As an OHV user, I support expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

OPINION – Growing up in Northern California, it was easy to enjoy the outdoors – hunting, fishing, and beachcombing were typical weekend activities. As the son of a motorcycle enthusiast, I found my way into off-highway vehicle recreation at a young age and never looked back. Still, I don’t just rely on the outdoors for recreation. It’s where I built my business and where I have served my community by advocating for sustainable OHV use and helping with post-wildfire recovery and response efforts.

That’s the beauty of the great outdoors: they offer something for everyone. That’s why I’ve always felt so strongly about our responsibility to give back to the communities and public spaces in which we gather. It’s why I took my previous role as the Chair of the CA State Park Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission so seriously, and why I’ve dedicated myself to expanding access to responsible recreation.

It’s also why I got involved in the 2015 push to designate Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, and it’s why I’m committed to the current effort to expand the monument. I was thrilled to join over 200 members of the community at a recent community meeting held by officials from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). I was honored to be one of the 75 attendees who spoke at the meeting, all of us unanimously in support of expanding the monument.

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument stretches from Napa County in the south to Mendocino County in the north and encompasses over 330,000 acres of public lands. Perched on the eastern border of the monument is Molok Luyuk or Walker Ridge. It’s a popular destination for hikers, bikers, campers, and OHV recreationists like myself. A broad coalition of folks like me is asking the President to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include this important area.

I’m advocating for the expansion of the national monument for two key reasons. First, I want to see these public lands permanently protected for all our children and grandchildren. Without these protections, we run the risk of losing such spaces for recreation for good. My passion for motorcycles and offroading was passed down to me by my father. I love seeing young people get interested and enthusiastic about spending time outdoors. This next generation is on my mind when I’m advocating for places like Molok Luyuk.

Second, the expansion will help ensure that Molok Luyuk is managed as part of the overall Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Molok Luyuk is directly adjacent to the monument and is part of the same landscape. These lands should get the same care and attention that the monument gets.

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management and the Mendocino National Forest announced a new manager for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Looking ahead, one of her responsibilities will be to develop a management plan for these public lands and gather input from the public on many topics, including things like recreation access for OHV users. I would like to see Molok Luyuk included in this planning process.

I always tell my fellow OHV users that we all benefit from good management of public lands. We can engage in the process to ensure that more people can enjoy these lands responsibly. We can advocate for increased public access and expanded networks of authorized off-road trails. We can work to protect these lands both for now and for generations to come.

I urge my fellow OHV users to join the growing coalition of community and Tribal leaders advocating for the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Then, I’ll see you out on the trails enjoying this special place.

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years. Don writes from his home in Cottonwood, CA.