The MDOHVA is proud that one of our board members is becoming the first Executive Director of the newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). We are sad to lose Daryl from the board but are extremely happy that he will continue to support and advocate for outdoor recreation within Maryland.
James Ratino, (MDOHVA President) was recently invited to sit down with Shane Eastman of Send It ATV to do a podcast interview. Shane is looking to fill a niche in the off-road podcast community. There are many podcasts about the latest gear, newest machines, and fastest guys (yes, he does that too) but in this Podcast, Shane focuses a lot of time talking to the movers and shakers keeping and growing OHV access throughout the country. In this episode we talk to Shane about who we are, what we are doing, where we hope to go, while letting you get to know our leadership a little better. So have a listen, learn something new, and let Shane know if you like it by hitting those buttons. You guys know the drill!
Enjoy!
Wolf Den Run State Park is now fully open, WITH CAMPING!!! All three parcels are now available to be ridden! So like this post, share this posts, tell your buddies, and go ride! Wolf Den now consists of approximately 40 miles of trail, and most are full size vehicle rated. One of the best trails is 2103 on Potomac due to the scenery, as well as 1102 on North Hills where you can get a good view of a waterfall.
Here is how it works. You need to call Herrington Manor State Park for your reservation. Your reservation allows you to park at any of the 3 parcels Huckleberry Rocks, North Hills, or Potomac. You can change riding locations as you please within the park as you please. You will also need to call Herrington Manor for camping reservations. Please keep parking lot crowding and social distance in mind given the current times. Also note, the North Hills parking lot does not allow trailers due to its size limitations. If you have a trailer you will need to park at Huckleberry Rocks or the Potomac River lots. Camping is extremely primitive at the moment with NO HOOKUPS, just a port-a-jon. Sites are limited to 6 people, with 6 sites currently available (don’t worry, plan for further development are in the works.)
To travel between the parcels on the road with your atv/sxs, you need a county permit https://www.garrettcounty.org/ride. Please make sure you follow all the rules! And if you get hungry and want a hot meal?! Head on down into the ATV friendly town of Kitzmiller and stop by the “Coal Bucket Restaurant.”
We want to stress how grateful we are of DNR’s hard work and dedication to this project. This project presented many challenges throughout development that are new to Maryland’s Park Services, and yet they used each challenge as an opportunity to excel! We at MDOHVA look forward our bright future working together!
This offer is only extended to paying MDOHVA members only. We are looking for volunteers to come and help clear the trails of winter deadfall for a day at the end of February. We will be on the existing open parcel, and heading into new not yet open sections as well. Spots are first come first go basis and only available to paying members. Come prepared to WORK for most of the day. If you know someone else interested in coming, they can join and send an email to president@mdohvalliance.org to request all the final information and reserve your spot! Sign up today at https://mdohvalliance.org/join/
From NOHVCC
Earlier this month the Council on Environmental Quality issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking –Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This proposed rulemaking is intended to “…revise and modernize… NEPA regulations to facilitate more efficient, effective, and timely NEPA reviews by Federal agencies.”
As many in the OHV community are aware, NEPA reviews can often be time consuming endeavors which can produce reports hundreds of pages in length. The proposed changes are intended to “…advance the original goals of the CEQ regulations to reduce paperwork and delays, and promote better decisions consistent with the national environmental policy…”
NOHVCC encourages everyone in the OHV community to take a look at the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and submit comments to encourage a reduction in paperwork and reporting required under NEPA while still ensuring that resources remain adequately protected.
Comments are due March 10, 2020.
NOHVCC staff just wanted to alert you early in the process so that you will have adequate time to review the notice. We will work together with other interested parties and will provide opportunities to weigh in, sample comments and other information as this process moves forward.
Its official, Wolf Den Run, Huckleberry Rocks parcel (Parcel A) will open this coming Monday, July 15th.
Here’s what you need to know
-Reservations need to be made through Harrington Manor via phone
-Park Entrance fee is $10
-Limit of approximately 50 vehicles per day, passengers are not included in this number
-All trails will fit an ATV or SxS
-Roughly half or more of the trails will fit a full seized vehicle
-12.5 +/- miles of mostly dual direction trails
Remember this is the first step towards a multi parcel trail system. More is to come!
The second Wolf Den Run State Park open house, held on January, 26th 2019 at the Greenbrier State Park Headquarters, was just as successful as the previous one. As we expected, OHV enthusiasts turned out in force and there was standing room only. DNR reviewed the the current status and proposed way forward with a master park plan. DNR remains committed to opening the Park as soon as possible using existing trails however, the access bridge still remains a major issue. They are currently looking at various options to access the property in the absence of a permanent bridge.
To all of those who have attended these open houses and responded to the online survey, THANK YOU! The State now more fully understands how strong of a force our community can be. They are listening to our survey responses and understand our desire to have the park opened as soon as possible, and to do so with camping!
Organization’s new leader looks forward to expanding off-road riding opportunities in Maryland.
The Maryland Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance, Inc. (MDOHVA) is pleased to announce that James Ratino has been named president of the organization
effective January 1st, 2019. A board member for the past year, James is an experienced and effective advocate for motorized recreation of all kinds in Maryland. He has been riding dirt bikes with family and friends since age 10, has raced in many hare scrambles, and is a long-time member of a local motocross club.
“James has a strong drive to advocate for all enthusiasts of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation, including those who enjoy riding on ATV trails, technical single-track motorcycle trails, full-size 4×4 rock crawls, and motocross tracks,” said Ken Kyler, organization president.
James is a graduate of Frostburg State University, with a degree in Physics and Engineering, and brings to the post of MDOHVA president many years of experience in commercial construction management. Over the years, he has hosted rides on his family’s private property in western Maryland that were open to dirt bikes, ATVs, multi-passenger side-by-sides, and full-size 4×4 vehicles.
The Maryland OHV Alliance, Inc. is a state-wide body of OHV recreation enthusiasts. It advocates for responsible OHV recreation and resource protection by working in partnership with private and public land managers and recreation planners; provides and promotes best management practices for OHV recreation planning, development and management to policy makers; promotes a positive OHV recreation image to all publics; and emphasizes the benefits of responsible recreation behavior and raise awareness of the impacts from irresponsible recreation activity.
Since its founding, the MDOHVA has been successful at advocating for ORV recreation resulting in the MD DNR building the St. John’s ORV Trail and Campground in the Savage River State Forest, and more recently supporting DNR’s acquisition of land for the Wolf Den State Park near Kitzmiller which will be the State’s first ORV State Park.
UPDATE: The second Wolf Den Run State Park open house is scheduled for January, 26th 2019 from 10am-12pm at the Greenbrier State Park Headquarters, 21843 National Pike, Boonsboro, MD 21713
Previously the Maryland Park Service hosted an open house on, October 20, 2018, in Kitzmiller, MD. Similar to the first open house, staff will be available to answer questions regarding the property and provide stations to solicit feedback/comments on topics such as trails, hunting, infrastructure, amenities, operations and camping.
Before coming to the open house, visitors should review a consultant’s assessment of the existing Wolf Den Run trail network and/or take a DNR OHV Users survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXGGVPF
Further reading at http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/Wolf-Den-Run.aspx
A limited group of local residents and MDOHVA members were invited to a workday and preview of the new Wolf Den State Park. Here’s a few pictures. Be sure to come to the Open House October 20th and please read the trail assessment first.
A huge thanks to Andrew Taylor, CORE 4×4 President, for the following video.