RecConnect, LLC  -

If trails are the gateway to adventure, our trails are the gateway to heaven.

Volunteers completing a Deschutes cattleguard installation	Simple barriers & signing can be very effective in controlling & directing the use	Effective signing is one of our specialties

• Quartz Creek OHV Project, Medford BLM Field Office, Grants Pass, Oregon
  
  In a pro-active effort to provide for and manage OHV recreation, the Medford District is considering a managed trail system in Quartz Creek. The area contains a network of user-created trails in steep coastal terrain. To add to the complexity, the area is "checkerboard" ownership where every other section is privately owned and there are trails on private as well as public lands. The BLM will need to pursue agreements with the landowners in order to have a viable trail system. RecConnect was brought in to assess the sustainability of some of the trails and make recommendations on inventory and relocation needs. We were also asked to identify potential trailhead areas, develop a conceptual trail plan, and help outline the next steps in project development.
  
  Contact person: Chris Dent, chris_dent@blm.gov, (541) 471-6561
  
  
• Moon Rocks/Hungry Valley Recreation Lands.
  
  Hungry Valley is a block of BLM land nearly surrounded by subdivisions and the urban sprawl of the Reno-Sparks area in northern Nevada. It is a classic example of the issues associated with heavy demand for multiple and sometimes conflicting recreation uses in the urban interface. RecConnect has been brought in to help the Carson City BLM Field Office and the Great Basin Institute resolve these issues. We have met with user groups and have consulted on signing, mapping, and the locations for trailheads, staging areas, and other facilities. To guide the installation of portal signs, kiosks, and future developments, we have developed conceptual site plans for nine facility locations.
  
  Contact person: Jerry Keir, keir@unr.edu, (775) 784-1192
  www.greatbasininstitute.org
  
  
• British Columbia Provincial OHV Workshop, Kelowna, B.C.
  
  Like most areas, British Columbia is seeing a surge in OHV use and is starting to see the need to pro-actively manage that use. The Province is considering a pilot project that can be used as an example of successful OHV management throughout the Province and other Canadian Provinces. This two-day workshop was hosted cooperatively by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport, and the Arts and the Okanagan Trail Riders Association. The goal of the workshop was to provide education to the Provincial Government, the enthusiasts, and other stakeholders on how to successfully provide for and manage sustainable OHV recreation. The first day was a seminar focussing on user needs, planning, design, education, and enforcement; and the second day was a field trip to examine issues on the ground and discuss the possible resolution of those issues.
  
  Contact person: Ken Umbarger, kenumbarger@okanagantrailriders.com, (250) 878- 9111
  www.okanagantrailriders.com
  See announcement on the Victoria Motorcycle Club's website...
  
  
• Bear Creek OHV Trail System, Kelowna, B.C.
  
  Bear Creek is a 100,000 acre block of land that was designated to be managed for intensive motorized recreation in the Okanagan-Shuswap Land & Resource Management Plan. It is the largest designated recreation site in the Province. The area has been traditionally used by motorcyclists and there is a large network of user-created trails. Some of these are not sustainable and have resulted in some significant resource impacts. To their credit, the Okanagan Trail Riders Association (OTRA) recognized that something needed to change or their riding opportunities could be at risk. They re-organized the club, secured a large grant, ordered a Sweco trail dozer, and hired RecConnect to plan and implement a sustainable OHV trail system. The planning process has been initiated and is being led by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport, and the Arts (MTSA) which administers all Provincial recreation sites. We have formed an OTRA design team, written comprehensive draft managament and sign plans, and are working on conceptual trail plans. The planning is scheduled to be completed this winter with implementation beginning in the spring 2008.
  
  Contact person: Ken Umbarger, kenumbarger@okanagantrailriders.com, (250) 878-9111
  
  
• NOHVCC Route Designation Workshops.
  
  In response to the USDA-Forest Service Motorized Rule, Dick worked with NOHVCC (the National OHV Conservation Council) to develop a training curriculum for the agency and enthusiasts. These four-day workshops explain the Rule, how and when to participate, who the enthusiasts are & what they want, and how to plan & design sustainable OHV trail systems. For more info, go to www.nohvcc.org. In 2007, RecConnect has helped NOHVCC conduct these workshops in Michigan, Nebraska,  Montana, Eastern Oregon, Florida, Western Oregon, and Western Colorado.
  
