Posted: March 19, 2016 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Maintenance, Travel |
Yesterday and today I spent talking with fellow wheelers at the Reno Motorsports show. The show has dropped in size over the years so now it’s four shows combined: Motorsports, Home, Pet and RV.
I had an unexpected guest visit my booth: Smokey Bear!
Small booth but the price was right. I’ve been having a lot of good conversations about the side trails off the Rubicon on the Tahoe side. Many long time Rubicon travelers didn’t know there were so many trails in the area.
One more day, 11-5.
Posted: February 17, 2016 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Maintenance |
LTBMU to hold OHV grant open house
Thursday February 25th at the Forest service office in South Lake Tahoe, 5-7pm.
Another opportunity to let the forest service know what we want done to our trails. This will be more of a prioritization of the ideas sent in just last month. The FS should be open to new ideas as well.
Please take the time to stop by and voice your opinion. Yes, it’s a drive for those of us in the Reno/Sparks area but it’s worth it to let the FS know we are willing to engage in conversations about maintaining our trails and how those trails are managed.
Not only does this meeting include upcoming possible projects but also HOW our trails are managed. We are looking for a closer relationship with the LTBMU. We want to work WITH them. The LTBMU has a history of doing their own thing and not reaching out to the users and volunteers. We need to change that.
Please attend this open house and let the LTBMU know you want to be involved in all OHV decisions. Let them know we are willing to step up and work with them to maintain our trails. Let them know what is important to you.
Thanks,
Doug
A link to the announcement on the LTBMU website:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/…d=FSEPRD491980
The email I received from the LTBMU:
Good afternoon,
The Forest Service will host and open house next Thursday, February 25, from 5 – 7 p.m. here at the Forest Supervisor’s Office in South Lake Tahoe (see attached news release).
The open house will seek public input on developing three preliminary applications for the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Cooperative Funds grants that will be submitted to the State of California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR).
Please feel free to share with your networks.
Thank you!
USDA USFS
Lisa Herron
Acting Public Affairs Officer
Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
p: 530-543-2815
laherron@fs.fed.us
Posted: February 4, 2016 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Maintenance |
It’s that time of year.
The Eldorado National Forest (ENF) is holding an open house February 10th 4pm-7pm in Placerville for input regarding the next CA State Parks OHV grant cycle.
This is a great opportunity for the users to tell the forest what we want done to our trails. If we don’t tell them, they do what they want.
For the Tahoe side of the Rubicon, this specifically applies to the Richardson Lake Trail. To their credit, a ton of work was done to reopen the trail to the summit. We should at least be requesting funds to finish or repair any issue that may have developed over winter.
Please take the time to comment on the Richardson Lake Trail or any other trail within the ENF.
| For Immediate Release
Date: February 2, 2016 |
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Public invited to Eldorado National Forest Open House to discuss Off-Highway Vehicle grant applications
Placerville, CA – The Eldorado National Forest will be submitting applications for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Cooperative Funds for the upcoming 2015/2016 grant cycle. The Forest is developing preliminary applications to the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division which includes a strong emphasis on trail maintenance and repair, law enforcement across the four Ranger Districts, printing and distribution of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps, restoration of impacted areas, planning, and education.
As your ideas are important for developing our proposals, the Forest will be hosting an Open House on February 10 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM to discuss the proposed preliminary grant applications. This Open House will be held at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667. You can call (530) 622-5061 for directions.
The Eldorado National Forest has been successful in being awarded grants from the OHMVR Division in previous grant cycles. The grants have helped address trail repair and clearing of downed trees on over 300 miles of OHV routes and law enforcement patrol on an additional 900 miles of native surface roads on the Forest, provided for the printing of free Motor Vehicle Use Maps, as well as other planning, development, and restoration activities.
The public may provide electronic comments to the Eldorado National Forest (applicant) by e-mailing both Cindy Oswald at coswald@fs.fed.us and carbon copying (cc) the OHMVR Division at ohvinfo@parks.ca.gov. You may also send written comments, suggestions, or letters of support for the applications to Cindy Oswald, Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667. – FS –
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Posted: February 1, 2016 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Access, Maintenance |
The other day I stopped by the Tahoe entrance to the Rubicon Trail. I had no intentions of driving up the trail and when I got there, I was reminded of an agreement with Placer County.
I pulled my truck up to the wall of snow currently blocking the entrance for scale. Although the trail is open year round, the agreement is that local and county snow removal operators can dump and pile snow at the entrance to the Rubicon in order to allow only the most well equipped vehicles.
The basin received a major dumping AFTER I took these pictures. So, imagine this as a larger wall!
