.
Olympia, WA 98512-5623

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 9, 2009
Public Affairs Office: (360) 956-2274 FAX (360) 956-2330

Olympia, WA – Olympic National Forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map, which identifies routes available for motor vehicle use, has been published and will soon be available to the public. This map was created in response to the Forest Service’s 2005 Travel Management Rule which required all National Forests to designate roads and trails available for both passenger vehicle and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. The objective of this rule was to manage off-road vehicle use on public lands, protect resources, provide for safety, and minimize conflicts among visitors.

The routes depicted in this map correspond with those identified in Olympic National Forest’s 1990 Forest Plan. The 1990 Forest Plan prohibited cross country travel of off-road vehicles on the forest, but allows for off-road motorcycle on the following trails:

Trail 830 – Gold Creek Trail, from Road 2870-230 to Road 28780
Trail 833 – Lower Big Quilcene, from Road 27-080 to Road 2750
Trail 833.3 – Lower Dungeness, from Road 2870-230 to Road 2870
Trail 836 – Mount Zion, from Road 28 to the Mount Zion Summit
Trail 858 – Lower Pete?s Creek, from Road 2204 to West Fork Humptulips River
Trail 871 – Church Creek, from Road 2361-600 to Road 2372

Hood Canal District Ranger Dean Yoshina said, “The completion of this year’s motor vehicle use map will not only clarify existing routes, but it can potentially help us identify additional routes, given the high demand of interest in this recreational activity.”

Maps will be available online at the Olympic National Forest Website, and at all Olympic National Forest offices in Olympia, Hoodsport, Quilcene, Forks, and Quinault, beginning on November 23, 2009. The maps are free of charge, and are designed to be used in conjunction with the Olympic NF Forest Visitor Use Map.

Oregon Dunes NRA Working Group Schedules Next Meeting and Field Visit

BLUERIBBON COALITION LANDUSE UPDATE!

The Siuslaw National Forest, located in western Oregon, has announced that 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, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, 2009.

The November 6 field tour will focus on the middle riding area of the Oregon Dunes, located adjacent to Umpqua Beach, south of Winchester Bay. The field tour will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Douglas County OHV Staging Area, and conclude at 4:30 p.m. at the same place. The staging area is located two miles southwest of Winchester Bay on the east side of Umpqua Beach Road, across from the first parking lot.

The following day, November 7, the Working Group will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Winchester Bay Community Center. The meeting agenda will focus on a review of the history of designated routes on the Dunes, criteria for evaluating potential designated route recommendations, and a specific review and discussion of potential designated route recommendations for the middle riding area.

The public is invited to attend both the field tour and meeting. A public comment period will be provided at 11:45 a.m. on November 7. Members of the public attending the field trip will have to provide their own transportation.

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 November 7 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 November 6 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.

JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN; PLEASE GET INVOLVED!

Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

The BlueRibbon Coalition is a national (non-profit) trail-saving group that represents over 600,000 recreationists nationwide The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) season is beginning. Federal employees, please mark BlueRibbon Coalition and Check #11402 on your CFC pledge form to support our efforts to protect your access. Join us at 1-800-258-3742 http://www.sharetrails.org

OHV Designated Routes Working Group Meeting and Field Visit – Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

Contacts:
Sharon Stewart 541-271-6071
Joni Quarnstrom 541-750-7075

October 21, 2009

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, November 6 and Saturday, November 7.

The November 6 field tour will focus on the middle riding area of the Oregon Dunes, located adjacent to Umpqua Beach, south of Winchester Bay. The field tour will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Douglas County OHV Staging Area, and conclude at 4:30 p.m. at the same place. Staging area is located two miles southwest of Winchester Bay on the east side of Umpqua Beach Road, across from the first parking lot.

The following day, November 7, the Working Group will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Winchester Bay Community Center.

According to Central Coast Ranger District and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area District Ranger, Pam Gardner, the meeting agenda will focus on a review of the history of designated routes on the Dunes, criteria for evaluating potential designated route recommendations, and a specific review and discussion of potential designated route recommendation for the middle riding area.

“I am pleased with the commitment and dedication of the working group members who care about this rare and unique place we know as the Oregon Dunes,” said Gardner. “I appreciate that they take time out of their busy lives to assist us,” she added.

The public is invited to attend both the field tour and meeting. A public comment period will be provided at 11:45 a.m. on November 7. Members of the public attending the field trip will have to provide their own transportation.

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 November 7 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 November 6 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.

Proposed Motorized Trail Designation on Public Lands in Lincoln County

For Release: August 5, 2009
Contact: Steve Smith (509) 536-1200
Release No: OR135-FY2009-025

SPOKANE, WA – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Spokane District Office has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA), analyzing the environmental effects of a proposed designation of an off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail in the Lakeview Ranch area near Odessa, Washington.

The EA is available for review and comment on the internet at http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/plans, or upon request from the Spokane District Office at (509) 536-1200.

BLM is seeking comments on the EA until September 4, 2009.

Comments may be sent to or_spokane_mail@blm.gov or by postal mail at Spokane BLM District Office, 1103 North Fancher Road, Spokane Valley, Washington 99212. ATTN: Lakeview Proposed OHV Route.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment ? including your personal identifying information ? may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

The BLM manages more land ? 256 million acres ? than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM?s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.