NORA May newsletter

For anyone that doesn't get the National Off Road Association (NORA) newsletter here is one of the stories:

"Iowa’s Department of Nature Resources (DNR) manages eight off-road parks throughout the state. However none of these eight parks allow access to full-size vehicles. “It’s shocking in its unfairness”, says Rich Francis, owner of a 1976 Dodge Power Wagon, “we have no place to recreate, and on the weekends we go to a friends’ house who only has 4 acres, that’s it”. “The Iowa DNR is lacking true leadership. Who in their right mind would open eight parks for the purpose of motorized recreation and limit access to full-size vehicles”, states Pearse Umlauf, NORA Founder & CEO. “Maybe the Iowa DNR needs to take a lesson from Michigan’s DNR and re-designate their routes”.

Rich Francis is currently working with local county officials to understand the possibility of a potential land acquisition of old mines with the goal of turning them into an off-highway vehicle (OHV) park for all users, not just full-size vehicles."

Rich Francis is with Damage Inc, 4x4 club out of Waterloo, IA. He attended the last IA4WDC meeting with his brother Micheal looking for help in getting their club going. He has been in direct contact with Pearse Umlauf who said he wants to help Iowa get a full size park.