BAKERSFIELD OFF-ROAD SAFETY DAY INTRODUCES RESIDENTS TO PLANS FOR NEW PARK

NOHVCC Adventure Trail gives locals a look at what the sport is all about
  

       The dollars and the momentum are well in place for a new, full-facility OHV park near Bakersfield, California. The area has long been popular with OHV recreationists, but many land closures in the last two decades have left many OHVs sitting in the garage.

       "The park would be large, probably about 5,000-acres, and would include a core area for OHV recreation and a very large non-motorized buffer zone around the perimeter to address the noise and dust concerns, provide wildlife habitat, and to prevent future residential encroachment into the park," explains Dick Taylor, a spokesman for the Kern Off-Highway Vehicle Association.

       "This may very well be the first OHV park developed from scratch in California," Taylor said. "It is one of the most exciting and innovative projects going on in the state right now, and has drawn attention from a lot of people in Sacramento, including Governor Schwartzenegger."

       However, the struggle hasn't been an easy one. There have been several starts and stops in the process, but now that the state has determined that the Central Valley is in dire need of a legal riding area, a major ride park is sure to be just around the corner.

                                                JOIN THE FUN

       To help introduce the community to the idea, Taylor and his cohorts from the Kern Off-Highway Vehicle Association organized the Bakersfield Off-Road Safety Day at a popular city park. Many vendors, OHV dealers, land managers, and rescue teams showed up to support the project. The public also got a look at the OHV safety and riding ethics messages portrayed in the NOHVCC Adventure Trail which was on a swing through the area.

       "When the general public goes through the Adventure Trail, kids and adults alike, they will probably come out with a much different view of what OHV recreation is all about," explains Steve Casper, NOHVCC Communications Director. "The general perception is that we're all tearing up the land, polluting and making all sorts of noise but that's simply not the case. But the fact is that the majority of riders are already practicing the responsible riding behaviors portrayed in the Adventure Trail."

       Taylor added, "The Adventure Trail is the perfect deal to show the general public that we aren't the scary folks we're sometimes made out to be. I'm hoping a lot of them who attended the Safety Day get excited enough about the sport and the new park to become OHV riders themselves. It's really become very family-oriented lately."

                                            OHV TRUST FUND

       To date, $2,098,000 has been allocated to the Bakersfield OHV project, with another $5 million included in the Governor's 2005 budget for land acquisition. The money, which comes from the OHV Trust Fund, comes primarily from OHV registrations and fuel taxes (from OHV use). California State Parks will own and manage the Bakersfield OHV Park. Planned amenities include a motocross track, kid's training area, 4-wheel drive obstacle course, restrooms, dispersed OHV trail system, picnic areas, and replanting of native trees.

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