National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council Youth Scholarship Program Announced

   The National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council recently started a new program working with youth service and conservation corps. In addition,young men and women who are interested in a career in OHV recreation
management have a new opportunity to further their education.
   "The idea behind this new program is twofold," explains the NOHVCC Executive Director Russ Ehnes. "It gives the youth of our country an opportunity to learn about, and perhaps find a career in, OHV recreation. On the other hand the program helps get the word out to OHV land managers and clubs that there is this huge, primarily untapped resource that can be used to help them build and maintain trail systems. If the NOHVCC Youth Scholarship Program works as planned, it will be win-win for everyone involved."
    At the forefront of the scholarship program is a trip to the NOHVCC Annual Conference in March for young adults (18-25) who have recently participated in OHV recreation projects. For 2009, the first year of the scholarship, Eric Hughes from the Western Colorado Conservation Corps and Carith Kamermans and Kristen Courtney from the Southwest Conservation Corps
will be attending the Conference in Houston and giving a presentation on how youth corps and OHV organizations and land managers can work together. In 2009, their costs will be funded as part of conference support from the
Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Recreational Trails Program (RTP).
   In addition when a young man or woman with experience on OHV projects shows an interest in pursuing a career in OHV management, the scholarship program can provide the student with tuition for on-line or on-campus
Marshall University (West Virginia) OHV Recreation Management courses. The Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute and the NOHVCC are currently sponsoring the Marshall University scholarship.