Professionals for Managed Recreation Formed

A new group, Professionals for Managed Recreation (PMR), has been formed to promote environmentally sustainable, managed recreation.

PMR is comprised of retired land management officials who favor access for managed, responsible motorized recreation on public lands. Each of the officials has extensive experience in successfully managing off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation on a National Forest and/or Bureau of Land Management unit.

“Professionals for Managed Recreation is committed to encouraging, promoting and expanding sustainable OHV recreation through training, advocacy and on-the-ground management activities,” says the group’s mission statement.

PMR’s website is hosted by Americans for Responsible Recreational Access and can be found here: http://www.arra-access.com/arra/pmr-home.html.

“Professionals for Managed Recreation presents an opportunity to convey that with proper management, OHV trail systems can be fun, challenging, and most importantly, sustainable,” says Tom Crimmins, lead PMR spokesman and retired Forest Service official of 32 years.

Crimmins authored Management Guidelines for Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation, which can be downloaded from the PMR website for free or can be ordered from the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) http://www.nohvcc.org/. The book discusses approaches to OHV recreation management to meet both land manager and rider objectives. Topics addressed include route planning, trail design and active management, with many specific examples.

Currently, four other retired land managers join Crimmins as members of PMR.

“We have a great core of experienced land managers who have all successfully managed OHV programs on public lands,” says Crimmins. “We know there are more folks like us out there who, by definition, are retired but remain actively engaged in promoting sustainable management techniques, and we encourage them to be a part of PMR.

“Closure is not the only option for land managers dealing with OHV recreation. In fact in nearly every case responsible, active management is the real solution. Each member of PMR has experience in managing sustainable OHV trail systems and it is that experience that we would like to share.”