Why Tread Lightly!...?

[Tread Lightly!]

Treading Lightly is one of the best practices that we as public land users can do to make sure that we can not only continue to use our public lands in a variety of recreational manners, but also make sure that the natural resources and experiences remain intact for future generations. Its not about restriction, but rather about responsibility for our public lands and to ourselves, our friends and families, other visitors, and future generations.

So what does it mean to "Tread Lightly"? Well, we've developed our 5 Principles to break it down to basics:

Tread Lightly! Principles

Travel Responsibly on land by staying on designated roads, trails and areas. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated crossings. When possible avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas.

Respect the Rights of Others including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers and those on or near shore.

Educate Yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes and know how to operate your equipment safely.

Avoid Sensitive Areas on land such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don’t disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds.

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 and repairing degraded areas.


We gain a lot by Treading Lightly as a community. Please help us by promoting the Tread Lightly! ethics whenever you can.

For more information: www.treadlightly.org

Also, you can follow us with social media!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TLoutdoorethics
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/tread_lightly
Myspace: www.myspace.com/treadlightlypage



Thanks for the support!! And please, feel free to ask here if you have any questions or desire for clarification, at all.

[boss73]

Look out for Tread Lightly! awareness course in Northern California.

Our next Awareness course will be coming up mid june, 2011 at Hollister Hills SVRA.

Look out for another Awarness course in El Dorado County, date to be announced soon.

We are also in discussion to hold an eight hour Tread Trainer course, so be on the look out fo that class.

Any questions about thse Nor-cal Classes, please contact me at:

Tony Bosso
Master Trainer
Tread Lightly!

boss73@comcast.net

[LYIN' KING]

I'd like to thank you for the information and reminder . . .

IHMO, most full size OHV and dirt bike folks are well aware of, value, subscribe to and practice Tread Lightly! principles. Tread Lightly! rocks!!!

Your time may also be very well spent with a group relatively new to the sport and growing rapidly, the SXS/UTV crowd.

Just my $.02 . . .

Thanks again!!!

[Tread Lightly!]

Originally Posted by LYIN' KING

I'd like to thank you for the information and reminder . . .

IHMO, most full size OHV and dirt bike folks are well aware of, value, subscribe to and practice Tread Lightly! principles. Tread Lightly! rocks!!!

Your time may also be very well spent with a group relatively new to the sport and growing rapidly, the SXS/UTV crowd.

Just my $.02 . . .

Thanks again!!!

My pleasure. We are currently working on expanding our forum presence, so you'll be seeing more stuff across a number of forums nationwide. I will also be posting more information about the next round of Tread Lightly! stewardship grants for club trail projects, as those come around. The deadline for the current round was today, and hopefully a bunch of people saw the posts on Facebook for that.

[Tread Lightly!]

And Tony, Thank you for posting up about the courses.



(I'm Justin... fellow Master Trainer from Colorado/Alaska)

[cuttenkid]

The Quiet Warrior supports Tread Lightly! Good on all of ya.

[Luckrider]

Current member We have already taken advantage of the GY rebate getting tires for my dad, and using the affiliate pricing for my mom's 2011 Grand Cherokee.

[Tread Lightly!]

Tip of the week:

With many areas in western states still receiving snow (the year of the endless winter?) and high snowpack levels throughout, it is important to take a few things into consideration before heading out.

1) Check with local land managers to see if seasonal opening dates on gated trails have been extended.
2) Minimize use of extremely wet trails to avoid the creation of ruts.
3) Go through patches of snow, not around. Chains were not invented so that we could drive around snow-bashing opportunities
4) Be prepared in case the weather changes on you. Think extra clothing, water, food, and gear to spend the night if things get real bad.

Most of all... have fun and be safe out there!

[Tread Lightly!]

Hopefully everyone got a chance to head out over Memorial Day Weekend, and enjoy time with friends and family while honoring those who have fallen protecting our freedoms.

Tip of the week:

Now that summer has officially begun (by our definition, not the calendar's)... lets talk sharing and courteous use.

1) Be aware that with very few exceptions, almost all motorized areas are open to the vast majority of other uses. This could mean hikers, equestrians, and of course other riders/drivers in the area. Slow down in tighter areas and where visibility is reduced.
2) Motorized users yield to everyone, everyone yields to equestrians. Stop and say hello to other users if given the opportunity.
3) Use caution around equestrians. While many trail horses are getting more accustomed to vehicular travel, they can still be easily spooked. Stop well ahead of them, and turn off your engine unless waived by. On quads and dirt bikes, stop on the downhill side of the trail, as a horse's instinct with uphill movement is to anticipate a predator.
4) In general, yield to uphill traffic. This is not a rule, it's a guideline. Use common sense please, and most of all be patient. We've all been in situations where its in the best interest of all parties to yield to downhill traffic.

[Tread Lightly!]

A nice video to distract you from your day, and get everyone in the mindset to wheel this weekend...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Z9...layer_embedded

Produced through Tread Lightly and the Toyota Trail Teams.

[Tread Lightly!]

Happy Monday everyone! (Yes, I know... its a crime to be excited for a Monday, but still.)

