The Pennsylvania Trailrider

The Pennsylvania
Trailrider
The Official Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania Off Highway Vehicle Association
PAOHV Newsletter Fall 2010
Summer of Excitement…
By Dick Lepley
Executive Director
Those are the only words that came to mind when
I sat down at the laptop to bring my focus to the blur of
activities PaOHV has been involved in over the last few
months. Much of what we are working on will serve to
help define the future of motorized recreation in Pennsylvania. Here is a sampling:
1. The Board discussed and approved our new PaOHV
Frontline “67” Vanguard Program. Effective with this
edition of the Newsletter, PaOHV is looking for “67”
OHV activists…one in each of the sixty-seven counties in Pennsylvania. The individuals we select will
be the Association’s eyes and ears across the State,
and will help us move motorized recreation down the
trail. Read the full details in Don McClure’s Frontline
article.
2. PaOHV supporter Wayne Yahn of the Central Mountains ATV Association and PaOHV Directors Lee and
Roeg Williamson have worked long and hard to create more riding opportunities in the Centre County
Region. The DCNR has committed to needed repairs
and construction to the system and PaOHV will escalate its support of this project. The trails at Bloody
Skillet and this part of central Pennsylvania in general, represent some of the finest riding opportunities
in the State. We all need to push for increased activity
in this region.
3. PaOHV is all about creating a synergy between partners and the recent Fisher’s ATV re-union at Rock
Run is a prime example of how that works. Attendance was up considerably this year and we felt it was
important to support PaOHV member Representative
Gary Haluska and the folks at Rock Run. Andy Krape
of Central Pa. ATV Association joined the staff members from Steve Seltzer Honda to get out the PaOHV
message. Rock Run, Central PaATVA, and Steve Seltzer Honda…PaOHV members all…working together
to move our sport down the trail.
4. Late last Spring, I learned of an incredible project in
Northumberland County. After a couple of phone
calls, I met Pat Mack and Kathy Jeremiah who work
out of the County Planning office in Sunbury. Conversations with Pat and Kathy led to a mid-July
PaOHV board meeting in Shamokin which also
provided us with the opportunity to ride a representative portion of this six-thousand acre county owned
gem. Representatives from Valley Forge Trail Riders,
Lehigh Valley ATV Association, and Back Mountain
Enduroriders were present. This included Bob Connor, Jack Clark, and George Fetterman et al. PaOHV
has continued to provide support to the project and
will continue to do so as the process evolves. This
includes hosting one of the internationally acclaimed
National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
(NOHVCC) Workshops on October 19. You can be a
part of this exciting program. Read all about it in this
issue.
There are great things happening with PaOHV and I
appreciate your support. Get out on the trail. Get all of
your buds to join PaOHV! This is a numbers game and
the guy with the most marbles wins. That needs to be us.
PaOHV, NOHVCC Sponsor OHV
Workshop October 18
PaOHV and National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation
Council (NOHVCC) will jointly host a NOHVCC OHV Recreation
Management Workshop on October 18 in Shamokin, PA. The
workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Masser’s Banquet Hall, which is
located at the corner of Routes 61 & 487 in Paxinos, PA.
The purpose of the workshop will be to conduct an educational forum on off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation management for county,
state and private land management decision makers, recreation planners, resource specialists, law enforcement personnel, private property
owners, leadership representatives from OHV recreation, and other
stakeholder communities. This Workshop will bring together national
OHV leaders from across the country to provide attendees with the
tools needed to create a world class and environmentally sustainable
parks like the Northumberland County facility, which will benefit the
local region and Pennsylvania in a multitude of ways.
Workshop objectives will include suggested improvements for
development, planning, design, construction, maintenance, and
management of sustainable OHV trail areas, facilities and systems.
The workshop will address the following: 1) methods to foster compliance with local, county, state, and federal requirements; 2) to
minimize the impact on conservation and improve conservation of
natural and cultural resources; 3) to reduce conflict between recreational, community and environmental stakeholders; 4) to better
meet the needs and desires of OHV and other recreation stakeholders; and 5) to reduce liability. The workshop will cover techniques to
increase tourism, promote local economic development, and provide
education opportunities for the culture and heritage of the area.
Further details and conference registration can be found at
www.nohvcc.org. The cost is $15.00 per person. Registration is
required.
Critical Connector
Construction Advanced
Wayne Yahn, President of Central Mountains ATV Association, has announced that
the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources has accelerated its construction of
the ATV Trail near Orviston. DCNR intentions
were revealed in a letter to Rep. Mike Hanna (DLoch Haven). The DCNR has acted in response
to pressure brought by Rep. Hanna. Central
Mountains sought Rep. Hanna’s assistance after
years of delay in moving the projects forward.
