John Keys of Boise wins Polaris 500 Sportsman from Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign

Our lucky winner, John Keys, with a Ride Proud T-shirt at Carl's Cycles.

Hi all,

John Keys was a happy guy on Thursday as he picked up a brand new forest green Polaris Sportsman 500 at Carl's Cycles in Boise. Keys won the $6,100 machine by entering an ATV sweepstakes offering this spring from the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign. We had 1,735 entries in the contest.

Keys is excited about learning how to ride the ATV. "I've actually never ridden a scooter, a motorcycle or a motorcycle before," he said. "I'm more a sandals and mountain biker and kayaker kind of guy."

Dale Zimmerman of Carl's Cycles explains the operational features of the Polaris Sportsman 500. 

But as Dale Zimmerman from Carl's explained all the features of the Polaris 500 Sportsman, Keys said, "Man, this is really pretty cool!"

A kayak friend, Jo Cassin, co-owner of Idaho River Sports, steered Keys toward entering the ATV drawing on the Stay on Trails Facebook page. Cassin had liked the Facebook post, so he checked out the sweepstakes and filled out the information to enter the contest. This is often how good ideas spread in social media networks -- from one friend to the next.

Keys says his friends have been saying things ranging from "congrats" to "damn you" after learning that he won the Polaris Sportsman.

Getting ready for the first ride ... to load the machine on the trailer. 

He's won a few things before -- like a new kayak paddle at Idaho River Sports, he won a set of 29er mountain bike wheels at a Banff Film Festival event, and a Core Concepts jacket. Keys says he has a pretty good lucky streak, but that hasn't translated to winning the lottery, at least not yet.

Brad Weigle, manager of digital strategy and planning at Drake Cooper, an advertising firm that oversees the OHV public outreach campaign, said the ATV sweepstakes this spring represented a different way to reach OHV users in Idaho.

Jo Cassin, far right, "liked" our ATV sweepstakes, inspiring John Keys to enter the contest.  

"We started the Ride Proud campaign this spring to remind people why we all enjoy living here and riding our ATVs," Weigle said. "This state provides us with some of the best riding opportunities in the world. Let's keep it that way. Let's Ride Proud and Stay on Trails.

"Rather than reaching out with typical advertising channels and shouting from the hill, we wanted to connect with our core audience and offer them a few great prizes. By having conversations with this audience, connecting with them on real issues, and having a little fun by giving away stickers, T-shirts and a grand prize ATV, we're able to build new relationships with riders. These are the same riders who are empowered with a message and a belief to protect the land and Ride Proud."

Loaded on the trailer and ready to head for the mountains. 

Indeed, the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign always has been about connecting with Idaho's motorbike, ATV and UTV riders and encouraging people to ride in a safe and responsible manner on our public lands. The campaign is overseen by a committee of land management agency officials, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials.

The ATV sweepstakes enabled the campaign to build its visibility on Facebook and on the stayontrails.com web site, and with new relationships forged through those means, we will be able to reach more of the Idaho OHV community in future outreach efforts.

There are roughly 135,000 off-highway vehicles registered in the state of Idaho, based on 2011 statistics, so there are a lot of people who enjoy riding OHVs in the state. John Keys will be the latest new addition to the OHV community.

We want to thank Jack Struthers at Carl's Cycles for assisting with the ATV sweepstakes promotion and working with Polaris to give us a great wholesale price on the Polaris 500 Sportsman. Carl's has been a key supporter of the Stay on Trails campaign since the beginning. Thanks Jack!

For more information about the Stay on Trails campaign, visit our web site or Facebook page. Our popular Where to Ride section now has 47 ride descriptions, maps and photos for OHV rides statewide, with several more to be added in the coming weeks.

Have fun out there ... we wish all of our new Facebook fans could have won the ATV, but you know how that goes ... when it comes down to a grand prize drawing, there's going to be only one lucky winner! And that's John Keys. Congratulations John!

