Douglas grad helps direct growing trails association

Brian Doyal said his grandfather, Jack, inspired him to appreciate the outdoors by taking him fishing and four-wheeling.

Doyal, now 35, still loves being outdoors and is interested in off-highway vehicles - particularly making sure people engage in these hobbies safely and responsibly.

He's a director of the Pine Nut Mountain Trails Association and is involved in the Nevada Off Highway Vehicle Coalition and BLM Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Advisory Council.

"I'm trying to change the perception of people who use OHVs, and trying to promote all outdoor sports," he said.

This includes planning, participating and encouraging volunteer efforts to keep sites they use clean and protected. The association is hosting a cleanup at the east end of Johnson Lane at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

He motivates other enthusiasts to help properly map and mark OHV areas, and goes out to these sites to educate hobbyists on proper decorum and practices. Most local areas where off-roading is allowed are federally controlled and on the east side of Carson City and Douglas County.

He also continues working on a way to finance OHV needs in Nevada by creating a vehicle registration program. SB434 had proposed part of the money that would come from this source be used to educate new OHV'ers and improve trails. It failed, however, because all the groups involved couldn't agree on how to organize the governing board.

"We all have to learn how to get along, to learn to how to play in the same sandbox," Doyal said.

"We offered to tax and regulate ourselves and were treated like common vandals who were looking to trash Nevada," he said. "We care about the environment and want to preserve it too - we just have a different way of enjoying the outdoors."

He encourages OHV'ers to ride with care - especially when close to residences or traveling near the city. Ride slower in areas where other people are bound to be, especially within a mile of a trailhead. Also install exhaust systems that help machines run as quietly as possible and use spark arresters to prevent fires from starting in these natural areas. It's a misconception that these additions affect the performance of a vehicle, he said.

Doyal was raised in Woodfords, Calif., and graduated from Douglas High School. He is married and lives in Carson City, not far from an OHV area. He works as a civil designer for the city.