TreadLightly

14 days left for applications...!! We want to know how you'd spend some stewardship money!

Hey guys! So our 4th Annual Tread Lightly! Charity Auction is now live on eBay. We’ve got about 150 items from 50 companies that will be auctioned with bids starting at 40% to 75% percent off retail prices. 100% of the money raised will go to help keep off-road trails and the great outdoors healthy and open to the public. Here are a FEW featured items up for auction right now: Yamaha Grizzly 550 Fl 4X4 ATV 2011 John Deere Gator XUV 625i 4x4 Utility Vehicle Talon 18 SR Winch from Superwinch Hunting Apparel & Gear from Browning Set of C Series Type 7 UTV Wheels from ITP Winter Gear and Backcountry Pack from HMK Neoprene Dust Filter Riding Masks from Rz Mask Racing Apparel and Accessories from Moose Racing The MoJavi Saddlebag from Giant Loop $100 Gift Cards from Trail Tech Lexx Mxe Slip-On Silencer from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Handlebars and Handguards from Renthal 2-Cycle Exhaust Stealth Kit from dB Snorkel Vortek T7 Dimension Helmet from EVS Sports UNO UTV Gun & Bow Rack from All Rite Products LEAD-DOG Helmet Light from Helmetlight Flo-Vent Kit from Fastlane Flywheel Puller Tools from Dennis Stubblefield Sales Inc. Check out the entire auction and help out our important cause right here.

Auction opens November 1st! Stay tuned for the announcement including a list of all the other amazing items available!!!

Warn has generously donated a new Warn VR8000 winch for our SEMA "Friend of Tread Lightly!" promotion!!! You know you want to win, so... Here's how this works: Sign up to be a "Friend" of Tread Lightly! between now and the last day of the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas (Nov 1 to Nov 4), either by stopping by our booth (38053), scanning the QR code on the poster below, or going to our "Friend" page Tread Lightly - Become a Friend of Tread Lightly! and signing up. By becoming our friend, you'll receive periodic emails about TL! and our efforts encourage responsible use and stewardship. On November 5th, we will announce the winner. Only those who sign up as Friends between now and the 4th are qualified. That's it, That's all. Thanks for your support

The Fall/Winter 2011/2012 Tread Lightly! Trails Newsletter is now available for viewing and download! In this issue, we talk about: -Ebay Charity Auction -The new "Ride On" Campaign -Statewide Utah Education Campaign -Our new partners and members http://www.treadlightly.org/files/news/newsletter/Fall%20&%20Winter%202011-2012%20Trails%20Newsletter.pdf

Our ad intended for our military servicemen and service women... Thank you for your service.

Good Deal + Good Cause Alert: Tread Lightly! will be auctioning off two brand new vehicles: A Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI 4x4 and a John Deere Gator XUV 625i 4x4 that can be delivered straight to your local authorized dealer for free. They'll be auctioned on eBay starting November 1st, and bidding will start pretty low-probably around $5,999 for the Grizzly and $6,999 for the Gator. So if you're in the market for either of these vehicles, don't miss this opportunity to not only purchase an excellent ride, but also make a significant difference in keeping trails and off-road areas healthy and open to the public. 100% of the purchase price will go straight to Tread Lightly! and its important cause. You'll be getting double your money's worth. More info is here: Tread Lightly - Charity Auction Links to view the vehicle models- Yamaha Grizzly: 2012 Yamaha Grizzly 550 FI Auto. 4x4 Home, information John Deere: John*Deere 625i Crossover Utility Vehicles Gator Utility Vehicles JohnDeere.com

Tread Lightly! Stewardship Grant Program Tread Lightly! recognizes that one of the best ways to promote responsible outdoor recreation is to get recreational enthusiasts involved in the stewardship of their favorite recreational areas. Tread Lightly!’s Stewardship Grants are designed to help individuals and clubs organize clean-ups, trail maintenance work days and other small stewardship projects. The maximum grant amount is $500, and those funds can be used to rent equipment or purchase supplies like garbage bags, water, or snacks for volunteers, etc. Who is eligible? You must be a Tread Lightly! member club or Three-Year Individual Member to apply. All other membership categories are not eligible. Tread Lightly! Member Clubs and Three-Year Individual Members. How much grant money can an applicant receive? The maximum grant award is $500. When are grant applications due? Grant applications and all supporting material are due by 8:00am mountain time Thursday November 24th, 2011. What do I need for my application? Applicants must submit an online grant application, a letter of support from a representative of the land management agency or land owner and, if applicable, any additional documentation including photos of the area. Where should I send supplemental documentation for this grant? Your letter of support and additional documentation can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 298 24th Street, Suite 325, Ogden UT 84401. When should my project or event be completed? Projects can start anytime after December 1, 2011. For this grant cycle, all projects or events must be completed and final reports submitted by April 30, 2012. If I am awarded a grant, when should I expect funding to be released? Tread Lightly! will provide fifty percent of the grant award up front. The final payment will be issued upon receipt of a complete project report and other requested documentation. Tread Lightly - Stewardship Grants

A lot of LHC has been closed due to travel management plans, as well as a couple routes that have been started but not opened to the public to date. This is a great opportunity to show both the local residents and the Boulder Ranger District how much the OHV community does for volunteer efforts on our public lands.

