The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) and the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition (TMTC) announced the receipt of a Polaris Foundation T.R.A.I.L.S grant in excess of $40,000. The grant will be used for improvements to the trail system and trail signing at the Escondido Draw Recreation Area (EDRA) OHV trail system.
Since the state of Texas is 97 percent private land, finding legal places to ride off-highway vehicles can be difficult. In order to have places to ride, the Texas Motorized Trail Coalition (TMTC) began purchasing property for OHV Parks and managing them for off-highway vehicle use.
The Escondido Draw Recreation Area (EDRA) is the TMTC’s second property purchased. The EDRA is located in Crockett County, which is in the west central area of Texas. The area serves the greater southwest portion of Texas from San Antonio to El Paso and as far north as Dallas-Fort Worth. The area will be the only park area in Crockett and surrounding counties that can be used by the general public for off-highway vehicle use.
The funding provided by Polaris will be used to perform trail maintenance and rehabilitation, install trail signing and develop a new trail map for the area. The work will improve rider safety and improve the quality of the riding experience for visitors.
The TMTC will provide manpower to maintain the trail tread, cut back brush, install more than 150 signs, improve other navigational aids and assess trail safety for additional improvements.
The NOHVCC will assist TMTC to create Great OHV Trails in the area by reviewing the current trail system, suggesting trail design improvements, assisting with the purchase of materials, managing the grant and providing guidance. The EDRA project will be completed through its NOHVCC Management Solutions consulting program.
This project is anticipated to be complete by Dec. 31, 2017.
For more information regarding TMTC visit http://www.texasmotorizedtrails.com/. For information regarding the EDRA visit http://www.escondidodraw.org/.
