Tread Lightly!, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation through stewardship and educational programs, announced a new partnership for Earth Day with the BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails Program.
Since 2006, BFGoodrich has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to support organizations dedicated to conserving off-road trails. Past grant recipients have installed educational signage, improved infrastructure, and repaired local off-roading trails. Combining its high-level expertise with 50 years of motorsports experience, BFGoodrich delivers tires for a full range of driving experiences from ultra-high performance street to off-road terrain with the common theme of extreme performance.
Each year the Outstanding Trails Program provides opportunities for off-roading clubs across the U.S. to nominate trails to receive grants for education and preservation. This year, Tread Lightly! will complete an East Coast and West Coast project to promote sustainable off-road trail use. Grants will also be distributed to Tread Lightly! Member Clubs to complete projects on their local trails.
Tread Lightly!’s educational message, along with its unique training and restoration initiatives ,are strategically designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain a healthy environment. Tread Lightly!’s award-winning materials, programs and services are solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing recreation issues. Individuals and businesses can commit to Tread Lightly! and protect outdoor access by becoming a member at www.treadlightly.org.
“BFGoodrich is proud to incorporate the Tread Lightly! ethic into this year’s Outstanding Trails Program,” said Harold Phillips, global general manager for BFGoodrich Tires and Tread Lightly! board chairman. “We believe in sustainable, responsible trail use and are excited to see what projects are completed with these funds.”
Clubs are required to be active supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for funding: visit treadlightly.org/support/members.
Here are the 5 TREAD off-road conservation tips
// Travel Responsibly by staying on designated roads and trails, and going over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening trails. In soft terrain, avoid wheel spin and rutting by balancing your load, lowering tire pressure, and going easy on the gas.
// Respect the Rights of Others, including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers, and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. When encountering horses and pack animals, proceed with caution. Sudden, unfamiliar activity may spook animals—possibly causing injury to animals, handlers, and others on the trail.
// Educate Yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, taking recreation skills classes, and knowing how to operate your equipment responsibly to protect yourself and the environment. For example, knowing the lowest point on your vehicle will help in negotiating terrain and prevent vehicle damage resulting in oil and fluid spills on the trail.
// Avoid Sensitive Areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams, and seasonal nesting and breeding areas.
// Do Your Part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species by washing your vehicle before and after a ride, and joining dedicated groups to help restore degraded areas.
