by Dan Nitzel

For many people here in Nebraska, after tending to work duties, family and spiritual obligations, getting out and recreating on their machines is an important part of their life. In this article, I will discuss some of my observations concerning the future of recreational ATV and dirtbike use in Nebraska.

Over the last 10 or 15 years or so, the state government of Nebraska and other government sub-divisions have generally ignored recreational ATV and dirtbike use. There have been some efforts by environmentalists to throttle our activity. In the early 1990's, the Sierra Club introduced a bill in the Unicameral that would ban the use of ATVs in steam beds, lake fronts, beaches and areas close to waterways. We helped soundly defeat this bill. Recently, bills have been introduced to title and/or register ATVs and dirtbikes. All of these bills except for one totally ignore recreational trail use of these machines.

Most ATVs and dirtbikes in Nebraska are used for recreation at one time or another. Many are used for recreation at two main public areas in Nebraska, the Headworks OHV Park near Genoa and the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. A significant number of ATVs and dirtbikes are transported out of Nebraska for recreation. Currently, many improvements to recreational ATV and dirtbike trails in Nebraska are meagerly funded by voluntary contributions made by members of our organization. These voluntary contributions are not keeping up with the increasing numbers if ATVs and dirtbikes.

Nebraska’s current problem involving the funding of ATV and dirtbike trails is due to the lack of matching state funds that can be used with existing federal funds. Nebraska’s ATV and dirt bike enthusiasts should be able to use Federal funds that our state’s ATV and dirt bike riders currently pay via the Federal gasoline tax here in Nebraska. Taxes collected from ATV, dirtbike, snowmobile and other off highway vehicles and are refunded back to Nebraska via the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). As recommended by the Federal Government, these RTP funds are allowed to be used on recreational ATV, dirt bike, snowmobile and off-road vehicle recreation. Currently, there are no ATV and dirtbike projects being funded in Nebraska using federal RTP funds mainly because there are no local or state matching funds available.

Only one motorized project has been funded in Nebraska using RTP funds since 1993. According to the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C., Nebraska has been allocated over $3,000,000 of RTP funding over a period of eight years. Of this $3,000,000 less than $13,000 has been used on motorized recreation in Nebraska. Only Nebraska, the District of Columbia and Delaware have reported no RTP funding on motorized recreation since 1995.

The main reason why only $13,000 of the $3,000,000 in funding have been used on trails in Nebraska is simple. These funds require "matching funds" of at least 20% of the project total. Hypothetically, if a public OHV park cost $100,000 to purchase and develop, the RTP fund could provide 80% or $80,000. The remaining amount of the $100,000 is 20% or $20,000. This $20,000 has to come from another non-federal government based source. Most state’s use some kind of state based use fee or an annual registration fee paid by ATV and dirtbike riders to provide funding. Currently, Nebraska has no program in place to provide such funding and therefore we have no matching funds for the RTP funding.

We need to be able to use RTP funds in the future for maintenance of existing trails and acquisition of new ATV and dike bike trails and/or parks, and we need to have a user generated funding mechanism to provide a match to these federal funds.

Nebraska needs to develop a way to fund trails and parks for ATVs and dirtbikes for the following reasons:

>>> To encourage people to stay in Nebraska for recreation instead of leaving the state. Many people are traveling to Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado to ride as there are more areas open to them and they are spending their money there. We would much rather see these revenues stay in Nebraska.

>>> To help provide economic stimulus to rural areas from ATV and dirtbike trails and parks. When a park or trails are provided, these facilities draw people from around Nebraska and the surrounding states. This drives tourist dollars to restaurants, hotels and other small businesses. Providing quality places to ride creates a micro economy generating tax revenue for local government subdivisions and the State.

>>> To provide individuals and families with a alternative outdoors activity that many other states currently enjoy.

In order to have a proper prospective on what challenges we face, we need to briefly review the status of areas we currently ride.