Enter Idaho OHV sweepstakes to win a new Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV; contest open only to Idaho residents

Hi all,

For the spring campaign of the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign, we're dangling a very cool carrot to make sure OHV users are aware of our campaign and web site, http://stayontrails.com.

The carrot is an ATV sweepstakes that's launching today and running through June 1, 2013. The winner will receive a brand new Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV, a great all-around trail machine and one of the best-selling ATVs available on the market today. The Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV retails for $6,299.

If you'd like to participate, go to our Facebook page and click on the ATV Sweepstakes tab or click on the photo of the Yellow Sign that says "Enter to Win" and follow the web link to the sweepstakes entry page.

Follow the directions to enter the contest. You must "like" the Facebook page to participate in the contest, then you fill out your name and information, and click "Enter Now" to submit your entry.

Among other things, the contest rules indicate that:
1. You must be an Idaho resident to participate in the contest.
2. You have to be 18 years of age or older to participate.
3. Contest entries are limited to one entry per person.
4. Employees of the agencies involved in the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign can not participate in the contest.

We hope that you'll consider participating in the contest! Tell your friends! And remember to do your part by riding safe and responsibly out there on Idaho's public lands and stay on designated trails.

We want to thank Carl's Cycles for being our sweepstakes partner for this year's contest.

The contest winner will be announced soon after the contest ends on June 1. The winner will be able to choose the color of the Polaris 500 they wish to receive. The Polaris 500 is available in white, red and sage green.

Thanks!

5 new tips for OHV hunters in Idaho ... online maps, videos and more ... Have a great hunt!

Hi all,

The Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign has created a new web page for hunters who use off-highway vehicles to reach their camps and hunting areas. We wanted to share our 5 tips for a safe and legal hunting experience in Idaho. According to the latest survey, more than 70 percent of the 240,000 people who hunt big game in the state of Idaho (residents and nonresidents) use OHVs as part of their hunt.

The big challenge when you're an OHV rider during hunting season is to figure out what hunting units and specific trails are open to OHV use. It's not enough to just check on the U.S. Forest Service
or BLM travel plan map. You also have to check the Idaho Department of Fish and Game hunting regulations.

Our tips are meant to help demystify that admittedly challenging process. At least more of these resources are online than ever before.

Here you go:

1. Do your homework and know what specific areas or hunting units are open to OHVs during big game hunting seasons ... Good sources of information:

•      National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Maps     
•         BLM Travel Maps  
•         IDFG big game regulations for additional restrictions that apply to big game hunters
•         IDPR Statewide Online Map
•         Hunting tips video 
  
  

2. Stay on designated trails. Cross-country riding is illegal on most Forest Service and BLM lands, and it is destructive to the environment. Responsible riders know that.     

3. Use your trail machine to scout for game and access your hunting camp, but it's illegal to shoot big game animals from your OHV. (Hunters with a disabled permit are exempt from this rule). 

4. Utility Terrain Vehicles wider than 50 inches are not allowed on ATV trails or singletrack trails. UTVs wider than 50 inches should travel on dirt roads and/or two-track roads that are open during hunting season.

5. Park your OHV if you need to leave a trail or road to retrieve a big game animal. 

We hope you have a safe and productive hunt! Please feel free to share this information with your hunting buddies. And if you have feedback on our tips, please let us know! 

Forest Service identifies "Roads of Concern" in Idaho; works to mitigate safety issues

Typical sign the Forest Service is installing along forest roads

to increase safety for OHV users and motorists (courtesy USFS)

Hi all,

The U.S. Forest Service has been busy working on its "roads of concern" program in the last year to identify the most hazardous roads, install mitigation measures such as safety signage and trimming brush to improve visibility, and in a few instances, close a few sections of highly traveled roads that were deemed too hazardous to leave open to off-highway vehicle use.

This blog provides an update on the program. Just about anybody who has driven a vehicle on narrow national forest dirt roads has probably had a close call with another motor vehicle, not to mention an OHV rider cruising around a blind corner. This is the concern with this issue -- trying to avoid collisions between motor vehicles and OHVs.

