Nevada City, CA – The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) off-highway vehicle (OHV) enforcement incorporates large tracts of OHV-accessible federal lands in both the Tahoe National Forest and the Mother Lode Ranger District of the Bureau of Land Management. In addition to authorized OHV areas, NCSO is solely responsible for the enforcement of unauthorized OHV use on large tracts of open private lands belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Sierra Pacific Industries, and the Nevada Irrigation District (NID).
The OHV areas in the County of Nevada are divided into two distinct areas: Western Nevada County and Eastern Nevada County. Western Nevada County has mostly low elevation OHV (under 4,000 ft. in elevation) areas, which incorporates the authorized OHV single track areas of Chalk Bluff and Lowell Hill contained in the Burlington Motorcycle Trail System.
The remainder of the OHV areas in Nevada County are authorized and unauthorized OHV areas consisting of federal land under Tahoe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management control, along with private land belonging to NID, PG&E, Sierra Pacific Industries and citizens of Nevada County. These areas generate a large amount of public complaints every year due to trespassing, unsafe OHV operations, environmental damage, vandalism, illegal campfires, and large amounts of litter left behind by illegal OHV operators.
In response, NCSO routinely patrols OHV areas for public safety. As Labor Day weekend is a well-known popular recreation weekend, OHV patrol and enforcement will increase Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, targeting highly impacted recreation areas that are expected to have increased utilization and/or recreation areas that generate calls for service.
The Sheriff’s Office utilizes a special fleet of OHV vehicles, including UTVs, SnoCats, dirt bikes, e-bikes, and a 4×4 Jeep to patrol off the beaten path, to enforce laws beyond the paved roads, and protect those recreating in Nevada County. NCSO’s OHV vehicles have also been utilized not only in enforcement, but in countless emergency incidents such as backcountry searches and rescues.
NCSO is committed to the service and protection of over 900 square miles of county terrain, with a significant portion of that geography being recreational off-road territory.