Headworks - The area is now closed 4 or 5 months of the year for dredging activities. Headworks is the only public riding area located in the eastern half of Nebraska. There is a reasonable chance that the area will be closed due to piping plover habitat concerns by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for ANOTHER 3 or 4 months out of the year. The area is becoming over crowded at times.

Nebraska National Forest, Halsey - A new forest plan will likely close MUCH of the area now open to riding. Some time in the near future a travel plan will be developed with input from multiple forest users. The plan may include new trails, however, horse back riders, campers and some area ranchers lobbying HARD to close existing trails to ATVs and dirtbikes. With this in mind, and with existing environmental rules, and lack of funds from both the state and federal governments, it will be very difficult at best to add additional miles of ATV and dirtbike trails at Halsey, let alone keep what we now have. Many existing routes will most likely be closed. Other than members of our organization, there has been no other interest from ATV and dirtbike riders to become involved in the maintaining or increasing trail opportunities at the Nebraska National Forest Bessey Ranger District.

McKelvie National Forest near Valentine (open pasture) Vast areas are slated to be closed to motorized vehicles under the new forest plan.

Harlan Co. Reservoir near Alma (20 acres of open ground with trails) - Status unknown.

Sutherland Reservoir near Sutherland (20 acres of open ground with trails)

Nebraska National Forest, Pine Ridge, Chadron (open pasture with some trails) The new forest plan will close much of the area now open to riding.

After reviewing the above status of where we ride, it does not look very encouraging. However, we need to keep in mind that we have more going for us than against us!

Headworks could have been closed several times in the past if it were not for involvement by members of our organization. Also, our organization is involved in a law suit to hopefully stop the piping plover critical habitat designation. There would have never been any jamborees at Headworks if it were not for our organization.

The Dismal River Trail never would have been developed if it were not for our organization. ATV and dirtbike travel to camp sites in camp grounds would have been stopped by now if it were not for input by our organization.

Lately, the Game and Parks Commission seems to be more interested in help us out now! Michelle Stryker and other members of the Game and Parks staff have shown considerable interest to help us.

The riding area near Sutherland was developed by NOHVA members and with the help of our organization.

It is clear that we have made some solid gains here in Nebraska!

Concerning the future of ATV and dirtbike recreation in Nebraska, our organizations goals are first maintain the areas we now ride, and two, try to develop new places to ride.

There WILL BE development of new places to ride in Nebraska in the future. This development will most likely include a mix of private OHV parks and trails, and hopefully one or two new public government sponsored OHV parks in the eastern half of the state.

Our greatest obstacle now and in the future is the funding of trail maintenance and trail supervision. To do this there needs to be a user based funding mechanism. With all of the budget cuts and budget short falls that state, federal and local governments are facing, there will be chance of obtaining funds for motorized recreation without a user based collection system.

Existing areas we currently ride will see an increase in use. This increase will require the need for more maintenance and eventually some supervision. All of this will cost money. A way to fund these need has to be developed. If we desire new areas to ride, these areas will require USER BASED funding to develop them.

It is clear that riders for the most part do not want to help fund existing projects or new projects. Evidence of this is the low numbers of riders that are members of our organization who use the areas we are now involved with. Granted, NOHVA spends a large portion of it’s funds on places to ride in Nebraska, we estimate that only about 25% of the riders at Headworks and less than that at Halsey and Sutherland are NOHVA members. This lack of support by non-members riders places us in a difficult situation. People WANT these places to ride, but they DON’T WANT to help support them. Fortunately, NOHVA members choose to voluntarily subsidize the non-members so that we can all have somewhere to ride in Nebraska.

The bottom line here is "what can we do to keep the areas we now ride and to hopefully develop new areas?"

The no brainer solution is join an organization like our own OR form your own organization. NOHVA members have been very successful over the years on keeping our existing areas open. However, we have not been very successful on opening new areas. This is due in part to the lack of involvement of members, lack of funds and sometimes due to the lack of direction from NOHVA officers.

We need members to keep our existing areas open and to plan for the future. If you would like to become involved, please contact us or attend one of our meetings.

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This page was updated on Wednesday, January 19, 2005