Activity Review || Final Report

This report on OHV use in USFS national forest lands is very important to us. It may be hard to read due to the number of forwards it has undergone; but please take a moment to see what is happening at the federal level. One of the solutions to *managing* off highway (all 4x4, ATV's, dirt bikes, etc.) is local club involvement in trails. Their own report points out that a trail is more likely to survive (and be better managed) if it has a local group/club adopt it.

Thanks, DEL

Previous comments:
From: Brent Botts:WO
Date: ## 02/01/96 14:48 ##
Here is the final OHV report that went out to the Regional Office's on December 12th. Thanks to the many of you that helped either by your participation or support. It should show you the direction to expect from the WO and the RO in future years. I'm sure your support to help the Region's with the tasks they have to respond to the report would be appreciated.

United States       Forest           Washington      14th & Independence SW
Department of       Service          Office          P.O. Box 96090
Agriculture                                          Washington, DC 20090-6090
File Code:  1410/2350                         Date:
Route To :
 Subject:  National Off-Highway Vehicle Activity Review
 To:  Regional Foresters
 REPLY DUE MAY 1, 1996
The enclosed report is the National Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Activity
Review.  It was conducted by visiting sites in Region 5 during
April 11-17, 1994, Region 8 during July 10-17, 1995, and Region 2 during
August 21-26, 1995.  The regions represent a cross-section of the national OHV
situation.  The report is intended for implementation service-wide.
Concurrently, the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) compiled a
report on the use and impact of off-highway vehicles based on observations
from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resource areas and the Forest Service
(FS) ranger districts (4 resource areas and 4 ranger districts) in 5 western
States.  A copy of the GAO report is enclosed.  The findings in the GAO report
substantiated the national magnitude of the issues identified by previous FS
reviews and this report.
Five issues form the focus of the review:
 1.   Quality of OHV Trail/Area Design.
 2.   Quality of OHV Trail/Area Operation and Maintenance.
 3.   Forest Plan Direction.
 4.   Employee OHV Knowledge and Competency.
 5.   Quality of Private Sector and Other Government Cooperation in
 Management and Maintenance of OHV Activities.
Upon completion of each regional visit, findings were shared in an exit
conference and a report relating specifically to that region.  Common findings
from the 3 regional reports where incorporated into this national report.
Issues and action items address only findings common to all 3 regions that are
considered to have national significance.
I would like to express sincere appreciation to the employees who took time to
openly and honestly share with the teams the issues, strengths, and priorities
that face their region or district.  This dialog exhibits a commitment to
improving OHV management and customer service.
Regional Foresters                                                       2
The enclosed report identifies actions to address the national findings.  I
ask that each region prepare a response to Section III, Action Plan Direction,
with the word "Region" in bold by May 1, 1996.  For additional information on
any of these issues, please contact Brent Botts of the Recreation, Heritage,
and Wilderness Resources Staff at (202) 205-1313 or via DG B.BOTTS:W01C.
JACK WARD THOMAS
Chief

FINAL REPORT
NATIONAL OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV) ACTIVITY REVIEW
1996

