Thanks to a grant from Trail Trust, a grant program created by Fox Factory, NOHVCC has been able to bring the Great Trails Workshops to several locations where funding would not otherwise be available. On October 4-5, NOHVCC was able to deliver a workshop at the Walker Valley OHV area in Washington State because of this very funding. Representatives from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Skagit Motorcycle Club, The Northwest Quad Association, the Northwest Motorcycle Association, The Timber Tamers 4×4 club, and the Washington Conservation Corps were in attendance. Even if it was a little wet and windy, the group of 15 participants stayed engaged and asked outstanding questions.
The book “Great Trails: Providing Quality OHV Trails and Experiences” a NOHVCC publication authored by Dick Dufourd, was written to share best management practices for creating OHV trails that provide high quality recreation experiences while ensuring resource protection. Since the book was released NOHVCC has delivered over 50 workshops sharing Great Trails content across the country.
The Walker Valley workshop was an opportunity not only to share content from Great Trails, but also to hear about the experiences of the volunteers and trail professionals assembled there. Participants were given a copy of the Great Trails Field Guide, a companion to the full guidebook, so that they could follow along as trail principles were discussed. The group then examined the local trails to identify issues and possible solutions to those issues based on Great Trails principles. In day two of the course participants were introduced to trail planning principles and documents such as trail management objectives or TMO’s. As always, the course was capped off with group layout and design exercises to help visualize trail flow and drainage. Not only did the group have a chance to learn about trail sustainability and fun factor, but many great discussions and relationships began at the workshop that will translate into future successes at Walker Valley.
NOHVCC wishes to thank the clubs and organizations who participated in the workshop, and to especially thank our benefactors at Trail Trust.
To learn more about the Trail Trust Grant Program please click here.
To learn more about NOHVCC and Great Trails please click here.