NEW PROGRAM REWARDS OHV TRAIL VOLUNTEERS

Simply register your club’s volunteer hours to win!

                                                       Don't let your hard work go unrecognized!

         On any given weekend, hundreds of off-highway vehicle riders across the country trade in their helmets and goggles for a pick and a shovel. Rather than spending their precious free time cruising down the trails on their dirt bikes and ATVs, these dedicated riders volunteer to help rehabilitate and maintain the trails. By the end of the day their main reward is basically a pat on the back from each other, and if they’re lucky, the trail volunteer that worked the hardest might get a little plaque from his club at the end of the year.

That humble and modest scenario is about to change. The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) are announcing a new program to recognize the outstanding Take Pride in America (TPIA) volunteer efforts by OHV clubs across the country. They know that OHV clubs already contribute thousands of volunteer hours and simply by keeping track of their hours and registering them, they can gain recognition for those efforts from the motorcycle and ATV industry as well as from the U.S. Department of Interior.

The recognition program, being undertaken in cooperation with the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) and Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA), is designed to encourage volunteerism and reward OHV clubs and organizations for their significant contribution to improving our public lands and recreation areas. As an added bonus, the OHV community will be gaining some well-deserved recognition from the non-riding public who may not be aware of these kinds of activities.

HOW IT WORKS

Recognition will be based on the number of volunteer hours contributed by clubs on a per member basis (i.e. if a club has 10 members and the club volunteer hour total is 100 hours, the club’s score would be 10.  If a club has 200 members and the club volunteer hour total is 1000, the club score would be 5.) By doing this, small clubs will be on an equal footing with very large clubs. Youth participation will also be encouraged and acknowledged with a special category of recognition for those clubs who have the most volunteer hours by kids under 16, again based on number of members in your club. The recognition will be based on volunteer events conducted between the launch of the program (date?) and December 31, 2004.

Recognition will be tiered. 

Gold Level – Win a sound meter!  The top 5 clubs by volunteer hour per member will achieve the Gold Level and in addition to being recognized by MIC, SVIA, ARRA and NOHVCC, will receive a sound meter. 

Silver Level - $200 contribution. The next top five clubs will earn Silver Level recognition and a $200 contribution to your club for use in purchasing supplies needed for volunteer projects, for off-setting the cost of refreshments at your next volunteer event, or for any other worthy club need.

Bronze Level - $100 contribution. The third group of five clubs will earn the Bronze Level and a $100 contribution to your club.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1. Designate a point person - Participating clubs will need to designate a contact person as the “responsible officer” to be in charge of forwarding the necessary information to ARRA. 

2. Provide a club roster - Since clubs will be recognized based on the number of volunteer hours per member, participating clubs will be required to submit a club roster, including names and if possible email and street addresses, so that we know the number of club members on which to base the recognition.  (You may need to obtain permission from your club members to provide this information).                                                                                                          
3. Conduct Take Pride in America volunteer activities- Organize and conduct volunteer activities in accordance to the easy-to-follow Take Pride in America guidelines.

4. Report volunteer hours - Each time your club members participate in a volunteer activity, your club’s point person can send the information to ARRA to get credit for your club.  Your volunteer activity can also be listed on the ARRA Volunteer Opportunity web page at http://www.arra-access.com/arra/volunteer.html, to help spread the word and publicize your event.

At the end of the year, ARRA will tally club hours in relation to the number of club members to determine the winners. Winners will be announced in March at the annual National OHV Conservation Council (NOHVCC) annual meeting and notified in advance.   

Members can be included in the ranks of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access and receive critical information about OHV issues both nationally and in their region of the country.

To receive an electronic copy of the registration form and Take Pride in America guidelines, please visit the ARRA web site at http://www.ARRA-Access.com or email webmaster@mail.arra-access.com. To get paper copies of the above forms please call Evan Haglund, ARRA, at (202) 336-5112.

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About Take Pride in America

Take Pride in America is a national partnership established by the U.S. Department of the Interior that aims to seek, support and recognize volunteers who work to improve our public parks, forests, grasslands, reservoirs, wildlife refuges, cultural and historic sites, local playgrounds, and other recreation areas. With 100 Charter Partners, Take Pride involves federal, state and local governments, conservation, youth and recreation groups, and top national corporations and organizations. Together, we protect and enhance the special legacy all Americans share – our public lands that cover one in every three acres across the nation.  For more information visit: www.TakePride.gov.

About MIC

The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) is a not-for-profit, national trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, scooters, motorcycle parts and accessories and members of allied trades.

About SVIA

Since 1983, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America® (SVIA) has promoted the safe and responsible use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) through rider training programs, public awareness campaigns, and state legislation. SVIA also serves as a resource for ATV research, statistics, and vehicle standards. SVIA, based in Irvine, California, is a not-for-profit trade association sponsored by AlphaSports, Arctic Cat, Bombardier, Honda, John Deere, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.  For safety information or to enroll in an ATV RiderCourse^SM, call (800) 887-2887 or visit www.atvsafety.org.

About NOHVCC

The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council is a publicly supported, educational foundation organized for the sole purpose of promoting safe, responsible, family oriented off-highway recreational experiences. NOHVCC is a forum for organizations and supporters of OHV recreation, including OHV manufacturers, related businesses, affiliated foundations, OHV dealers, clubs and enthusiasts, to become partners in creating a positive future for the sport. For more information visit: www.NOHVCC.org

About ARRA

Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) was formed to ensure that Americans are not arbitrarily denied the right to responsibly experience and enjoy the public lands that belong to the citizens of the United States.  Its members seek responsible consideration of competing activities, which are based on sound environmental principles.  ARRA focuses on the entire spectrum of issues surrounding the Crisis of Closure. We work with the Bush Administration and its agencies, Congress, local governmental representatives and most importantly, the citizens who care about maintaining access to public lands and waterways for outdoor recreational activities.  For more information about ARRA visit http://www.ARRA-access.com.

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