Want More Trails Near You?

By Dan Nitzel, NOHVA Business Manager

It seems that I often talk to people who want to see more nearby public and private ATV and dirtbike trails and parks.  One of the reasons I’ve stayed involved in NOHVA since 1987 is to fulfill my dream of seeing trails and OHV parks spread throughout the state.   While I personally am unable to wave a magic wand to make new areas appear out of no where, there are things that “we” can do as riders to help new places to ride “magically appear” at some time in the future. 

          In my opinion, the time is right for pursuing additional ATV and dirtbike trail development in Nebraska.  Local governments seem to have more interest than ever, federal funding is available for funding, and more enthusiasts are willing to become involved in proposing and developing new projects.

As a member of the Nebraska Recreational Trails Program Committee, my goals while on the committee are to help establish a template to guide the development of ATV and dirtbike parks and trails in our state and develop more places to ride.  A template would help streamline the trail grant process, establish development standards and suggest management guidelines.  

          The average ATV and dirtbike park or trail may take three, five or ten years to develop.  While this may seem like a long time, persistence usually ends up paying off.  The key to developing an ATV/dirtbike trail system or a park in a reasonable amount of time is following a basic plan of action.  

The first part of any riding area plan is to organize local riders so that a need is determined.  Riders need to determine the components of the project based on the needs and desires of riders, and what kind of activity the land is able to sustain.  Is there a need because there are no other legal areas to ride are nearby?  Maybe an existing area nearby does not meet your desires?  A set of clear goals need to be established so that they can be presented to a land owner or project sponsor. 

 If the area is to be public, then a supporting government agency or sub division needs to be found.  Worthy project sponsors include Cities, Counties, Natural Resource Districts, Public Power companies, townships, public economic development councils and other government or special interest groups. 

Public projects also qualify for Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funding.  The Recreational Trails Plan (RTP) fund represents a refund of the Federal gasoline tax that Nebraska’s off road users pay.   Federal gasoline taxes collected from ATV, dirtbike, snowmobile and other off highway vehicles are refunded back to Nebraska from the Federal Highway Administration via the Recreational Trails Program (RTP).   The Nebraska Recreational Trails Plan Committee is sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.  Local government sub divisions apply to the Nebraska RTP committee for federal RTP funds. The Nebraska RTP Committee reviews grant applications and recommend to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioners what projects should be funded.  Once a project is approved for a grant, the project sponsors have a series of land surveys, project planning and environmental requirements that need to be met before construction can begin. 

If the area is to be private, then a willing land owner needs to be found.  Any location desired for a public or private location will need to be suitable for the sport, meaning noise and sustainability of the trails need to be considered.   Those involved can also form a Limited Liability Corporation partnership among “member owners”.   A private area is not likely to qualify for RTP funds.  Some private areas charge it’s members or partners an initial fee of upwards of several thousand dollars to belong to a private riding area group, plus an annual fee.   Non-member or non-owner riders are usually not welcome to use member only facilities.  Some private riding areas charge $10 to $50 a day to ride.

   Before any public or private location for ATV and dirtbike trails can be found, the location requires multiple levels of planning.  The planning may include hearings involving local citizens, environmental impact studies and archeological surveys.  Noise from ATV and dirtbike facilities frequently cause motorized tracks and parks to close in other parts of the nation.  Some counties or a local land regulation authority may have zoning requirements that would regulate or restrict an ATV or dirtbike facility.  An ATV or dirtbike facility that is located within one to three miles of existing homes, sports fields and parks are generally a bad plan and should not be considered.  Facilities should not be developed in areas where residential sub divisions can be developed.  A location within a couple of miles of a major metro area should not be considered for ATV and dirtbike trails, tracks or parks as nearby residents will eventually demand that it be closed due to noise.

