NOHVA Accomplishments in 2005
by Dan Nitzel, NOHVA Business Manager
2005 was a big year for ATV and dirtbike riders in Nebraska. It began with several bills in the legislature that could have helped recreational ATV and dirtbike riders, and NOHVA continued with new projects and existing projects that got bigger and better.
As for our existing projects, our spring jamboree at Headworks near Genoa was the largest one we have ever held with 1900 riders! Between our spring and fall jamborees, we were able to donate about $1500 to help local medical services in Genoa and NOHVA spent at least an additional $13,000 to $18,000 on jamboree and Headworks related expenses.
We continued to volunteer time and donate funds for trails at the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey and we spent about $1,750 to $4,000 on related expenses there. We have committed nearly $900 for next year toward the Dismal River Trail reconstruction and improvement project.
For the Flat Rock Riders OHV park near Sutherland, we refunded $520 back to the chapter for track up keep and have spent another $500 on Flat Rock chapter related expenses.
Please keep in mind that all of the money that NOHVA spends is generated with membership fees and donations paid to NOHVA by our members. We receive no funding from the manufacturers, the federal government, the state or anyone else. Only you, our members, make funding we provide for these projects possible!
To help in the formation and support of new NOHVA chapters in Nebraska, we have figured out how to help fund these chapters. This idea began this year with the Flat Rock Riders in North Platte. To support the track in Sutherland, we refund 50% of the NOHVA memberships from that area back to them to pay for equipment and expenses involved with their riding area. The remaining 50% is used by NOHVA to pay for mailing costs, insurance and administration.
In other projects, once again NOHVA will probably be asked to contribute $1,000 to $2,000 to the Nebraska Habitat Conservation Coalition. The work of the Coalition in-directly helps keep the Headworks OHV Park open and limited areas of private river land open to ATV riders (who ride there with permission, of course!). See the related article concerning the coalition in this news paper.
As far as new NOHVA projects, we continue to work on establishing the Nebraska Motorized Trails Fund. The fund is planned to be used as an IRS approved 5013C tax-deductible charity funded by donations to fund trails projects, safety and education projects, and family type ATV and dirtbike events in our state.
NOHVA will contribute nearly $900 to the U.S. Forest Service as a match for a $17,000 proposed grant to fund improvements to the Dismal River Trail at Halsey. We are very excited about this project as the Dismal trail needs major maintenance and we hope that it will be approved by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in January.
The first Dismal River trail project was funded using a $12,000 grant using federal funds via the Nebraska Recreational Trails Committee. NOHVA volunteers built the trail with the first grant and NOHVA members have contributed over $10,000 in funding for maintenance of the Dismal Trail since 1999.
In fact, a total of three motorized projects were submitted to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for approval this year. That’s the same number of projects that were submitted over the last seven years!
This winter we hope to have ATV and dirtbike trail maps completed for Headworks and Halsey. If you are a NOHVA member and would like copies of the maps, contact me at our business office.
In addition to our trail work, we hope to be recruiting new chapters that involve various interests in Nebraska. With the potential of the new groups becoming involved in NOHVA, I have proposed changes to our by-laws to help give the new chapters a voice in the organization. For more about our changes to our by-laws, see the related article in this newspaper.
NOHVA has been active this year in encouraging more involvement among the public and economic development groups in the Sandhills region and in south central Nebraska. These groups are willing to support existing trails and the development of new trails.
In addition to NOHVA projects, there are a lot of good things that are happening in the ATV and dirtbike users community in Nebraska.
There is further evidence that the future is brighter for our state’s ATV and dirtbike riders. New motocross tracks are popping up in the eastern half of the state.
Of course, there are a few negative things that happened to the ATV and dirtbike community this year in our state. The longtime motocross track at Alliance is having difficulty staying open. Finding insurance is their big problem.
Additionally, NOHVA membership is sharply declining as it’s down about 20% from this time last year and from about three months ago. We don’t really know why, but if we continue to drop in membership we may be forced to make cut backs in our projects. That could cause the end of NOHVA as we know it today. Read more about this in a related article in this newsletter.
We could have used a lot more volunteers to help with trails at Halsey. If you would like to help, please contact me.
Before I go much further, I want to thank our MEMBERS for their support! Our organization would not exist with out them. This year, we have had more volunteers than ever for our jamborees. Additionally, I would like to thank our members for their conduct and behavior by setting good examples for other riders to follow and by acting responsibly and courteously on trails and at OHV parks.
In September, while I was GPSing trails at the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey, I had the chance to talk to a to a horse rider while out on the trails. I opened a gate for him so they wouldn’t have to dis-mount his horse. During a conversation with him I introduced myself and we had a short conversation about trails. During the conversation, it was mentioned how courteous and friendly the ATV riders have been to them. He said that riders frequently pulled over, shut off their engines and let them pass so that their horses would not be startled.
On a recent trip to Headworks Park near Genoa while I unloaded my ATV for a few hours of riding, could not help but notice how clean the parking area was!
So what’s the outlook for ATV and dirtbike riders during the year 2006? In this authors opinion, it’s pretty bright!
My “Top Ten” goals for NOHVA in 2006 include:
1) Improve and support riding facilities at the Headworks OHV Park near Genoa.
2) Hold a bigger and better Spring Jamboree at Headworks!
3) Complete the organization of the Nebraska Motorized Trails Fund.
4) Complete the NOHVA / Nebraska ATV and dirtbike trails mapping project.
5) Assist the Forest Service as much as possible with the Dismal Trail Project and the selection of trails for the upcoming Travel Management Plan.
6) Find some common ground between all the parties involved at Harlan County Reservoir to help in developing a management plan for existing and new trails.
7) Find new funding sources for NOHVA.
8) Find a way to sell NOHVA memberships and trail maps on line.
9) Increase involvement of riders in the operation of existing and new NOHVA projects, and increase the involvement of Nebraska ATV and dirtbike dealers in recreational ATV and dirtbike issues.
10) Find ways to offer more benefits to NOHVA members!
Let’s all work together to make 2006 a great year for Nebraska’s ATV and dirtbike riders. All the pieces are starting to come together. We can do it with people continuing to be involved in projects, and we can do it if we can reverse our declining membership numbers!
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