Membership,

Please click on the link provided to access the minutes from the CORVA Annual Meeting on May 03 held in Visalia, CA. We had a wonderful Annual Meeting. Our special guest speakers were amazing. We truly appreciate their time they took out of their busy schedule to join us.

After the special guest speakers, we took a break for lunch. We returned from lunch and announced all the CORVA Award winners. Congratulations to all the award recipients.

We had our CORVA Board Elections. Congratulations to all the returning board members as well as newly elected and appointed. Thank you to (3) board members for their years of service. Bruce Whitcher, Lyndol James and Mike Moore. We appreciate all the time and sacrifice you gave to this Association. Thank you.

Mike Moore gave us a recap of the last fiscal year. We went over the past and upcoming expenses.

The board had a special meeting last month where I was given permission to retain and hire an attorney for CORVA. We discussed the bylaw proposals. His recommendation is to withdraw the proposals and conduct a full rewrite.

The day ended with the BOD meeting in Executive Session. The BOD returned from Executive Session and stated the meeting was regarding the Managing Director Contract. The board voted to terminate the contract with the vendor of services Managing Director, per contract Article 7, section 7.01 with a 30-day written termination notice to Access of All, LLC.

We appreciate all the years of work from Amy Granat. We wish her the best in her future land use advocacy efforts. A RFP, Request for proposal for a CORVA Land Use Consultant will be coming out soon.

Sincerely,
Mike McGarity
President,  CORVA

Notice: CORVA Board of Directors next  meeting will be June 23, 2025 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm via zoom. The zoom link and proposed agenda will be sent out to membership, posted on the CORVA webiste and social media the Friday prior to the meeting. 

Dear Membership,

This is a special message from the CORVA President, Mike McGarity to the CORVA Membership. I have proposed (4) Bylaw Proposals for you, the membership to vote on.

The first proposal is adding an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I don’t know when CORVA would consider hiring an Executive Director, but I believe CORVA should have the position in the bylaws so in the future we have that option. At some point CORVA should consider having a paid employee overseeing and conducting the day-to-day operations of CORVA.

The second bylaw proposal is to change the title of Managing Director to “LAND USE CONSULTANT”. The Land Use Consultant is an Independent Contractor. The contractor determines the method, details, and means of performing the services outlined in the contract. CORVA shall have no right to, and shall not, interfere with or control the manner or determine the method of accomplishing Contractor's services. My recommendation to the Board of Directors and Membership would be that the services of the Land Use Consultant should not include the day-to-day operations of CORVA. The consultant should not be checking the mail, processing memberships, answering CORVA emails, contacting members, controlling the CORVA database, setting up or overseeing the CORVA board emails, business cards, etc.. The Land Use Consultant should solely be working in coordination with the Vice President of Education, promoting education including wise-use of natural resources, safety awareness, trail etiquette, stay-on-trails concepts, etc. Interface and be the contact with outside agencies and organizations that may be involved in other education programs and activities. Work to increase awareness of CORVA to clubs and entities (Tread Lightly!) with a stake in motorized access issues. Submit monthly written reports to the President and BOD. Coordinate and regularly communicate activities with the Vice President of Land Use and Public Policy for issues pertaining to land use, and with the President and BOD all other activities as needed. Submit an article to every ORIA concerning land use advocacy.

The third bylaw proposal is hiring an ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT which would be a paid employee position due to the importance of being able to direct them to accomplish day to day tasks of running CORVA. I do not know when we, the board, will want to hire this employee, but we should have it in our bylaws for if or when that time comes. 

The fourth is our SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT. We currently have a Social Media Consultant hired, so I want that Independent Consultant position to be in our bylaws.

Bylaw Proposals 2025:

ARTICLE XVI

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Section 1

The Board of Directors may hire an ED, Executive Director. The ED is the senior-level executive responsible for the overall management and leadership of CORVA. The ED reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the organization, overseeing day-to-day operations, and ensuring the organization’s goals and objectives are met. The ED is appointed and hired by the Board and must be skilled, informed, and motivated to do their part to advance the organization’s vision. 

Section 2

To ensure a high level of productivity, the ED must display the following qualities: 

• Consistent leadership to inspire the Board, volunteers, members and others in the organization to perform their roles with confidence from receiving guidance and coaching from the ED.

• Versatile communication skills to help all stakeholders understand their tasks and the state of active projects.

• Represent CORVA in attending meetings that align with the goals and objectives of the organization.

• Represent CORVA with State representatives and politicians as directed by the Board.

• Attend all CORVA sponsored events and Off-Road Events as directed by the Board.

• Previous experience in a leadership position in the Off-Road, Off Highway Vehicle field or a similar industry.

• Ability to focus and make progress toward goals, deadlines, and the formation of strategic plans.

