Passport to Texas

Recreation: Off Highway Vehicles and Nature Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since the creation of the Texas Off Highway Vehicle program 6 1/2 years ago, Texas Parks and Wildlife has worked with communities and nonprofit groups to identify and develop safe and legal venues for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts to utilize. Steve Thompson manages the program for the agency.

21—The OHV program at Texas Parks and Wildlife tries to create or improve existing OHV venues that have legal access to the land; that have common sense rules about park patron safety; that promote the safe and responsible use of the vehicles themselves; and have rules that manage the park in a way that protects the cultural and biological resources of the park.

Most of us spend time in the natural world to distance ourselves from urban realities—such as the seemingly unending drone of traffic. Therefore, the sounds made by two and four wheeled motorized vehicles rolling through a state park or natural area may seem unappealing. This is something taken into consideration when developing an OHV site.

25—One of the national best practice standards for OHV recreation is the limit on sound. The National standard for sound emitted from an OHV is 96 decibels. Every recreational use from public lands comes with some impact. And it needs to be managed in a way that protects the resource and the other folks that share it. And sound is an important issue; and we try to minimize sound by having standards like the 96 decibel limit.

Find additional information about Texas’ OHV program on the Parks and Wildlife website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.