Protecting OHV Access: Land Advocacy, Wilderness, and the Future of Overlanding

An identical scene played out to my left, but if I turned the wheels onto one of these tracks I would be in violation of federal law. Why, might you ask? My co-driver, Will Corbett, did: “What makes thatdesert different than this desert… they are identical?”

You see, the latter, while indistinguishable from the former, was a designated as wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964 and/or California Desert Protection Act of 1994, and is off-limits to any form mechanical travel… bicycles and wheelchairs included.

If we look back to 1964, I do believe the folks driving the Wilderness Act had legitimate science supporting their position, and valid concerns—controlling commercial mining, oil exploration, logging, and general preservation. But in the past 60 years the arena has drastically shifted from a genuine effort to protect this nation’s wild places to a game of deep-pocket Monopoly, and the science driving this land grab has been reduced to political science.

Case in point: The original bill designated 54 Wilderness areas and within a decade there were 93. By 1994 the number reached 625, and today there are more than 800. Dozens have been expanded, buffer zones added, and the statutory criteria has been reduced.

To put this in perspective, the public has lost access to 112 million acres, or 175,000 square miles of their land (unless traversing it on foot). This is an area larger than the entire state of California, plus Massachusetts. Another 12 million acres is in the crosshairs as Wilderness Study Areas. Alarming, right? 

Now don’t throw me under the bus here, but I’m in agreement that certain areas should be off-limits to development and even mechanized travel. Some are so unique, so pristine, and so fragile that if left un-checked they would cease to exist as we know them. Call me a tree-hugger.

Some refer to the “more Wilderness” advocates as environmentalists. I do not. I believe a better term is the Anti-Access Crowd (AAC). Many normal folks, believing they are doing the right thing, join The Club, buy the calendar, and donate money. But rarely, if ever, have they set foot on or even seen a picture of the regions their financial beneficiaries have lobbied to close.

In short, the AAC is well-funded, well-organized, and well-connected in the political arena. In their defense, over the years I’ve witnessed knuckleheads doing some really irresponsible things on our public lands. It’s the “one few bad apple” syndrome.

However, Wildness is not the only threat to our access. Over the years land managers such as the U.S. Forest Service have been under pressure to “decommission” roads from their inventory. That is, erase them from future maps. From the USFS land managers I’ve worked with, funding and manpower is always a continuing challenge.

If they don’t know the public isn’t using a specific area or route, why continue to maintain and patrol it? Temporary closures also play a roll. Many are related to safety concerns such as fire threats or storm damage, but winter closures of high-elevation trails have become the norm in some areas. However, again in the land manager’s defense, some of these only restrict four-wheel-drives so we don’t mess up the track for snowmobilers. Do you see the balancing act?

Expert Guidance
Now that we’ve outlined the game, the players and the consequences, what can we do to stem the tide of Wilderness and other threats to future access? For advice on this conundrum, we’ve reached out to some of the industry’s most respected land managers, commercial operators, trainers, political appointees and grassroots advocates. Combined, they have hundreds of years of experience in the genre, not only in their professions but as genuine OHV enthusiasts.

Mike Ahrens, District Manager, Bureau of Land Management Needles Field Office
Prior to his 24 years with the BLM and seven as Natural Resources Consultant for the California 4WD Association, Ahrens grew up riding shotgun in his dad’s Meyers Manx dune buggy. His office is responsible for 3.2 million acres of Southern California’s desert, which is predominately Wilderness, National Monument, and Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. This is a vast region and his team is always spread thin, but they utilize relationships with user groups to extend their workforce. One monitors and maintains a dry lake known internationally for wind sailing, while another volunteers its time for the preservation of the 700-mile East Mojave Heritage Trail.

When asked about working with user groups, he said: “This is huge. We could never provide that level of systematic trail review, monitoring and reporting. It is important to be involved in a deliberative and positive way, and understand the difference between activism and advocacy. Activism is used to get your position noticed, while advocacy is about calm minds meeting in the middle to find rational solutions. This is how work gets done. The enthusiasm of these groups is contagious and really uplifting for our staff.”

Matt Caldwell, Former Executive Director, Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly! (TL), a non-political, non-profit established in 1985, has been working diligently to improve public perception of the OHV community. Networking with local clubs, they completed over 200 trail restoration projects in 2023. Partnering with BFGoodrich and Quadratec, they created two grant programs, moneys from which are used to build fences and kiosks, install trail signage, and to spearhead clean-up efforts. Their other focus is education through online training courses, and urging students to share what they’ve learned with others. 

Caldwell said: “Land managers are challenged for resources, both staffing and dollars, and when maintenance doesn’t get done trails can be closed. Our volunteers, members and partners are helping to fill the gap. Everyone has an opportunity to get involved, either with one of our projects or with another organization. Education is key, and we want OHV users to understand their actions today will have a direct impact on future access.”

Roger Salazar, Commissioner, California OHMVR Division
A little-known secret is that many state and local grants are available for trail clean-up and maintenance projects. Salazar, who grew up in the back of his family’s 1946 Willys, was appointed by the governor to help guide California’s OHV policy. The Division manages nine State Vehicle Recreation Areas and over the years has provided more than $700 million in grants to worthy projects. We ask Mr. Salazar the where, what, why and how you can access some of these funds. 

