Florida OHV Workshop will be offered May 1-4, 2006

The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) in cooperation with the Florida Division of Forestry, Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Office of Greenways & Trails, Lee County Parks and Recreation, and USDA Forest Service will conduct an Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Management Workshop at the Hilton-Ocala, Ocala, Florida on May 1-4, 2006.

The purpose of the Workshop is to conduct an educational forum on off-highway vehicle recreation management for Florida local, county, state and federal land management decision makers, recreation planners, resource specialists, and leadership representatives from OHV recreation and other stakeholder communities.

The Workshop objectives are to:

• Review Florida sales of off-highway motorcycles and ATVs, rider demographics, and safety training programs;

• Review general and Florida specific needs and desires of OHV and other recreation publics;

• Review current county, state and federal laws, policies, regulations and planning efforts and their impact on OHV management and development in Florida;

• Improve the development, planning, design, construction, maintenance, and management of OHV trail areas, facilities and systems in order to:

• Better meet local, county, state and federal requirements,

• Reduce liability;

• Minimize impacts and improve conservation of natural and cultural resources,

• Reduce conflict between recreational, community and environmental interest groups;

• Better meet the needs and desires of the OHV and other recreation publics; and

• Expand partnership development between the OHV recreation publics, communities and land management agencies.

The Workshop will consist of classroom instruction and field exercises. In addition, optional Tread Lightly! Master Tread Trainer, ATV Safety Institute ATV Rider Course certification classes and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Dirt Bike School will be offered on May 1, 2006.

Registration packets will be available in February. Registration is required and limited to 100. For further information regarding the workshop please contact Chris Reed at 352-489-5267or reedj1@doacs.state.fl.us, or contact Jack Terrell at 863-984-9294 or jackterrell@tampabay.rr.com.

The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council is a non-profit educational foundation. For information regarding NOHVCC and its workshop program visit www.nohvcc.org.