COMMISSION

Introduction
California is the nation’s leader in management of OHV recreation as a sustainable activity.
California State Parks, through its OHMVR Division, has worked for over 40 years to
establish management practices that reduce or prevent damage to the environment from
OHV activity. Through management of OHV areas and by partnering with other local, state,
and federal land managers, these principles have been applied to a statewide system
of OHV recreation opportunities where visitors can fully enjoy California’s spectacular
outdoors.
The OHMVR Program is carried out through two basic components. The first is a system
of nine State Vehicular Recreation Areas (SVRAs) that provide motorized recreational
opportunities on approximately 145,000 acres of State Parks’ owned and managed lands
dedicated to OHV recreation and related uses. The SVRAs are managed to ensure public
safety, protect sensitive natural and cultural resources, and mitigate conflicts between
various recreation advocates.
The second component is a grants program providing financial assistance to local, state,
and federal agencies as well as Native American tribes, nonprofits, and educational
institutions. Along with the SVRAs, OHV opportunities on federal and other lands are an
essential element of the OHMVR Program and comprise approximately 80 percent of the
OHV recreation in California. This critical financial assistance enables these agencies to
implement sustainable, environmentally responsible OHV recreational opportunities. Funds
are also available to counties and local communities affected by OHV uses and impacts
that require management, regulatory action, education, or law enforcement.
The OHMVR Division works to ensure that quality recreational opportunities remain
available for future generations by providing for education, conservation and enforcement
efforts that balance OHV recreation impacts with programs that conserve and protect
cultural and natural resources.
The OHMVR Program is supported entirely by user fees and taxes, with no direct state
General Fund support. The OHV registration fees, SVRA entrance fees, and fuel taxes paid
by OHV enthusiasts pay for the OHV program. OHV recreation is a family-friendly activity.
Participants share a love and appreciation of the outdoors, enjoy connecting with nature
through OHV recreation and other non-motorized recreation, and volunteer their time to
conservation projects in their favorite recreation areas.
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California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission