Public Discussion of Draft Criteria for Evaluating DCR Properties for Off Road Vehicle Use

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Public Discussion of Draft Criteria for
Evaluating DCR Properties for Off Road Vehicle
Use

• March 1, 2006

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Purpose of Tonights Meeting

• Provide Information about Off Road Vehicle (ORV)
  Activity in Massachusetts
• Share the progress of DCRs Working Group on
  ORVs
• Receive Public Comments on Draft Criteria for
  Evaluating DCR Properties for ORV Use
• Describe the Future Steps Toward Sustainable ORV
  Recreation in Massachusetts

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Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Activity in Massachusetts
OHV Sales OHV Population
Year 1995 2000 2004
MA ATV 1,180 5,180 6,420 MA
OHM 1,430 4,050 4,720
44,100 41,000 85,100
From motorcycle Industry Council 2001- 2003
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Comparison of User-reported Recreation Activities
Activity
Percent
Source The Publics Use of Outdoor Resources in
Massachusetts, 2004
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More than 90,000 Massachusetts Households
MA 59.8 40.2
Male Female
MA 40.9 43.8 15.3
30 and under 31 50 years 51 years plus
Adapted from NSRE Survey
Photo Trailpass Inc
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Why Ride?

• Adventure
• Challenge
• Photography
• Viewing Scenery

• Spending Time With
• Family Friends
• Wildlife Viewing

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Seven Current ORV Areas 185 Miles of Motorized
Trails

Georgetown Foxboro Freetown Tolland Monterey Lee
Pittsfield
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Trails?
Poor design, construction and maintenance has
created environmental degradation and unsafe
riding conditions.
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Even the Riders Complain
While most appreciate having any legal trails,
some acknowledge that only the most skilled
riders can tackle the existing trail system.
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Rider Commitment
Partnering rider organizations invest over 400
hours each year to maintain trails and educate
riders.
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Beyond Volunteers
The current systems challenges are beyond the
capacity of DCRs current resources and the most
dedicated volunteers.
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Just Say NO?

• 90,000 Massachusetts households seeking access to
  outdoor recreation.
• Prohibition has proven to be ineffective.
• Other states are demonstrating that motorized
  trail use can be a component of a
  sustainabletrails program.

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Towards a Sustainable Recreation Model

• Sustainable Recreation is
• within the limits of the natural or cultural
  resource
• provides the highest quality recreation
  experience
• for the greatest number of users.
• DCR believes that motorized trail recreation can
  be sustainable.

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DCRs ORV Working Group
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ORV Working Group Tasks

• Advise DCR on three critical questions
• What criteria should be applied to assess
  potential sites for ORV use?
• What design, construction and maintenance
  standards are required for a sustainable ORV
  trail system?
• How do we fund the system we desire?

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Draft Criteria for Evaluating DCR Properties for
ORV/ATV Use

• Modeled after NH Criteria
• Two stage process coarse filter fine filter
• 7 Coarse Filter Criteria
• 33 Fine Filter Criteria
• 19 State Regulation or Law
• 12 Best Practices for ORV Trail Development
• 6 Highlights

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Recreation Opportunity Policies and Standards

• US Forest Service model.
• Experience-based inventory system to ensure a
  desired range of recreation opportunities.
• 2008 time horizon.
• Will not be used to close existing ORV facilities
  prior to completion.

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Resource Management Plans

• Required by law.
• Staff being hired at this time to produce those
  plans.
• Absence of a plan will not be used as a criteria
  to close an existing ORV property.

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50 Rule

• Intended to protect areas where multiple natural
  resource values are present
• May be applied to portions of a property.
• Six of eight subcategories usually overlapping.

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Core Habitat

• Core Habitats have been identified as sites
  critical for the long-term survival of the
  Commonwealths biodiversity in the BioMap and
  Living Waters reports produced over the last 4
  years by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage
  Program.

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Grade? Angle? Slope?
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Grade Limitations
40 Grade Max. General Terrain
30 Grade Max for Trail Layout
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Ignoring Grade.
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Why 30 Miles?
one should attempt to provide 60 or more miles
of trails in each trail system. American
Motorcycle Assoc. provide an all day ride as a
minimum Pennsylvania Trail Design Manual for
ORVs I want to ride more than I commute to get
there. Ben
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Our Comments and Then What?

• DCR Reviews Your Comments and Makes Final
  Revisions to Criteria.
• DCR Begins Process of Evaluating Various
  Properties for Consistency with Final Criteria

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Our Comments and Then What?

• DCR Staff and ORV Working Group Continue to
  Develop Design, Construction and Maintenance
  Standards For Sustainable ORV Trail System

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Our Comments and Then What?

• DCR, the Trail Community, and Others Continue
  to Pursue Creative Ways to Fund and Create the
  Sustainable Motorized Trail System We Hope to
  Achieve

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Your Comments

• Ground Rules
• Please Show Your Respect for the Diverse Opinions
  on this Issue
• Focus Your Comments on the Criteria
• Concur with Previous Comments Where Appropriate
• Introduce New Ideas