After a site is found for a public area and funding has been secured, a consulting company specializing ATV and dirtbike trail planning and development should be hired to design the site plan.  Trails need to be designed as sustainable.  This means that the trails need to be designed in a manner that can easily be maintained, and that the users enjoy.  A design for water run off, parking, rest rooms, other amenities and security is included in the design.  After a design is agreed upon, work can begin on the project.  For private areas, a local zoning commission may require that a private area complete many of the same permits and public hearings as a public area. 

Before the project is completed, a management plan needs to be developed.   The management plan needs to include a set of rules for riding.  The rules may include safety equipment requirements, hours of operation, a fee structure, rider conduct, and of course noise regulation.  A facility near an area of population or a park may face noise requirements that are nearly equivlent to machines with stock mufflers, about 82 to 88 dB. Otherwise, new parks far away from housing and parks should adopt a maximum noise level of 92 or 96 dB(A) as recommended by Motorcycle Industry Council and by the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, using the “SAE J1287 Jul98 Stationary Sound Test Procedure” and require a U.S. Forest Service Approved style of spark arrester. 

A new more strict maximum sound level is being implemented across the nation using 92 dB.  In some instances, the newer 92 dB and 96 dB standards are being adopted over the old 101 dB level because more people are using four stroke powered machines instead of two stroke machines.  The four stroke exhaust make much more noise than the old two stroke exhaust as the four stroke sound signature is a lower tone (frequency) and thus travels further.

When land owners or land mangers are approached by enthusiasts about developing trails or parks, they almost always ask questions about noise and liability.  To help address the noise issue with potential land owners or managers, developers can encourage a county or city 92 dB or 96 dB ordinance that addresses ATV and dirtbike noise within their jurisdiction.  ATV and dirtbike owners should not be threatened by the 92 dB or 96 dB levels because there are plenty of high tech quiet series pipes that provide as good as performance as the old design, low tech pipes.

In Nebraska, NOHVA has answers and solutions concerning insurance and liability issues.  We have  information concerning recent updates in recreational liability laws in our state and can advise on a liability abatement plan to reduce liability concerns to a minimum.  To keep the areas that NOHVA is involved with open, our liability insurance currently covers three OHV facilities and over ten groups, land owners and individuals in Nebraska.  We plan to cover other facilities in the future. 

When land owners or mangers are approached about developing riding opportunities, don’t forget to mention the positive impact motorized recreation can have to the local economy.  For smaller towns, the sport can bring in visitors from out of town.  Developing a place to ride in a smaller town can also be used as a tool to keep young people in the community.  In a larger city, a riding area could be used to keep people interested in staying in the community and provide a way for young adults and families to recreate.  A riding area close to a major city also provides a place for people to ride that is safe, versus people riding on streets and roads.  About once a month I receive a phone call from a transplanted person who moved to Omaha and Lincoln only to find that there are few nearby places to ride.  They usually move to Nebraska from the west where there are dozens of trails and places to ride within an hours drive. 

One important item to remember is that if you want a local riding area or trail, ‘local’ people need to be the main drivers behind the project.  While NOHVA is an organization with members across the state, we are generally recognized as being based in Grand Island.  It is very difficult for someone from Grand Island to encourage a government leader in, let’s say “Omaha”,  that there is a need for trails or a park in or near Omaha.  We can certainly help answer questions about developing an area in or near Omaha, but the local riders in Omaha need to be the primary driving force to develop a project in that area.  In these instances NOHVA or the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) can help set up a new chapter or separate club.  NOHVA and NOHVCC can provide information about developing projects, advise on management issues and provide chapter administrative support.  The new chapter keeps the money it makes from fund raisers, elects it’s own officers and receives an annual refund from NOHVA memberships that designate their chapter on their membership application.  NOHVA has in the past provided $4,000 in grants to projects that chapters are operating.  In 2008 NOHVA has budgeted $30,161.77 to support six chapters.

For those that are willing, new resources now exist in Nebraska for them to help themselves.  NOHVA can help you organize a meeting with local riders to discuss the options to you.  Give me a call if you would like to talk about it.

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This page was updated on Sunday, March 01, 2009