Public Land Adevocacy - Top 10

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• 1. Join a local club and a state association.

  a.       Clubs and Associations have more influence with Government Agencies.  They represent several people with the same interests or ideas.

  b.      A club may already be working on the trails you enjoy.  Joining them will allow you to help them with their efforts and make your own efforts more effective.

  c.       If there is not a club already, start your own.  Request NOHVCC’s free club start-up kit to help you get started.

  d.      If you or your club is not affiliated with your state OHV organization, join them.  These organizations work on a state-wide level to the benefit of all OHV groups.  They need your support.  If your state does not have a state OHV association, contact NOHVCC at trailhead@nohvcc.org.  We will help you and your state clubs create one.

• 2. Get on the mailing list for comments regarding your riding area.

  a.       Find out which agency or agencies have jurisdiction over your riding areas.

  b.      Ask to be placed on a mailing list or an e-mail notification list regarding all of the activities that are happening in your riding areas.  Remember, even if the notice is only about logging, it could affect your riding area if the logging takes place through your trails.

• 3. Develop a working relationship with your land manager.

  a.       Remember that land managers are people, too.  Get to know them before an issue comes up. 

  b.      Find out what your land managers issues are regarding OHV recreation.  Try to find ways of addressing their issues. 

                                                                i.      If maintenance is the issue, have your club assist with maintenance. 

                                                              ii.      If enforcement is an issue, have your club form or join a trail rangers or trail ambassadors program.

  c.       Need help with this?  Get the NOHVCC free Public Land Advocacy DVD.  There is an entire chapter regarding working with land managers to give you more advice.

  d.      Take your land manager out for a ride, if possible.

                                                                i.      Many people working with the agencies have never been on an OHV, so they don’t know the enjoyment and fun of the activities.  Taking them for a ride is a great way to show them what your sport is about.

                                                              ii.      Jeeps and ATVs are easier to use when taking some for a ride, but people with some motorcycle experience can be put onto a dirt bike.  This is not the time to show off or to put the people into situations where they are not comfortable.  It does you no good to get them or you hurt during the ride.

                                                            iii.      Schedule in rest stops and places to chat.

                                                            iv.      If possible, take them to a scenic spot they could not easily reach without and OHV.

• 4. Know the rules and the process that your land manager is required to follow.

  a.  Don’t ask them to do what they are not allowed to do.

  b.  But make them do the things that they are supposed to do.

                         i.   Sometimes land managers don’t have enough time to do everything they are supposed to do, so offer to assist them where possible.

                       ii.   Sometimes, land managers don’t want to do what they are supposed to do, so you may have to escalate the situation to their supervisor.  But always start with your land manager each time.

  c.  Learn the steps in the process and where your involvement is critical.  Then be involved.

• 5. Do trail maintenance.

  a.       Agency budgets are down and are not going to get better any time soon.  Helping the agencies out by doing maintenance is a great way to further your working relationship with the agency personnel as well as making sure your trails get the maintenance they need.

  b.      Many areas have grants or other type of assistance to help a club with the costs of maintenance equipment or time.  This can be a fundraiser for your club.

   

• 6. Do fund raising to support your trail financially.

  a.       Make sure lack of funding is not a reason for an agency to close your trail.

  b.      Check out the opportunities with the Recreational Trails Program and other grants offered.  Apply for the grants and use them on your trails.

  c.       Trail maintenance or trail maps are great fund raising possibilities.

  d.      Think outside the box.  What other fund raising methods can you use?

• 7. Write comments whenever possible.

  a.       This is critical to creating and keeping trails.

  b.      If the agency is doing what you wish, make sure you and your club submits comments to support these ideas to outweigh any comments against the proposal.

  c.       If the proposal suggests an action that you do not agree with, you and your club need to write comments to make sure the agencies know of your opposition.

  d.      Comments are the first step to any proposed action, appeals, or litigation.  If you don’t care enough to actually write comments, why should the agencies care about your wishes?

  e.       Make sure your comments are about the document, plan, ect.  Comments which just support or oppose a position are not effective.

  f.       See the NOHVCC Public Land Advocacy DVD for assistance with writing effective comments.

• 8. Write and get to know your elected officials.

  a.       Don’t just focus on your State and National officials, but include your township, city, and county officials as well.

  b.      While legislators don’t always make the rules for what happens on the ground, their policies and laws can make things very difficult for you to keep your trails.

  c.       Sometimes, the legislators do make on the ground decisions and you need to make sure that these decisions go in your favor.

  d.      Many legislators do not understand that OHV recreation is a family sport.  Don’t let the only impression of us and our family activity be from the people who are against us.  It is very easy to introduce yourself and your family members to a legislator.  They are here to represent you.  Make yourself known to them.

• 9. Take a NOHVCC webinar, get their Land Advocacy Videos, and/or their workshop training.

  a.       Our workshops and programs are designed to assist you with keeping your riding areas open or creating new ones. 

  b.      We try to make you as efficient as possible so that you don’t waste your time reinventing a wheel that has been perfected elsewhere.

  c.       NOHVCC has a large network of OHV enthusiasts and OHV program managers.  We can assist you with finding the answers you need.

  d.      NOHVCC is not a membership organization, but we have State and Associate State Partners in most of the 50 states.  If you are interested in joining our network, contact us at trailhead@nohvcc.org.

• 10. Stay involved, be Patient but persistent.

  a.       Everything in the government takes at least twice as long as you think it should take and often it takes longer than that.

  b.      The best way to move your case forward is with professional persistence. 

  c.       Even if your riding area is currently ideal, things change so stay involved.