Today's Tip of the Week takes on a different form... More of a discussion of the week.

Under the "Do Your Part" principle, we encourage all OHV enthusiasts to be ambassadors to not only the general public, but also within our community. This includes holding our peers accountable and promoting the Tread Lightly! ethic to those who may be unaware or uninterested... So here's the question:

Have you ever approached someone on the trail who was where they shouldn't have been, or doing something that could be considered irresponsible recreation? How did you handle that situation? What was the outcome?

[Tread Lightly!]

Hope everyone is enjoying the start to the weekend!

Tip of the week:

Again, as part of both the "Educate Yourself" and "Do Your Part" principles, this week I am encouraging everyone to take a small amount of time out of your evening and complete our Online Awareness Course.

This online activity covers the basics of the Tread Lightly! principles and is a wonderful way to quiz your knowledge of what responsible recreation means to us as a community.

Enjoy: http://treadlightly.org/page.php/edu...areness-Course

Also, everyone who completes the course is entered into a drawing for a free hat, courtesy of Cabelas.

[Tread Lightly!]

Good afternoon everyone!!

Tip of the week:

With the 4th of July holiday weekend rapidly approaching, we hope that you and your friends and families are making plans to head outdoors to enjoy some responsible fun and celebration. Since we figure (and hope) that many of you will be camping, we wanted to toss out a few reminders about campsite ethics.

- Look for previously-used campsites, and camp on durable surfaces.
- Campsites should be at least 200ft from water sources, other campsites, and trails. Pay attention to local regulations (MVUMs, etc) concerning how far your vehicle can be off the trail for camping.
- Keep a clean camp. Place food and other products with odors in animal-proof containers or back in vehicles.
- Follow the pack it in, pack it out guidelines. Police your camp before you leave to leave it in better condition than you found it.
- Campfires are not for waste disposal. Please do not leave trash in campfire rings, especially glass.

All that said, lets all cross our fingers for beautiful weather and get back to planning that perfect trip!

[Tread Lightly!]

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.

[Tread Lightly!]

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!

Anyone have any good stories to share concerning promotion of responsible use?

[Tread Lightly!]

Wow... how the summer flies!!!

Quick tip of the week:

Spill kits! Despite the fact that oil comes from the earth, it is very important that we work to keep oil and other fluids from contaminating our trails. Breakage happens. Seals go bad. Its part of the deal... So what can we do?

- Inspect your vehicle regularly and before each trip for leaks, and fix them as soon as you can. As if you were looking for another excuse to get into the garage and out of domestic duties...
- Either purchase a pre-made spill kit, or make your own. This includes durable large-capacity garbage bags, absorbent material, etc
- If you have a fluid spill on the trail, please scoop up any contaminated soil and bag it, disposing of it at an appropriate location (not your pesky neighbor's garden.)
- On rock (think Utah), use absorbent materials to wipe and clean up the spill as best as you can.

The dinosaur unions who protect their exclusive placement of oil in the earth thank you. As do we. Have a great weekend everyone!

[Tread Lightly!]

Time for a long over-due tip of the week...

Labor Day is coming up here in a couple weeks. I'm sure everyone is excited, and hopefully has some plans to hit the trails!!

Labor Day also happens to be one of the busiest weekends on public lands, so with that in mind... We would like to make a couple recommendations, if we may.

-Play it respectful. There will be thousands of people out enjoying the public lands. Please keep that in mind, and slow down around high-traffic areas and areas of low visibility. You never know what could be around that blind corner...

-Play it safe. Use all the proper safety gear, and seat belts on vehicles designed to use them. We want you all to be around to talk trash about how "insane that obstacle was" or how "great that trail is". For the more visual learners... A video from our friends at Stay The Trail in Colorado: http://www.youtube.com/user/StayTheT.../8/GyJk37z0yLs

-Play it sober. Beers are best enjoyed in camp after the tires have stopped turning. A gentle reminder that you can still get a DUI in many areas, even on the trail.

-Play it fun. Get out there and hit the trails. The forum should be VACANT over the weekend...!

[Sillyneck]

Tip 2 of the day.

Tread lightly because, for whatever reason, the communists in this country that want to take your freedom have more judicial clout than we, and everyone believes their lies.

[Tread Lightly!]

Originally Posted by Sillyneck

Tip 2 of the day.

Tread lightly because, for whatever reason, the communists in this country that want to take your freedom have more judicial clout than we, and everyone believes their lies.

Nice.

[Howdy]

Is this treading lightly or is this not ok? just doesn't seem right

RZR river fun! - YouTube

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/25358507.cfm

[LYIN' KING]

Originally Posted by Howdy

Is this treading lightly or is this not ok? just doesn't seem right

RZR river fun! - YouTube

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/25358507.cfm

Link no workie for me???

[Tread Lightly!]

Originally Posted by Howdy

Is this treading lightly or is this not ok? just doesn't seem right

RZR river fun! - YouTube

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...d/25358507.cfm

Short answer... No, its not okay.