Date: Sat Oct 1st Time: 9:00 - 1:00pm Location: Lefthand OHV area. 4.6 miles up Lefthand Canyon Dr. from the intersection with Hwy 36. Parking is along the main road (both before and after the OHV area entrance) Moe's Bagels, coffee, juice, and other drinks provided Bring work gloves and sturdy work boots. Map/info on the area: Stay The Trail Colorado - View Trail System - Lefthand Canyon

Caribou, Maine Description: When: Sunday, October 23 Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm Location: Caribou Wellness & Recreation Ctr 55 Bennett Dr. Caribou, Maine To register for this course, please email Steve Salisbury at [email protected] or call (207) 841-8434. Course Date: 10/23/2011 Course Location: Caribou, Maine Registration Open: Open until full or Oct. 16 Course Cost: $25.00 Course Size: 25 Seats Remaining: 24 For more information: Tread Lightly - Trainer Courses

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - SEPTEMBER 12TH. THAT'S TOMORROW!!! This is a great way to help us as a community spread the Tread Lightly! ethic throughout, promoting responsible recreation as a proactive step towards maintaining our access on public lands.

Nice article out of the Aspen Times! Down and dirty: Motorized users step up environmental work | AspenTimes.com

No one wants to lose opportunities to enjoy our public lands and there are no easy fixes to the problems associated with outdoor recreation, but there are solutions—which is where Tread Lightly! comes in. Our goal is to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain a healthy environment and Tread Lightly!’s leading the way to help remedy current and future recreation issues. The program is positive and something in which all who are involved can be proud of, but we need your support. Combined Federal Campaign Federal employees can designate Tread Lightly!, #10000 in the CFC, for workplace giving. Where does your money go? Restoration for Recreation Give to a region of your choice and help rescue and enhance your favorite recreation areas. Efforts will be directed toward reducing the impacts from continuing use, rehabilitating problem areas, improving the quality of recreational experiences and educating the public on outdoor ethics. Tread Lightly! leverages its Federal Partners to acquire matching funds in an effort to make your donation go as far as possible. Education/Communications With your generous tax-deductible donation, Tread Lightly! can achieve its mission to proactively protect recreation access and opportunities in the outdoors through ethics education and stewardship initiatives. Your donation will help us educate the public through critical educational materials, school curriculums, website features, events, teaching tools and print, broadcast, web and radio public service announcements. THANK YOU :thumb: For more information: Tread Lightly - Donate

NOHVCC, Bloomington, MN Description: Where: Bloomington, MN When: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm Location: Park Plaza Hotel 4460 W 78th St. Circle Bloominton, MN 55435 952-831-3131 Registration Deadline: Sept. 12, 2011 Course Date: 09/21/2011 Course Location: Bloomington, Minnesota Registration Open: Deadline--Sept. 12, 2011 Course Cost: $50.00 Course Size: 25 Seats Remaining: 25 To register: Tread Lightly - Trainer Courses

Property taxes? Definitely outside the scope of our marketing program... Good discussion here guys, and we appreciate your continued support of respecting access on both public and private lands!

The above article is not the first incident i've heard of, including Colorado... unfortunately. Again, this is one of the reasons that ALL public land users need to be respectful of each other. Vengeful tactics like that do no good for anyone, and should not be tolerated by any of the outdoor communities.

Appreciate the support, and the constructive criticism. I did get a similar comment from another forum as well, and we will re-examine when we do another round.

Here is a preview of our Respected Access is Open Access campaign PSAs that were recently released. The Respected Access campaign focuses on other issues on public lands such as recreational shooting, private land access, invasive species, and so on. Just like with the Ride On materials, if your club or agency would like to use these as part of your outreach, please contact us: [email protected] Thanks again for your help.

