Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

MANY adventures await you!!

VA4WDA Fall 2016 Edition

The Official Publication of the Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association

Fall 2016

Middle Peninsula Jeep Association Inc. hosted the 2016 VA4WDA

Members Only Ride at the Cove in Gore, VA May 13 to 15!

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Letter from Jesse L Schneirla, VA4WDA President

VA4WDA Members,

It’s that time of the year when you take the

family for a vacation to the beach, the mountains or

to just visit realities. I hope that during the summer

months you get to enjoy some seat time and explore

some of the public lands available in Virginia. I can’t

stress enough the wonderful trails in the Thomas

Jefferson/George Washington National Forrest on the

west end of the state. I have been going there for

many years and haven’t touched 1/10 of the trails.

We here at VA4WDA have been actively

working with the National Forrest Service on

projects to offer more to the wheeling enthusiasts.

We are looking at a few projects to help maintain and

even open some more trails and obstacles in the

coming years. And again we are always looking for

those volunteers to assist with these efforts. More to

come on this in the following months.

The 24th Annual VA4WDA Trail Ride is just

around the corner. The registration opened at noon

on the 15th of July as advertised and was sold out at

1pm on the 16th of July. 25 hours! There are still

spots on the “Waiting List” to sign up and maybe

someone will drop out and you will be picked to fill

in. As a note, those that have a spot and can’t make it

please contact me for a refund as these are not

transferable and will not be honored at the event if

sold.

This event is the single most money maker to

support VA4WDA and has been for many years. The

raffle prizes are showing up daily for many of the

wonderful sponsors that help us out year after year.

Plus we are getting to know our UPS and FedEx

drivers on a first name basis. It’s almost like having

Amazon Prime! We are going to have several

vendors this year at the event and maybe some

special guests to talk to everyone Saturday night. We

might even have a can or two of Amsoil Lubrent and

a few Winderstickers to hand out!

There are several other association, club, and

business member events on the calendar that I highly

recommend attending. From fishing trips, to floating

down the James River, to Beach Cleans, to Trail

rides and more. Please look at the calendar in this

newsletter for more.

I hope everyone has a safe and productive

summer and gets that wheeling rig out and dust it off.

See you on the trails,

Jesse

Letter from Sandy Schneirla, VA4WDA Vice

President

Tread lightly!®

Travel Responsibly: Stay on designated roads and

trails, Go over not around obstacles to avoid

widening trails, Cross streams only at designated

crossings, Avoid wet and muddy trails

Respect the Rights of Others: Respect private

property owners and other recreationists, Leave gates

as you found them, Yield right-of-way to those

passing you

Educate Yourself Before You Go: Plan your trip,

Obtain maps and area regulations, Know how to

operate your equipment safely, Attend an OHV

safety course and a Tread Lightly! Ethics course

Avoid Sensitive Areas: Such as meadows and

wetlands, Stay on designated routes, Protect wildlife

habitat, Don’t disturb historical or archaeological

sites

Do Your Part: Model appropriate responsible

behavior, Leave an area better than you found it,

Properly dispose of waste, Minimize your use of fire,

Avoid the spread of invasive species

Don’t let your access disappear. Let lands be open to

the public because of you. Respected Access is

Open!

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Land Use Update Paul Gilbert, Land Use Coordinator

I will attend another meeting with the Rangers in the

next couple of weeks. They want to do something

with Camp Run. It’s a free camping area. Unsure of

the utilization of the camping area. It’s just a hole in

the woods with a port-a-potti. The Forest Service is

looking to save money, possibly close it or move to a

different area. Ranger Burdge said they were having

problems with the shooting range being vandalized.

Second Mountain has damage to the gates near the

private property. People have been driving around

gates and 1 gate was torn down.

Bald Mountain applying for a grant for the 19 miles

of ATV trails in that area. Challenge areas to be

added. The Rangers want the VA board to go up and

help decide where the challenge areas would be best

located.

Open Position in VA4WDA

We are looking for someone to take on the

Newsletter Editor position. If you have a knack to

design and produce newsletter media and more, we

need you.

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

NCBBA News: New Off Road Vehicle Ramp 63 Opens on Ocracoke Island: Outer Banks Group Superintendent David

Hallac is pleased to announce that Ramp 63 is now open on Ocracoke Island. With the construction and

completion of the new off-road vehicle ramp, additional access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s beautiful

beaches are available for visitors to explore. Ramp 63 is the last of four

new off road vehicle ramps completed in the past two years. In addition, the Inside Road connecting Ramps 44

and 49 was completed in 2015. For additional information about off road vehicle beach driving at Cape Hatteras

National Seashore, please visit us athttp://nps.gov/caha and http:// facebook.com/capehatterasns.

Accessing Cape Point By Joe Darling, Hatteras Island District Ranger:

“Can I walk in the water to Cape Point?” Currently Cape Point is reduced in size due to erosion and flooding.

Temporary wildlife closures extend into the ocean, encompassing the shoreline. Because of this, the shoreline is

closed. If one were to walk the closure boundary closest to ramp 44 they would need to stay 75 meters into the

ocean to stay outside of the nesting bird closure. And 30 meters off the tip of Cape Point in the ocean to stay

outside of the nesting bird closure. Currently there is no legal or safe way to access Cape Point by walking in

the water.