I.  ACTIVITY REVIEW OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the National OHV and Travel Management Activity Review was
to examine how a representative sample of regions adhere to OHV related policy
and procedures, as well as how the national program can be improved.  Issues
identified to be reviewed were based on issues from the 1986 OHV National
Review, the Travel Management Study completed in 1992, and the 1995 Government
Accounting Office (GAO) Review of Use and Impacts of OHV's.
The objectives were:
 1.  Quality of OHV Trail/Area Design.
 a.  How is engineering support for trail design, conversion of roads to
 OHV use, and maintenance being accomplished?
 b.  How is customer service, ecosystem management, mixed traffic, and
 summer/winter use being considered in the design of OHV facilities?
 c.  How has accessibility been designed into facility construction and
 reconstruction projects?  Are persons with disabilities being utilized
 in the design process?
 d.  Is the recreation capital investment program process coordinated with
 engineering's ability to fund road access needs?
 e.  Do signs and maps communicate authorized OHV opportunities to the
 public?
 f.  Are safety and health concerns addressed in brochures, maps, and
 signing?
 g.  Are vehicle control facilities (fences, gates, etc.) effectively
 designed and used?
 2.  Quality of OHV Trail/Area Operation Maintenance.
 a.  Is customer satisfaction a guiding principle in operating and
 maintaining Forest Service trail facilities?
 b.  What is being done to portray a quality Forest Service image in OHV
 signing, bulletin boards, and safety messages.
 2
 c.  Is monitoring of OHV activities and its effects being accomplished?
 d.  How is enforcement of Federal and State standards and regulations for
 operation of vehicles being accomplished and funded?
 3.  Forest Plan Direction.
 a.  Are forest land management plans, biological evaluations, and NEPA
 documentation for projects adequately addressing the OHV management
 and impacts occurring on the forest?
 b.  Do forest plans address State-wide OHV planning?  Do forests work
 closely with States in carrying out programs financed by user fees?
 c.  Is travel management planning being coordinated with on-road
 activities and other resource objectivies?
 d.  Do OHV road and trail inventories correspond to what is located on the
 ground?
 4.  Employee OHV Knowledge and Competency.
 a.  Are employees and volunteers knowledgeable and competent in OHV
 planning, design, management, and monitoring?
 b.  Is technology and development information reaching district employees
 and volunteers?
 c.  Do line officers and recreation field personnel know about and are
 they committed to OHV management.
 d.  Are OHV field personnel working in a safe environment?  Are job hazard
 analysis, safety training, and equipment operations being completed?
 e.  How does the attitude of line officers, field personnel, and support
 specialists contribute to the effectiveness of OHV program management?
 f.  Are suitable uniform components available and are they being worn in a
 way that reflects on a professional recreation management
 organization?
 5.  Quality of Private Sector and Other Government Cooperation in
 Management and Maintenance of OHV Activities.
 a.  Are special-use permits issued for special OHV and similar group
 activities?
 b.  Are forests following appropriate procedures and complying with
 national policies in authorizing outfitting guide services on national
 forest lands?
 3
 c.  Are contacts with outside interest groups and other government
 agencies (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM, etc.) being developed
 and maintained?
 d.  Are volunteers and non-profit organizations being used to accomplish
 OHV management in a manner consistent with forest plans?
 e.  How are partnerships and coop programs utilized within the region to
 improve OHV opportunities, restoration, and management?
FINDINGS
 1.  General Background.
 The use of off-highway vehicles such as 4X4 vehicles, dirt bikes, all
 terrain vehicles (ATVs), and snowmobiles has been occurring on national
 forest land since the 1920s.  In many cases, the use predated the national
 forest's acquisition of that land.  Initially, these vehicles did not
 represent a major recreation use or industry.  OHV trails/areas generally
 were not planned or designed, but developed through use.
 The increased popularity and widespread use of OHVs on Federal lands in
 the 1960s and 1970s prompted the development of a unified Federal policy
 for such use.  Executive Order 11644 was issued in February 1972 to
 establish policies and provide for procedures to control and direct the
 use of OHVs on Federal lands so as to (1) protect the resources of those
 lands, (2) promote the safety of all users of those lands, and (3)
 minimize conflicts among the various uses of those lands.  The executive
 order also closed wilderness and primitive areas to OHV use.
 Executive Order 1189 was issued in May 1977.  It strengthened protection
 of the lands by authorizing Agency heads to (1) close areas or trails to
 OHVs causing considerable adverse effects and (2) designate zones of use
 to identify specific areas and trails in which the use of OHVs may or may
 not occur.
 2.  Strengths.
 In all cases, the degree of successfully managed OHV areas/trails appears
 to be associated with the amount of line officer involvement, an employee
 "champion," the presence/involvement of a local organized
 club/organization, and ample riding opportunity and challenge.
 Environmental documentation and biological evaluations were being
 completed and were on record.
 Employee safety standards and job hazard analysis were being utilized and
 enforced.
 Cooperators such as States, organizations, and volunteers are being
 aggressively pursued and utilized.  Such outside involvement accounts for
 approximately 70 percent of most OHV management programs.
 4
 3.  Areas Needing Improvement.
 a.  Planning and Monitoring - Some early forest land management plans
 (LMPs) did not address OHV use and were later "retrofitted" to acknowledge
 OHV use as an issue.  OHV use was not commonly evaluated as part of travel
 access management.  Most LMPs that did address OHV use and did not fully
 recognize or anticipated the demand and resulting conflicts.
 Existing trails/areas were generally not planned, designed, nor
 constructed for OHV activities.  Many areas that provided for trails/areas
 did not incorporate enough miles or enough challenge to adequately
 accommodate the OHV user.  This has contributed to OHV management problems
 by not dispersing the use and not providing the full spectrum of challenge
