Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities Program (NOVA) Archives

NOVA News Archives
This page last updated July 9, 2008

2008 ORV Noise Enforcement Grants
The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board is offering grants to help government agencies lower the sound of loud off-road vehicles. Grants can be used to pay for sound measuring equipment and related staff. Application Deadline: April 1, 2008. Grants were offered first in 2007 and are being extended into 2008 because all the money was not used. For more information, see ORV Noise Enforcement Manual 13a and ORV Noise Enforcement Application Manual 5ne.

Also, see the NOVA noise enforcement grant schedule.

ORV Noise Enforcement Grants
December 17, 2007 was the application deadline for the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board's new grant program intended to help government agencies lower the sound of loud off-road vehicles. As directed by the 2007 Legislature, grants will be used to pay for sound measuring gear and related staff. To learn more, please see our ORV Noise Enforcement Manual 13a (Adobe Acrobat).

February 20, 2007 NOVA Education and Enforcement
Manual 13 revised. Changes included a new per project funding cap and revisions to the evaluation questions.

November 30, 2006: Trail grants awarded

November 28, 2005: State Awards $6 Million in Grants for Recreation Projects

November 1, 2005: Recently adopted NOVA Program Plan now available

June 6, 2005: Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) Program Plan (Draft) available for review

March 21, 2005: $5.7 Million in Funding Approved for Trail Projects, Projects in 27 Counties Make List

September 14, 2004: Final NOVA Policy and Project Selection Manuals Ready

On September 9, the IAC board gave final approval to NOVA Policy Manual 13 (Education/Enforcement Policies and Project Selection) and Manual 14 (Nonhighway Road, Nonmotorized, Off-Road Vehicle Projects). The revisions in these policy and procedure documents are largely the result of the 2004 Legislature's changes to RCW 46.09, the NOVA Act.

August 17, 2004: NOVA Applications Manuals for 2004 Ready

July 16, 2004: More Draft NOVA Policy Documents Ready for Review

IAC staff is seeking public feedback on the following recently completed NOVA documents:

Manual 14, NOVA Program: NHR, NM, ORV Policies and Project Selection Appendix to Manual 14, NOVA Program Evaluation Criteria: NHR Category Appendix to Manual 14, NOVA Program Evaluation Criteria: NM Category Appendix to Manual 14, NOVA Program Evaluation Criteria: ORV Category
Manual 13, NOVA Program: E&E Policies & Project Selection

Please send your comments to Greg Lovelady.

July 1, 2004: Draft ORV Project Evaluation Questions and E&E Manual Ready for Review

A draft copy of the 2004 grants cycle's ORV evaluation questions is now available for review. IAC is also seeking feedback on the 26 page Education-Enforcement Policy Manual 13e, including evaluation questions. Please send your comments to Greg Lovelady.

May 21, 2004: New NOVA Policy Manual Ready for Review

A review copy of the new NOVA Program manual #14 is now available. Reflecting the program's recent legislative changes, the draft contains information on nonmotorized, nonhighway road, and ORV recreation. New/revised policies in the 24 page manual include fund category definitions, distribution formulas, and the allocation process. We encourage you to return your comments on these documents to Greg Lovelady. In the next few weeks we plan to post draft NOVA project evaluation questions.

May 18, 2004: Advisory Committee Opening [Revised May 24, 2004]

May 10, 2004: Thurston County ORV Sports Park

In preparation for the May 21 meeting of the IAC Board on the status of the Thurston County ORV Sports Park, our office has developed a discussion memo for public review by the IAC, the NOVA Advisory Committee, and other interested parties. We are pleased to provide this copy for your consideration.

The IAC's meeting session is scheduled for 10 - 1 on Friday, May 21, in the Natural Resources Building, Olympia. Please email your comments to Scottc@iac.wa.gov. Comments should be received by May 17th if possible, to ensure their fullest consideration. If you have questions, please call Scott Chapman at 360-902-3017.

April 6, 2004: Thurston County ORV Sports Park

On April 2, 2004, the IAC discussed the funding proposal submitted by Thurston County for the operation of the ORV Sports Park. Following their discussion, the IAC Board made two decisions regarding the ORV Park Closure and also scheduled a meeting on May 21, 2004. Please see the attached meeting notice.

March 26, 2004: Advisory Committee Progress Report January 8, 2004: NOVA Advisory Committee's Recommendations
Click the above link to view the NOVA Advisory Committee's Report to the Legislature (December 31, 2003), a 37 page Word document.

December 30, 2003: NOVA Advisory Committee Update

The NOVA Advisory Committee has completed the work directed in SSHB 1698(2). Click the above link to review background information that led to the Committee's recommendations.

August 7, 2003: Advisory Committee Set. Second Substitute House Bill 1698 establishes a NOVA Advisory Committee composed of two parts. Part one, discussed in section 1 of 2SHB 1698, directs IAC to establish a committee composed "of persons with recreational experience… including, but not limited to people with off-road vehicle, hiking, equestrian, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing experience." On August 5, IAC's Director announced appointment of the following individuals (listed in parenthesis are each member's primary activity):

Robert Brooke, Spanaway (Equestrian)Arlene Brooks, Auburn (ORV)Rick Dahl, Longview (ORV) Jonathan Guzzo, Seattle (Hiking) Jerry Homola, Oak Harbor (ORV) Theressa Julius, Aberdeen (Wildlife viewing)Jeff Lambert, Spokane (Hiking) John Spring, Mercer Island (Wildlife viewing)

Art Tuftee, Seattle (Mountain Bicycling)

Part two of the committee, discussed in section 2 of 2SHB 1698, directs that "the committee must also include representatives of county sheriffs, recreational land managers," and others. To this end, the following members have been assembled:

Vladimir Steblina, Wenatchee (U.S.D.A. Forest Service) Representative Cary Condotta, (12th Leg. District) Representative Mike Cooper, (21st Leg. District) Senator Karen Fraser, (22nd Leg. District) Senator Bob Oke, (26th Leg. District) Sheriff Ken Irwin, (Yakima County) Doug McClelland, Enumclaw (Dept. Natural Resources) Paul Dahmer, (Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
Dwayne Ratliff, (State Parks)

The NOVA Advisory Committee's first meeting is scheduled for August 21, 2003 in Olympia.

July16, 2003: Advisory Committee Update

The 2001 and 2003 Legislatures set in motion several updates to the NOVA (Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities) Program, including:

Completion of the 2001-2002 NOVA Fuel Use Study.Work on appointment of a new NOVA advisory committee.
A process for providing recommendations to the legislature for future NOVA Program changes, including fund distribution formulas.

To implement the Advisory Committee directive, IAC worked with an ad hoc committee to develop recommendations on the composition, selection, and operating policies/charter. The recommendations were approved by IAC's board on July 10. For more information, click on the following links.