DCNR advertised for bids to construct a truss
bridge across Beech Creek and a box culvert
across Two Rock Run on September 2.  Bids will
be opened on Sept. 30th for these two crossings. 
DCNR further stated that work has already begun
on the connecting trails to these crossings and
will continue through the fall.  The crossings are
supposed to be completed by Spring 2011, and
the trails are to be completed soon thereafter.
PaOHV applauds the vigilance of Central
Mountains on this issue. The magnitude of
Central Mountain’s accomplishment cannot be
understated. Their campaign to secure these
commitments has been one half a decade in the
making. The Bloody Skillet facility sports some
of the best riding Pennsylvania has to offer. Any
expansion or improvements to DCNR trails benefits every rider in Pennsylvania.
PaOHV will aggressively monitor the construction of these projects. There is no reason
that this facility cannot be raised to world class
status as well.
Where Have the Last Two Years Gone?
By Denny Mann, Immediate Past Executive Director
Where has the last 2 years gone? At the last PaOHV membership meeting on May 10th, Dick Lepley was elected as my successor. I have known Dick for over 10 years and know that he is a great man for the next 3 years as PaOHV
Executive Director. Dick has many ties and contacts in the motorized world because of his involvement with Blue
Ribbon Coalition and NOHVCC. I truly feel Dick will take PaOHV to the next level.
My involvement with PaOHV will remain high since Dave Marchese and I will attend the membership meetings
as the SPER Club Representative. I will also work with Bob Conner on various SCORE presentations. Our last presentation was at the Pottsville Hospital on June 9th. The future of our sport depends on improving our image and
playing by the rules. This is the foundation of the SCORE concept.
We need more riding opportunities, and the Northumberland Park is a good one. Since the DCNR refuses to
open new ride parks on State Forest land, County owned and operated parks are the next best option. The downside of privately owned land is the high cost of liability insurance and the pay to ride issue. But this is the future of
our sport and pay to ride is here to stay. The cost of maintaining and operating motorized off road facilities is high,
and owners are not getting rich. They are providing riding opportunities for the love of the sport not for the profit. It
is a huge risk when you invite riders to recreate on your own private property. These owners need our support.
In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient with me during my term as Executive Director of PaOHV. It was a learning experience and the biggest lesson has been we all need to give back to everything
we love. If we all continue to only take from it, the sport we love will end soon. PaOHV is a volunteer organization
and operates from membership funds and donations. The organization needs your work, sweat, and money to survive. So please come to the membership meetings and get involved with the process. If you are too busy, send us a
donation. The financial support will go a long way to helping us meet our goals.
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Northumberland County OHV Park
Master Plan Subject of Public Hearing
Northumberland County Planning Department project
coordinator Kathy Jeremiah stated further,“The park area,
which is over 6,000 acres in size, can accommodate a variety of motorized and non-motorized uses, including full
size 4x4’s, rock crawling, MX, ATV, and UTV use, mountain
biking, equestrian trail riding, hiking, hunting, camping,
and environmental interpretation, to name a few.”
This was the first of two public input sessions being
held during the master planning process for the park. 
The second meeting is slated for October 19.
County Commissioner Kurt Masser said, “There is a
lot of enthusiasm behind this effort and it has the potential to have a significant positive financial impact to the
County and its business community.  There are a lot of
issues to address, and a lot of planning that needs to take
place.” 
The master plan is being funded with grants from
the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department
of Community and Economic Development.  The plan
is being prepared by Pashek Associates, a Landscape
Architecture and Community Planning Firm located in
Pittsburgh and in conjunction with Pennoni Associates
of Mechanicsburg.
Northumberland County hosted a Public Input Session on the County’s proposed OHV park on July 27 at
the Shamokin Area Junior/Senior High School Auditorium.  The County has commissioned a study to develop
over 6,000 acres of County owned property to create an
OHV recreational facility.  This meeting gathered public
input relative to the development of the facility. Prior to
the meeting Pat Mack, Director of the Northumberland
County Planning Department, said “We want to obtain
input from residents of the County regarding the proposed park.  We want their thoughts and ideas on how
we can develop a world class off highway vehicle park
in the County.  With the development of this park, there
will be opportunities to create jobs and provide those
who come to visit the park with the goods and services
they desire.  The economic potential related to the development of the park is unlike anything the County has
experienced in recent years…..   We have an opportunity
to provide a facility to meet a demand that is not very
well met in Pennsylvania.  If we do this right, Northumberland County can be regionally and nationally known
as the home of one of the best parks and best places
in the United States for motorized and non-motorized
recreation.”