  Contact person: Russ Ehnes, russehness@bresnan.net (866) 454-9190
  Read article "Power Tools: Tools to Protect Your Access"...
  
  
• Expert Witness, Portland, Oregon
  
  Dick provided testimony for the plaintiff in a motorcycle injury case on a trail system in Washington. He reviewed the site, took pictuures and wrote a formal report on findings and recommendations from an OHV mangement perspective. He reviewed and analyzed all depositions and provided guidance and strategy to the plaintiff's attorney. After Dick's deposition, the case was settled out of court within ten days. The attorney rated Dick's performance as a "10".
  
  Contact person: Please contact RecConnect for details and references.
  
  
• Implementation Workshop, Big Cypress National Preserve, National Park Service, Ochopee, Florida.
  
  After a site visit and tour by air, swamp buggy, airboat, and kayak, we conducted a workshop for their implementation team and presented the tools necessary to successfully implement and manage their OHV program. We also wrote a site visit report to capsulize our findings and recommendations. (Click Here for Pics)
  
  Contact person: Bob DeGross, bob_degross@nps.gov, (239) 695-1107
  
  
• Lost Ox OHV Trail System, Ely BLM Field Office, Ely, Nevada.
  
  After consulting on the conceptual design, RecConnect was awarded multi-year contracts with the BLM and the Great Basin Institute to verify the feasibility of the conceptual plan, perform trail layout and design, trailhead location and design, construction staking, and construction oversight. This 200-mile trail system will be the first designated, managed OHV trail system in the area. (Click Here for Pics) Note: this project was cancelled by the BLM in April 2007.
  
  Contact person: Kalem Lenard, James_Lenard@nv.blm.gov  (775) 289-1886
  
  
• Multi-Use Trail Workshop, Alberta Recreation Corridor Coordinating Committee, Edmonton, Alberta.
  
  The Province desires to create a network of inter-connected trail corridors for multiple user groups. RecConnect performed a two-day workshop for the ARCCC to provide insight on user needs and trail design. The outcome was a draft of corridor trail designation criteria.
  
  Contact person: Fred Wilton, fred.wilton@gov.ab.ca, (780) 415-0267
  
  
• Mini-OHV Workshop, Carson City BLM Field Office, Carson City, Nevada.
  
  RecConnect performed a two-day site visit of the Hungry Valley/Moon Rocks area and conducted a short workshop focussing on developing a volunteer trail ranger program. The end product was a draft of conceptual staging area locations; signing and management plan concepts; and a written site visit report.
  
  Contact person: Fran Hull, fran_hull@nv.blm.gov, (775) 885-6161
  
  
• Forida NOHVCC OHV Management Workshop, National OHV Conservation Council, Ocala, Florida.
  
  NOHVCC is well-known for their role in promoting responsible, sustainable OHV recreation through education, design, and management. This workshop drew attendees from thoughout Florida and the Southeast and a site visit was conducted on the OHV trails of the Ocala National Forest.  (Click Here for Pics)
  
  Contact person, Russ Ehnes, russehness@bresnan.net (866) 454-9190
  
  
• RecConnect OHV Workshop, Professional Trail Builders Association, Reno, Nevada.
  
  As part of the annual PTBA conference, we conducted a one-day comprehensive OHV workshop titled: "Sustainable OHV Trails: How to Design and Manage for Success." This drew participants from throughout the lower 48 states plus Alaska, Hawaii, and several of the Canadian Provinces.Topics included: who are the users, understanding user's needs, trail planning, trail design, location techniques, signing, mapping, education, volunteer trail patrol, and enforcement. This workshop gave the attendees the tools and concepts to turn challenges and frustrations into successful OHV programs. This was so well-received in 2006 that we updated the material and conducted another workshop in 2007.
  
  Contact person: Woody Keen, PTBA President, woody@traildynamics.com, (828) 862-5613

It doesn't take long to successfully turn a road into a trail	After being ripped & blocked, this user-created trail will heal quickly	An example of good trail location & flow in open country

• Hummer Tour Development, Central Oregon Adventures, Sunriver, Oregon.
  
