SideXSide Action - January 2008 - (Page 24) t was an offer we could have refused. When Jesse Jurrens from the Top 50 Rally Park approached the Off-Road Riders Association (ORA) with the prospect of helping plan and staff his upcoming Black Hills UTV Rally, many of us didn't even know how to spell "UTV." Primarily a dirt bike and ATV club, the relatively new UTV had not yet caught on. But Jesse knew the UTV would soon be the fastest growing market segment, and demonstrated his Legend Air Rideequipped Polaris RZR to the club during their 4th of July "Freedom Ride." Needless to say, he got our attention! While in Black Hills we ran across “ORA” and learned about their dedication to offroad riding in South Dakota. By Troy Hall JOIN THE CLUB I The ORA was created 16 years ago by a small group of dirt bikers trying to prevent environmentalists from closing a riding area in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. The environmentalists claimed a plant species called Barr's Milk Vetch only grew in the area, and if off-roaders weren't locked out this plant would surely perish forever! As it turns out, Barr's Milk Vetch grows in many areas and isn't especially rare at all. But in 1991, this fact was not widely known. The claim forced federal land management agencies to examine the situation and consider the area. It also forced off-road enthusiasts to get organized. A meeting was held November 27, 1991 and the Off-Road Riders Association was born. In its first year of existence, the ORA prevented over 50,000 acres of land in the Railroad Buttes (Farmingdale, South Dakota) area from being unnecessarily closed. The ORA began creating relationships with the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. We put up signs and installed cattle guards and gates to prevent uninformed riders from leaving gates open and upsetting cattlemen. In the Victoria Lake area of the Black Hills, a joint USFS/ORA team set an efficiency record that's still talked about today. A hill was badly eroded from 4x4s trying to climb it. The Forest Service estimated the project would take them three weeks to complete. But under the direction of three USFS engineers, 60 ORA volunteers carried logs and steel posts up the steep hillside, drove the posts into the ground, set the logs in place, and shoveled dirt and rock against the logs to divert runoff. How long did it take? Less than one hour! There's power in numbers and in teamwork, and it was this philosophy of hard work and dedication that got Jesse's attention. The ORA has a reputation for promoting a positive, long-term future for the Black Hills off-road community. We encourage safe riding practices and cooperation with other motorized and non-motorized users of the forest. We are currently working with land managers, communities, and businesses to help develop the federally mandated travel management system in the area. With nearly 4000 miles of trails in our inventory, Jesse knew we could lead his guests on some of the best in the hills. And the club's ability to work with the Forest Service meant the event permit could be accomplished in time. After all, the club’s off-road poker runs are legendary in the area—this event would just be on a slightly larger scale. and we picked up a few more members along the way. We learned a lot of lessons that will help make next year's event even better. Most importantly, we learned what a great group of people the "over 50” (inches) crowd is, and that they have a place in our club and on our trails. As the UTV rider numbers continue to grow, we welcome them and work hard to represent them. In fact, we are already involved with planning the Black Hills UTV Rally for 2008--you can be sure, next year will be even more fun and rewarding for all! In the end, of course we took Jesse up on the offer--and helped to make the first-annual Black Hills UTV Rally safe, secure, and fun for everybody. Since the club works hard to educate the participants on safety and proper "trail etiquette," the Forest Service counted on rally-goers being on their best behavior. By all accounts, everybody followed the rules and still had a good time. We all agree that the rally was a success--and Jesse presented the club with 25% of the proceeds (and all of the entry fees from the rodeo events) Check out more information at: www.offroadriders.org and www.blackhillsutvrally.com 24 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE Would you like to see your local ATV/UTV club featured in this section? Send your club’s story and photos to: cody@pgimedia.net SHOW YOUR UTV CLUB PRIDE! http://www.offroadriders.org http://www.blackhillsutvrally.com http://www.blackhillsutvrally.com
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