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7/12/2010 3:35:29 PM
Dave Miller and Bob
Connor Represent
PaOHV in
Northumberland County
PaOHV Board Member Bob Connor
and Dave Miller, President of the Lehigh
Valley ATV Association, represented PaOHV at the Northumberland County Planning Commission meeting on July 27. The
meeting (see related article) was held for
public input on the proposed OHV riding
park. Bob Connor submitted the following report detailing his observations of the
meeting.
My wife and I and five others who attended our Saturday meeting / ride were
in attendance for Northumberland’s first
public meeting regarding its proposed riding park.
Attendance total in my opinion was
150-200 mostly local people. The meeting
only lasted for about an hour. The format
was to provide information as to what
people would like the park to be.
I expected more public input, but the
speaking format required that attendees
stand in front of the entire audience. I
feel a lot of people were not comfortable
with public speaking. So, many may have
remained silent. This may have been especially true for anyone opposing this project. Out of the entire audience only about
20 voiced opinions. I would say half were
from out of the area and the rest were local.
Everyone that attended our Saturday ride
gave input.
On the positive side, I noticed lots of
shirts with motorcycle, ATV, and truck logos in the audience. Most comments were
in support of a legal and responsible park.
On the negative side, two people stated
this type of activity was a nuisance and one
other was concerned that this proposed
park would border his property.
The next meeting will be October 19.
Details about the park can be found at ohv.
norrycopa.net. My opinion is the meeting
went well, and I think the people of Northumberland will support this project.
PaOHV Present at
Fisher’s ATV Reunion
By Andy Krape
PAOHVand the SCORE program were invited to be part of the 3rd
annual Fisher’s ATV reunion held at Rock Run Recreation Park. This
3-day event usually held in August and seems to get bigger each year.
PAOHV teamed with corporate member Steve Seltzer Honda to staff
the SCORE display. Other vendors included: Yamaha, CAN-AM, Suzuki,
WARN, Gorilla-Axle, Hatfield-McCoy trails, Diamond-back, Kolpin,
Progressive Insurance, and many others.
Each day was a list of scheduled events for riders to do ranging from
skills course, mud pit, trail riding and vendor midway. Vendor midway
is set-up so that riders would get a vendor card. Participants would
visit each display and get the card filled out for a drawing at the end of
the event. Once the riders visited our area, we handed out flyers and
answered questions. Most of the day was spent on the midway, but we
always made time to squeeze a trail ride in.
Friday, Fisher’s guest was Travis “T-Bone” Turner from the hunting
show “Brotherhood”. For Saturday night’s entertainment, Fisher’s had
a special musical guest Bucky Covington who put on a great show for
the crowed. The main stage area was set for a crowed-VIP area. The rest
was nothing but ATV/UTVs measuring about a football field full. It was
a sight to see!
Sunday did not bring good news. The weather let loose and gave
us a down pour most of the day. The hard-core riders are always ready
for a challenge. That pretty much ended the weekend event. We want
to thank are corporate members Steve Seltzer Honda for promoting
SCORE and Rock Run Recreation Park for hosting the Fisher’s re-union.
PaOHV News Briefs
• Roy Brubaker is the new district forester for the Michaux State
Forest district
• The commonwealth’s capital budget bill for this year includes a raid on the Snowmobile/ATV restricted receipts account.
$300,000 is hijacked to construct a bicycle trail in the Oil Creek
State Park. PaOHV has secured an amendment to strip the restricted receipts funding. PaOHV does not oppose the trail, but
these should never be paid for from ATV funds.
• PaOHV will be seeking candidates for Finance Director, Legislative Director, and Research Director. Three year terms will begin
in January 2011. The unexpired term of Public Information Director is vacant. This term has one year remaining.
• PaOHV wants to build a collection of ATV photos for use on
the website and in publications. Send your photos and videos to
[email protected].
• Safety trainers—did you know you can advertise your classes
on PaOHV.org? Send your class schedule and fee structure to
[email protected]. This is a free service
• Want to promote an event? PaOHV.org has an events calendar. Send the details of your event to administrator @paohv.org.
Posting is free for PaOHV members.
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DCNR to Host
Trails Symposiums
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has announced
two Trails Summits for this fall and spring of 2011. Each meeting will be
hosted by local outdoor recreation and/or environmental stewardship
organizations. These sessions are intended to garner public input on the
Commonwealth’s Trails System including the motorized trail network.