 levels (easy through most difficult).  This practice often resulted in
 resource damage as a result of over use and development of new trails that
 do not exist on inventory records.
 Off-highway vehicle use was not adequately incorporated into standards and
 guidelines or monitoring plans.  As a result, most forests are working to
 catch-up with planning by closing or relocating trails/areas where
 unacceptable damage or excessive conflict exists.  Few plans provided for
 adequate trail/area identification or construction to make up for
 trails/areas being closed to traditional OHV use.  Monitoring is not
 systematic in its application and generally not documented or reported.
 b.  Knowledge and Competency - Experts in various facets of OHV management
 were found to exist in each region.  Their knowledge and expertise was not
 being adequately shared between districts, forests, and regions.  Many
 line officers, specialists, and employees never had the experience or
 training in managing an OHV trail/area program and did not know what could
 be done to prevent or mitigate related problems.
 Successful programs had active line officer involvement, a "champion," and
 an active OHV club or organization.  Poorly managed programs lacked one or
 all of these components.  People interviewed indicated that the lack of
 OHV knowledge by line officers and specialists significantly contributed
 to management problems and lack of support for finding solutions.
 c.  Suitable Uniform Component Availability -  Dirt bike and ATV riding
 requires specialized safety equipment to protect operators from the
 inherent risks of the activity.  Use of riding boots, protective pads,
 helmets, gloves, eye protection, and specialized riding clothes is
 commonly worn by the dirt bike and ATV using public.  Most employees
 riding dirt bikes and ATVs are providing their own safety equipment
 because it is not available through the FS.  A lack of FS identification
 on specialized safety equipment and OHVs prevent the law enforcement
 officers (LEOs) and the forest protection officers (FPOs) from being
 easily identified as FS employees.
 d.  Enforcement of Standards and Regulations - Resource protection
 regulations and closure orders for OHVs are not adequately enforced.
 Enforcement will continue to be a problem with downsizing effects on the
 LEOs program and restrictions on the FPOs enforcement of OHV related
 regulations.
 5
 The federal protection officer is restricted from enforcement of most OHV
 laws due to a recent interpretation that OHV enforcement is a vehicle
 stop.  The LEO is seldom available to enforce OHV regulations relating to
 resource protection due to priority work in other areas.  As a result,
 enforcement of closure orders that restrict users to trails/areas and
 significantly discourages the development of unauthorized trails/areas is
 not being adequately enforced.
 Generally, few LEOs are trained or equipped to patrol OHV trails.  As a
 result, LEOs seldom patrol past the trailhead and tend to deal with
 violations such as operating an unlicensed piece of equipment on a road.
III.  ACTION PLAN DIRECTION
 1.  Planning and Monitoring.
 a)  Regions need to respond to how they plan to incorporate OHVs as part
 of travel access management and how this will be incorporated into land
 management planning.  Also, what actions are being taken to incorporate
 standards and guidelines that relate to OHVs management issues.
 b)  Regions need to develop a plan to inventory trails that currently
 exist on the ground, even if not shown as part of the existing trails
 inventory.  As trail managers establish OHV trails/areas through
 historically used trails/areas, consider providing enough opportunity area
 to provide ample miles of challenge levels from easy to difficult.
 c)  Regions need to develop strategy for sharing cost effective monitoring
 examples that have been successfully used to monitor OHV use and its
 effects (use counts, soil movement, and effects of mitigation measures).
 2.  Knowledge and Competency.
 a.   Each region should submit to the Washington Office (WO) a list of
 their OHV champions and the individual expertise they would be willing to
 offer.  From this list, a national core team of 12 OHV experts will be
 established.  This team will become the board responsible for:
 b.  Developing a "Center Of Excellence in OHV Management" and "Master
 Performers."  This program will establish teams of OHV experts that will
 be scattered across the country and available to assist forests in
 planning, developing, managing, or monitoring OHV programs.
 c.  Establish OHV training courses for line managers and resource
 specialists that provide an introduction to tools and resources available
 for managing OHV and travel management.
 3.  Suitable Uniform Component Availability.
 a.  The WO will work with the Safety and Health Branch to develop policy
 that better clarifies riding gear safety equipment for ATVs and dirt bike
 use.  All forests using ATVs or dirt bike equipment should reevaluate job
 hazard analysis.  Analysis should include boots, protective pads, helmets,
 gloves, eye protection, and specialized riding clothes for dirt bikes.
 Helmets, boots, gloves, and eye protection should be used when operating
 ATVs.
 6
 b.  Regions need to provide feedback to the WO in developing and providing
 specialized components of the Forest Service uniform, so that Forest
 Service patrol personnel can be more readily recognized.
 4.  Enforcement of Standards and Regulations.
 a.  The WO Law Enforcement and Investigations and Recreation, Heritage,
 and Wilderness Resources Staffs will jointly review FSM 5304.6 (authority
 of forest protection officers) and other FSM restrictions.  Where
 appropriate, sections of the FSM will be amended to allow FPOs more
 enforcement flexibility.
 b.  The WO will work with law enforcement and report on what can be done
 to increase availability of the LEO for resource protection related
 enforcement.
 c.  The WO Law Enforcement and Investigations and Recreation, Heritage,
 and Wilderness Resources Staffs will work together and explore ways to
 provide more qualified FPOs and standardize and training nationally.  More
 emphasis will be placed on training the FPO in recognition and avoidance
 of hazardous situation.  Also, ways to incorporate OHV training into the
 Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and regional training programs.
 d.  Regions will establish a uniform policy for mapping and posting OHV
 routes using current travel management posters and symbols for the type of
 use so not to leave any doubt to users as to what is or is not permitted.

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