Come spring time, as the snow melts at the trailhead, the snow should be melting on the trail as well. The hope is that the trail will dry before the snow melts at the entrance. This doesn’t always work out but it’s better than a steel gate and seasonal closures.
Once over the ‘gate’ trail conditions mellow for a short time. There is a slight grade to the staging area and then a steeper grade out of the staging area. Both can ice over in a hurry.
Lake level temperatures are often warmer than temperatures further up the trail. So, the ‘gate’ comes and goes. There are some challenging sections during the winter on the Tahoe side.
If you go, please stay on the trail and Tread Lightly! There are many seasonal creek crossings. Use a winch and a tree strap rather than spinning your tires and trying to power your way through the trail.
It is possible to be cited for “resource damage” while driving on an open OHV trail. (I’m still looking for the actual language and code number than I know I saved somewhere.)
Posted: January 29, 2016 | Author: Rubicon Ronin | Filed under: Maintenance |
Although not really Rubicon area related, this is of interest because it shows the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is reaching out to acquire funds to better our OHV trails. This is a good thing.
The Nevada Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles (NCOHV) has announced the most recent grant awards. This report is from the Nevada 4 Wheel Drive Association.
http://www.n4wda.org/ncohv-grants-awarded/
NCOHV Grants Awarded
The Nevada Four Wheel Drive Association, for the past two years, has been actively involved in the “rebirth” of the Nevada Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles (NCOHV). We are pleased to present to you the following announcement from the NCOHV, which details the successful completion of the 1st grant cycle. There is enough money left undistributed in the grant fund to accommodate a 2nd grant cycle this year.
There were, if I am correct, a total of fourteen grant applications submitted using the grant guidelines. Several grant applications were dismissed out of hand because they clearly did not enhance OHV recreation in Nevada. Other applications were incomplete and the authors were invited to resubmit their grant applications with all of the information required by the grant guideline handbook. Finally, some grants were not approved because the organizations submitting them had asked for major amounts of money in the application, but had no “track record” to show the commission to support such an award. These applicants were advised to come back in the next grant cycle with a smaller project or equipment request and use this to establish this “track record”.
If your organization is recognized by the Nevada Secretary of State (you are not required to be a federal 501 (c) organization) and are interested in pursuing a OHV-related grant, please go to the NCOHV website, http://www.nvohv.com and download the grant application guide.
Larry
NEVADA COMMISSION ON OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING
On January 14, 2016, the Nevada Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles (“NCOHV”) announced approval of four grant proposals at their regularly scheduled meeting.
The first grant approved was awarded to Partners in Conservation for $133,000. The funds will be used for the removal of a non-functional restroom facility and the construction of a new restroom facility for an OHV area near Logandale, NV. This site is located about 45 minutes outside Las Vegas on BLM land and is one of the most heavily used OHV areas in southern Nevada.
The second grant approval was for $10,000and went to the Nevada Outdoor School, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Winnemucca, NV. The grant funds will be used to continue educating youth on outdoor ethics and ATV safety in various areas throughout Nevada.
The third grant approved was for $60,000 to the Off-Road Business Association partnering with the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit for the Genoa Peak and Logan House Road Best Management Practice Project. The project will include installation of drainage features and restoration of some areas suffering off-road damage to ensure long-term sustainability of these OHV roads.
The fourth grant approved also went to the Off-Road Business Association in the amount of $36,500 to fund an economic impact study for off-highway vehicle recreation in Nevada. The project is designed to show the financial relevance and importance of off-highway vehicle recreation to the state of Nevada. The funding will develop the best economic data and information on OHV’s significant financial relevance that will assist future policy and legislative activities.
This round of awards capped an 18-month effort by the NCOHV to develop the required regulations necessary to disburse grant funds, and to develop a grant guidebook that met all state and federal guidelines.
It is expected that the NCOHV will award another round of grants beginning in mid-2016.
The NCOHV learned a lot from this process that will apply to the next round of grant-funding. Its success was achieved with the help of many Nevadans and State administrators. The NCOHV expects to do a lot more public outreach to OHV clubs, businesses, and landowners to discover more opportunities for collaboration that will benefit OHV users and the State. Nevada has world-class OHV recreation, and it will be a pleasure to promote this reality.
The NCOHV has already committed $269,000 for law enforcement for 2014 and 2015 in a separate process. Announcement of a 2016 law enforcement award process with anticipated funding of $440,000 is expected within days.
The NCOHV has also approved $50,000 to partner with the Clark County Conservation District’s $150,000 to jointly develop a public education/outreach campaign to promote responsible off-highway vehicle recreation in Clark County and the State. Part of that campaign will develop educational material that will be used throughout the state by law enforcement, landowners, and off-highway vehicle riders.
The 'Other' Rubicon 