Notes from the last meeting
the April 30, 2008 meeting of the Florida OHV Recreation Advisory Committee in Brooksville. The committee advises to the Florida Division of Forestry on the management of the OHV Recreation program and reviews and evaluates all grant applications for funds from the OHV Trust Fund. Since 2002 the State of Florida has issued almost 250,000 off-highway motorcycle and ATV titles and deposited approximately $7,000,000 to the OHV Recreation Trust Fund. However, OHV titles issued in fiscal year 2007-2008 are down approximately 25% compared to the previous fiscal year.
This year the Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Program received 19 applications (totaling over $1,500,000) from public agencies and nonprofit organizations for grant funding. Approximately $700,000 in grants will be awarded to OHV recreation projects in fiscal year 2008-2009. The top ranked projects were: Baker County ($72,000 for OHV park planning & engineering), Polk County ($112,169 to purchase land for OHV park), FL-4H ($50,712 for training of ATV safety instructors) Baker County ($200,000 for construction of trails), Dade-Collier($72,000 for site plan for OHV trails at TNT airport), Withlacoochee State Forest ($33,380 for training shelter at Croom), and Big Cypress NP ($151,771 for parking and restroom at trailhead).
This year’s legislative budget contains a $1,400,000 line item to purchase land for an OHV area adjacent to Whiting Field (Naval Air Station) in northwest Florida (near Pensacola/Milton). Money from the OHV Recreation Trust Fund would be used for this purchase.
It is likely that the Legislature will raid the OHV Recreation Trust Fund to make up for shortfalls in the next fiscal year.
The Ocala National Forest is implementing the second phase of a Designated Trail System. It will be identified and marked this year.
The Apalachicola National Forest will issue a final motorized trail map later this year.
There was discussion about expanding the definition of OHV to include a new category for RTV / UTV machines such as the Rhino, Mule, etc. This would require legislative action to revise Florida Statutes.
The following developments were reported:
A private group has approached the City of Homestead to develop an unused baseball park complex (Built in 1992 for the Cleveland Indians) into a MX/SX/riding area.
Collier County has closed its temporary riding area and is now working with Miami-Dade to see if they can open a joint facility at the TNT airport complex off Highway 41.
A private group is proposing an OHV park in Polk County near Indian Lake Estates (off Highway 60 near River Ranch). This is in addition to the OHV park in the planning stages south of Mulberry.
The new OHV website (
www.floridaohv.com) is up and running. It contains much-needed information about laws, regulations, places to ride, upcoming meetings, etc.
The next OHV Advisory Committee meeting is July 29th in Tallahassee.