The first is in the Lehigh Valley on September 30 and Oct 1 at DeSales
University. The second is at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry
Township, PA on October 22. The details for each are attached.
PaOHV seeks representation at these meetings. DCNR officials have encouraged the Association to participate in these sessions, and it is important
that PaOHV and the motorized community are represented at these meetings.
The schedule is the following:
October 12, 2010
PRPS Mini Conference – New ADA
Guidelines for Trails
Upper St. Clair, PA
Contact PA Recreation & Park Society
814-234-4272
October 14, 2010
PRPS Mini Conference – New ADA
Guidelines for Trails
Plymouth Community Center
Plymouth Meeting, PA
Contact PA Recreation & Park Society
814-234-4272
October 22, 2010
Western PA Trails Symposium
Cranberry, PA
Contact: PA Environmental Council
November 3, 2010
South Mountain Trail Summit
Carlisle, PA
November 5, 2010
Cashing in on Geocaching
PA Wilds Region
Emporium Country Club
Emporium, PA
December 2, 2010
Northeastern Pennsylvania Trail
Forum II
Scranton, PA
March 16, 2011
Laurel Highlands Trails Workshop
Ligonier, PA
PA Environmental Council
For more information contact the
PRPS office at 814-234-4272; www.
prps.org, or www.explorepatrails.
com.
Frontline 67 to
Boost Grassroots
Capabilities
PaOHV announces the formation of the Frontline “67” Vanguard
Program. This program is the Association’s new initiative to formalize its
grassroots lobbying and communications effort.
Frontline 67 will appoint 67
special OHV advocates in each of
Pennsylvania’s 67 counties to be the
eyes and ears of the Association.
Each Frontline member will alert the
Association of issues in their county
and work with PaOHV to craft responses to local issues. Advocates
will help deliver the OHV message in
their counties to state and local officials. Advocates will also be called
upon to generate membership for the
Association.
“It is a numbers game,” said
PaOHV executive director Dick Lepley, “Government will not listen to us
until we have thousands of motorized users banging on their doors.”
Details for Frontline 67 will be available on www.paohv.org soon. Alerts
on the program will be forwarded
soon.
Interested parties should direct
their questions to Dick Lepley or Don
McClure.
Rider Insurance Sponsors Trailrider for Second Year
Rider Insurance of Springfield, New Jersey continues as a Pennsylvania Trailrider
corporate sponsor. PaOHV is grateful for Rider Insurance’s support of OHV recreation
in the Commonwealth. Support the businesses that support PaOHV!
Rider Insurance is a full service insurance provider offering lines of coverage for
ATVs and motorcycles in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Indiana, Maryland,
and Ohio. Visit Rider Insurance on the web at www.rider.com or call 800-595-6393.
Note that this is a web address change.
5
Northumberland County Ride Park is Revolutionary
By Dave Miller, Lehigh Valley ATV Association President
rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y Show Spelled [rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee] adjective, noun, plural -ar·ies. –adjective
1. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change: a
revolutionary junta.
2. radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc.: a revolutionary discovery.
3. ( initial capital letter ) of or pertaining to the American Revolution or to the period contemporaneous with it in
U.S. history: Revolutionary heroes; Revolutionary weapons.
4. revolving.
–noun
5. a revolutionist.
I try to choose my words carefully and in this case I
think the word “revolutionary” precisely describes the
recent experience I had during a meeting for a proposed
ride park in Northumberland County. On July 17th,
members of the Lehigh Valley ATV Association, Inc.
were invited by Pa. Off Highway Vehicle Association to
join them at an informational meeting and orientation
for a proposed ride park.
The property belongs to Northumberland County
and the Planning Board has done considerable work to
garner support for the project. Here is a little more of
what we learned during the orientation.
The visionary behind this park is an energetic man
named Barry Yorwarth. According to Barry, the concept for this park sprouted in his mind about 14 or 15
years ago. He and other local riders who used the trails
around Shamokin grew tired of the trash dumping and
irresponsible riding they saw by many of the locals.
With the intent of creating a safe, legal and fun place to
ride, the idea of consolidating 2000 acres to organize a
ride park was presented to the County Board of Commissioners. Their response was enthusiastic and unanimously supportive. Rather than the 2000 acres Barry
hoped for, the Board started talking about 4000 more
acres! The tract the ride park will encompass now totals
just over 6000 acres.
Most of the funding has been arranged and assistance from PAOHV and DCNR and other agencies
have things moving toward a projected opening in 2011.
That is great news for trail riders of all types, including
equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers, and all varieties
of motorized users. Allow me to explain why.
