POST STORM TRAIL RECOVERY PROJECT STARTS
ON UPPER LAKE
RANGER DISTRICT
On January 21, 2023, over 27 staff and volunteers from
the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) and the Forest Service worked
to reestablish motorized access to the Deer Valley Campground.
Crews cleared both small and large diameter downed trees
along the Upper and Lower Deer Valley roads. Dirt-bike strike teams were
deployed to clear downed trees on single-track trails.
The recent series of winter storms with heavy rain and
winds caused a lot of trees killed or damaged by recent wildfires to fall down
across much of the designated road and trail system. Several of the key OHV
campgrounds also sustained significant damage.
The project area is located on the Upper Lake Ranger
District (ULRD) that is on the west side of the Mendocino National Forest. The
ULRD offers a total of three OHV staging areas/ campgrounds including Middle
Creek, Penny Pines, and Deer Valley. These are multi-use facilities that offer
a diverse range of high-quality motorized and non-motorized recreation
opportunities.
Ted Cabral, PWORA’s president and CEO, states, “It’s volunteer
work parties like this that highlight the
increasingly important role that non-profit partners have
in helping federal agencies with post natural disaster repair and recovery of
roads, trails, and campgrounds.”
PWORA has volunteer works parties planned the 2nd
Saturday of each month for February, March, April, May and June to help the
ULRD reopen portions of its trail system. These trails and access roads are
currently closed due to damage by wildfires and severe winter storms.
PWORA’s volunteer work event will stage at the Middle
Creek Campground at 9:00am. For more information please contact the PWORA FB
page at:
www.facebook.com/groups/677479795963782
###