“Our grant cycle starts each January with a workshop,” he said. “Prospective applicants learn how to fill out the forms, as well as various requirements based on the type of project. There is a public comment period, review, and selection, and in September grants are awarded. There will be competition, but if a group has a worthy project I strongly suggest they apply.”

Nena Barlow, Owner of Barlow Adventures
Barlow has crafted a career as an off-road trainer and operating a Jeep rental company. She is an I4WDTA Master Trainer, Wilderness First Responder, and holds a coaching certificate from the State of Colorado. She also coordinates drive programs on public land for auto manufacturers and won the Rebelle Rally… twice! We asked her about the importance of skills training, as well as advice on how to best work with land managers. 

“The more you expose yourself to new perspectives, the better you can apply yourself in any situation,” she said. “Be teachable. Even people we consider ‘masters’ don’t know everything. The best ones recognize this and understand the importance of maintaining a student-like attitude themselves. Regarding working on public lands, it boils down to building a relationship with the individuals in the districts where you want to do stuff. If you have a project, put it in writing and understand the rules they must work within. Respect this and be willing to re-work your program to conform to their guidelines. Be patient; these processes take time.”

Pearse Umlauf, President and CEO of Jeep Jamboree USA
Founded in 1982 by the legendary Mark A. Smith, Jeep Jamboree USA (JJUSA) organizes 60 trips and training programs the globe each year. Mark’s son-in-law, Pearse Umlauf, now runs the show, but he’s been an enthusiast since he was a kid. We asked him about partnering with local clubs and working with land managers. 

“Working with clubs is beneficial because they know every backroad and business,” he said. “Having these connections is helpful for executing a successful event. The permit process with the BLM or National Forest can take up to 180 days, so plan early. Also, be sure your intentions are clearly defined regarding locations, activities and number of people; this will ensure a smoother process and that you are invited back in future years. You’ll need insurance and maybe an emergency medical plan. Our events have professional trail guides, but make sure your staff is ready for any circumstance that might arise.”

Del Albright and Don Amador, OHV Land-use Advocates
Albright and Amador are life-long sportsmen, backcountry enthusiasts and advocates. Together they have been involved with local, state and federal legislation, have been consultants for the Blue Ribbon Coalition, American Motorcyclist Association, American Sand Association, Cal4Wheel, and were appointed to the California OHMVR Commission. In the process they have continuously shared their knowledge via training workshops and newsletter updates, launched grassroots “friends of” organizations, and inspired others to get involved. So much so that and both of these land-use warriors were inducted into the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame for their tireless fight to keep public land accessible for OHV uses. In short, they’re badasses. We asked them how the average joe can make a difference, how the political landscape has changed, and how we can prepare for current and future challenges. Listen up—they know what they are talking about.

Don Amador: “Many of us working in OHV advocacy have made concerted efforts to find common ground with our historic foes in the environmental and conservation communities. It has been a more effective strategy than the blood-feud that existed in the ’80s and ’90s. We’re seeing less legislation with massive OHV closures as part of their foundation. Unfortunately, a growing number of users are opting out of advocacy efforts and land agencies are being overwhelmed with increased traffic. If the trend continues, it could lead to capacity-related usage quotas. User apathy amongst user groups is one of our greatest challenges; we need to remain on-guard, and join and support organizations that champion the cause.”

Del Albright: “Efforts of the anti-motorized crowd have escalated. They are well-funded and lobby our elected officials relentlessly for more Wilderness and less motorized use. Our challenge is motivating enthusiasts to get involved with organized recreational groups rather than ‘virtual’ clubs. Join every association or club that makes sense to you, show up and support their events, and volunteer for a trail work party. They know the political process and your voice will be heard. We need to remember that it doesn’t matter whether our ride is a motorcycle, four-wheel-drive, UTV, dune buggy or snowmobile. The anti-motorized clan is ideologically opposed to your form of recreation. They are not going away, and we need to stand together in the battle to protect our hard-fought freedoms. God bless America!”

The Wild West & Badges
If we distill the above advice down to its core, we see several common themes. Initiate a relationship with your local land managers, let them know you want to help, and ask how you can work together to keep your favorite trail open. Craft a work project or adopt a trail in your local National Forest. Submit your project for a Tread Lightly! or state grant.

We need watchdog advocates like Del Albright and Don Amador. Sign up for their mailing list and stay informed. Pony up a few bucks each year and join your state association, Tread Lightly!, and Blue Ribbon—their strength is in our numbers. Sharpen your skills by attending a training or educational course and share your newfound knowledge with friends. Most importantly, we need to be good ambassadors of our sport every time we hit the trail.

In the interest of full disclosure, in my younger years I was the knucklehead who ventured into places I should not have been. But that was before the “old guys” in my club edified me on best backcountry practices. If they could steer the kid-me in the right direction, maybe we can work on the next generation. Remember—it’s not hip to be a knucklehead.

Access More Great Stories!
This article originally appeared in OVR Issue 07. For more informative articles like this, consider subscribing to OVR Magazine in print or digital versions here. You can also find the print edition of OVR at your local newsstand by using our Magazine Finder.