COVID-19 MESSAGE FROM PWORA PRESIDENT

 PWORA President, Don Amador

COVID-19 MESSAGE FROM PWORA PRESIDENT 

As Covid-19 related “shelter-at-home” orders and directives remain in effect in many areas of the country, PWORA wants to assure our network of partners, volunteers, and sponsors that we continue to work with agency staff and other stakeholders via electronic transmissions to help build our capacity to help land managers recover, restore, and reopen recreation facilities damaged by previous wildfires and to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season.

PWORA understands the frustration that is felt by many outdoor enthusiasts who are seeing more local, state, and federal units shuttered to help “Flatten the Curve.” 

PWORA and other non-profit cooperators are also concerned about the current group size limits, social distancing, and proposed additional access restrictions and their effect on important volunteer trail stewardship projects that have been put on hold until government agencies are able to have staff once again work at, or out of, the office.

While a lot of agreements and planning efforts can be accomplished to some degree via telework, there is no substitute for in-person meetings, field trips, and on-the-ground collaborative trail recovery projects.

PWORA believes it is important for our network to honor Covid-19 restrictions to protect the health of ourselves and the community.  Our efforts now to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus will help shorten the length of access restrictions and allow for us to get back out in the field to do our recovery work.

Thanks for your support and stay well during these challenging times.  We will get through this.

Don Amador, President/CEO

Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance

www.pwora.org

PWORA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 - Cancelled Events and Volunteerism

PWORA Rapid Response Trailer

PWORA RESPONSE TO COVID-19 – Cancelled Events and Volunteerism

Over the last couple of months while the Covid-19 virus was in its early stage in the USA, PWORA has been continuing its work to build capacity to help restore and recovery OHV recreation facilities impacted by natural disasters.  Many of those efforts include submitting CA OHV grant applications, working on our FS Master Agreement, trail tractor training, and offering FS approved chainsaw classes.

In addition, one of those efforts was to obtain an 8.5 x 20ft. Rapid Response Trailer (RRT) to help deliver assets to help with volunteer recovery efforts.  On March 13, 2020, PWORA picked up our RRT (funded by a generous grant from the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative) and are now in the process of getting  it outfitted with logos/decals and equipment/supplies.

Today, we are facing the Covid-19 crisis which is another type of natural disaster.  Covid 19 is not just restricted to forest lands in California but is impacting people, jobs, travel, schools, and other activities – including powersports related events - on a worldwide basis.

As OHV and other competition events continue to be cancelled or rescheduled, PWORA will be working with our land agency partners to identify volunteer trail days for small OHV strike teams (small groups of 3-5 people) since many jurisdictions have limits on group size during the crisis.

If you would like to support or sponsor any of PWORA’s programs or help with outfitting our RRT please make a donation at the PWORA website – www.pwora.org

Getting through this crisis is a team effort and PWORA appreciates your willingness to help serve.

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PWORA is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) 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.  Website: www.pwora.org