2024 NOHVCC Annual Conference A Huge Success Thanks To Support Of Polaris Industries And Many Others

The 2024 NOHVCC Annual Conference was a rousing success thanks largely in part to Polaris Industries and our other fantastic sponsors. This year’s conference was a unique experience as attendees were granted access to in and around Minneapolis, MN. While the conference was staged from the host hotel in Minneapolis, participants took shuttle buses to Polaris facilities on October 17-19, 2024. 

The ever-popular mobile workshop kicked off events on October 17. Participants were transported to the Polaris Wyoming facility where much of the research and testing for the off-highway vehicles the company builds takes place. Participants were treated to a presentation on EV technologies at Polaris, and where they are going in the future. Attendees were then split up into breakout groups where they had the opportunity to interact with engineers from the facility and discuss specific topics pertaining to building OHVs. Topics covered by these engineers included machine sound, tire technologies, and power to weight ratio. Participants were also treated to a ride on the Polaris test track. This was a very special experience for all involved. Many participants reported that they were surprised how much effort went into balancing social and environmental issues with performance when Polaris designed these machines. Lunch on Thursday was also special because participants enjoyed an address from Tony Kinsman, Polaris CTO & VP of Off-Road Engineering, as well as a welcome from Congressman Pete Stauber. 

On October 18, the conference sessions were held at the Polaris Bass Creek facility. These facilities serve as the corporate offices for Polaris Industries. These wonderful facilities were a perfect location for a day of learning and collaboration amongst attendees. Morning presentation sessions included an introduction and welcome by NOHVCC President, Bryan Much, an RTP update from Christopher Douwes with the Federal Highways Administration, a look at the Canadian Quad Council ATV Safety Month social media campaign, an update from Mike Passo, Executive Director of American Trails, and a discussion of the Maine Trail Inspection process. The afternoon featured facilitated discussion sessions covering topics like OHV education, working with legislatures, maintaining a healthy OHV organization, and participating in the planning process. NOHVCC was proud to have our friends from INOHVAA, the American Motorcyclist Association, the Bureau of Land Management, the Iowa OHV Association, ATV MN, and Cheaha Trail Riders guide these sessions. 

October 18 once again kicked off with presentations including an update on the OHV industry from Scott Schloegel, Duane Taylor, and Don Amador with the Motorcycle Industry Council. Christy Lacurelle, President and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council/Specialty Vehicle Institute of America/the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, or “The Associations”, as they are commonly called, introduced herself to the group and participated in many of the sessions throughout the conference. Attendees also heard from Commissioner Paul McDonald, St. Louis County Commissioner, on the successes of the MN Joint Powers Board when working with ATV trails in Minnesota. Other sessions included the Donner Pass Trail restoration in Colorado, the MN Trail Permitting Process, followed by additional discussion sessions that attendees had not participated in the day before. 

The culmination of every NOHVCC conference is the annual banquet and this year was no different. The banquet allowed the NOHVCC staff and board to announce the new board of directors for 2025 and recognize some deserving award winners for their contributions to OHV recreation. The NOHVCC board is elected by NOHVCC State Partners every year at the annual conference. Elections were held on October 18 during the conference sessions. 

For 2025 the NOHVCC board will be comprised of:

Executive Team:

President: Bryan Much, WI

Treasurer: Charles Sims, OK

Secretary: Tasha West, IA

Network Development: Terry Lambert, NH
 

Issue Area Representatives:

Public Lands: Clif Koontz, UT

Private Lands: Ethan Hill, VT

Youth and Education: Carol Smith, TX

Clubs and Associations: Brad Smith, PA
 

Members at Large

Scott Jones, CO

Peter Murch, MN
 

Ex-Officio

Dan Kleen, President Emeritus

Wayne Daub, Canadian Quad Council

NOHVCC was extremely pleased to receive such wonderful nominations for the annual awards and to have the opportunity at the annual banquet to recognize several fantastic individuals and organizations. This year’s award recipients included:

Special Recognition: American Motorcyclist Association, Polaris Industries, Eric Senarighi (President of the Carlton County Riders in MN), and the Donner Pass Trail in Colorado.

Club of the Year: Voyageur Country ATV Club, MN

Rob Perrin Program Manager of the Year: Desi Ortiz, NM Game and Fish

State Partner of the Year: Charles Sims, OK

OHV Club Hall of Fame: ATV Minnesota

NOHVCC Hall of Fame: Chris Gamache, Ron Potter (NOHVCC will write on these two individuals in further detail in the coming weeks).

Of course, this conference would not be such a huge success without the help of our sponsors. This year sponsors who contributed $15,000 or more included Polaris Industries and the Right Rider Access Fund. Sponsors who contributed $10,000 or more included the Fox Factory Trail Trust Program and the Federal Highways Administration. The American Motorcyclist Association provided a sponsorship of $5,000. The MN DNR, EarthDiver Partner Services, Kawasaki, and Tread Lightly contributed up to $2500. The NOHVCC Conference would not be possible without these sponsorships. Thank you very much to our sponsors!

It was also announced that the 2025 NOHVCC Conference will be held in Bend, OR on October 9-11. Watch for details about the conference in the near future. Thank you to everyone who made this conference one to remember and we look forward to seeing you next year in Oregon.