Difference between revisions of "Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA)"
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| − | The Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) is located just south of the City of Hollister in San Benito County, California (Image 1). The park became a designated SVRA as part of the | + | The Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) is located just south of the City of Hollister in [[San Benito County]], California (Image 1). The park became a designated SVRA as part of the [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&division=16.5.&title=&part=&chapter=1.&article= Chappie-Z'Berg Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Law] as a state-wide effort to reduce the negative environmental impacts of OHV riding.<ref name="SmithEtal2016">Smith D, Chow K, Luna L. 2016. Six year summary of watershed studies at Hollister Hills State Recreational Vehicle Area: Fall 2010-2016. The Watershed |
Institute, California State Monterey Bay, Publication No. WI-2016-12, pp 94. http://ccows.csumb.edu/pubs/reports/CCoWS_HHSVRA_Summary_Fall2016_170111.pdf</ref> | Institute, California State Monterey Bay, Publication No. WI-2016-12, pp 94. http://ccows.csumb.edu/pubs/reports/CCoWS_HHSVRA_Summary_Fall2016_170111.pdf</ref> | ||
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**[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-wheel_drive Four-wheel drive vehicle] training for local agencies | **[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-wheel_drive Four-wheel drive vehicle] training for local agencies | ||
| − | ==Environmental Issues | + | ==Environmental Issues & Sustainability Practices== |
| − | + | OHV use can affect soil, vegetation, wildlife, air and water quality, and overall watershed function<ref name="OurenEtal">Ouren D, Haas C, Melcher C, Stewart S, Ponds P, Sexton N, Burris L, Fancher T, Bowen Z. 2007. Environmental effects of off-highway vehicles on Bureau of Land Management lands: a literature synthesis, annotated bibliographies, extensive bibliographies, and Internet resources. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1353/report.pdf</ref> Specific environmental effects include<ref name="OurenEtal"/><ref>Lazaroff C. Date unknown. Off-road vehicles create conflict in California. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2001/2001-03-09-06.html</ref>: | |
| + | *Loosening/removal of topsoil and soil compaction | ||
| + | *Gullying/erosion (Image 2) | ||
| + | *Increased severity of [[Landslides]] | ||
| + | *Reducing vegetation cover through: | ||
| + | **Crushing/breaking | ||
| + | **Diminished plant growth from soil compaction | ||
| + | **Disrupting photosynthesis from dust | ||
| + | **Permitting encroachment of invasive plant species by reducing native plant cover | ||
| + | *Wildlife disturbance through: | ||
| + | **Reduced habitat/habitat fragmentation | ||
| + | **Noise pollution | ||
| + | **Vehicle/animal collisions (Image 3) | ||
| + | *Sedimentation, high turbidity, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems | ||
| + | *Decreased air quality from dust and combustion by-products | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | To protect and sustain natural landscapes from unrestricted OHV use, the [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&division=16.5.&title=&part=&chapter=1.&article= Chappie-Z'Berg Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Law] was signed in 1971, and | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ===Environmental Monitoring=== | ||
| + | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Disclaimer== | ||
| + | |||
| + | This page may contain students's work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of [[CSUMB]], its staff, or students. | ||
Revision as of 14:06, 29 March 2020
The Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) is located just south of the City of Hollister in San Benito County, California (Image 1). The park became a designated SVRA as part of the Chappie-Z'Berg Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Law as a state-wide effort to reduce the negative environmental impacts of OHV riding.[1]
Contents
History
The Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) began as 600 acres of privately owned land purchased by Jesse Whitton after an expedition through the area with John C. Fremont in 1846.[2] In 1959, Jesse Whitton's great grandson, Howard Harris, inherited the land and created a privately operated motorcycle park in the 1950s.[3][4]
Off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation became increasingly popularized in the 1970s through the onset of dirt bike and motocross racing,[5] and the desire to ride motorcycles off paved roads surged.[5] Unmanaged and unrestricted OHV use began raising environmental concerns, resulting in recognition of the need for designated spaces for regulated OHV recreation.[4][6] In 1975, the Hollister Hills SVRA was acquired by the California State Parks and became the the first of nine SVRAs in California.[4]
Park Amenities
The park encompasses 6,800 acres of land and a total of 152 miles of trails, 128 of which are designated for OHV use only.[4] A map of all trails within the SVRA can be found here. While the park is popular for its OHV trails, it also provides several other amenities and recreational opportunities including:
- Hiking, biking, and equestrian riding trails
- Motocross tracks
- Camping
- Special events including:
- Weddings
- Film shoots
- Four-wheel drive vehicle training for local agencies
Environmental Issues & Sustainability Practices
OHV use can affect soil, vegetation, wildlife, air and water quality, and overall watershed function[7] Specific environmental effects include[7][8]:
- Loosening/removal of topsoil and soil compaction
- Gullying/erosion (Image 2)
- Increased severity of Landslides
- Reducing vegetation cover through:
- Crushing/breaking
- Diminished plant growth from soil compaction
- Disrupting photosynthesis from dust
- Permitting encroachment of invasive plant species by reducing native plant cover
- Wildlife disturbance through:
- Reduced habitat/habitat fragmentation
- Noise pollution
- Vehicle/animal collisions (Image 3)
- Sedimentation, high turbidity, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems
- Decreased air quality from dust and combustion by-products
To protect and sustain natural landscapes from unrestricted OHV use, the Chappie-Z'Berg Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Law was signed in 1971, and
Environmental Monitoring
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smith D, Chow K, Luna L. 2016. Six year summary of watershed studies at Hollister Hills State Recreational Vehicle Area: Fall 2010-2016. The Watershed Institute, California State Monterey Bay, Publication No. WI-2016-12, pp 94. http://ccows.csumb.edu/pubs/reports/CCoWS_HHSVRA_Summary_Fall2016_170111.pdf
- ↑ California State Parks. 2020. Hollister Hills SVRA. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1179
- ↑ California State Parks. 2020. Hollister Hills SVRA. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1179
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lee E. 2020. off-road paradise. https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29942
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 TMS Parts. 2019. The History of dirt biking and motocross. https://blog.tmsparts.com/history-of-dirt-bikes/
- ↑ Cordell H, Betz C, Green G, Stephens B. 2008. A national report from the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE). https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/IrisRec1rpt.pdf
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ouren D, Haas C, Melcher C, Stewart S, Ponds P, Sexton N, Burris L, Fancher T, Bowen Z. 2007. Environmental effects of off-highway vehicles on Bureau of Land Management lands: a literature synthesis, annotated bibliographies, extensive bibliographies, and Internet resources. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1353/report.pdf
- ↑ Lazaroff C. Date unknown. Off-road vehicles create conflict in California. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2001/2001-03-09-06.html
Disclaimer
This page may contain students's work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.