The roads-of-concern issue came to the fore when the Idaho Legislature passed a law in 2009 that allowed unlicensed drivers to operate OHVs on national forest system roads as long as they had parental supervision. Previously, a driver's license was required for OHV users to operate OHVs on national forest roads. Fearing for the safety of young, unlicensed drivers operating OHVs on national forest roads used by cars and trucks, the Forest Service began a review of roads of concern in early 2011.

In the 2011 session, the Idaho Legislature passed a new law requiring that unlicensed drivers who wish to operate an OHV on national forest roads must complete an OHV safety course first. The law also clarified that youths on OHVs with parental supervision must be riding within 300 feet of an adult. The passage of that law, which was supported by the Idaho Recreation Council, eased the Forest Service's concerns about unlicensed OHV riders on forest roads, officials said.

Statewide, there are 7,700 miles of forest roads that are used by motor vehicles and OHVs. For the roads of concern process, the Forest Service evaluated 2,500 miles of roads in all eight of our national forests in Idaho.

The Payette National Forest issued a press release last week indicating that it had completed mitigation activities on 80.4 miles of mixed-use forest roads out of 271 miles identified, including safety signage and brushing to improve sight-lines. Additional mitigation work is scheduled for 83.3 miles of roads next summer. Two roads that restrict OHV use, the paved South Fork of the Salmon River road and paved section of the Goose Creek Road, will remain closed.

Here's a map that identified roads of concern on the Payette forest's east side and west side.

• The Boise National Forest identified 359 miles of roads of concern and carried out mitigation activities on 77.6 miles of roads so far, with 57 miles remaining for next field season. Here's a map of the Boise forest's roads of concern.
• The Caribou-Targhee National Forest identified 334 miles of roads of concern and did mitigation work on 201 miles of roads last summer. It plans to do more mitigation work on 89 miles of roads next summer. In August, the Caribou-Targhee announced the closure of 19.5 miles of forest roads to OHV use on four road segments, two of which had been closed previously.
  
  "The purpose of this order is to protect the safety of the public," said Caribou-Targhee Supervisor Brent Larson. "Current use on these roads includes commercial truck traffic and passenger vehicles both operating in excess of 50 mph. This order is to restrict off-highway vehicle use where current mixed use creates unsafe or dangerous operating conditions."
  
  
• The Salmon-Challis National Forest identified 299 miles of roads of concern, and 102 miles that were considered high-risk. Forest officials plan to install signage and cut brush on the 102 miles of roadway next summer. Here's a map of the Salmon-Challis roads of concern.
• The Sawtooth National Forest identified two miles of roadway that needed safety signage in the Minidoka District; that work has been completed.
• The Clearwater National Forest identified 453 miles of roads of concern, and treated some of them with mitigation measures last summer. More details are yet to come. Here's a map of the east side of the Clearwater's roads of concern, and the west side.
• The Nez Perce National Forest identified 735 miles of roads of concern. More details are yet to come. Here's a map of the east side of the Nez Perce's roads of concern, and the west side.
• The Panhandle National Forest identified 151 miles of roads of concern. More details are yet to come. Here are three maps of the roads identified -- north zone, central zone and south zone.

If you have questions about the roads of concern process, please follow up with any of the national forests mentioned above to get the details. Thank you.

Always wear a helmet when operating an OHV

Hi all,

The Idaho Off-Highway Vehicle Public Outreach Project has produced two helmet-safety videos in hopes of boosting the rate of helmet use among OHV riders.

Children under the age of 18 are required by Idaho law to wear a helmet if they are operating or riding on an off-highway vehicle on trails or roads in the state of Idaho.

"Wearing a helmet when you're riding an OHV is not only common sense and a good idea, it's the law for kids under the age of 18," says Troy Elmore, OHV Program Manager for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, wearing a helmet when operating or riding on an OHV can reduce the risk of death in an accident by 42 percent.

