TELL CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE OF THE OCOTILLO WELLS STATE VEHICULAR RECREATION AREA.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE FOR THE AREA

BAKERSFIELD, CA (MARCH 07, 2010) –California State Parks is updating the General Plan for the Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). A General Plan is a broad based policy document that establishes a long-range vision and goals and provides direction on future types of improvements, services and programs for the park. It also provides a decision-making framework for the future that is consistent with the goals and vision of the park but flexible enough to allow for changing conditions over time.

A project website has been created to provide information and maximize opportunities for stakeholders to provide input and feedback on the development of the general plan. The website includes a visitor survey. We encourage everyone who uses this park to go to the website (www.planocotillowells.com) and take the survey. In addition ORBA has a template comment letter posted on our website (www.orba.biz)that you can e-mail directly to California State Parks.

Click Here To Send The Letter >>

TELL THE BUREAU OF LAND (BLM) IN SOUTHERN NEVADA THEY NEED A COMPREHENSIVE OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV) RECREATION PLAN AS PART OF THEIR LASTEST PLANNING EFFORT

BAKERSFIELD, CA (FEBRUARY 25, 2009) –The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is revising their 1998 Las Vegas Resource Management Plan. A Notice of Intent was filed and they are currently taking public comment until February 28, 2010. The area managed by the BLM Las Vegas office has some of the most diverse and highly prized off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation opportunities in the country.

OHV recreation is a huge economic driver in southern Nevada. The BLM has the opportunity, through this planning process, to help grow OHV tourism in their area by providing more and higher quality OHV opportunities. We need to encourage the BLM to do this by submitting comments during the scoping process.

We have prepared a special email that you can send directly to the BLM with your name attached so that they can instantly receive your comments and views on this matter.

Click Here To Send This Letter >>

KING OFF-ROAD RACING SHOCKS HOLDS SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING RAFFLE FOR ORBA AT THEIR “KINGDOM PARTY” AT THE 2010 KING OF THE HAMMERS RACE.

BAKERSFIELD, CA (FEBRUARY 16, 2010) –On Wednesday night February 10, 2010 King Off-Road Racing Shocks held a” Kingdom Party” in the Pirate 4x4 tent at the 2010 King of The Hammer Race. In honor on the worlds toughest one-day off-road race King transformed the Pirate 4x4 lounge into the ‘Kingdom Party” tent. A live band started jamming at 8pm and fabulous prizes were raffled off in between sets.

Proceeds from the raffle were donated to ORBA. We would like to thank King Off-Road Racing Shocks, the King of the Hammers promoters, Pirate 4x4 and the generous companies that donated product to make this event possible. Approximately $3000 was raised to help in the effort to keep off-road areas open for responsible recreation.

THE OFF-ROAD BUISNESS ASSOCIATION (ORBA) AND THE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION, DISTRICT 37 (AMA D37) ANNOUNCE THEIR SUPPORT FOR S.2921. THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION PERMANENETLY PROTECTS OHV USE ON DESIGNATED TRAILS IN OVER 1 MILLION ACRES OF BLM LIMTED USE AREA AND HAS CONGRESS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATE FIVE OPEN AREAS IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA AS OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV) AREAS.

BAKERSFIELD, CA (FEBRUARY 12, 2010) –On December 21, 2009 U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced S.2921 the California Desert Protection Act of 2010. After careful analysis of all aspects of this bill both ORBA and AMA D37 are going on record as supporting the bill in its current form. This legislation creates two new National Monuments, new Wilderness areas, sets citing guidelines for renewable energy projects and gives five BLM open areas in San Bernardino County, CA official Congressional designations as OHV areas.

Both organizations worked closely with the Senator’s staff to ensure that casual OHV use, as well as organized events would continue within both of the proposed National Monuments. In the proposed Wilderness areas the Senator’s staff worked with many individuals and OHV organizations to come to a compromise on excluding some of the high value trails. This was done to save them for future access.

Roy Denner, ORBA’s founder and former President/CEO and long-time OHV recreation advocate, succumbed September 28, 2009 following a 23-month battle with pancreatic cancer. 

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Nancy, of San Diego, California and a son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren of Lakeside, California. He is also survived by two sisters. 

Roy and Nancy were avid motorcycle riders. Roy taught his son to ride at five years of age and also taught many of his friends and their children to ride in the early 1960's. His lessons always included a healthy respect for the environment. The love of the sport continued throughout his life and he worked hard to preserve riding experiences for his grandchildren and nieces and nephews. 

Roy and Nancy became active in the San Diego Off-Road Coalition (SDORC) in the mid-1990’s. Roy joined SDORC’s Board of Directors and was its Director of Land Use for several years. He was a member of the California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC), and the DAC’s representative on the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) ISDRA Technical Review Team. In 1999 Roy was named OHV Volunteer of the Year by the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Roy also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Off Road Impact in 2008. 

In 2001, Roy and Nancy formed the Off-Road Business Association, a nonprofit trade association of businesses in the OHV recreation industry. It remains the only organization of its kind in the country to this day. 

Roy worked tirelessly for the protection of OHV recreation. His passion for and dedication to our sport was beyond compare. He will be sorely missed.

DON EMDE OF DON EMDE PUBLICATIONS, INC, GREG ADLER OF 4 WHEEL PARTS AND STEVE MYERS OF INTERNATIONAL RACING CONSULTANTS (IRC).

BAKERSFIELD, CA (July 08, 2009) –Recently the ORBA board of Directors voted to add three new members: Don Emde of Don Emde Publications, Inc, Greg Adler of 4 Wheel Parts, and Steve Myers of International Racing Consultants. “We are honored to have such well known industry professionals offer to serve. In these economically challenging times it is easy to let land use issues fall onto the back burner. I am encouraged that these professionals understand the importance the issues and are willing to volunteer their time to help,” stated Cory Hove, Chairman of the Board.

California residents are urged to call their representatives and members of the Budget Conference Committee to ask them to not take money out of the OHV Trust Fund to operate CA State Parks where OHV use is NOT allowed.

PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BE HELD ABOUT POSSIBLE MARINE EXPANSION INTO JOHNSON VALLEY OHV AREA

National OHV Organizations Hold Land Use Forum in Conjunction with SEMA Show