TCMRA developed the OHV Ambassador Program for the Colville National Forest, and for the past 4 years we’ve been hosting informational events and conducted road patrols throughout the Southeast and Northeast quadrants of the forest. Our efforts to assist USFS personnel with managing motorized recreation has directly led to enhanced recreational opportunities, with many miles of USFS roads newly-opened to OHV travel over the last few years! And, our efforts have limited off-road travel and road damage as we continue to educate the public on safe and legal motorized recreation. Contact us at TCMRA, 1675 Marble Valley Basin Road, Addy, WA 99101 or anneott@centurytel.net
USFS Recreation Rangers work with TCMRA’s OHV Ambassador Program
Working under the guidance of USFS Recreation Ranger Carmen Nielsen of the Three Rivers Ranger District, TCMRA OHV Ambassadors host a variety of events, such as winch training, map training, road patrols and trash clean-up, sign maintenance, and are responsible for the Green Dot OHV Sign program which marks roads open to OHVs with a 3″ reflective green dot on the standard USFS brown “carsonite” road signs. The Green Dot program is complete in the Southeast portion of the forest, and we’ve finished marking roads in the Northeast section – we hope to have the entire forest marked with Green Dots by 2022 .
TCMRA OHV Ambassadors placing OHV signs in the Northeast quadrant of the Colville National Forest
Road patrols are performed year-round by OHV Ambassadors, using OHVs when possible – we monitor road and trail conditions, maintain road and trail signs, clean up trash on trails, clear roads and trails, assist forest visitors with information on safe and legal motorized recreation in the Colville National Forest, and provide maps and mapping information.
OHV Ambassadors leading road patrol to investigate road wash-out
OHV Ambassadors also set up informational booths and kiosks on key weekends, such as holidays and during hunting seasons, providing forest and general recreation information, motorized recreation information, and maps (both digital and paper copies of the Motorized Vehicle Use Map, or MVUM, for the Colville National Forest).
Middle Fork Calispell Creek OHV Ambassador Event & Ride
In 2021, TCMRA signed a volunteer trail maintenance contract to allow use of privately-owned and operated mini-excavators to perform trail maintenance under the direction of the USFS in the South End Project area. Several routes approved for OHV use in this area were completed in the fall of 2021, and work on several Ferry County Jeep trails is scheduled for 2022.