Here are two videos that address helmet safety ... one from a young teen-age rider and one from a helmet safety expert. Please feel free to share the videos with your riding partners and friends.

Ride safe!

For more information, go to www.stayontrails.com.

Gift tip for OHV riders - find a cool helmet for your kids

Hi all,

Maybe you're still searching for a great gift idea for your kids ... and Christmas is only 5 days away!

Well, here's a thought that might work -- a cool helmet for your kids!

Several years ago, Idaho state law was changed to require youths under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when riding a motorbike, ATV or UTV on roads, trails or dunes. The law was changed to promote safety and prevent head injuries to kids.

It's important to remember that helmets are required for kids not only if they are driving the OHV, but also if they are riding on an OHV with another person.

The helmets should be DOT-approved. You can find them at OHV retail stores, Cabela's, or online.

The whole idea is to avoid head injuries. All of us are born with only one brain. OHV's have the ability to travel very fast on roads and trails. If an accident occurs, it's likely going to be a high-speed accident, leading to a possible head injury, concussion or worse. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, if a person is involved in an accident while riding an OHV, helmets reduce the risk of death by 42%.

While no one ever wants to be involved in an accident, they do occur. Since the early 1980s, more than 90 Idaho residents have died in ATV-related accidents, with a quarter of those killed younger than 16, according to the state of Idaho.

In many ways, it's just common sense to wear a helmet so you can ride safe and smart.

Some other considerations when buying a helmet for your kids:

• Make sure it fits properly. A loose helmet can flop down and obscure a person's vision, potentially causing an accident by itself.
• A full-face helmet can really help prevent injuries to the mouth and facial areas. Consider a full-face helmet to avoid expensive dental and medical costs.

Have a great holiday!

Happy 2010 to Idaho OHV riders

Hi all,

We wanted to wish all of the Idaho motorbike and ATV riders a happy New Year for 2010 and remind folks about the dynamic content on the http://www.stayontrails.com/ web site.

Our web site, which was completely revamped last summer, features a number of informative videos,

including the most recent one about how to register your OHV in 2010. The video can be viewed on the front page of the web site, on YouTube, or on the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation web site.

We also wanted to give OHV riders a head's up about ongoing budget cuts at the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. In a recent article in the Challis Messenger, IDPR Director Nancy Merrill talked to Custer County officials about the potential closure of Land of the Yankee Fork State Park. This is a brand new park near Challis that features a number of motorized trails for motorbikes and ATVs, many historic points of interest, and it's located adjacent to hundreds of miles of motorbike and ATV trails in the surrounding Salmon-Challis National Forest.

If you value the new park, you may want to keep a close eye on the 2010 session of the Idaho Legislature, and let legislators know that you value Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.

Otherwise, please keep us informed about new information of interest to OHV riders in Idaho. If you have ideas about adding new trails to our where-to-ride section -- the most popular spot on our web site -- please let us know! And if you know of important subjects that would be of interest on our blog, please pass the word.

Send suggestions to Steve Stuebner, campaign coordinator for the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign, at sstuebner@drakecooper.com.

Thanks and here's to a safe and responsible riding season in 2010!

- SS

New video explains how to license and register motorbikes, ATVs in Idaho

Do you need a registration sticker and a license plate for your motorbike and ATV to ride legally in Idaho? Or do you just need a sticker? Or just a plate? What's the deal?

There has been some confusion about those questions, so the Idaho Off-Highway Vehicle Public Outreach Campaign produced a step-by-step video that explains the process for registering and licensing OHVs in Idaho.



The short answer to the questions above is that if you ride strictly on OHV trails, and you do not ride on city or county roads, then you only need a $12 registration sticker. Any type of OHV in Idaho, including specialty OHVs like Dune Buggies, needs a registration sticker.

