ALABAMA AND PENNSYLVANIA OHV ACTIVISTS INVITED TO RECEIVE CRT AWARDS IN WASHINGTON

The Coalition for Recreational Trails honors accomplishments from 2003
 

Two off-road activists have been invited to Washington D.C. on June 8th to receive awards from the Coalition for Recreational Trails.

Denny Mann, PaOHV Technical Director will be honored for his group's project in the Education category. The project is called the Sensible, Courteous, Off-Road Enthusiasts (SCORE) educational training program. It is designed for participants in off-highway vehicle recreation, which advocates enhancing trail use and enjoyment through increased environmental awareness, promotion of trail related safety, and encouragement of trail related outdoor recreation. SCORE demonstrates important measures to be taken to protect wildlife and the natural habitat in riding areas, and emphasizes the need for responsible off-highway enthusiasts to respect the environment, and other users of Pennsylvania woodlands.

"Three years ago we knew the off-road image was poor and we applied for a Recreational Trails Grant to create an educational program to improve this image," says Mann. "Wow! I never thought we would win a national award for our efforts, but we'll take it."

Alabama NOHVCC State Representative Glenn Myers was chosen to receive the Multiple Use Management and Corridor Sharing category award for his work on the Minooka Park OHV trail system that opened last year in central Alabama. "There were actually a whole lot of groups that helped make this project work," says Myers. "NOHVCC, AMA, ATVA, BlueRibbon Coalition, Chilton County Commissioners and the Cheaha Trail Riders Association all had a hand in Minooka Park. Trails Unlimited (an internal group of U.S. Forest Service trail experts) did the actual building of the trail system."

Minooka Park encompasses 160 acres and a small lake and features single-track and dual-track dirt bike and ATV trails as well as accommodating equestrians, hikers and mountain bikers. In addition, there is a handicapped-accessible trail surrounding the lake as well as a fishing pier for physically-challenged sportsman.

Great Outdoors Week 2004, June 7 through 11, will highlight the invaluable contributions active outdoor recreation make to American's health and quality of life. The week will again be coordinated by the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) and will include events hosted by more than 20 federal agencies and national organizations. The Coalition for Recreational Trails will be awarding seven annual achievement awards to individuals or groups who have best utilized funds from the federal Recreational Trails Program (RTP).

NOHVCC Executive Director Russ Ehnes and NOHVCC Project Coordinator Dana Bell will be in attendance at Washington to represent the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council and get all the details on Great Outdoors Week.

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