• Perform duties and responsibilities as directed by the Board.

ARTICLE XVII

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Section 1

The Board of Directors may hire an Administrative Assistant to assist in the overall management and day to day operations of the Association.. 

Section 2

This position will assist the Board of Directors in maintaining membership database; order / reorder business cards; manage all CORVA email forwarded; facilitate requests for event insurance; assist and prepare for BOD Meetings, events; including Annual Meeting. Assist in planning, preparing, organizing all CORVA events; receive, sort and forward all CORVA mail; maintain and monitor CORVA business phone messages. 

Section 3.

Perform duties and responsibilities as directed by the Board. 

ARTICLE XVIII

MANAGING DIRECTOR LAND USE CONSULTANT

Section 1: The Board of Directors may designate a Managing Director  Land Use Consultant to be employed contracted by the Association and shall fix his/her compensation.

Section 2: The duties of the Managing Director Land Use Consultant shall be those designated by the Board of Directors. 

ARTICLE XIX

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT

Section 1.

Consultant will post weekly on Instagram and Facebook at least 3 posts per week encouraging people to become a member; post at least 5 business sponsors which include their business to be mentioned and tagged per week. Promote and encourage members to attend events that CORVA supports. Promote our online store displaying our merchandise and products at least 3 times per week; post content on the California Off Road Vehicle Association IG and FB pages. The content will be a mix between posts and videos.

Section 2.

The duties shall be those designated by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XX

BY-LAWS AMENDMENTS

A. Bylaws changes will be reviewed by Board of Directors before being submitted to the

Supporting Membership for final approval.

B. Suggested by-law change(s) may be submitted to the Board of Directors by any

Supporting Member, any member of the Board of Directors, or by a committee established for that purpose. The Board of Directors will convene within forty-five (45) days upon receipt of requested by-law changes. The Board will either:

1. Recommend approval of the suggested change(s); or,

2. Remain neutral on the suggested change(s); or,

3. Recommend rejection of the suggested change(s).

In either case, the suggested change(s) to the by-laws will be submitted to the Supporting Membership for final approval. The Board of Directors will append a summary to the suggested change(s) summarizing any action the Board has taken regarding those changes.

C. The proposed changes will be published on the CORVA website and the newsletter and/or emailed to the Supporting Members no less than forty-five (45) days prior to the time of the meeting which is to consider the change. Supporting Members will have 30 days from the time of notification to submit their vote by way of email Submission email address will be included in the notification. Submission of votes may also take place at the location of the Association Annual Meeting if the proposed changes are scheduled to be voted upon at that meeting.

D. Those by-laws changes require a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Supporting Members represented at that meeting to pass.

E. The by-law changes will go into effect when the new by-laws are posted on the CORVA website.

Proposed Bylaws were sent to membership via email and posted on website on April 14. Per our bylaws, the membership has (30) days to vote via email.

Please copy and paste the following in an email:

Vote: Yes or No:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: ___

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: ___

LAND USE CONSULTANT: ___

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT: ___

Email to: MEMBERSHIP@CORVA.ORG no later than May 14.

If you are voting on behalf of your club. Each club member (in good standing) counts as 1 vote. Please attach your signed CLUB PROXY FORM.

The Board of Directors will have the results on June. 23 at the BOD Monthly Mtg. which aligns with the minimum (45) days prior to the time of the meeting to consider the change. Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Mike McGarity
President, CORVA

California Off-Road Vehicle Association

Due to a scheduling conflict, the CORVA monthly meeting date has been changed.

We will combine our Nov. and Dec. monthly meetings due to the various holidays.  It will be on Dec. 16, 2024 at 7:00pm.  Elections for the Northern and Southern Regional boards will be held during the meeting. 

We will combine our Nov. and Dec. monthly meetings due to the various holidays.  It will be on Dec. 9, 2024 at 7:00pm.  Elections for the Northern and Southern Regional boards will be held during the meeting. 

Please note change in starting time!

The CORVA October Monthly ZOOM Meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2024 at 6:00pm. 

The September CORVA monthly ZOOM meeting is September 23, 2024.  It starts at 7:00pm.

The August CORVA monthly ZOOM meeting is Aug. 26, 2024.  It starts at 7:00pm. 

The CORVA July monthly ZOOM meeting is July 22, 2024.  It starts at 7:00pm.

The June CORVA monthly meeting will be on June 24th.

