Public OHV Trails—Do Your Part!

Sequoia National Forest, Kern River Ranger District

KERNVILLE, CA

Compliance with OHV
regulations is not just a legal requirement; it's a way to ensure the
sustainability of our public lands. The public's role in the off-road
community is crucial in preserving these public lands. It's important to
truly appreciate the great outdoors and understand that access to
natural resources, time, and money are all precious commodities.
The Sequoia National Forest boasts hundreds of miles of green sticker
OHV trails. However, when trails are constructed illegally, they pose a
significant threat to our archeological sites, watersheds, and wildlife
habitats, among others. When reroute trails are illegally built outside
the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), restoration grant funds must be
used for repairs. Closing these reroutes is vital in reducing the risk of
resource damage in the future and defining the proper road to avoid
confusion for motorists.
Evidence of illegal off-route use has become chronic in the Sequoia
National Forest, including areas of the Piute, Greenhorn, Scodie, and
Breckenridge Mountain ranges in the Kern River Ranger District.
Barriers have been destroyed, closure signs removed, and major
ground disturbance has occurred. Government employees, taxpayer
dollars, green sticker funds, and grants must be dedicated to restoring
areas like the pictured Monache trail damage. The term “owner
bypass” has been used in the past to justify the use and construction
of illegal routes. “Owner bypass” is not an official government term nor
a permitted act by the MVUM.
Restoring a ½ mile section of a user-made trail is a complex and resource-intensive task. For instance, it takes approximately
200 hours of labor and roughly $ 6000.00 for one full workweek. And that's not all. This estimate doesn't include the cost of
heavy equipment commonly used in repairs. These human and financial resources could be better used to complete muchneeded maintenance on green sticker system routes if not for the need to repair the damage caused by illegal road
construction.
Continued grant funding will enable us to provide legal OHV recreational opportunities, use funding for weather-affected
areas that need work, and repair damages that occur naturally. It's crucial that we all understand and respect the regulations
in place, as this is the key to maintaining the balance between recreation and conservation. Please do your part and tread
lightly!
For information online, please visit:
Welcome to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division’s Grant Programs (ca.gov)
Follow the Sequoia National Forest webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia, Facebook @SequoiaNF, and X
@sequoiaforest.