February 21, 2004 Sacramento Workshop
Public Gives Input on Future of California's
Off-Highway Recreation Program

Sacramento -- Taking a page out of the highly successful conflict resolution process used by California's OHV Stakeholders Roundtable, about 75 members of the public from throughout the state gathered here to share their ideas and recommend priorities for the future of California's off-highway recreation program.

The exchange of ideas took place at a daylong workshop conducted February 21 by California State Parks and the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission.

Paul Spitler, chair of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, commended the group on their work, calling the day's session "exciting" and a "really useful exchange of ideas. This energy is what makes us work. Maintaining that energy is what makes this program so great."

Commissioner Ed Waldheim said of the meeting that it was "enlightening to see off-highway recreationists and environmentalists work together toward the common goal of responsible use of our public land."

Spitler set the stage for the day's discussion and the difficult task the participants faced. He acknowledged the conflict that existed between off-vehicle enthusiasts and environmentalists in the 30-year history before the establishment of the Stakeholders Roundtable. But Spitler was lavish in his praise of the dedication and accomplishments of the Stakeholders, "brought together, he said, "to find ways to improve the program."

Three years of discussion and debate culminated, he said, in the unanimous passage by the state legislature and signing by then-Gov. Gray Davis of AB 2274, recognized as the most sweeping reform of California's off-highway vehicle program in its more than 30-year history.

One of the key ingredients of the legislation is the need for restoration.

While it is very important, Spitler told the group, "I have also learned that restoration by itself won't work if the trails are not properly maintained. Without adequate maintenance, the restoration and the other conservation work, which we hope to achieve, is bound to fail.

"You can't have riders seeking alternate routes to a rutted, unproductive trail and creating new damage that causes the need for new restoration. The trail maintenance needs to take place and the restoration needs to take place as well," he said.

Spitler said he is a "fan of conservation," and that "I have worked hard for conservation over the years. One of the lessons that I have learned, in the last four years working in this program, is that conservation as well won't work without proper trail maintenance and without good management to go with it."

Paolo Maffei, a member of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors, said after the meeting: "I was struck by the cordial way the different motorized and non-motorized proponents were able to find common ground in the workshop. We need good planning to accommodate all users while preserving the natural and wildlife values. This leads to better compliance, with strong peer pressure."

The meeting also included a primer on the OHV Trust Fund, including where the trust funds come from, who and/or what receives the funds, how the money was spent in fiscal year 2002/2003, and where the funds will be spent in the 2004/2005 fiscal year.

In addition to elected officials, off-road enthusiasts, environmentalists and others, also attending were several members of the OHV Stakeholders Roundtable, including Heath Wakelee, Harriet Allen, Don Klusman, former OHV Commission Chair Daphne Greene, Rich Farrington, Jim Keeler, Karen Schambach, George Barnes, and Lois Silvernail.

The meeting was led by facilitator Lisa Beutler of the Center for Collaborative Policy, California State University, Sacramento.