In response to the recent (well... 2005) change from "routes open unless closed" to "routes closed unless designated open" on USFS routes, as well as many BLM travel management plans being revised, we at Tread Lightly! have launched a new campaign to encourage the use of designated trails only. Please, as you're heading out, verify that the routes you intend to take are a) open, and b) open to your type of vehicle. For USFS-managed lands, that includes the use of a Motor Vehicle Use Map. On BLM, currently many field offices are still using on-the-ground signage as well as Travel Maps. Many local resources are available to help pin-point those routes, nationwide. The expectation of using designated routes and areas extends across all forms of motorized recreation, from dirt bikes to Subarus and dune buggies to crawlers. Additional information concerning camping regulations, hunting, and seasonal designations can often be found with those maps. A view at our new Public Service Announcement advertisements: If your club or agency would like to use these posters/graphics as part of your outreach, please contact us. [email protected] Thank you for being a part of keeping our public lands open to public uses

Tread Lightly! Stewardship Grant Program Tread Lightly! recognizes that one of the best ways to promote responsible outdoor recreation is to get recreationists involved in the stewardship of their favorite recreational areas. Tread Lightly!’s Stewardship Grants are designed to help individuals and clubs organize clean-ups, trail maintenance work days and other small stewardship projects. The maximum grant amount is $500, and those funds can be used to rent equipment or purchase supplies like garbage bags, water, or snacks for volunteers, etc. Who is eligible? You must be a Tread Lightly! member club or Three-Year Individual Member to apply. All other membership catatorgies are not eligible. Tread Lightly! Member Clubs and Three-Year Individual Members. How much grant money can an applicant receive? The maximum grant award is $500. When are grant applications due? Grant applications and all supporting material are due by 8:00am mountain time Thursday, August 18, 2011. What do I need for my application? Applicants must submit an online grant application, a letter of support from a representative of the land management agency or land owner and, if applicable, any additional documentation including photos of the area. Where should I send supplemental documentation for this grant? Your letter of support and additional documentation can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 298 24th Street, Suite 325, Ogden UT 84401. When should my project or event be completed? Projects can start anytime after September 1, 2011. For this grant cycle, all projects or events must be completed and final reports submitted by December 30, 2011. If I am awarded a grant, when should I expect funding to be released? Tread Lightly! will provide fifty percent of the grant award up front. The final payment will be issued upon receipt of a complete project report and other requested documentation. Tread Lightly - Stewardship Grants

Nice answers so far! Sounds like a few of you started as a family activity... I assume you've worked to pass that passion on to your kids?

Forest Service News Release: Kaibab and Coconino National Forests Seek OHV Ambassadors WILLIAMS, Ariz. – The Kaibab and Coconino national forests in northern Arizona are seeking volunteers to promote responsible off-highway vehicle recreation as part of the Arizona OHV Ambassador program. OHV Ambassadors contribute their time, experience and local knowledge by working cooperatively with Arizona land managers to: • Monitor and maintain motorized areas, roads, trails and facilities • Provide a recognizable presence on public lands • Model appropriate riding behavior • Provide educational and informative material to the public Prior to beginning their service, volunteers receive extensive training. The statewide OHV Ambassador program was developed through the joint efforts of Arizona State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and interested user groups. The agencies and volunteers that comprise the program are dedicated to enhancing motorized recreation opportunities and management in Arizona. “This program provides a great opportunity for OHV enthusiasts to get to do the activities they enjoy out in the forest while also having a positive impact by monitoring OHV use and educating the public,” said Christa Osborn, a recreation specialist on Kaibab National Forest. “We encourage people to volunteer if they are interested in making a difference on the forests of northern Arizona.” To learn more about becoming an OHV Ambassador and to apply to the program, please visit http://www.azstateparks.com/ohv/ambassadors The deadline for applications to the Kaibab and Coconino national forests OHV Ambassador program is Aug. 19. For additional information, please contact OHV Ambassador program administrator Marge Dwyer at (480) 794-0316, [email protected]

Good evening friends! Decided to step it into a new direction this week. Instead of a tip of the week, we'd like to know the answer to a simple (potentially) question. Why do you ride or wheel? Lets hear it. Where did you start? Who hooked you? Etc, etc.

If you're at 96dBa in Colorado, then you are within the limit. Its 99dBa for machines built Jan 1, 1998 and older. You both are fortunate to have lots of sound-testing resources available around the state. COHVCO received a grant a couple years back to train and provide sound meters for clubs and land managers to be able to do educational sound testing. You also have the roaming staff at Stay The Trail who can provide that as well (I know Sam was at the Sand Dunes over Memorial Day, and I personally have tested hundreds of machines statewide since 2008). Most of the land managers i've spoken with in Colorado are still more concerned about the education side of it, except when its a blatant disregard for the regulation or combined with other violations. You can see more info about the sound regulations and testing on their website at Stay The Trail Colorado - Home