OHV program announces mechanized trail crew, safety trainings and e‑motorcycle outreach

Wade Allinson, OHV Program Manager with the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, briefed the council on operational initiatives intended to improve trail maintenance and rider safety. He said the program is hiring a seasonal worker assigned to Fish Lake Forest to read trail counters along the Paiute ATV Trail and that a mechanized trail crew will be based in Richfield to prioritize repair of fire‑damaged trails on Monroe Mountain and the Paiute systems.

Allinson described safety and education efforts now in development. In‑person side‑by‑side and motorcycle safety training courses are being prepared; one planned live course in Carbon County will provide full‑face helmets to participants. The Division will also coordinate a 20‑person Forest Service chainsaw certification class and is launching a March–April public education campaign targeting unregistered e‑motorcycles (e.g., Sur‑rons) to clarify that they are subject to OHV laws even when operated on city pavement. These items were presented as program updates; no formal council action was taken at the meeting.