ORV Management Practices Manual: Strategy 1

Strategy 1.	Educate Visitors to Adopt Low Impact Practices
Tactic 1.1	Promote Selection and Use of Resistant Routes
Purpose	Prevent or reduce resource damage by educating ORV riders in the selection and use of the most resistant routes based on vegetation and substrate characteristics.
Description	Research and monitoring data, in addition to ORV rider experience, is consulted to identify resource characteristics that contribute to resistant ORV routes. These characteristics are communicated to all visitors, who apply them to select and use resistant routes and to avoid travel in areas more sensitive to disturbance.
Costs to ORV Visitors	Low-Moderate. Receptive visitors lose some freedom to select and use preferred routes.
Costs to Management	Moderate. Information must be developed and communicated to all visitors. Printed material may not be sufficient, requiring either courses or development of a slide show or video.
Effectiveness	Low-Moderate. Visitors may not learn or apply the recommended low impact route selection practices.
Comments	This tactic is likely to be most effective in remote areas that receive light visitation and where many alternative routes exist.

Strategy 1.	Educate Visitors to Adopt Low Impact Practices
Tactic 1.2	Promote Adoption of Low Impact ORV Use Practices
Purpose	Prevent or reduce resource and social impacts by developing and communicating low impact ORV use practices.
Description	Research and monitoring data, in addition to ORV rider experience, is consulted to identify ORV use practices that will reduce ORV resource and social impact (e.g., drive slowly to avoid spinning mud out of ruts or be courteous and give a wide berth to other Preserve visitors).
Costs to ORV Visitors	Low-Moderate. Receptive visitors loss some freedom if they adopt recommended practices.
Costs to Management	Moderate. Information must be developed and communicated to all visitors. Printed material may not be sufficient, requiring either courses or development of a slide show or video.
Effectiveness	Low-Moderate. Visitors may not learn or apply the recommended low impact practices. Most effective for specific practices that riders are not aware of. Communication focused on the representatives of larger organized groups can increase compliance and reduce implementation costs.
Comments	This tactic is applicable to all vehicle types and areas. Practices can be developed to address the following issues: ORV equipment, riding behavior, extraction of stuck vehicles, control of wildfires (smoking/campfires), control of exotic flora and fauna.

Strategy 1.	Educate Visitors to Adopt Low Impact Practices
Tactic 1.3	Promote Actions that Reduce Visitor Conflict
Purpose	Prevent or reduce conflict between ORV riders and other riders and non-ORV recreationists.
Description	Consult with different groups of BICY recreationists to identify sources of conflict. Describe and communicate actions and practices that will reduce conflict.
Costs to ORV Visitors	Low. Visitors retain freedom to adopt or disregard recommended actions.
Costs to Management	Moderate. Information must be developed and communicated to all visitors.
Effectiveness	Low-Moderate. Visitors may not adopt the recommended actions or change their riding practices. Communication focused on the representatives of larger organized groups can increase compliance and reduce implementation costs.
Comments	This tactic may help to identify and publicize issues that ORV riders may be unaware of but would be easily resolved through relatively small changes in their riding practices.

Strategy 1.	Educate Visitors to Adopt Low Impact Practices
Tactic 1.4	Require Attendance at an ORV Low Impact Workshop
Purpose	Prevent or reduce resource damage by developing and communicating low impact ORV use practices.
Description	Attendance at a one-day course on ORV use and low impact practices is required in order to obtain an ORV permit. Tour or trip leaders might also be required to attend courses and communicate certain information to their passengers or clients.
Costs to ORV Visitors	Moderate. Visitors must attend the course in order to obtain a permit.
Costs to Management	Moderate. Course content must be developed and the course must be offered several times each year. ORV organizations and riders could participate in developing and teaching the course or even assume responsibility for it.
Effectiveness	Moderate. Personal communication has been shown to be more successful than printed messages.
Comments	Possibly the only effective method for communicating difficult or complex information (such as the selection of resistant routes) and for teaching good judgement in selecting and applying the best low impact practices. Course could initially be offered on a voluntary basis.