WOHVA Newsletter - July 2012

	WOHVA Newsletter July 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
WA DNR
US Forest Service
Where To Ride
Statewide OHV Bill

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

September
14 - WOHVA Annual Meeting Play Day,

7 Mile ORV Area

Spokane, WA
15 - WOHVA Annual Meeting Trail Ride,

NE WA and northern Idaho
16 - WOHVA Annual Meeting,

Spokane, WA

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fight for your
RIGHT to RIDE!

June-uary is over and summer's finally here. The mountain snow is receding (but still around!), chain saws have been buzzing, and the weather is improving. That makes us here at WOHVA think about WHERE to ride so this edition of the WOHVA newsletter will focus on Land Use issues. Some are from the DNR, others USFS, and then there's our own compilation of all of 'em – our WHERE TO RIDE website. Hopefully you'll help others find this listing and also let us know where it needs improvement. There ARE a lot of legal places to ride in Washington, whether you have an ATV, 4x4, or dirt bike. And knowing WHERE TO RIDE will help you find 'em. Now for that Land Use update:

Land Use:

WA DNR: Odds are that if you ride off-road in Western Washington, you're doing some of it on DNR land. While the mountains and Eastern Washington are primarily USFS and BLM properties, it's the DNR on the "wet"-side and here's what they're planning in seven different areas (only six of which will provide for motorized off-road) AND where you might want to get involved:

Ahtanum – Planning was completed in January 2010 on this 76,000-acre area; a non-motorized trailhead has been completed with trail construction planned but little of it is funded at this point.
Green Mtn/Tahuya – Planning is in progress for this important year-round 38,000-acre riding area in Western Washington; to date there are only planning funds identified for this area.
Lake Roesiger – Planning began in January 2012 on this small 2,800-acre area; no funding has been identified.
Naneum Ridge – Planning began in February 2012 and the size of the area is to be determined.
Reiter Foothills – Planning completed in April 2010 on this 10,000-acre area; we lost a lot of acreage (and mileage) and this prime area close to Seattle has already been closed to motorized use for 2-1/2 years; the new plan adds non-motorized trails; parking and very short trail section construction is underway (ATV – 2mi.; 4x4 – 5mi.; and motorcycle 4 – mi.) and scheduled to open this year; future phases add slightly more mileage. Three WOHVA Directors toured the first mile of single track planned for July completion to assess progress and offer suggestions (Thanks DNR!). We're making progress but have our concerns: small area, short mileage exclusive (not shared) ATV and 4x4 trails.
Snoqualmie Corridor – Planning began in December 2011 on this 53,000-acre area where no motorized recreation is envisioned due to land restrictions and covenants.
Western Yacolt Burn – Planning was completed in August 2010 on this 40,000-acre area; very short trail construction is underway (ATV – 4mi.; 4x4 – 12mi.; and motorcycle – 1 mi.) are scheduled to open this year; future phases include more mileage as well as camping and non-motorized trails.

US Forest Service:

Although the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) is required by law to be issued annually, some national forests will not be issuing new ones this year so check with your local national forest unit to see if your 2011 MVUM will be valid this year.

Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) meetings: The forest is having PAC meetings in Wenatchee and Naches July 30th & 31st to confirm membership. These groups review forest plans. If you’re able to attend and represent OHV users on these groups, visit the AMA posting.

Colville National Forest:

South End OHV Project: This project will open an additional ~160 miles of roads to OHV use. Project is awaiting certification by a staff biologist.
Power Lake Management Project: While this may not sound like it affects OHVs, it does! The CNF has contracted with a timber company to do some thinning and other timber-related work near Power Lake. They will also be doing some work on existing roads/trails in the area. So a heads up: Just because a project doesn’t sound like it involves OHV, it may! So how can you tell? Check the NF Unit’s SOPA (Schedule of Proposed Actions). These are updated on a quarterly basis and each project generally has either a web link for more information or an e-mail address for project leader.
Draft Land Management Plan: The Colville NF is currently revising their Land Management Plan ("Forest Plan"). This is the document that provides general guidance as to how the forest will be managed. This is a process separate from the ongoing Travel Management Planning that many USFS units are conducting. Be sure to be involved with this process as it will impact Travel Management.

Okanogan/Wenatchee National Forest:

Naches Ranger District – The Naches Ranger District is asking for trail info from user groups and talking about how a reduced budget will impact trails (aka which trails should they close).

Where To Ride:

Looking for a place to ride, but don't know where to look for a listing where you can LEGALLY ride? WOHVA has the answer! It's our Where to Ride website at www.where-to-ride.info. It includes areas, roads, trails, and motocross (MX) parks where you can ride. It also includes those local jurisdictions that have opened their roads to OHV use.

We are always adding locations as we’re made aware of them however, we do need some help with the site, especially if you know javascript. We also need help adding some features to the website. If you have programming skills, please e-mail the Webmaster at webmaster@www.where-to-ride.info. Your assistance will help thousands of OHV riders across the state!

Do you Want to Be Allowed To Ride Your OHV on WA Roads?

Last year, there were two attempts to get separate bills passed to allow OHV enthusiasts to ride on WA roads. Unfortunately both efforts were unsuccessful. SB5845 was introduced too late in the session to be brought out of committee. SB5366 did get out of committee, but became bogged down in some details and did not get to the Senate floor.

This year WOHVA would like to get a bill passed to allow you to ride your OHV on WA roads.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT AS TO WHAT
YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS BILL

Links to the two bills from last year so you can see what was contained in them:

SB5366:

Last amendment to SB5366;

complete history of SB5366)
SB5845:

Original bill; no history as no amendments were offered

Please take a look at both of these bills and tell us what you'd like to see in this year's bill. Please e-mail your comments to info@WOHVA.org.

WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE DIRT

WOHVA AT YOUR GROUP – Interested in having a WOHVA representative attend one of your club or business meetings? Or maybe you have a ride or event coming up? Send an e-mail to info@WOHVA.org Please include date, location, and a point of contact!

MAILING LIST – To get on our mailing list, join WOHVA at www.WOHVA.org or join a WOHVA member club or organization.

WHERE TO RIDE – Looking for new places to ride in Washington State? Check out our WOHVA Where To Ride website for the latest info on areas, roads, trails, or MX Parks near you!

Got CLOUT? – Email clout@getclout.org for more information on how to have a direct impact on events in Olympia.

WOHVA IS YOU – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – See something here that interests you? Did we strike a resonant chord? WOHVA is 100% volunteer and your efforts make a big difference. Please send an e-mail to info@WOHVA.org to let us know how you’d like to help.

Thank you,
YOUR WOHVA BOARD