Be Responsible On Your Adventures.

Part of what I want to do with my Blog and Facebook page is promote legal and ethical wheeling. The first step for people that want to play off road  and who use the great outdoors need to educate themselves and others about what is legal and ethical off roading. In general when I post about off roading I'm usually talking about 4x4 vehicles because that is what I know and what I do. But this topic is much bigger than that. We are talking Hikers, bikers, motorcycle riders, horseback riders,atv's and 4 wheel drive vehicles. If I missed anything It was not intentional.

The best way to learn is by research and talking to those in the business. Here are a couple places to start with.
Tread Lightly
BlueRibbon Coalition 

Also if you have any questions about the area's you use for your off road adventures please take the time to talk to the organization that oversee's it's use. I have contacted the BLM in the past to clarify use legality's.
The more we educate ourselves and other the less damage to our environment will happen and the less trail closure will  happen.

I sent an email off to Jahmaal Rebb OHV Specialist from the Tillamook State forest. He over sees Browns Camp where Dad and I do the majority of our playing. He was nice enough to answer some of the questions I had in regards to what he saw as the worst issues and what he would like to see more of. Here is what he had to say.



Mr. Rebb:  Being in the management side of the motorized recreation world I tend to see things a little different than those who are just out to recreate. There are two main aspects of managing motorized recreation on public land that become somewhat of a balancing act. On one side you have a very dedicated, passionate motorized community that values the opportunities we provide and the other there is the natural environmental resource that is our responsibility to manage appropriately. Having a good understanding of the nature of motorized recreation I feel the only way to have a successful OHV area is to have the support and commitment from the user community to recreate responsibly. We rely heavily on our local clubs, organizations, partners and individual volunteers to preserve and improve the motorized recreation opportunities that exist. Having said that, I feel everything revolves around respect. Respect for each other and respect for our environment.

Mom:  Some people may unknowingly do tings that can be harmful to the environment, or be destructive to the trails. Ultimately these actions could get trails closed down. What do you see as the number one thing that people do that they shouldn't?

Mr. Rebb: The number one thing that I see that could close trails is off- trail travel. Proper planning, design, and layout allows us to build trails in areas that are sustainable and can accommodate the use it is designated for. Off-trail travel results in activity in undesirable locations and can lead to serious environmental issues. Second to that I would say, littering is a big problem. When you find trash on trail, in campgrounds and along roads it reflects upon the people that recreate in that area and the respect that they have toward that area. Although it may only be a small percentage of the use community that litters it reflects on the public use as a whole.

Mom:  Some of us belong to groups that have adopted trails at Browns Camp OHV park. But not all those that play belong to groups that do such things. What would you like to see more of from independent drivers when they come to play?

Mr. Rebb: I would like to see all motorized users take a more responsible approach to their activity that they engage in, not only for their own actions but to stand up to those whose actions negatively impact the perception of motorized recreation.


Mom: When someone says "hey lets go wheeling this weekend" word tends to spread fast. Next thing you know the trip you think you planned for four or five buddies blooms into 20 rigs. ( this has happened to me a couple times) Is there a limit to the size of groups that run around together? Is it best to split larger groups like that up in to smaller groups?


Mr. Rebb: Group size has always been an issue that has an impact on the trail system in various ways. Congestion is one that affects user enjoyment and also can result in trail widening or (trail creep). Public trail opportunities are shared. Respect toward other groups and use types need to be honored to maintain a strong unified OHV community and ensure enjoyment. We prefer to see smaller groups rather than larger groups to minimize the potential conflicts with other trail users and through dispersion reduce trail tread impact.

Play Safe, Be Prepared and Tread Lightly! 

Mom