Difference between revisions of "Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA)"

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==Disclaimer==
 
==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.
 
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 15:11, 1 April 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]

Image 1. Hollister Hills SVRA located in San Benito County, California. [1]

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:

Environmental Issues

Image 2. Erosional features caused by trails in Hollister Hills SVRA. Image from GoogleEarth.

OHV use can affect soil, vegetation, wildlife, air and water quality, and overall watershed function. 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
  • Sedimentation, high turbidity, and pollution in aquatic ecosystems
  • Decreased air quality from dust and combustion by-products

Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Practices

In 2006, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and California State Parks updated the 1991 Soil Conservation Guidelines and Standards for OHV Recreation Management, to include the use of a trail erosion rating system, maintenance of OHV trails, and annual monitoring of trail erosion. The updated standards led to expansion of [[Best management practices (BMPs)|best management practices (BMPs) in the park to reduce erosion and prevent transport of sediment out of park boundaries.[1] Some BMPs used by the Hollister Hills SVRA include the use of detention basins for capturing sediment eroded from trails and hydrologic monitoring to ensure no sediment is transported outside of the park.

Environmental Monitoring

The SVRA conducts dust and sound studies, and has contracted [California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB)]] to conduct annual detention basin surveys, hydrologic monitoring, and trail erosion studies. The reports can be found here.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 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
  2. California State Parks. 2020. Hollister Hills SVRA. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1179
  3. California State Parks. 2020. Hollister Hills SVRA. http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1179
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lee E. 2020. off-road paradise. https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29942
  5. 5.0 5.1 TMS Parts. 2019. The History of dirt biking and motocross. https://blog.tmsparts.com/history-of-dirt-bikes/
  6. 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. 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
  8. Lazaroff C. Date unknown. Off-road vehicles create conflict in California. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2001/2001-03-09-06.html

Link

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.