But if you like to ride long loops, which may involve riding on city or county roads to connect to singletrack trails, you need to license your trail machine as well. The nice thing about getting a restricted license plate for a motorbike or ATV is that they aren't very expensive -- they cost only $3, and they are valid for seven years.

As Rich Gummersall from the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation points out in the video, if you do like to ride long loops, and maybe like to avoid having to shuttle a vehicle to the end of your trailhead, you can license your trail machine and ride on the roads to complete your ride.

"It's a small price for peace of mind," Gummersall says.

OHV riders should know that the $2 increase in registration fees in 2010 allows you to devote $1 from the fee toward law enforcement efforts in the county of your choice, and another $1 will be set aside to develop more trail opportunities on state lands managed by the Idaho Department of Lands.

If you have any questions about licensing and registration of your OHV, please contact the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, 208-334-4199.

Agencies launch aerial patrols near Challis to monitor hunter compliance with road, trail closures

Head's up OHV hunters, the public agencies charged with enforcing motorized road and trail closures during hunting season are watching you.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, Challis Field Office, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Salmon worked together to conduct aerial patrols during deer hunting season to check on compliance with motorized road and trail closures.

No citations were issued as a result of the patrols, which were educational in nature, agency officials said.

The BLM has an approved travel plan for the Challis region, and the Salmon-Challis National Forest recently approved its travel plan, but the appeal period was still open when the patrols occurred. The aerial patrols focused on hunting areas closed to motorized use where violations have occurred repeatedly in past years, officials said. These areas included the upper Pahsimeroi River area, Little Lost River, East Fork of the Salmon River and Lost River drainage.

The Challis Messenger reported on a meeting with the Custer County Commissioners, in which agency officials talked about the aerial and ground patrols. Click on the images posted on this blog to read the article from that meeting.

No further aerial patrols are expected to occur in the Challis area this year. Agency officials said that aerial patrols have been used in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest area several times in the past.

Feel free to comment about the aerial patrols in the comments section below.

New Stay on Trails 4x4 stickers available for free

Hi all,

The Idaho Off-Highway Vehicle Public Outreach Campaign has printed a big batch of new 4-inch by 4-inch stickers bearing the message, "Stay on Trails."

The 4x4 stickers also refer to the Idaho OHV campaign web site, www.stayontrails.com, where riders can find useful videos, information and tips.

Campaign officials included the stickers as part of the fall campaign, thinking that some OHV riders and hunters may want to promote the safe and responsible use of public lands trails by placing the stickers on their trucks, trailers and trail-machines.

The Idaho OHV campaign will distribute the stickers statewide to Idaho OHV dealers, OHV clubs and public agencies.

If you read this post, and you'd like a sticker, please email Steve Stuebner, campaign coordinator, at sstuebner@drakecooper.com.

- SS

Motor Vehicle Use Maps hold key to where to ride during hunting season

If you're a big game rifle hunter, you're probably getting ready for the big hunt.

If you're planning on accessing your hunting area via an ATV or motorbike on a national forest trail, you should be aware that the Forest Service has come out with some new Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM), which replace and supercede the old travel plan maps.

Once a national forest completes its travel management planning, each ranger district in the forest is supposed to publish a MVUM to reflect the new rules and restrictions.

This information is of utmost importance to hunters because they need to know if the trails or roads they want to use are open during hunting season.

The MVUMs provide detailed information about when trails and roads are open, down to the milepost markers in some instances.

The Idaho OHV web site has a link to the MVUMs that have been published so far in the Boise National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest.

In addition, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest just published four MVUMs. Here are the links:

• Montpelier Ranger District


• Soda Springs Ranger District


• Westside Ranger District North


• Westside Ranger District South

Be forewarned that the pdf maps are large-scale, so you will need to blow up the maps to zero in on your hunting area. Hard-copy maps are easier to read, but not as convenient to obtain.

So you may want to try reading the maps online, and if you can't figure out if your preferred trails are open or closed, call the ranger district office and see if someone can help you. Maybe they can send you a MVUM by mail. The maps are free of charge.

