Clubs and associations are key to building and sustaining a positive future for OHV recreation. Thankfully there are many active and effective organizations that are working hard to support existing programs, develop new opportunities, and address legislative and other regulatory issues. Some organizations are very effective and well developed. Some others, less so.
Part of NOHVCCs mission is to help establish new OHV clubs and state associations where they don’t already exist and strengthen existing clubs and state associations by providing information, training, and services to help them be more effective.
We sometimes get feedback from the field that highlights that some organizations need more development to be able to best support the interests of OHV recreation. We believe that clearly identifying the roles and responsibilities of the different organizations and individuals within your state can be a big first step.
Active clubs with some informed club members often do well with addressing local issues with local government. Sometimes this requires the assistance of the state association who probably can offer helpful information about other similar concerns and can share insight and experiences with local club representatives. Often though, issues extend beyond the local interests.
One approach is to establish a state or regional association for each OHV interest (OHM, ATV/UTV, 4WD). An overarching state association is often able to represent OHV interests more effectively on a broader level. Associations can draw and develop people from their related clubs to represent everyone’s interests as part of the association.
Associations are often key to working with government councils and advisory committees. They have the necessary communication channels to share information between grassroots and government. They may also have the most qualified representatives for a particular type of OHV. It is important that each type of interest is appropriately represented in councils and committees. State associations can contribute to that since they serve as an identifiable overarching organization.
Relationships are a big part of working with government and other organizations. Local clubs need to establish and maintain relationships with their local officials and land managers while state associations need to do the same with lawmakers, regulators, and agency people.
Key to being effective is being well-versed in land use issues, permit and project requirements and procedures, and how government processes work. It can be difficult to develop that knowledge across a broad array of local clubs so it is important that the state association can provide information or assistance on their behalf.
Clubs are key to entering into agreements with local government and land managers to handle projects like trail maintenance and new trail development. This requires that the club has the appropriate nonprofit status in place. This is very important when it comes to applying for grants or soliciting donations. Often trail maintenance projects can extend beyond the means of a single club so sometimes forming a local or regional alliance of clubs can help to make things work. If your club does not have the appropriate non-profit status, identify groups that you can partner with that do have it. This may even be a group outside of the OHV recreation sphere.
Even with a great hierarchical structure of representation in a state or region, we all still face the challenges of trying to have enough volunteers to do all of the work that needs to be done. That is a major topic of interest to all groups and something we recently shared information about during our annual conference.
What are some things we can do to improve our situation in support of a positive future for OHV recreation?
-If you don’t already have a state or regional association and need one, contact NOHVCC as one of our principal interests is to establish the associations we need. State associations have proven to be very effective.
-Make sure your club has a formally designated non-profit status to ensure you can enter into agreements related to your trail interests.
-Keep the workload manageable. If need be, share or divide responsibilities for a trail system with other clubs to ensure that all requirements can be met with out too much of a burden on any single entity. Consider using regional or county alliances to consolidate some aspects of the program.
-Traditional clubs are very important to working with local government and getting the work done. Internet based social groups have replaced some of the roles that traditional clubs once enjoyed. Look at ways to overlap with and include the online social groups in the on the ground activities and regular communications of the traditional clubs.
-Ensure you are part of a good communications network. This goes beyond communicating with your local members. Make sure you can pass information up and down the hierarchy of representation in your state and that you follow issues of interest for your OHV activity.
-Make sure that you are choosing the best representatives to serve on councils and committees or to otherwise interface with government. This requires people that are well-versed in a variety of issues related to your OHV interests. Ensure they are part of the communication network and can distribute and receive information about your OHV interests. Some state-wide organizations are able to hire staff to fulfill these roles, but most rely on well-developed volunteers that are able to attend meetings during the business hours in which the government usually operates.
-Look for ways to improve your position and influence in working with government and the community at large. Conduct surveys, economic impact studies, and share information about the positive aspects of your OHV interests. Make your clubs and associations visible as positive and contributing members of the communities they are part of. Make sure your networking includes motorized groups outside your specific interest and non-motorized groups that have interest in local trails as well.
As noted earlier, we’ve got many excellent organizations doing outstanding work in support of our OHV interests. It is always good to pause and reflect to see if we can find ways to improve our situation and be even more effective, ensuring a positive future for OHV recreation.
