YAMAHA AWARDS $15,000 DOLLAR GRANT TO THE POST WILDFIRE OHV RECOVERY ALLIANCE

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Don Amador, President

Phone: 925.783.1834

Email: damador@pwora.org

Date:  10/21/2019

YAMAHA AWARDS $15,000 DOLLAR GRANT TO THE POST WILDFIRE OHV RECOVERY ALLIANCE

OAKLEY, CA – Oct. 21 – The Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) is pleased to announce it has received a Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) grant of $15,000 dollars to purchase and outfit a post natural disaster Rapid Response Trailer.  The grant was awarded as part of Yamaha’s OAI to promote responsible riding and sustainable management practices at OHV recreation areas.

The grant will be used to purchase an enclosed cargo trailer approximately 8 feet by 20 feet and to help outfit the trailer with supplies, tools, and equipment for volunteer work efforts.

Don Amador, President/CEO of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance, states, “It is truly an honor to have been selected by the Yamaha OAI to receive fiscal support for the purchase of our rapid response trailer.  This grant will allow PWORA to deliver important post fire recovery assets to public land recreation areas that have been damaged by intense wildfires or other natural disasters so that access can be restored in a timely manner.”

The primary objectives of this project are to provide a rapid response volunteer labor pool to respond to OHV areas devastated by wildfires, assist US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management with skilled volunteer labor to help quickly restore and reopen OHV areas devastated by wildfires, and support OHV recreation along with all forms of Outdoor recreation on public lands through volunteer labor efforts.

”This project on the Mendocino National Forest  is an excellent example of how local land managers and stewardship groups can deploy Yamaha OAI funds to help solve critical access challenges to public land,” said Steve Nessl  Yamaha’s motorsports marketing manager.  “Our support of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance ensures resources are available to assess trail damage and put a plan in place to restore them for public recreation.”

For more information about Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative, go to:

https://www.yamahaoai.com/

PWORA is a national non-profit organization founded to protect and restore sustainable OHV recreation from the devastating effects of intense wildfires and other natural disasters. PWORA will collaborate with a diverse array of multi-interest strategic partners to mobilize volunteers and deploy resources to mitigate post-disaster impacts to recreation areas.  For more information on PWORA please visit our website: www.pwora.org

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Post-Fire Project to Protect Summit Valley Wildlife Area

Summit Valley Meadow

Grindstone Ranger District - Mendocino National Forest

The recent post and cable armoring project at Summit Valley is a great example of how non-profit partners and volunteers can bring much needed resources to assist the Forest Service in their long-term post-wildfire rehabilitation program.

Summit Valley is a beautiful meadow complex located on the east side of the Mendocino National Forest in California and the designated parking area has been a highly popular picnic stop for OHV enthusiasts.

    

Pre-Project View of Burned Post and Cable Barrier

Post-Project View of New Post and Cable Barrier

       

   
The 2018 Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, destroyed most of the post and cable delineators which prevented vehicle incursions into the sensitive meadow area.

Summit Valley Project Volunteers

On October 4-6, 2019, staff and volunteers from the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA), Overland Bound, and the Forest Service removed burnt out posts and replaced them with new 6-inch round peeler cores.  Most of the existing cable was reused and restrung through the new posts.

Pre-Staging of Project Materials

Under Forest Service supervision, project leads used the Recreation Incident Command System (RICS) to help plan for and guide the volunteer work event.   Use of RICS and pre-event project evaluation and staging of materials led to a successful completion of the outlined task.

The Stonyford OHV Area on the Grindstone Ranger District is well known as a destination recreation area for sustainable motorized activities.  It also provides important motorized access to non-motorized recreation pursuits such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing.

Project Volunteer Cleaning Out Pre-Existing Post Hole 

for Placement of New Post

Post-wildfire recovery and rehabilitation of recreation sites that occur in a timely manner are key factors in the reopening process.  PWORA believes that non-profit partners will have an ever increasingly important role as a force multiplier in helping federal agencies with post natural disaster repair of roads, trails, and campgrounds.

The Summit Valley project also highlights the role that non-profit organizations have in reestablishing travel management structures that protect wildlife areas and/or cultural resources.