AUGUST COMPLEX FIRE TORCHES MENDOCINO NF BACKCOUNTRY

Plaskett Meadows Recreation Area - Circa 2017

Mendocino National Forest

*All Pictures are in the August Complex Fire Burn Footprint

AUGUST COMPLEX FIRE TORCHES MENDOCINO NF BACKCOUNTRY

The 2020 wildfire season continues to devastate families, private homes, and public lands in the Golden State.  One wildfire of keen interest to many backcountry trail enthusiasts is the August Complex Fire that is advancing across the northern part of the Mendocino National Forest.

Historically, this region of the Forest provides access to a lot of mid to high-elevation “deep woods” type dispersed/remote backcountry recreation for both motorized and non-motorized outdoor enthusiasts vs. the southern end of the Forest that is home to more developed OHV use, boating, camping, and fishing. 

Historic Log Springs Station - Circa 2017

Mendocino National Forest

The August Complex’s destructive path continues north from where the 2018 Ranch Fire was stopped near SheetIron Mountain.   Much of this area is a heavily wooded conifer forest that has not seen a significant fire event in some time.  This area is (or was) also prime habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl.

Most of the OHV recreation on this part of the Forest occurs on designated roads with some trail networks in the Doe Peak area that are enjoyed by dirt-bikes, ATVs, SxSs, and 4WDs.  However, the vast majority of motorized recreation opportunity is for street legal dual-sport/ADV motorcycles and 4WDs.  

Looking South from FH7 - Circa 2017

Mendocino NF

According to a Forest Service update today on the August Complex – comprised of the Hull, Doe, Tatham, and Glade fires- it sits at 221,284 acres and has 18 percent containment.

LINK TO AUGUST 30 AUGUST FIRE UPDATE

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/CAMNF/2020-08-16-1732-Doe-Fire/picts/2020_08_30-08.23.30.739-CDT.pdf

Based on what I know of the fire and the area, the fire appears to have impacted a lot of the heavily wooded areas north of SheetIron Mountain along the M3 corridor, the Doe Peak trail system on the north side of FH7, and many dispersed camping and backcountry touring opportunities along the M2/M4/M9 route network.

Sugar Springs Campground - Circa 2017

Mendocino National Forest

PWORA’s professional staff and volunteers look forward to helping recover, restore, and reopen important public land recreation facilities damaged by 2020 wildfires.   

RECREATION ROADMAP HIGHLIGHTS IMPORT OF POST DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS

RECREATION ROADMAP HIGHLIGHTS IMPORT OF 

POST DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS

PWORA commends the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) for its outstanding work on behalf of recreation businesses, users, and other stakeholders.   ORR is comprised of 32 national trade associations that represent non-motorized/motorized recreation and natural resource management interests.  The motorized ORR members include representatives from OHV, OSV, and 4WD. 

In the recent ORR publication entitled: A ROADMAP FOR A 21ST CENTURY OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY, they highlight a number of their key strategies and success stories as they work to build support for sustainable recreation with decision-makers in Washington D.C and in state capitols throughout the country.

LINK TO ORR RECREATION ROADMAP

https://recreationroundtable.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ORR004_2020Platform_Rd7.pdf

PWORA appreciates that ORR has included post natural disaster recovery of recreation facilities as an important part of recreation management efforts as cited below in the ROADMAP.

SOUND CONSERVATION POLICIES SUSTAIN RESILIENT RECREATION LANDSCAPES

Recreation access to our lands and waters must be balanced by ensuring resource protection and sustainable outdoor experiences for generations to come.

OUR PRIORITIES:

1. Creating a plan to mitigate climate change impacts on recreation assets and gateway

communities that rely on robust outdoor recreation, and supporting quick recovery

and restoration of these assets after a natural disaster.

2. Investing in natural solutions that allow for recreation while providing buffers during

severe storms.

PWORA encourages recreation groups and land managers to review the ORR ROADMAP as it contains a number of their significant accomplishments on behalf of recreation interests and the economy.

# # # 

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.

# # #

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

NEWS RELEASE - PWORA Seeking Comments for OHV Grant Applications

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: February 18, 2020

Contact: Don Amador, President, damador@pwora.org

               Eric Lueder, Grant Administrator, elueder@pwora.org

Phone: 925.783.1834

                                      PWORA Seeking Comments for OHV Grant Applications

     OAKLEY, CA  (Feb. 18) –  The Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) is asking for public input for potential OHV grants proposals to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division for areas on the Mendocino National Forest that were impacted by the 2018 Ranch Fire.

     PWORA is considering applying for the following grants; a restoration grant to replace barriers on St.  John’s Mountain; and a ground operations grant to construct drainage improvements on the Mason Connector Trail.

     The OHMVR Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program supports well-managed off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing more than $35 million annually collected from gas tax, entrance fees and OHV sticker registrations. Cities, counties, districts, federal and state agencies, educational institutions, federally recognized Native American Tribes and non-profit entities can apply for funds to develop, maintain and restore trails; provide law enforcement; and offer safety and training for riders.

