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!

BLM closes 12,000-acre area to OHV use in aftermath of Stout Fire near Mountain Home

BLM closure area map

Here's a news release from the Bureau of Land Management regarding the temporary closure: 

BOISE, ID – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will temporarily close approximately 11,994 acres of public land to all motorized vehicle use as a result the 2012 Stout Fire. The closure will be in effect for up to two years. Non-motorized recreational access is allowed during the closure.

The closure will allow native vegetation time to recover after the fire. If recently burned areas are regularly disturbed by off-road vehicles, native plants struggle to grow, allowing invasive weeds to establish and erosion to occur. The closure will allow planted shrub, forb and grass species to become established and allow existing plants to recover from the effects of the fire. Allowing the recently burned areas to rest will also help ensure the long-term viability of important habitat for elk, mule deer and sage-grouse.

Temporary closure signs will be posted at key entry points to the burned area.   Anyone violating the closure may be tried before a United States Magistrate and fined, not to exceed $1,000, imprisoned for up to 12 months, or both. Violators may also be subject to the enhanced fines provided for in 18 U.S.C. 3571.

Exempt from this closure are contractors hired by the BLM to work in the area; search and rescue personnel; Federal, State or local law enforcement officials; other employees in the performance of their official duties; and persons with written authorization from the BLM.

If you have questions regarding where to ride OHVs, closure maps are available online http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/advisories-closures.html or visit www.stayontrails.org. A hard copy map is available at the BLM Boise District Office or the Forest Service Mountain Home Ranger District Office (2180 American Legion Blvd., Mountain Home, ID 83647).

For more information, please contact Larry Ridenhour at 208-384-3334.

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!

StayonTrails.com now has 40+ OHV rides to share, including 2 new rides in the Owyhee Mountains

Riding on the front side of the Owyhee Mountains. (Courtesy Boise  ATV Trail Riders)

It might be the desert, but there are many streams that flow in the spring, fall and winter.  (Courtesy Boise  ATV Trail Riders)

Hi all,

We've just added two new rides to the www.stayontrails.com web site, which now features 41 ATV and motorbike rides on our where-to-ride page. Each ride has a detailed description and map, and some have photos and video.

All of the rides come recommended from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and local OHV clubs.

The latest additions to the ride list -- two rides in the Owyhee Mountains -- come from the Treasure Valley Trail Machine Association (TVTMA). Many thanks to club officers Steve Frisbie and Mark Weaver for providing the base maps and details about these rides.

TVTMA has a fun run each spring, typically in May. Watch their web site for the timing and details on next year's ride. The two rides featured on stayontrails.com came from the 2010 Fun Runs.

The ATV Fun Run course is approximately 30 miles long. Here's the trip map. The ride starts and finishes by the Chalky Butte Trailhead in the Owyhee Front, near Hemingway Butte.

The Motorbike Fun Run course is 27.5 miles long. Here's the trip map. The ride starts and finishes by the Diamond Basin Corrals Trailhead, accessed from the road to Silver City near Murphy.

Both of these rides are meant to provide an introduction to riding OHVs on the front side of the Owyhee Mountains. These are literally hundreds miles of trails in the front side of the Owyhees, and several different trailheads to use, including Rabbit Creek, Chalky Butte, Fossil Butte and Kane Springs.

To see a big-picture view of the trails in the Owyhee Front, check out the BLM map.

The best time to ride these trails is in the fall, winter and spring. So when you're itching to get out on a ride, and the trails are still snowbound in your neck of the woods, consider traveling to the Owyhees to get an early start on your riding season in the springtime. You can camp at the trailheads, or you could stay in Nampa or Boise.

Beyond the rides we offer on stayontrails.com, be sure to check out IDPR's interactive trail site for OHV riders to research new trails to check out statewide.

In other Idaho OHV news, the BLM Challis Field Office, in partnership with the Great Basin Institute and IDPR, won the 2012 Coalition for Recreational Trails Award for the Lombard Trail Project, located in Land of the Yankee Fork State Park. This is great news, and a very deserving project. Thanks to the Boise ATV Trail Riders for providing a write up on the award.

Here's a YouTube video of the Lombard Trail -- it's open to motorbikes and ATVs, and it takes you from the state park entrance area south of Challis to the mountains high above the valley and connects to the mines around the ghost town of Bayhorse nearby. It's a super-cool ride.

Save the date: The annual Ride to Bayhorse ATV event in Challis is set for Aug. 17-19 this year. See this link for more details. Here's a chance to experience the Lombard Trail, Bayhorse, Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, and tons of other motorbike and ATV trails in the vicinity.

Have fun and ride safe!
- SS

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.

New hard-copy Motor Vehicle Use Maps for Payette, Sawtooth forests available at IDFG offices

Hi all,

Here's a news release that we went out to the Idaho news media today:

BOISE - (Oct. 14, 2011) – Motor Vehicle Use Maps for the Payette National Forest and the Sawtooth National Forests are now available at Idaho Department of Fish and Game offices in McCall, Nampa, Boise and Jerome as big game hunting seasons kick into gear.

“The Forest Service and Idaho Fish and Game did a special reprint of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps because they have been in high demand,” said IDFG spokesman Mike Keckler. “The hard-copy maps are the best source of information available about what trails and roads are open to off-highway vehicles during hunting season.”

The maps are free. By referring to the Motor Vehicle Use Maps, combined with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game hunting regulations, hunters driving ATV's, 4-wheel-drive vehicles and motorbikes can research what roads and trails are open during hunting season.

“Making the maps available at the IDFG offices should be more convenient for hunters, said Andy Brunelle, a spokesman for the Forest Service. “Maps are at their highest value when in the hands of the people, not on the display rack.”

The maps also are available at national forest ranger district offices and they're available online on the Sawtooth and Payette National Forest web sites.

For specific locations of the IDFG offices, here is a link from the IDFG web site to the regional office addresses.

About the Idaho OHV Public Outreach Campaign: To help raise awareness about the importance of OHVs staying on trails, five state and federal agencies in Idaho work on a statewide campaign called the Idaho Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) Public Outreach Campaign. The campaign encourages riders to ride safe, responsibly and reduce their impact on the land and other trail users. See www.stayontrails.com for more information.

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