Great Falls, MT – The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) announced that Russ Ehnes has expressed his intent to leave his position as executive director, effective June 1, 2017.
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Ehnes, who has held that position for nearly 20 years, will be shifting gears to other opportunities in off-highway vehicle recreation, including managing the Bull Run Guest Ranch, near Great Falls, MT.
“I am still fully committed to the mission of NOHVCC and extremely proud of what we have all managed to accomplish,” said Ehnes. “NOHVCC is in a great position right now. Its mission has incredible momentum, with many positive initiatives, thanks to a large and energetic team effort by the NOHVCC staff and board of directors. The initiatives include the “Great Trails” resource book, Great Trails Workshops, trail design projects of NOHVCC Management Solutions (NMS), and our partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on its National Motorized Recreation Action Plan.
“I’m extremely proud and privileged to have worked with an incredible staff and board, who are dedicated to making the NOHVCC vision come true. I will still be involved in NOHVCC and keep contributing where the skill sets I have developed over the past 20 years can be put to good use. And, of course, I’ll remain engaged in off-highway vehicle (OHV) activism at the state and local level.”
NOHVCC will begin the search for a new executive director in the near future in order to provide a smooth transition and allow for continuity with its many OHV enthusiast, club, industry and agency partners.
Ehnes is highly regarded for his experience and leadership in promoting the NOHVCC mission, by state and national OHV organizations, as well as state and federal land managers and OHV program managers.
Dan Kleen, NOHVCC President, has worked with Ehnes on major OHV projects and many annual conferences. “On behalf of the NOHVCC staff and its board of directors, we want to thank Russ for his incredible dedication and all the hard work he has put into NOHVCC over the past 25 years. We look forward to continuing to work with him, and putting his expertise to work in the OHV community. We wish Russ the very best in his new ventures. And, as always, we look forward to riding our ATVs and dirt bikes with him on the awesome trails at the Bull Run Guest Ranch.”
Ehnes joined NOHVCC in 1992, as its Montana State Partner. He was elected to the NOHVCC board of directors in 1994, and was promoted to the executive director position in 1998. In that role, he initiated substantial changes that expanded NOHVCC’s scope and effectiveness. He solidified funding for NOHVCC by creating project and program funding systems, improved NOHVCC’s strategic planning process, and provided an expanded menu of “tools” for riders and advocates to use in their states.
His passion for OHV recreation also moved Ehnes to help NOHVCC on the educational and outreach aspects of OHV advocacy, including educating riders on how to build and maintain trails that meet riders’ needs while protecting natural resources. He has also been very dedicated to educating government and agency personnel about the principles of responsible OHV management.
In 2007, Ehnes received the Chairman’s Award from MIC, for outstanding leadership and dedication to promoting OHV recreation. In 2010, he was inducted into the NOHVCC Hall of Fame.
More recently, Ehnes was named to the Hall of Fame of the International Off-Highway Vehicle Administrators Association (INOHVAA), at its 2016 annual meeting and conference. And he will continue to serve on a Federal Advisory Committee with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), which recently published an 86-page document titled “A Citizen’s Guide to National Forest Planning.”
In addition to his role with NOHVCC, Russ is a dedicated OHV advocate within Montana. He is a charter member and officer of the Great Falls Trail Bike Riders Association (GFTBRA), and helped build the Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association (MTVRA). He continues to play active roles in both organizations.
NOHVCC is a not-for-profit educational organization that promotes the safe and responsible use of OHVs, including ATVs, ROVs, dirt bikes and 4WD trucks. Using a network of State Partners, it develops and provides a wide spectrum of programs, materials, and information, or “tools”, to OHV clubs, associations, agencies, and individuals across the U.S. and Canada. It also works in partnership with INOHVAA, an organization of officials at all levels of government who manage OHV recreation in their areas, and holds its conference jointly with NOHVCC.
NOHVCC and its State Partners work hard to meet its mission to “Create a Positive Future for OHV Recreation.” For more information, visit www.nohvcc.org. To contact NOHVCC about its many “tools” and educational materials available to OHV clubs, agencies and schools, send an email to trailhead@nohvcc.org or call 800-348-6487.