     The public is invited send comments and ideas to the PWORA Grant Administrator, Eric Lueder, to provide ideas for projects and opportunities that could be incorporated into the grant applications.

Send comments Eric Lueder at: elueder@pwora.org

     Preliminary grant applications will be submitted to the OHMVR Division by March 2. The public will then be able to comment on the preliminary applications from March 3 to May 4. Final applications must be submitted by June 1. For more information about the state grant process and requirements, visit the OHMVR Division website at www.ohv.parks.ca.gov.

     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

# # #

Volunteer Appreciation Weekend at Stonyford OHV Area – January 18-19, 2020

Volunteers at 2019 Summit Valley Post Ranch Fire Restoration Project

The Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA) is proud to be an official partner of the volunteer appreciation event at the Stonyford OHV Area on the Mendocino National Forest.  PWORA will be helping support the celebration including the dinner on Saturday night to honor all those who have worked hard to recover and reopen OHV trails damaged by the 2018 Ranch Fire.

See Mendocino National Forest News Release about the event below:

WILLOWS, Calif. – Nov. 21, 2019  – The Grindstone Ranger District off-highway vehicle (OHV) staff is hosting a volunteer appreciation weekend at the Fouts Campground Complex in Stonyford, Calif. January 18-19, 2020. This will be a fun-filled weekend (rain or shine) with special guests, motorcycle demonstrations and food.

The 2018 Ranch Fire burned approximately 288,000 acres on the southern portion of the Mendocino National Forest and became the largest wildfire in California history. The fire adversely impacted the entire OHV trail system on the Forest.

In 2019, numerous volunteers committed to post-fire recovery of the OHV areas and accomplished various tasks such as removing and installing new barriers to keep users on designated routes, replacing dozens of signs and trail markers, removing trees, repairing facilities, removing truckloads of rebar and brushing trails.

In addition, volunteers organized a work weekend to protect the Summit Valley Meadow from OHV intrusion and attended CPR and First Aid training to maintain chainsaw certifications. The volunteers helped restore 100s of miles of trails and contributed 1,078 hours, which surpassed our 2019 goal of 430 volunteer hours. 

Our volunteers go above and beyond to help sustain our forests to meet the needs of present and future generations. This is our opportunity to give back to our volunteers – past, present and new. Join the Grindstone Ranger District OHV staff to thank our volunteers for a job well done.

For more information about the volunteer appreciation weekend, please contact Recreation Technician Paige Makowski at 530-963-1328 or paige.makowski@usda.gov

# # #

                                               

PWORA is looking forward to this important celebration.  Please RSVP to: damador@pwora.org

to let us know if you plan to attend and/or if you want to help sponsor the event.  

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.

SITE STEWARDSHIP TRAINING – Sept. 28/29 in Clear Lake Area

Wildfires and other natural disasters can impact important cultural resources.   PWORA believes that OHV trail volunteers have an increasingly important non-fire related or post-wildfire recovery roles to play in assisting BLM and Forest Service Archeologists as site stewards to help protect/monitor cultural sites. 

Motorized trail volunteers have important skillsets as they are equipped to travel long distances and can access remote archeological sites under supervision by the BLM or Forest Archeologist. 

Chris Lloyd, the BLM Archaeologist at the Ukiah Field Office, has alerted PWORA that the BLM is hosting a 2-day heritage site stewardship class hosted within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument (BSMNM).  This class will be provided for people who are interested in becoming archaeological site monitors within the BSMNM and on other lands managed by the BLM, Ukiah Field Office. 

This opportunity will take place on Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, September 29th.  The event is hosted by the California Archaeological Site Stewardship Program  - CASSP - http://www.cassp.org/ - - and will take place at the UC Davis McLaughlin Reserve from 9-am to 4:30-pm (26775 Morgan Valley Rd, Lower Lake).  The first day will include presentations and discussions regarding local archaeology, safety, the law and archaeology, environmental responsibility, confidentiality, discussions about encountering the public in various situations where safety, environmental ethics, and respect for private property are discussed.   The second day consists of a field trip to practice site visit procedures and recording observations.

Our maximum class size is 25.  For those that are interested in participating please supply your name, phone number, and email address to BLM Archaeologist Christopher Lloyd.  His contact information is listed below.  Please RSVP only if you can attend both days and are interested in helping monitor cultural sites on federal lands (w/ a commitment of roughly once per month).  There is a $25 fee for participation which includes a Society for California Archaeology membership - https://scahome.org/ - as well as helps pay for materials.  For those that are interested in lessening their commute time for the next day, the McLaughlin Reserve has an established campground at $10 night.  There are also several hotels in and around the town of Clear Lake. 

RSVP Contact Information:

Christopher Lloyd, M.A.

BLM Archaeologist   

Phone: (707)468.4075

Email: crlloyd@blm.gov

As a site steward, I hope that some in the OHV community will take advantage of this opportunity for OHV to build our capacity to help federal agencies protect/monitor important cultural resources for future generations.

Don Amador, President/CEO

Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance

Email: Damador@pwora.org

Web: www.pwora.org