CORVA: Keeping Public Land Open FOR The People, and Not FROM The People

Reference Document

• SWRCB Comment Letter - Barton.pdf
  

California Natural Resources Agency

The Department of Natural Resources released a new Climate Change Policy, called "California's Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets ": https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Expanding-Nature-Based-Solutions/Californias-NBS-Climate-Targets-2024.pdf. This is the follow-up to the 30x30 Initiative, because the Natural Resources know that they are close to reaching the 30x30 targets. If Natural Resources acutally considers all the citizen-based conservation reports that have been submitted to be calculated, the stated goals for the 30x30 Initiative would have be met. At this point in time, the CNRA considers 24.41% of the total landmass of the state to be conserved. To keep the conservation efforts moving forward DNR has now defined the next steps as part of the Climate Targets document (linked above). For OHV access, the problems lie with the last goal listed on page 4; " Reducing soil disturbance and removing invasive species in deserts protects existing carbon stores and builds resilience to climate impacts, such as wildfire, drought, and flooding." Increasing targets are identified starting in 2030 through 2045 to achieve carbon neutrality. The preparation of the document was mandated by statute (AB 1757 2022) but the actions associated with the policy are not currently mandated by statute. Expect a bill to be introduced next year that will incorporate the proposals in the document and when passed. ORVLC's lobbying group, the Smith Policy Group, has included CORVA in a group generally opposed to the criteria in this document and serving as a watchdog group. We find ourselves working together with like-minded individuals in the hunting and sportsmen's community. The pertinent question to ask is how the state will afford the dramatic changes called for in the new report, With a budget deficit growing by the day, the ability of the state to pay for any additional climate solutions has greatly diminished. Cal MAtters has delved into the issues in the following article; California climate programs would lose billions in Newsom's budget. Legislators are looking to introduce a November bond measure to help fund programs that will not be funded or will see cuts in the Governor's budget. Two months ago, Cal Matters reported that California is not on track to meet the current climate mandates: https://calmatters.org/environment/climate-change/2024/03/california-climate-change-mandate-analysis/.

Part of the proposed solutions include continuing to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, which is being done by the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. Read the May Report to the Governor here: https://wildfiretaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/WFR_May_2024_GovUpdate05_07.pdf. Most of the work undertaken with this task force doesn't affect OHV opportunities, and may actually help remove dead and dying trees from our campground, trails and areas. The central California forests, including the Sequoia, Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests, have been greatly affected by bark beetles, an infestation that was exacerbated during the drought years. The next meeting of the Task Force will be held in Sacramento on July 12th, and I plan to attend in person.

CNRA supported the recent presidential proclamations expanding both the Berryessa Snow National Monument and the San Gabriel National Monuments by a total of 120,000 acres. The addition of over 105,000 acres to the San Gabriel National Monument will require a new management plan, but since a management plan has not yet been finalized for the Berryessa Snow National Monument, this land will be added to the developing plan. The Governor's press release about the additions to the National Monuments: national-monument-expansions-bring-california-closer-to-conservation-milestone/.

Central Valley Water Board

The Central Valley Water Board has issued new proposed regulations for non-point source pollution management for recreation activities on Forest Service lands. This is a continuation of a proposal from 2011, and I've attached the comments CORVA helped develop at that time. These will be used to inform the comments for the current proposal. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/forest_activities/federal_lands/

Department of Parks and Recreation

On May 15th and 16th the OHMVR Commission met for a tour at Oceano Dunes SVRA and a meeting at the South County Regional Center in Arroyo Grande. Sincere thanks to Misty Sanders for letting me ride in her Jeep and experience her amazing driving skills, and for Shea Sanders for his excellent company. Bruce Whitcher joined us at the meeting on Thursday, and CORVA was well represented. The recording of the meeting can be found here: https://cal-span.org/meetings/OHMVR/The state discussed how the park has achieved the goals in the Stipulated Order of Abatement, with Gary Willey, Executive Director of the SLO County Air Pollution Control District speaking to the attendees of the tour. There's no question that the conditions at Oceano Dunes SVRA are some of the most complicated and heartbreaking of any issues facing OHV recreational access in California. Friends of Oceano Dunes understands the issues from the inside out, and represents the community and passionately conveys the frustration of off-roaders at every opportunity. There are possibilities that were presented during the tour, including reopening the bird exclosure seasonally, and restoring access to the area to off-roaders for 5 months out of the year, from October 1 to March 1. This is currently being analyzed. There are no plans for any additional closures, but experiencing how the vegetative islands have changed travel in the dunes is sobering. There are many questions that the state still needs to answer, including excess expenditures and lack of sufficient camping areas.

The next OHMVR Workshop and Meeting will be held in the San Diego area. The 3rd OHV Safety Summit will be held on July 31st, and will be a noticed OHMVR Commission workshop, which means that all the commissioners may attend. The OHMVR Commission meeting will be held the following day on August 1st. Currently the workshop and meeting is planned for the Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Spa: Marriott Coronado Island. Until this meeting is noticed, however, the hotel is subject to change. I will inform the board should any changes be considered. The next OHMVR Commission meeting and tour is currently planned to be held near Carnegie SVRA, as the Carnegie General Plan should be completed and ready for a vote by the OHMVR Commission. This is one of the few responsibilities left for the commission. CORVA made substantive comments on the Carnegie General Plan. The final plan should be released to the public prior to the commission meeting.