“Can I walk outside the park boundary?” One would have to stand in deep water the entire time depending on

time of day and tide cycle. Whatever actions one undertakes outside of the park’s boundaries that affect the

wildlife in temporary wildlife closures in the park are subject to various federal regulations. They would be

violating federal regulations if they became tired and needed to walk onto the beach (into the closure).

Temporary wildlife closures and buffers are in place to protect federally listed species, species of concern, and

other wildlife at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Business Member Uwharrie Off-Road Training Center

Club Rides Get your club or organized group together to have a full day ride at BIG CREEK. We will guide you through, showing the

best of the types of trails your group is looking for. Rocks? Hill Climbs? Winching? Challenging or Easier Trails? BIG CREEK has what your club wants or needs! We can be hands-on or hands-off.

We can arrange -Games, Quests, Catered Food, Camping and more! Price is $40 per 4WD (10 minimum and 30 maximum) for a day long trail drive.

Basic Training Join our 4WD-101 class which has proven to be very popular! This class sells out weeks in advance! http://nc4x4.com/forum/threads/july-30-2016-uortc-4wd-101-training-uwharrie-nc.120275/

Also check out our 6-Hour Winch Class that focuses on 4WD winch recovery! http://nc4x4.com/forum/threads/nov-12-2016-uortc-6-hour-winch-and-recovery-class-workshop-uwharrie-nc.173175/

All our classes are great for beginners and experienced drivers alike! Advanced 4WD Training At BIG CREEK we have designed these trails with training in mind! We use this trail system on a regular basis to train

Civilians and the US Military proper off-road driving skills. Tight, technical and challenging; these trail were made for training. We have an open grass field for larger group instruction and specifically designed 'Winch Hills' with recovery

training of utmost importance.

We are flexible with BIG CREEK We are flexible in how we may be able to help you. If you have an idea of a use for BIG CREEK feel free to ask us, we

might just say yes! For more pictures and information check out our Facebook page - www.Facebook.com/BIGCREEKTrail LIKE us on Facebook! Tread Lightly! is what we are about and mandatory at BIG

CREEK! BIG CREEK is managed by (UORTC) Uwharrie Off-Road Training Center, LLC.

For More Information contact Scott Fields (336) 906-1644 uwharrie4w@aol.com

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

We want to welcome our newest Business Members:

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

UFWDA Annual Meeting 2016 Highlights July 28 starting at 8:30 pm EST, 16 attendees, adjourned at 10:30 pm EST

*President = Tom Mandera, Vice President = Steve Egbert, International Vice President = Peter Vahry,

Treasurer = Bob DeVore, Director of Public Relations = Jim Dixon, Director of Environmental Affairs = Jerry

Smith, Director of Membership = Richard Hiltz, Business Director = Ray Stanley.

*Awards: Jack Edwards Memorial – no nominees, Environmental Fourwheeler of the Year – no nominees, Four

Wheeler of the Year – Jeff Dozier.

*Considering an annual yearbook of the Voice in hard back with advertising opportunities.

*Environmental Affairs – Jerry stated the lack of interest from local clubs to report land use issues, he gave the

stats for what his club has done over the last year.

*Partnership with ORBA – nothing discussed.

*Financials – operating in the black.

*4WD Awareness Program – the VP chairs this class.

*International News – Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia are members.

*Delegates Reports – VA, WI, and MT gave reports from their state associations.

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

*New Business – national goals and programs – nothing was discussed.

Calendar of Events

Aug 13-14: Summer Slam – Gore, VA. Benefits the Gore Volunteer Fire Dept (GVFD).

www.bigdogsoffroad.com Aug 21: CCFW Annual Float Trip on the James, sun-up until 3:00, between the ramps at Cartersville and

Westview, fundraiser for VA4WDA

Aug 25-28: Ocean City Jeep Week. http://www.ocjeepweek.com/

Sept 9-11: Main Jambo - Gore, VA. Benefits Humane Society, SPCA and Animal Rescue Centers. Virginia

State Rock Crawling Championship by JH. www.bigdogsoffroad.com Sept 16-18: 24th VA4WDA Annual Trail Ride hosted by Tidewater Fourwheelers,

https://www.facebook.com/va4wdaAnnualTrailRide/

Sept 22-25: 3rd Annual OBX Jeep Mutiny, Longboards Grill. 5-10 Thursday,

https://www.facebook.com/events/1531769267139921/

Oct 1: Tidewater Broncos Carova Beach Clean, MP 21, 9-4, https://www.facebook.com/Tidewater-Broncos-

113355705368748/

Oct 15-16: Capital City Surf Fishing Tournament, Meetings at Fessenden Center, Buxton, NC,

https://www.facebook.com/events/117593702013719/

Oct 15-16 Fall Crawl and RCPFA - Gore, VA. Benefits the Gore Volunteer Fire Dept (GVFD).

www.bigdogsoffroad.com

Oct 15: MPJAI, Jeep Festival, Marquis Parkway Shopping Center Williamsburg, 11-4,

https://www.facebook.com/events/1738755956395959/

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P.O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association P. O. Box 6612 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 “Serving Virginia’s four wheelers”

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