Having been a member of Tower City Trail Riders
for several years and as a current member of the Reading Anthracite Company property, I can safely say after
riding less than half the proposed ride park that nothing in eastern Pennsylvania compares to this location.
Nothing! Tower City never had the quality or diversity of
trails and terrain as this proposed park does. This park,
while adjacent to some of the RAC property, is tremendously easier to navigate since it all within a defined
boundary, whereas RAC is a patchwork of locations
throughout Schuylkill County.
There are wide coal roads left over from the surface
strip mining days, there are wooded roads and trails
wide enough for jeeps and other full-size rigs in addition to ATV’s, and there are narrow trails only dirt bikes
will be able to navigate. We followed Barry in his full
size 4WD truck and his guides on an amazing variety
of terrain. The scenery in several overlooks was simply
beautiful, and there are about five different bodies of
water ranging in size up to five acres that all support
aquatic life and are used for swimming by many locals. There are piles of mine tailings and silt basins, hill
climbs and playground areas. There are numerous mud
holes, too.
The beauty is that all of it exists now before any
engineering even takes place to create some man-made
features! The park also features a unique geological
feature found nowhere else in the world known as The
Whaleback. You’ve got to do an online query to appreciate this natural wonder. It is the only one known to exist.
Other plans for the park include an information
center, a quad wash station, primitive and RV camper
areas, fishing and boating/canoeing opportunities, and
more that I didn’t get time to discuss with Barry. With
just what they can accomplish within the park’s boundaries, this area will have features to attract riders from all
over the eastern seaboard and keep recreational dollars
here in central Pennsylvania where they are desperately
needed.
There is a vast economic impact to be gained from
supporting this ride park by local residents, county officials and OHV organizations from all over Pennsylvania.
In short time, my prediction is that this park will become
a ride destination as famous as Hatfield-McCoy in West
Virginia or Tug Hill in New York, and it is right here in
our back yard!!
6
Rider Insurance Answers Your Top Insurance Questions
You know you need insurance for your bike, but what does it
all mean? Rider Insurance, a corporate member and newsletter sponsor, is here to answer your top insurance questions.
fault in an accident. It also allows you to obtain payment for
damage to your vehicle. Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if you are in an accident caused by someone who
does not have the minimum level of insurance required by
law, or who caused you bodily injury and whose insurance
coverage is not obtainable because the driver fled the scene.
Underinsured motorist coverage protects you if you are in
an accident caused by a driver who is insured but who has
too little insurance coverage to cover your injuries. If your
underinsured limits are higher than the driver’s coverage,
you can collect more to cover your damages.
Q1) How much insurance coverage does a rider really
need, and which options are best?
A1) Liability coverage pays others for damage that you
cause if you are found to be at fault in an accident. It covers
both bodily injury damages and property damage. The liability coverage that protects against bodily injuries protects
you from claims and lawsuits by people, including your passenger on your motorcycle, who are injured or die as a result
of an accident you caused. It compensates others for pain,
suffering and other personal hardships and may also pay for
some economic damages, such as loss of wages. The liability
coverage that protects against property damage protects
you from claims and lawsuits by people whose property
is damaged as a result of an accident you caused. There is
a limit to how much your insurance will protect you. The
limit is typically given as two amounts: an amount paid per
individual and an amount paid for total injuries caused to
all people in an accident in which you are at fault. In many
states Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage is
also required. However even in states where the coverage
is optional, we recommend obtaining this coverage. This
coverage allows you to obtain payment for injuries to you
caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist who is at
Q2) Do you have to have full coverage on a bike if you
have a bank loan or will liability do? At what point is it
reasonable (age of bike, etc.) to drop full coverage?
A2) Typically if there is a loan on the bike physical damage coverage is required, however it is to each lender’s
discretion. The decision to maintain physical damage
coverage is a personal decision. As a bike ages, in most
instances, it will depreciate in value. An individual must
weigh the advantage of having the coverage depending on
the rate of depreciation and the cost of the coverage.
For more information about Rider Insurance, go to www.
ridewithrider.com or call 800-595-6393. You can follow
Rider on Facebook for all the up-to-date announcements
and events.
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think again. Insurance is required on state land and
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Rider ATV and off-road insurance has bodily injury
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PaOHV Rider ad 2.indd 1
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7/12/2010 3:42:50 PM
PAOHV Board of Directors
Dick Lepley
Executive Director
Roeg Williamson
Administrative Director
Bob Connor
Research Director
Vacant
Public Information
Director
Jack Clark
Legislative Director
Mike Babusci
Assistant Executive
Director
Lee Williamson
Finance Director
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