The funding for the OHV Trust Fund Grants has been restored in the Governor's May Revise, released May 10th. Originally, only $1 million was allocated for the grants; now an additional $29 million has been added for a total of $30 million in available funding. Public comment on the proposed grants was closed on May 6th, and the intent to award will be announced in early June. The Recreational Trails Program Citizen's Advisory Group will be meeting in June. Bruce Whitcher and I are both members of the RTP Committee where I have served as vice-Chair for many years.

The OHV Trust is in trouble, as revenues continue to fall. At one time, the OHV Trust Fund was flush with funds, but since the pandemic years, gas tax revenues have been lower. Approximately 83% of the revenues in the OHV Trust Fund come from the percentage of gas calculated to be used while engaging in off-road activities. It is a percentage of the total gas taxes collected by the state, transferred into the OHV Trust Fund. There was a bill passed in 2012 (Simitian) that mandated that $83,333 must be redirected from the OHV Trust Fund and instead be deposited into California's General Fund, for a total of $10 million a year. This was done during the recession years when 70 parks were proposed for closure because of the lack of funding, and it has continued until today, regardless of the fact that State Parks are now well funded by SB1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. The OHV Trust fund does receive approximately $1 million from SB1 as well, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to state parks funding. In the beginning of 202 before the pandemic CORVA presented an expose about the misuse of funds from the OHV Trust Fund because of the mixed districts. Non-OHV State Parks are not correctly reporting the percentage of time they either engage in non-SVRA activities or reimburse the fund for borrowed equipment from SVRA's. Now that we know the problem, we can continue addressing the problem.

The week of May 17th there was a fatality at Carnegie SVRA of a well-known motorcycle designer and builder. It appears that he passed away from natural causes. The Redsticker Season has ended at all the SVRA's. Next year at this time there will no longer be a red-sticker season, as all pre-2022 redsticker bikes can be ridden year round in all areas of California. There are no new closures at any of the SVRA's.

Forest Service

The OSV plan has been released for the Tahoe National Forest to much disappointment from the snowmobile community. I have met with Deputy Regional Forester/Recreation Jody Holzworth about the OSV plan, and we are looking at continuing conversations that also include board member Kevin Bazar. Kevin and I are also coordinating on OSV signage that will be installed in California forests that have completed their OSV Travel Management Plans. We are also working with Jody Holzworth on a proposed OHV Recreation Roundtable to increase communications between off-roaders and the Forest Service. I have also met with Statewide OHV Coordinator Jamie Fields, and will continue conversations about expanding OHV access on Forest Service land. The Forest Service is going to institute a travel prohibition starting in July 2024, which will eliminate the ability for Jamie to travel and get to know us better, so we will have to use Zoom and Teams to keep engaging the agency.

The Inyo National Forest has released the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Coyote Flat OHV Area. It's an interesting plan, and I participated last night in the Zoom meeting the Forest Service held explaining the proposed plan. It calls for restoring some areas, and closing a couple of trails due to recent endangered species listings: Coyote Flat OHV Area Recreation Enhancement Proposal. The inyo works very closely with a large group of OHV volunteers that do maintenance work in the forest. From the Zoom meeting, it was unclear whether the local community supports this proposal in its entirety, CORVA will work with local members and submit substantive comments.

BLM

The new BLM Conservation Rule: BLM Conservation Rule has significant opposition. HR 3397, which would require the Director of the BLM to withdraw the conservation rule, passed the house on a vote of 212 - 202 on APril 30th, 2024. Undoubtedly, the rule will be taken to court, with the Cattlemen's Association so far leading the way, according to my information. I have an upcoming meeting next week with Shane Garside, the Acting OHV Statewide Coordinator.

Legislation

Please see the latest bill tracker here: ORVLC Bill Tracker.

The competition bill, SB 708 (Jones) is set for a hearing on June 11th at the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee. ORVLC will submit a letter in support.

SB 903, a bill proposed to eliminate PFA's in California and opposed by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association has died.

Important Dates

May 28th: Recreate Responsibly California

May 28th: CORVA BOD Zoom Meeting

May 29th: SEMA California Legislative Rally webinar

May 29th: OSV Signage meeting, Tread Lightly!

May 31st: Meeting BLM OHV Coordinator, Shane Garside

June 5th: SEMA California Legislative Rally

June 6th: BLM Northern California Resource advisory Council Meeting

June 17th: Washington OHV Meeting

June 18th: Carnegie Advisory Meeting

Amy Granat
Managing Director
California Off-Road Vehicle Association
Granat.amy@gmail.com