Off-Highway Vehicle Access Project

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Exploring the Future of New Facilities

The Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Access Project is a state initiative led by the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) Strategic Planning and Recreation Services Division, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division, and OHMVR Commission to identify new opportunities for additional OHV facilities in California as mandated by Senate Bill 155 (SB 155). The three key directives from Senate Bill 155 include:

• Prioritizing properties that have the potential to serve large urban areas such as the Bay Area and Central Valley.
• Offering potential new opportunities for OHV recreation and for motorized access to nonmotorized recreation activities.
• Considering areas within existing State Parks and Recreation Areas, as well as other public lands.

About the Where We OHV Effort

The OHMVR Program within State Parks is managed to provide sustainable OHV recreation while conserving and protecting the environment, cultural, and natural resources. To learn more about how State Parks manages State Vehicular Recreation, visit the OHMVR Program webpage and PRC §5090.35.

The State Parks OHMVR Divisions is overseeing the Where We OHV efforts, which started in November 2022 and are currently in the first phase of this process. The efforts have focused on conducting public outreach and gathering ideas regarding where to expand OHV facilities.

What’s Been Happening: Public and Agency Engagement

Over the last year and a half, State Parks has conducted three in-person listening sessions and four in-person visioning workshops across the State. We have also conducted two online surveys to allow the public the opportunity to provide input and share ideas regarding potential sites that State Parks could consider adding to the OHV recreation network.

In addition, State Parks has begun reaching out to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to explore potential partnering opportunities and identify any additional factors the State Parks OHV team should keep in mind when assessing the suitability and feasibility of specific OHV facilities.

Originally, it was envisioned that stakeholder meetings would be held early on in the first phase of this process. However, due to the initiative's evolving nature and to make discussions more productive, stakeholder meetings are now planned for future phases, and after the regions where new facilities will be added have been narrowed down and more detailed discussions about options for potential sites can occur.

What We’re Working on Now: Identify Focused Regions to Expand OHV Facilities

This current effort will produce a report with comprehensive data analysis from many sources that will meet the criteria in SB155. The report is anticipated to be available in Winter 2024 and will highlight issues and gaps in motorized recreation access in the state and outline actionable goals and recommendations. The data includes:

• Public and stakeholder input.
• An analysis of existing OHV recreation.
• Socio-economic data to identify underserved populations.
• Mapping federal and state natural and cultural resources, critical habitat, and other areas to avoid.
• Potential State Park and State Recreation Area units that may support some additional motorized vehicle access.
• Potential areas to consider additional motorized access.

The accompanying planning tools will be invaluable in assisting State Parks in identifying potential sites for expanding or developing new OHV facilities and pinpointing general regions for future OHV improvements.

These resources align with the Department's mission and have been designed to be flexible, allowing State Parks to establish priorities, concentrate efforts and resources on achievable outcomes, and enable the team to act when new opportunities arise.

The graphic below illustrates the Where We OHV process, how we’ve been engaging with the public, and what we’ve been talking about at each step in identifying and selecting new facilities and sites.

What’s Next: Future Efforts - Identify Partnerships and Specific Sites

It is anticipated that in Winter 2024, State Parks will start the second phase of the process to identify and evaluate specific sites that may be suitable for new OHV facilities. The process will include additional consultation with partner agencies to discuss potential sites that may be available, working internally within State Parks to review existing state park properties, and conducting outreach to stakeholders to gather feedback about the potential sites.

Upon completion of the second phase in Summer 2025, State Parks will prepare a final report that identifies specific sites that are suitable and can accommodate new or expanded OHV facilities. The report will be approved by State Parks Executive Staff and presented at the following OHMVR Commission meeting for feedback.

WHAT’S NEW?

Try out our new OHV Existing Conditions Map tool. You can use this interactive map to find out where OHV recreation opportunities exist in the state. It includes related amenities such as trail systems, camping and staging areas, and more!

KEEP IN TOUCH!

We encourage you to periodically check this webpage and sign up for email notifications for future project updates and other opportunities to participate.

Join our mailing list!
Sign up to receive project updates and upcoming engagement opportunities

Questions or comments?
Email us at: OHVAccessProject@parks.ca.gov.

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