FOX FACTORY TRAIL TRUST PROGRAM GRANT TO SUPPORT POST WILDFIRE RECOVERY

 

   

PWORA is very proud to be the recipient of a significant grant from the FOX Factory Trail Trust Program that is helping recover and reopen critical multi-use recreation facilities after they have been devastated by intense wildfires.

FOX’s Trail Trust aims to deliver sustainable adventure to everyone with nonprofit partners worldwide. This means promoting the conscientious use of land amongst outdoor enthusiasts and protecting our shared playgrounds. It also requires expanding opportunities within the outdoor sporting industry, diversifying the populations that participate in power sports — because everyone deserves the thrill of adventure.

PWORA worked on two post-Ranch Fire projects on the Mendocino National Forest of northern California during 2021.  PWORA completed the Mason Trail Connector Project.  And now with funds from both the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Grant Program and the FOX Trail Trust, the St. John’s Mountain Restoration Project is geared up for completion in 2022.  Both of these projects are vital to sustainable recreation opportunities in the area.

While government grants are critically important to help pay for post-fire recovery efforts, often, a nonprofit has to cover significant upfront costs since some grants take time to travel through the bureaucracy.  The generous grant from the FOX Trail Trust will ensure that projects get off the ground and are completed on time.

LINK TO FOX FACTORY NEWS RELEASE BELOW

https://stories.ridefox.com/2021/11/fox-factory-launches-multimodal-off-road-community-investment-program/

 

 

PWORA WELCOMES NEW CHIEF OF THE FOREST SERVICE

PWORA WELCOMES NEW CHIEF OF THE FOREST SERVICE

The Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) wants to send our most sincere congratulations to Randy Moore on his appointment by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve as the 20th Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service.

 

LINK TO FULL AGENCY NEWS RELEASE

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/06/28/agriculture-secretary-tom-vilsack-announces-randy-moore-new-forest

 

 

According to a statement from Secretary Vilsack, “Randy Moore has been a catalyst for change and creativity in carrying out the Forest Service’s mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations,” said Secretary Vilsack. “In his role as Regional Forester, Randy has been a conservation leader on the forefront of climate change, most notably leading the Region’s response to the dramatic increase in catastrophic wildfires in California over the last decade. His proven track record of supporting and developing employees and putting communities at the center of the Forest Service’s work positions him well to lead the agency into the future at this critical time in our country.”

 

Upon swearing in, Moore will serve as the first African American to hold the role of Chief of the Forest Service.

 

Don Amador, PWORA President/CEO, states, “It has been a privilege to work in a collaborative manner with Randy and his staff  over the last three years as PWORA continues to build capacity to help  the agency with post wildfire recovery efforts of both motorized and non-motorized recreation facilities and areas damaged by wildfires.”

“That partnership has resulted in PWORA collaborating with the agency on numerous post wildfire recovery efforts on federal lands damaged by the Mendocino Complex Fire.  PWORA also signed a Master Agreement with Region 5 and successfully obtained grant awards from the CA State Parks OHV Grant Program to work on two post wildfire recovery projects on the Mendocino National Forest, “Amador continues.

 

“After seeing Randy successfully guide the agency through a number of severe and precedent setting wildfire seasons,   I believe he is the right person at the right time to fill this critically important position,” Amador concludes.

 

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Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (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.

NEWS RELEASE - WILDFIRE RECOVERY ORGANIZATION SIGNS MASTER AGREEMENT WITH FOREST SERVICE

 

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Don Amador, President

Phone: 925.783.1834

Email: damador@cwo.com

Date: 2/18/21

 

WILDFIRE RECOVERY ORGANIZATION SIGNS MASTER AGREEMENT WITH FOREST SERVICE

 

     OAKLEY, CA (Feb. 18) – The Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) is proud to announce that it was successful in completing its Master Participating Agreement (MPA) with the USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region (R5) located in Vallejo, California.

 

The purpose of this agreement is to document the cooperation between the parties to recruit, train, mobilize and manage a volunteer workforce of specialists, consultants, subcontractors, individual and/or group volunteers, and youth conservation groups/corps and deploy those resources to mitigate post-wildfire disaster impacts effecting recreation areas and opportunities, particularly Off-Highway Vehicle and trail related recreation.

 

LINK TO MASTER AGREEMENT

https://pwora.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/pwora-master-agreement-Fully-Signed.pdf

 

The MA serves as a guidance document between the parties to outline general requirements and Supplemental Project Agreements (SPA's) will be the instrument used to outline specific project requirements, field location requirements, and to obligate funds if needed.

 

Post Ranch Fire Meadow Restoration Project

Work that would be accomplished under this agreement as outlined in future SPA's includes, but is not limited to: Trail maintenance and repair, conservation education, youth engagement, training, OHV trail/facility planning, watershed protection, reforestation activities, maintenance of developed recreation facilities, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance for trail related activities, heritage and cultural site protection, sign replacement and installation, and acquiring/managing grant funds.

 

Don Amador, PWORA President, states, “Getting the Master Agreement finalized was our top priority in 2020 so that PWORA can assist the Forest Service on important post-wildfire recovery projects and to authorize us to provide critically important training opportunities for our contract trail crews, volunteers, and agency staff.”

 

“PWORA looks forward to working with our civilian, agency, and industry partners as we grow both our professional and volunteer workforce to assist in post-wildfire recovery efforts,” Amador concludes.

 

    Current members of the PWORA board are Del Albright, Don Amador, Matson Breakey, Art Crofts, Cam Lockwood, and Eric Lueder.

 

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