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Call to Action:  Help Us Save Wildfire-Destroyed Jeepin’ Trails Call to Action:  Help Us Save Wildfire-Destroyed Jeepin’ Trails
SPECIAL REPORT All of us at ModernJeeper are worried that many of our OHV and Jeeping trails will be lost forever to the rage... Call to Action:  Help Us Save Wildfire-Destroyed Jeepin’ Trails

SPECIAL REPORT

All of us at ModernJeeper are worried that many of our OHV and Jeeping trails will be lost forever to the rage of wildfires affecting the West.

But we can fix it… Join us in helping to recover and repair our trails lost to the raging infernos that seem to be growing larger every year.

~ The Editors


WILDFIRE and OHV (Part 1) – Awareness and Action

Near total destruction from a wildfire in CA.

As dense wildfire smoke blankets much of the country, be assured that recreation focused post-wildfire planning by land agencies is already underway at the local, state, and federal levels. OHV organizations and trail professionals are also preparing to assist their agency partners in the recovery process. ModernJeeper is in the game to help; you can be too.

At the federal level, the Forest Service and BLM use the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program to analyze fire impacts and initiate post-fire mitigation actions such as soil stabilization, hazard tree removal, and repairing damaged water control structures or features on important roads and trails. BLM also uses Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) to further manage post-fire destruction.  All volunteer recovery efforts will blend in with these federal guidelines.

Mendocino Complex Fire

In California, the Mendocino Complex Fire with the Ranch Fire and River Fire have been burning since July 27, 2018 with over 280,000 acres destroyed, including many famous OHV trails in the Cow Mountain and Stonyford OHV areas.

DESTROYED: Pre-Ranch Fire ride in the Mendocino National Forest’s Stonyford OHV Area

DESTROYED: The author in an earlier photo in the BLM’s Cow Mountain OHV Recreation Area

OHV organizations and trail professionals are doing their part by mobilizing their membership into non-governmental post-fire recovery teams that will fulfill their role as a critical force multiplier to their land agency partners. Existing OHV Industry and/or state grant programs will also be part of this effort.

The size and scope of our wildfire season to date dictates the need for a strong and effective post-wildfire rehabilitation strategy based on substantive collaboration between the private and public sectors.

The edge of destruction.

Take action by becoming informed and engaged. Consider joining and supporting those organizations and post-wildfire recovery efforts that are working on your behalf to help restore recreation opportunity in affected areas. On Facebook, consider joining the new group, Post Wildfire OHV Recovery.

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Don Amador Author

Don Amador has 28 years of experience in the field of OHV recreation management and federal/state land-use policy. Don is president of Quiet Warrior Racing/Consulting, an OHV recreation consulting company. Don also serves as Core-Team Lead for FireScape Mendocino, a forest-health collaborative that is part of the National Fire Learning Network. Don is a contributor to ModernJeeper.com.

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