If you can't find any MVUMs for the areas you like to hunt in, you will need to call the national forest ranger district and ask about the status of your favorite hunting trails and roads.

For a handy reference to U.S. Forest Service offices in Idaho, check out the contacts section of www.stayontrails.com.

- SS

Salmon-Challis National Forest makes final decision on motorized recreation use

The Salmon-Challis National Forest issued a final decision on Thursday regarding summer motorized recreation use in the forest, ending a three-year travel management planning process that started in May 2006.

The Record of Decision (ROD) designates 2,670 miles of roads and 864 miles of trails for motorized use for a total of 3,534 miles of motorized routes forest-wide, officials said. This is an increase of 110 miles of motorized routes, compared to the existing system, officials said. The decision also forbids cross-country travel by motorized vehicles in the forest.

Information about the final ROD can be found on the Salmon-Challis National Forest web page.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest received more than 9,000 emails and comments when it first asked for public input about summertime motorized recreation in the forest, and another 400 comments during the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) stage.

The final decision by Salmon-Challis Supervisor Bill Wood is subject to appeal in the next 45 days. If no appeals are filed, the Salmon-Challis expects to issue Motor Vehicle Use Maps that provide information about motorized roads and trail routes in late 2009.

All of Idaho’s national forests have been working through travel management plans for motorized recreation:
• The Clearwater National Forest recently extended its public comment period on its draft EIS until Oct. 2. Comments should be sent to comments-northern-clearwater@fs.fed.us.
• The Idaho Panhandle National Forests are still working on travel management plans.
• The Payette and Sawtooth national forests have completed their travel management plans, and the Boise national forest has completed travel planning for all but two of its ranger districts.

"Ride the Bayhorse" Trail Ride event at Bayhorse Saturday, Sept. 12

The Land of the Yankee Fork State Park is hosting a trail ride and barbecue this Saturday, Sept. 12.

The event is being billed as an ATV ride, but motorbikes and UTVs are welcome, too. Check out the many trails in the old Bayhorse ghost town and mining area and Land of the Yankee Fork country between Yankee Fork and Challis. The event is co-sponsored by Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and the Challis Area Chamber of Commerce.

Here is a brief video and slide show about the Land of the Yankee Fork.

If you'd like to attend, RSVP to the Challis Chamber by calling 208-879-2771 or email challischamber@custertel.net.

To contact Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, call 208-879-5244 or email dan.smith@idpr.idaho.gov

Forest Service: Watch out for youngsters on OHVs on national forest roads

The U.S. Forest Service is concerned about a new law passed by the 2009 Idaho Legislature that allows underage kids to ride motorcycles or ATVs on national forest roads without a driver's license.

"This change in law deeply concerns me because of the ramifications this change of law could have on the safety of people using roads on public lands managed by the Forest Service," said Bill Wood, supervisor of the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

"Mixing cars, recreational vehicles and commercial traffic on forest roads with children and young adults that are untrained and uneducated in the rules of the road or the basic operation of their vehicles is a recipe for disaster."

While Forest Service officials said they seriously considered closing their roads to underage OHV drivers, they determined that the cost of enforcing a closure like that would have been cost-prohibitive. So instead, they will work on public education about the issue, and changing the law in the 2010 legislative session.

Most national forests in Idaho have some verbage on their web sites about the issue. The Forest Service may undertake some additional public outreach efforts such as a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video and other measures as the fall hunting seasons draw near.

Here is a link to how the Boise National Forest handled the issue on the front of their recreation web page. The message is titled "Your Safety is Important to Us."

The same message ran on the front page of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest's web site.

Here is an op-ed piece in the Idaho Statesman penned by Region 4 Forester Harv Forsgren and acting Region 1 Forester Jane Cottrell Henifen.

Here is an article about the topic that ran in the Challis Messenger.

No matter what you might think about this issue, please drive slow and watch out for young kids driving ATVs and motorcycles on forest roads this year.