OHV Education Outreach Coordinator
San Bernardino National Forest Association
San Bernardino, California, October 13, 2005 - Ask almost any off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiast what they most enjoy about their sport and you'll get answers along these lines: “I just love the outdoors.” “The camaraderie of associating with a great group of people.” “Seeing wildlife in their natural home.” “It’s one of the few times the whole family can get together.” “After getting older, I can’t hike like I used to, so OHV is the only way to experience the backcountry.”
Notice that not one of these comments from actual OHV users mentions their desire to make a lot of noise, thereby disturbing animals and annoying neighboring communities; yet noise is one of the most cited criticisms against OHVs. It would be safe to say that the folks providing the above comments (and nearly all OHV users) respect sound levels and follow the regulations governing use of off-highway vehicles. So why do we, as OHV users, have such an uphill battle with sound? A battle that threatens our very privilege to ride our bikes, quads, and drive our 4X4s in the forest and enjoy our weekends as we wish.
Perhaps one answer to that question is that we need to do a better job of policing ourselves. Just as surely as the majority of OHV enthusiasts obey the rules, there are a few who do not. How do we control this situation? The cliché, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is quite true. Only in this situation, the “squeaky wheel” is a disrespectful user, and the grease is the public’s attention. If we want to change perception of OHVers as a whole, and keep our riding areas open, we need to hold our own accountable.
“As an OHV advocate, sound is the biggest issue to deal with,” says Russ Ehnes, director of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council http://www.nohvcc.org (NOHVCC). “We need to change the American mindset, by using peer pressure and education.”
As anyone who has been through adolescence knows, peer pressure can be a powerful thing. Very few people want to be viewed as outcasts from their peers, and as humans, we naturally seek a group with which to identify. If that group holds its members to a set standard via peer-pressure, then you have a set of ideals and ethics that governs the group. The caveat is that to make this work, those members have to stand by their conviction, and not waver or make exceptions.
Many OHV enthusiasts in the San Bernardino National Forest are doing just that. Amongst other things, the San Bernardino National Forest Association’s OHV Volunteer Patrol program has begun sound-checks on the first and third Sunday of every month at the Pinnacles OHV staging area under the leadership of OHV Volunteer and founder of www.quietbike.org , Tom Tammone. These are free sound awareness checks, during which owners of motorcycles and ATVs can find out if their vehicles are in compliance with the 96dB sound limit. In addition to discovering the output levels from their vehicles, participants in the sound checks also learn about current forest OHV issues and how sound levels affect them and their sport. No tickets are issued, and no lectures are given, but this is one way that the importance of sound is being addressed to our peers.
“We have to get the noise down!” implores Ed Waldheim, president and founder of California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) and Off-Road Hall of Fame member. “Our biggest enemy is the noise. Not only noise, but also the behavior! It’s getting really scary, and we’re going to continue to lose OHV opportunity. In my opinion, any manufacturer who produces a muffler louder than 96 decibels should have it banned.”
National organizations are also pressuring OHV users to stay vigilant when it comes to vehicles with legal sound levels. “The AMA is starting to enforce current sound levels at motocross events and races,” says Ehnes, “In addition, some publications are starting to acknowledge that new technology renders the old belief that ‘loud equals high performance’ untrue.”
So, if loud pipes don’t necessarily mean more power, can threaten our right to ride on the trails we love, and serve only to showcase OHV users in an unflattering light, why do we tolerate them? Sooner rather than later, the sound issue will reach critical levels, and then we may not have the luxury to police ourselves. By encouraging our friends and riding companions to get their vehicles sound checked, and by obeying current regulations, we can help to reduce criticism of off-highway vehicles, and prevent legislation that will reduce our riding areas.
Finally, if reading this has sounded like a call to action; you’re right. If you’re concerned about the future of OHV use, please get involved. Just a friendly comment to friends and other users is a great place to start, but if you’re looking for a more formal way to get involved, please contact the organizations listed below for more information. See you on the trail.
OHV Organizations:
• San Bernardino National Forest Association (SBNFA)
http://www.sbnfa.org
• California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA)
http://www.corva.org
• National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC)
http://www.nohvcc.org
• Tread Lightly!
http://www.treadlightly.org
• Team Quietbike
http://www.Quietbike.org
The OHV Education Outreach Program is one of 6 programs managed by the San Bernardino National Forest Association. The mission of the program is to deliver an outreach program emphasizing ethics, safety, and interpretive educational information to all public land visitors and community residents, with a primary focus on motorized recreation. The San Bernardino National Forest Association http://www.sbnfa.org exists to support the USDA Forest Service in carrying out its mission of caring for the land and serving people, and to bring people, partners and funding resources to important forest projects. SBNFA is a 501 (c) 3, nonprofit organization primarily funded by grants, sponsorships and private donations.
Date: October 13, 2005
Contact: Benjamin vonDielingen
OHV Education Outreach Coordinator
San Bernardino National Forest Association
PO Box 350
Skyforest, CA 92385