Longer answer... Stream crossings should only be done at designated crossings, and travel through should be limited to just enough power to get across safely and effectively. Travel up and down a stream where the trail does not designate that as the route (yes, there are some) constitutes off-trail, and especially with a riparian environment, could lead to penalties or (hopefully not) closures. These guidelines apply for public and private lands, as even in a private lands setting, sediment can flow down stream and impact other users and areas, if not mitigated.


Not sure what the RV forum links to... It just went to their homepage for me.

[LYIN' KING]

Thanks for providing the video! No, the actions depicted are certainly NOT in keeping with the sensibilities held by the majority of folks in this OHV Community!!!

This type of behavior by the SXS/UTV crowd is exactly why I said the following in post #3 of this very thread . . .



"I'd like to thank you for the information and reminder . . .

IHMO, most full size OHV and dirt bike folks are well aware of, value, subscribe to and practice Tread Lightly! principles. Tread Lightly! rocks!!!

Your time may also be very well spent with a group relatively new to the sport and growing rapidly, the SXS/UTV crowd.

Just my $.02 . . .

Thanks again!!!"

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showp...65&postcount=3



I've personally beat on this specific OHV group for three years now understanding that many of their members need some MAJOR educating and this just proves it!

The idiot(s) in question are so proud of tearing up all the work we've done over the decades that they have a whole library of antics . . .

http://www.google.com/#q=MadMavSS+po...w=1093&bih=475



Please reach out to the new kids on the block before they finish us all off!!!

[LYIN' KING]

This is just a small example of the responses I have received after I put the video up this morning on about a dozen UTV/SXS forums and a good example of what I’ve been talking about.

Tread Lightly has their work cut out for them with this group!!!

I’d be happy to PM you all the URLs so you can explain it to them, I’m about done wasting my time and breath on them.


“What this isn't how you clean your sxs? Jk but seriously I don't see the big deal it's not like is a leaky jeep pouring oils in the water. Maybe I'm ignorant I dunno”

“I am being serious when I ask this, but what was the issue with what this guy was doing? Was he supposed to stay on some trail that was marked? Please don't flame me, I am being serious.”


“I spend 99% of my time at the dunes and am used to people using it as a trash can for their bud light cans (which I go around constantly picking up - I keep a trash bag in my bed always), so I guess I was expecting someone to dump trash in the river or light their rig on fire and burn trees down or something.”

“Sorry, but I see nothing wrong with this video! Maybe some education on the viewers part? The area has tracks and a crossing and no fish was harmed as far as I can see, seems a lot over reactionary to point fingers at these guys since there are NO signs visible and mother nature will do more harm to that stream bed in a season than a 1000 RZRs! The problem is we allow this harmless activity to become somehow a problem! I would laugh their silly ass of a podium if someone held that up as destruction! Ask the folks on the east coast about stream beds and what they look like now! Change is constant and we are but a flash in time and what we do is NOT destruction compared to mother nature normal course of action! I suggest we concentrate on real issues and let these guys have their fun!”

“We have a total lack of prospective and need to understand what is destructive and what isn't! On the Rubicon there is a section you travel in the stream bed for a long distance and well as many places in the south where your only course is in a stream bed! Hwy 39 OHV area has many such places and this might be as well or even private land! This is MUCH to do about NOTHING! Really do we want to waste or energy eating our own? Or tell the Tree Huggers and whacko's to take a hike by electing the RIGHT people to office! No tree was hurt or trail widened and I see no harm except I did hear some fun, OMG!”

“The places we ride at that is about the only way to ride. Now, granted all the atv parks here in Texas are mostly mud parks. Most state parks don't even allow atvs or utvs in them...for the reason above. Public land bad idea. Private land all good.”

“What did they do wrong? Looks like riding through the creek....am I missing something?”

“AND the problem with this video is???”

“Are you serious!!!! I dont know what to say. I'm shocked that someone that own's a sxs, thinks this is bad.”

“i guess thats where i am coming from. i dont ride trails or public lands i have 38 acers to play with it so if i had a stream through my land id be doen that. maybe that is his land? who knows”

“I agree we need to protect our riding areas, but I did not see anything wrong with that video either. I was expecting a rollover and gas spilling out or something like that, by the description.”


“Is that land protected or public? I ride in the woods all the time...I clean my bike off in Rivers, etc....it doesn't do any harm! You think a little SxS going around like the guy did above in a running river is going to hurt things....wow...there is way more to be pissed out...and that seems like a normal day for me...sorry, I don't buy the greenpeace bullshit...if they were doing break stands in the water and doing donuts a bunch then ok I would say no need for it....people have been going in rivers/water for years...in trucks, trikes, quads...no different then a sxs....please find something else to b!tch about.

If it's a protected area/land/water in a national park or something...ok well don't do it I guess...but if they really cared that much they wouldn't allow any type of travel in the first place.”

[Tread Lightly!]

I would appreciate that list. I've already jumped in after you on one of them, and waiting on a couple logins to get cleared up on some others.

I'm happy to take the flaming if they don't get what we're trying to say. Part of the job.
(I got a multi-layered lashing on ThumperTalk in the TL! thread over there... It was entertaining/challenging)