  Central Oregon Adventures (COA) is a large outdoor recreation rental, outfitter, and guide company. They wanted to expand to include Hummer tours and hired RecConnect to develop an implementation strategy and to identify and map proposed routes that would combine scenery with 4-wheel drive challenge. We identified a preferred route, but the Forest Service had concerns with the concept of a Hummer tour. We addressed those concerns, helped write an interpretive plan, and urged our client to conduct a sample tour with the Forest officials. We did a pre-run of the tour and helped COA strategize their approach. The tour with the Forest officials was very successful and approval was given to start the Hummer tours in the spring of 2008.(Click Here for Pics)
  
  Contact person: Carey Greiner, cg@coadventures.biz (541) 593-8887 (www.coadventures.biz)
  
  
• Shoshone OHV Trail Location and Design, Battle Mountain BLM Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada
  
  This is a proactive project by the BLM to implement a designated, managed OHV trail system in an area that is currently open to unrestricted use. Dick visited the area in 2003 and developed a conceptual plan for a 500-mile trail system. In 2004, Dick was invited back to start locating the 55 miles of new trail necessary to connect together the 200-mile Phase I of the system. (Click Here for Pics) Then RecConnect was awarded a contract to verify the feasibility of the Phase I conceptual plan, recommend addtions/changes, and locate and design 43.6 miles of OHV trail in the beautiful Shoshone range. Dick spent most of the 2005 summer on this project while coping with severe heat, wind, and pesky rattlesnakes. In all, he completed the location of 53 miles of trail with the highlight being the proposed skyline trail which follows the razorback crest of the Shoshone at 8500 feet.
  
  Contact person: Rob Perrin; robert_perrin@or.blm.gov  541-573-4442
  
  
• Idaho NOHVCC OHV Management Workshop, National OHV Conservation Council, Boise, Idaho.
  
  NOHVCC is well-known for their role in promoting responsible, sustainable OHV recreation through education, design, and management. This workshop stressed balanced recreation opportunities with resource protection. RecConnect contracts with NOHVCC to help conduct powerpoint presentations and educational field trips.
  
  Contact person, Russ Ehnes, russehness@bresnan.net (866) 454-9190
  
  
• COHVCO Forest Plan Critique and Response, Colorado OHV Coalition, Littleton, Colorado.
  
  RecConnect was retained by COHVCO to help them critique documents, review maps, and prepare substantive responses to the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison forest plan revision and to the GMUG travel management plan.
  
  Contact person, Don Riggle, driggle10@msn.com (719) 633-8554
  
  
• Lake Canyon Trail System, Manti-LaSal National Forest, Price, Utah.
  
  Located in the high alpine meadows and aspen groves, this area is the destination playground for the Wasatch Front, so it receives heavy recreation use. Dick consulted here in 2001 and completed a conceptual trail plan. With the environmental assessment completed in 2004, Dick was invited back to locate the final flaglines and oversee construction. The project consisted of 10 miles of primarily OHV trails (although, they are really multiple-use trails) that includes four bridges, three learner loops, and one play area. (Click Here for Pics)
  
  Contact person: Bill Broadbear; bbroadbear@fs.fed.us (435) 636-3516
  
  
• Little Rattlesnake 4x4 Trail, Wenatchee National Forest, Naches, Washington.
  
  This project involves the relocation of a popular four-wheel drive trail. The old trail had unacceptable crossings of a fish-bearing stream, traversed riparian conservation areas, and passed through Late Successional Reserves (LSRs). Dick was invited up in 2002 to help assess the situation and develop alternatives. He returned later that year to attend a critical meeting with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the interdisciplinary team. The result was a consensus and the NEPA process was able to begin. Dick was invited back in 2003 to finalize the location of this 6-mile trail. The NEPA was successfully completed and construction was able to begin in 2004.
  
  Contact person: Sam Bissell; jbissell@fs.fed.us  (509) 653-1438
  
  
• Prospect OHV Trail System, Rogue River National Forest, Prospect, Oregon.
  
  This was a complex, multi-year project that brought OHV use on an entire Ranger District under management. Dick consulted for many years during the planning phase of this project and then returned to do most of the final trail layout and oversee construction. The result was a very scenic 250-mile trail system that required 35-miles of new construction. At the core of the area is the Woodruff Staging Area which includes a group camp area/trailhead, a play area, a motocross-like track, a learner loop, and three very dense, serpentine trails that make up "The Maze." (Click Here for Pics)
  
  Contact person: Chris Dent; chris_dent@or.blm.gov, (541) 471-6561

Creating technical 4WD trails	Creating interesting trails from boring roads	A series of check dams to control erosion & rehab a gulley