Off-Highway Vehicle Workshop Collaboration

We’re excited to announce the rescheduled collaborative learning process that includes a series of public workshops designed to discuss a set of important issues related to OHV recreation in the Black Hills region. These public engagement workshops are the revised and rescheduled events originally planned for August/September of 2021 – and postponed due to COVID-19.  In February 2021 the Black Hills National Forest hosted a two-day stakeholder and partner OHV Summit to listen to concerns and hear about OHV issues. 

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) management challenges are well defined and are clearly understood by the US Forest Service, State and County authorities.  

These workshops are a way for our Black Hills communities to come together to work on issues highlighted during the February 2021 OHV Summit and focus on specific and realistic solutions to improve the recreation experience for visitors and residents. To be effective, the ideas and management plans must be implementable, and partners and stakeholders alike must be committed to working together.

Most issues discussed at the OHV Summit fell in to five broad themes.

Themes:

  1. OHV use compliance and law enforcement
  2. OHV road and trail system design and engineering
  3. OHV user engagement, education, behavior and how to improve the general situation building on tread lightly and ride responsibly
  4. Developing a successful, long-term strategy for stakeholder/partner and public engagement
  5. Collaborate across all political and ownership boundaries on solutions

Workshop Objectives:

  1. Assemble a strong coalition of interested stakeholders to work in a positive, realistic manner to improve OHV recreation for everyone in the Black Hills region.
  2. Hold a series of topic specific workshops to address the 5 themes identified at the February OHV Summit. 
  3. Build a framework for a Black Hills National Forest OHV Strategy for Success.
  4. Leverage public/stakeholder input on OHV recreation for the revision of the Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan).

 

Each set of workshops is offered three times targeting the OHV Summit themes and will be held at locations across the Black Hills region in the hope of involving as many interested partners and stakeholders. The workshops will be held in the evening from 6 – 9 PM to maximize the ability of the public to participate. 

 

The first round of workshop meetings will all cover themes 1, 2 and 4 as well as setting the stage for an OHV Management Plan:

1. OHV use compliance and law enforcement

2. OHV road and trail system design and engineering

4. Developing a successful, long-term strategy for stakeholder/partner and public engagement

Plan to attend one of the following first round offerings:

  • March 15  - Rapid City, SD at the Holiday Inn (Rushmore Plaza 505 N 5th St.) from 6-9 PM; doors open at 5:30
  • March 16 - Spearfish, SD at the Black Hills State University Joy Center from 6-9 PM; doors open at 5:30
  • March 22 - Virtual Offering of this meeting using ZOOM meeting platform. This session will be held from 6-9 PM online.

 

The second round of workshop meetings will cover theme 3 and 5 and refining the OHV Management Plan framework:

3. OHV user engagement, education, behavior and how to improve the general situation building on tread lightly and ride responsibly

5. Collaborate across all political and ownership boundaries on solutions

Plan to attend one of the following second round offerings:

Second Round Workshop Agenda & Flyer

  • April 5 -  Hill City, SD at the Hill City High School Commons from 6-9 PM; doors open at 5:30
  • April 6 - Canceled - Due to forecasted inclement weather, the OHV Collaboration Workshop planned for Wednesday evening (April 6, 2022) in Sundance, WY at the Crook County Administrative building has been canceled.
  • April 12 - Virtual Offering of this meeting using the ZOOM meeting platform –

 

OHV Public Engagement Zoom Meeting

April 28, 2022, 6-8 p.m. (Virtual)

Agenda

To Join the Zoom Meeting, click on this link close to 6 p.m. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88606294092

Meeting ID: 886 0629 4092

The purpose of this meeting is to disclose agreements and commitments made by organizations that participated in the OHV implementation meeting on Saturday April 16, 2022 in Rapid City, SD.

 

Documents